dragons
Dragons are a species of being-like beasts that live worldwide. No one really knows where in the world dragons first originated. "True" dragons are separated into two groups: chromatic and metallic. All true dragons gain more abilities and greater power as they age. The older the dragon, the more powerful they are. They range in length from several feet upon hatching to more than 100 feet after attaining the status of great wyrm. The size of a particular dragon varies according to age and variety.
| Category | Age (Years) |
|---|---|
| Wyrmling | 0-5 |
| Very young | 6-15 |
| Young | 16-25 |
| Juvenile | 26-50 |
| Young adult | 51-100 |
| Adult | 101-200 |
| Mature adult | 201-400 |
| Old | 401-600 |
| Very old | 601-800 |
| Ancient | 801-1,000 |
| Wyrm | 1,001-1,200 |
| Great wyrm | 1,201+ |
Dragons are large, serpentine/reptilian creatures whose appearances differ on their specific subspecies. They have a few things in common with their appearance. All dragobs have scales that cover the entirety of their bodies. The scales on the sides and back of the dragons are thicker and stronger than those on their bellies. The scale color depends on the species. Dragons also have horns on their heads, though the number of horns, and where they are positioned, depends on the dragon type. All dragons have leathery, bat-like, wings that make them able to fly. They are born with them. Dragons have four, muscular legs, making them quadrupeds, though they are able to easily stand on their back two legs. They all have lizard-like heads, though, the exact shape of the head differs from dragon to dragon. They all have reptilian eyes, forked, serpentine tongues, and long, muscular tails. Dragons speak Draconic, a language that is formed from various growls, hisses, and roars.
Dragon behavior is varied at best. All dragons like to hoard various objects, usually objects of value, such as gems, coins, and other valuables. Each dragon species has their own preference. They have intelligence that is genius level, if not surpassing it; even the "lesser" species. Dragons are usually solitary, however, once they find a mate, they tend to mate for life. Though this is not true for all species. They lay once every 30 draconic moons (or approximately 2.24 years), and each clutch is around 8-10 eggs. Though it is rare, it is not unheard of for dragons to take non-dragon mates. Young born of this union will be considered half dragons and while they do have some characteristics of their non-dragon parent, it is very obvious they have dragon blood (scales, horns develop after a time, draconic facial features, etc etc).
A dragon’s metabolism operates like a highly efficient furnace and can metabolize even inorganic material. Some dragons have developed a taste for such fare.
Although goals and ideals vary among the different species, all dragons are covetous. They like to hoard wealth, collecting mounds of coins and gathering as many gems, jewels, pieces of artwork, and precious metals as possible. Those with large hoards are loath to leave them for long. For dragons, there is no such thing as enough treasure. It’s pleasing to look at, and they bask in its radiance.