Appearance

Like many other sentient races, dragons vary widely in appearance; the following is more of a constructive guide to the qualities of different species, and can be interpreted liberally even within their own respective types.

Western Dragons: They have four legs and two wings for a total of six limbs. They are sturdily built, possessing naturally stronger frames than their cousins, and many are born with platelike scales and spikes to guard against physical threats. Many westerns have sharpened claws and particularly powerful jaws for prey or enemies alike.

Eastern Dragons: They are low-slung, four-legged creatures. They lack wings but have long, serpentine bodies and tails, which coil and weave gracefully in flight, not unlike a ribbon drifting in the wind. Many easterns also have a thick mane of soft fur that runs down their spine, and sensitive, trailing whiskers from the snout.

Wyvern Dragons: Wyverns lack the spikes and plates of their western cousins, have only one set of rear legs, and one or two sets of wings. They are built for speed and agility but lack the strength or stamina of a western. Wyverns cut through the air easily and efficiently; they are able to perform aerial maneuvers beyond the scope of their cousins, and for this their bodies tend toward sleeker builds and larger, tapered wingarms. These adaptations offer the least amount of resistance to flight; so natural is flying to them, they are rumoured to spend the majority of their lives soaring, and are easily the most nomadic of the three dragon species.

Sea Serpents: They are adapted wholly to water. Their builds are similar to easterns, though they possess fins, longer legs and webbed claws, and have developed dorsal fins in the place of manes. Their tails are shorter and thicker than that of easterns, acting as powerful rudders, and allow the water-dwellers to shoot forward in sudden bursts of speed to catch prey. These changes allow them to cut through the water with speed unrivaled by any manmade craft, making them the bane of merchant and pirate alike.

Abilities

All dragons were once able to breathe fire, an ability that is now lost to the Sea Serpents; however, the dragons that live aboveground are still capable of this ability, with the westerns being the most adept.

Dragons always had an affinity for magic, and most dragons are able to use magic to some degree, though their skill varies by individual. They are not restricted by kind; from use of their aura to elemental magics, and anything in between, a dragon can show talent in any power. What a dragon may master depends on their training and natural tendencies. In general, Easterns are the most well-versed in magic of all kinds.

Almost all dragons are able to fly, save for the Sea Serpents, who turned their flight into swimming. Easterns fly in a graceful, weaving pattern, their magic holding them afloat, while both Westerns and Wyverns use their wings to take to the air. Of the dragons, the Wyvern is the most well-suited for flight, having adapted their wing shapes for speed and agility as they were hunting and being hunted in their new territories of the south.

All dragons are equipped with hard scales to protect them from harm, as well as sharp teeth and claws that can inflict severe damage upon their opponents. However, Western dragons are perhaps the best suited for battle, with strength and stamina that outweigh those of both their Eastern and Wyvern counterparts, as well as horns, plates, and spikes that make it hard for opponents to find a vulnerable place to strike.

Alongside the normal abilities of the dragons, Royals were gifted another ability by Zarkos. With the increased energy and power that they were given, the royal dragons were also able to convert energy into matter; in other words, royals could forge materials out of what seemed to be thin air. This ability came handy in battles when there was no weapon or shield available, or even in daily situations, when a simple tool might be needed. As useful as this ability was, however, it was also extremely taxing on the individual performing it; though the ability became easier to use and required less energy as the user became more accustomed to it, the first attempts had to be carefully monitored to make sure that the users did not pass out or even die from overexertion.

History

The first dragons were believed to have been born from the swirling gales of a tornado that ravaged the lands, spinning out of the torrential winds in a bright display of gleaming color. In the early days, there was only one form of dragons, known as the Western dragons. These dragons originated in the northern mountain ranges of Sleibte, with an inherent ability to breathe fire in order to combat the icy conditions they lived in.

It was from the first dragons that the true Royals emerged, from a line blessed by Zarkos himself. They were given powers above the others, to help protect and guide the dragon species. These royals were sworn to serve their species, but, even in their own family, many had different ideas of how best this could be done. Arguments ensued, and the royal lines split into two. Though little fighting, no wars broke out, the dragons were divided; they were able to live side by side, but no longer had a unified purpose.

As time went on, dragons began to travel more of their continent; a third headed toward the east, spearheaded by one of the two royal lines, while others traveled south in search of warmer climates. The groups that separated never rejoined, and thus began to develop differing traits from the Western dragons they had originated from. Meanwhile, many of the Western dragons had remained behind, and the original Royal line remained to hold rule over the westerns, so that the draconic royals were divided into three.

The dragons that traveled to the east fittingly came to be known as Eastern dragons. These dragons quickly found that the humans to the east were bent on hunting down their kind; from this constant pursuit the Easterns adapted, losing their wings and developing a more inconspicuous, serpentine body, so that they were able to hide in the shorter forms of foliage and brushlands that adorned their new habitat. In addition to the physical changes, Easterns became more well-versed in magic, using their powers to confound the humans that hunted them so relentlessly as well as regain the ability of flight, even without wings.

Despite their adaptations against being hunted, some of these Eastern dragons traveled further south to search for absolute peace away from the humans. These dragons foraged on until they reached the waters of Aquilentus, and thrived on the shores, hunting the fish in the sea as their main source of food. As time passed, these dragons spent more and more of their time in the water; eventually they became completely aquatic, turning into what we know today as Sea Serpents. Though at first the Serpents stayed near the coastline, soon enough they slipped into the depths of the ocean, to become the mysterious dragons that are rarely seen today.

The Western dragons that went to the southern mountains encountered few predators, but rather, they found plentiful, but fast-moving prey. With the dragons' build, they were unable to gain quite enough speed to catch their quarry, and with time, these dragons, who came to be known as Wyverns, lost their forelegs, so that they only had wings and hindlegs, and began to walk upright. With the loss of the air resistance that their forelegs provided, the Wyverns were able to thrive in their new territory as well, catching the prey that had once been too quick for them with ease.

After they had been living in the mountains for a while, the Wyverns chanced upon the dwarven population, who were known for their collections of beautiful, gleaming gems and gold. Intrigued, the dragons stole some of the treasures of these short humanoids, which was the first step into a war between them dwarves that would last a long, long time. With the strongly built weapons and armor that the dwarves wore, they were a formidable match even for the much-larger Wyverns, and the dragons were forced to adapt once more, until they were able to fly even the sharpest turns and quickest stops in order to avoid the projectiles that the dwarven warriors would launch at their wings.

As the dragons expanded, so did the races that hunted them, and soon all the land and air-based dragons were being hunted and killed. As numbers began to dwindle, the dragons came up with one more adaptation, one that would serve them well and keep them safer than all the other changes had. Through a mutation triggered by magical experimentation, the dragons discovered a gene that allowed them to shift forms to a humanoid figure, effectively blending themselves with the humans and dwarves that hunted them. As this mutation was the most successful in keeping the dragons safe, all three types of land-dwelling dragons quickly adapted and favored the gene; now, one would be hard-pressed to find a dragon without a second humanoid form.

The sea serpents, on the other hand, needed no such gene, for living in the depths of the oceans, the dragons were safe from the persecution of the humanoid races; they remained true to form, and rule hidden in the waters to this day.