Arguably the longest article on this entire website, as this knowledge used to be a part of a larger website. Dragons and Dragon shifters are by far one of the most diverse groups of creature, and this length of an article is necessary.
Covering every single dragon throughout the literal thousands of years of culture would make this page even longer. Dragons exist in every culture, they have been described all across the globe.
Some most famous dragons, however, include the goddess Tiamat, the god Quetzalcoatl, and the goddess Ni∂hoggr.
Throughout every culture, dragons are either feared or revered as gods - this is likely due to the fact that a large, flying, (in some cases) fire-breathing, armoured, persistence predator is quite literally the most apex of apex predators.
To humans, dragons have always been and always will be a marvel.
Dragonkin + Dragon Theriomythics
Dragonkin are a subset of Otherkin. Otherkin is a spiritual or psychological belief that someone has the soul, past life, or mind of a nonhuman creature. That said, dragonkin are otherkin to dragons.
Dragonkin are unable to physically shift, as they are not physically nonhuman. Dragonkin may be kin to earthen dragons, however many are not from this planet or universe. Many dragonkin have breeds or species that cannot even be categorised with earthen breeds.
Dragon therians, also known as Dragon theriomythics, are otherkin that experience frequent if not constant mental and phantom shifts, but they cannot p-shift. Therians are typically very hostile towards physical shifters.
Therians are otherkin who believe they have the soul of an *earth* animal. Theriomythics are therians that are mythical animals, such as gryphons or unicorns.
Dragon Shifters
Dragon shifters are, as the name suggests, nonhumans who can shift into a dragon form. They are rare shifters, and many go unawakened their entire lives.
Dragon shifters experience two unique calls, whereas other shifters typically only experience one, such as the call to the wild, dragons experience more than one. They both experience the Call to the Wild, and the Call to the Sky. Oceanic dragons may experience the Call to the Wild and the Call to the sea, and coastal dragons will often experience all three.
Pygmy Dragons
Pygmy dragons are the result of dragons being forced to become smaller and smaller. Pygmy dragons are roughly the size of house cats, although their size can vary from as small as a rabbit to the size of a wolf.
Pygmies live in remote and untouched spaces. Some pygmies even live in the ocean depths. Almost every breed of dragon can be found as a pygmy, with the exception of Starlight, Lunarlight, Chaos, and Shadow.
The largest difference between dragon shifters and pygmy dragons is that pygmy dragons have wings and usually can fly. Some pygmies have underdeveloped wings or, due to inbreeding, have deformed wings and cannot take flight. Shifters lack the mass to shift wings fully and fly.
Pygmy dragon eggs are roughly the size of chicken eggs, but can vary in size based on the size of the female.
Smaller pygmies are often mistaken for bats or large birds, and many never get seen at all by humans
Basic Anatomy
Dragons have a unique anatomical structure. If we were to compare individual parts of their anatomy, we would find that each part would seem to match up with other creatures.
Dragons are not reptiles, nor mammals, nor birds.
Looking at a dragon skull, you would see canine like teeth. A set of four large canines, with the rest being molars and incisors. The horns are attached to the skull. In breeds without horns, fins are not attached to the skull and are instead made out of cartilage and skin. Some dragons have thick scales and spikes - Unlike crocodilians, which have osteoderms, these thick scales and spikes do not have a bony base. They are modified scales, and some spikes are very similar to claws.
Claws are not retractable and can resemble reptilian/avian claws like crocodiles and bird feet. Some dragons have paw-like feet with pads and webbing similar to an otter.
Flight mechanics are some of the largest portions of a dragon's muscular system. They have semi hollow bones, large lungs, and the secondary pectoral muscles are incredibly large. Few dragons lack the muscle to fly, even in wingless dragons the secondary pectorals can be observed.
It should not surprise you that dragons have many, many types of wings and are adapted to fly. Dragons, like birds and bats, follow a typical rule of form and function with our wings.
We will be discussing the four main types of skin wings, and which environments they apply to. I say "four main types" as like with feathered wings, wing shapes are not always universal - wings can be shaped to be a mixture of two types.
We will not be discussing Feathered wings in depth as they follow the exact same rules as the skin wing types. In fact, these four main types first and foremost apply to feathered wings. So, the information is the exact same, and I don't like to repeat myself. A graphic about feathered wing types will be at the bottom.
Active Soaring Wings
Long, large, and almost kite-like wings that support dragons soaring across entire oceans. These wings are huge, sometimes 6x the length of the dragon in span, and are built for coastal and oceanic air currents. However, these wings do have a downfall- they cannot function outside of oceanic or coastal winds. If you put a dragon with Active Soaring wings into the middle of a field, they would not be able to take off.
This type of wing has never been observed in bats. Dragons that have these wings include: Coastal dragons. That's about it. Due to the structure and function of these wings, mostly only coastal dragons have them. Some coastal dragons have shorter wings with a larger aspect ratio, and while they are still active soaring, they could take off with a running start and catch the winds. This is also seen in Seagulls, who can often still get air despite being inland.
Passive Soaring
Passive soaring wings are broad but also long. They have a unique structure that resembles fingers in the wing. This is so the air can bend the membrane and provide a "cutting" lift. The reason this lift is needed is because in Feathered Wings, the slots the primary feathers make act as an active soaring wing, allowing the wing to catch thermals and wind columns. This is needed to passively soar, and the structure remains.
These wings are often also large. They are very prevalent in dragons that live near mountains, as well as often seen in dragons that travel long distances. They are very useful and provide low energy flight, allowing for longer flights with less energy used. This wing type has also never been observed in bats.
Dragons that have these wings include: Any, but mostly some Coastal dragons, Fire dragons and their hybrids, Ice dragons, Starlight and their subbreeds, Air dragons and their subbreeds, as well as light and shadow dragons. This wing type is the most prevalent among all dragons, for good reason.
Elliptical
These wings are short, rounded wings that are primarily used for short bursts. They must flap their wings almost constantly. Due to this, Elliptical wings are one of the most high energy wing types. They are, however, very good at fitting through trees, and rapid turning. They are slower wings with a high aspect ratio. These wings are best suited for forest dwelling dragons. These wings have NO soaring capability, instead the moments where they do not flap are better described as controlled falls or gliding.
This wing type has been observed in bats, and is very common in bats.
Dragons with this wing include: Any, but predominantly River dragons, Forest and Nature Dragons. This is a rare-ish wing type, as these dragons cannot travel very far without breaks.
High Speed
Long and pointed wings, these wings provide incredible speeds in the air. This wing type exerts a lot of energy, as they have minimal soaring capability.
Like Elliptical wings, they must flap near constantly to maintain speed. These wings are observed in many birds, like falcons, ducks and geese, doves, parrots, and some kites.
They are incredibly agile and very useful for that reason, however, these wings require frequent rests. This is the most prevalent wing type observed in bats.
Dragons that may have these wings include: Any. Any dragon breed may have these wings, however, they are best suited for open plains where trees are not an issue, and prey can be pursued. They seem to be common in earth breeds, shadow dragons, as well as some tropical dwelling dragons.
Hovering wings have never been observed in dragons nor bats. Therefore, we will not be covering them at all.
Body styles can be found in any breed, but naturally have more common occurrences within certain breeds.
"Western"
The most common type, can be found across all breeds. Usually can fly. Feathered or skin wings.
Wyverns
Wings for arms, this body style is slightly uncommon, but can be observed in all breeds. Feathered or Skin wings.
Amphithere
Wings, no legs. Basically a winged snake with a dragon head. Common in nature and forest dragons, as well as coastal. Feathered wings are more common than skin for this body style.
Wyrm
Rare, flightless. Thicker scales, can be found in any breed but many oceanic water dragons will have this body style.
Lindwyrm
Rare again, often found in freshwater or river dragons. Flightless.
Lung, or "Eastern"
Flightless. Often found in freshwater, mountain-dwelling, or nature breeds. Not rare, but not uncommon either.
Drakes
Flightless, often armoured dragons. Often found in Earth (desert dwellers) or plains earth dragons.
Dragons have adapted to almost every biome on earth, and each has evolved into a separate "breed". These breeds are not separate species, but rather akin to dog or cat breeds. They can, and do, hybridize.
Pure Earth Dragons
Earth dragons are a breed of Earthen Dragons who have an affinity with the Earth beneath them.
Pure Earth Dragons are commonly brown and yellow in colour. They must camouflage with their environment, and earth dragons typically live around rocks and sand. Earth dragons typically have thick scales to protect against falling rocks, sand, and when they make their dens.
Body styles vary between dragons, but earth dragons are usually either skin winged or lack wings entirely. They sport shorter legs with muscular builds and many horns and spikes.
Pure Earth Dragons have an affinity with rocks and the ground, some may experience geokinesis. Their spirits are exceptionally great at helping with strength and power in spellcasting. They can also share the message of grounding (literally), to keep yourself calm and collected.
While personalities will differ between dragons, many earth dragons are calm and disdainful.
Nature Dragons
Nature dragons are a subset of earth dragons, however they live in forests and grassy areas. Nature dragons are typically green, dark green, brown, or iridescent. These dragons have a strong affinity with flora and fauna. It is rumored that some Nature dragons can support moss and mini ecosystems growing on their scales.
Unlike their Pure Earth cousins, these dragons have a wide range of body styles. They typically are winged, be it skin or feathers, and support longer bodies with taller legs. These dragons usually have curled or branched horns and medium scales, much like a snake. They can be found basking often and frequently.
These dragons experience heavy nature magick and can be associated with fertility and the harvest. The forests in which they live boom with growth and animal life.
Forest Dragons
A subset of nature dragons, these dragons are adapted to living in forests. They are often smaller, with more rounded wings like hawks. They are usually varying shades of green or brown to camouflage into their surroundings. These dragons are typically a western body style or a lung combination. Forest dragons excel in nature magick and naturakinesis. They are even more incredible with forest upkeep than nature dragons.
Pure Water
These are the basic water dragons, they are often blue-scaled and often have fins, some have smaller wings that do not allow for flight, others can fly, and *DOES NOT HAVE GILLS*. Like all of their subbreeds, they can become 'invisible' in water as well as do basic-to-advanced hydrokinesis. Water dragons who cannot fly often spend most of their life on the shoreline, however most who can fly will go far out into the ocean. When they do have wings, they are often Skin however some feathered ones do exist.
Freshwater
Freshwater dragons, also called river dragons, are a smaller version of pure-water dragons and are very common inland. They are often brown,blue, or green in color. They do not have gills, but can hold their breath for quite a while. These dragons often sport a full piscivorous diet and often do have wings. Due to their smaller size, some would say they do have predators; it is very, very rare to see a predator of more than hatchlings. They are often skilled in hydrokinesis.
Open-Ocean
Open ocean dragons rarely, if ever, set foot on land. These dragons are often blue, purple, or black, and they all have gills. Wings are not necessary for this breed, as they are equipped with fins, flippers, and often eel or shark-like tails. Some even have flat-fluked orca-like tails. These dragons can turn 'invisible' in water and use telepathy to communicate with one another, due to having gills and not lungs, they also can never truly leave the water. If they have wings, they are often very tiny and are skin, mainly used for the extra push in the water they may need. These dragons excel in Hydrokinesis and often put on shows for their potential mates. Unlike most dragons, Open-Ocean dragons may find a new mate every year.
Deep ocean
Deep ocean dragons are relatively unheard of, as their bodies are adapted to the pressure as well as the darkness. These dragons are all uncannily black in colour, often with blue or purple sheen, and they have bioluminescent scales, as well as glowing tongues and eyes. They often match Open-Ocean dragons with abilities. However, they often prefer to hunt and are very good at doing so. They are able to use echolocation to know just where their prey is.
Coastal
Coastal dragons are known for very, very large wings so that they can soar for days on end. If a coastal dragon lacked wings, it would be quite devastating. They can travel across entire oceans on the currents, diving to sleep on the water or on small islands. They are typically blue or green, but some are white or grey like seals.
Coastal dragons thrive on fish and can use aero and hydrohydrokinesis.
How Fire Breathing Works
Fire breath is a unique adaptation in fire dragons. Fire breeds are the only dragons that have fire breath, due to their environment. If you took a fire dragon out of the mountains and canyons they love, they would not be able to breathe fire. This is due to the flint and metal deposits that are present in their habitats.
The stomach acid produces a natural gas, much like cows and humans, that contains both hydrogen sulfide and methane gas. With the metal and flint chewed up, lining their teeth, they burp and click their teeth together to create a spark, and out comes fire.
Fire breathing is a short, last-ditch effort to scare away threats and protect themselves. Long bursts of fire breathing (over 3 seconds) are rare, however they can happen. Fire Dragons do NOT use their fire breathing ability randomly or for show.
Pure Fire Dragons
Pure fire dragons are very often western body styles with red, black, brown, or very rarely golden scales. Of course, dragons can have any appearance and still be their breed, but there are typical looks for each breed's adaptations.
Pure fire dragons can breathe fire, use pyrokinesis, fire magick, and are typically associated with dragons in myths and legends, as well as with War and passion. They often like to live in mountainous areas with plenty of basking spots, or they live near volcanoes. They have thick scales that allow them to resist higher temperatures than other dragons.
Unlike the other breeds of dragon, Fire dragons do not have auxiliary related breeds. They do, however, have plenty of hybrids.
Pure Air Dragons
Pure Air Dragons are the basic air breed. These dragons are typically white or sky blue in colour, and use their colours to camouflage with the sky. Some are even piebald to mimmic clouds more. Their scales can be very very reflective and iridescent. Due to their abilities in aero and atmokinesis, these dragons are well regarded for being travellers. They fly high and well, with acrobatic skills well beyond crows and ravens. They often have fur instead of all scales, and very large feathered wings. These dragons typically have a chirpy or sing song call.
High Altitidue Dragons
A subbreed of Air dragons. They live and fly even higher than their pure air cousins. Their eyes are typically glassed over and white because of this, but they have similar abilities and body styles.
Light is a breed of dragon that is under some disputes. Some of our astral sources claim that light dragons are related to fire dragons, others claim that they are related to shadow dragons. Due to this, this information will be changing as we discover the truth.
Light dragons are often smaller bodied with white, yellow, gold, or orange scales. These dragons are skilled in photokinesis and often have feathered wings. They like to live in areas that are always basked in light - mountains, plains, plateaus, etc. Unlike other breeds, light dragons are rather social and form family groups often. They typically hunt in packs and have a high success rate when hunting.
Shadow Dragons were once seen as vile and threatening, as they were pack hunters with ambush-based hunting methods. These dragons may also have a poison gland.
Nowadays, as Dragons are rare, these stereotypes of shadow dragons no longer exist.
Shadow dragons excel in umbrakinesis and traditional moon magick. These dragons were often stocky with black, brown, purple, or in rarer cases, dark red scales and skin wings. They have better night vision than other breeds, and use it well. Shadow dragons are typically nocturnal. They are like bats, in a way.
If the venom gland exists, these dragons would be like snakes or platapi. They would inject venom using fangs or spines on their body ; but as stated, this is only a possibility.
Ice dragons are a side-breed of water dragons, Ice dragons being the basic form and the most common.
These dragons rarely, if ever, leave the polar circles and their outskirts. They also typically have thick fur that insulates them, however migrating ice dragons or ice hybrids may not. Often they are white, blue, or a very light grey. These dragons are highly skilled in hydro and cryokinetics, as well as aerokinesis. They are very good with illusion magic and camouflage, which is critical when hunting during times of thick snowfall. Many ice dragons will hunt at night, however as they lack night vision, they rely on the full moon or the aurora borealis for light. These dragons are the creators of the celebration Rrdragastix, a ritualistic event that worships the night, the aurora, and the breeding season, which lines up with the aurora season.
Many ice dragon females will take in eggs from other dragons, especially wandering females or dragons who laid their eggs too early (a phenomenon also seen in birds, if a warm front enters during late winter). These dragons often have skin wings or feathered wings. Combination skin and feathered wings are also very common for ice dragons, as the feathers insulate the wing. However, some ice dragons with no wings or wings that are too small to fly do exist and rely on pursuit or ambush hunting.
Lightning dragons are a rarer breed. These dragons are travellers, much like coastal dragons. They are typically blue, black, or purple in colour, and often have skin wings. They do not generate electricity as you might think, however they do often generate static by rubbing their scales together. If they fly through a cloud with this starting static, the cloud can build up charges, and later produce a lightning strike. These dragons do not create lightning - they merely help it along. Lightning dragons do have night vision and would hunt primarily at night. Skin wings are common, as they fly through rain.
Before, you would scroll to this heading and see information about Starlight dragons, But now it has been removed.
Why?
Well, to put it simply, there have been numerous influxes of people claiming to be a starlight dragon for their "like of the stars" and "wish to be in space", or even the occasional "I'm a starseed so i must be a starlight!"
People tend to see rarity and obscurity as "cool" factors or "drawing" qualities. After all, it would be much cooler to say "I'm one of the rarest dragon breeds" than "I'm a fire dragon", wouldn't it?
Humans adore "coolness" and the illusion of power in a name. When you tell someone that Starlights, according to astral sources of old dragon societies, were regarded as holy due to their divination abilities and perceived "closeness to god", anyone would wish to be one, simply for that power.
Because of this, we have indefinitely removed the information about Starlights, Lunarlights, and Solarlights from this website. Naturally, we have this information saved. We do not know when we will add it back, if at all.
We apologise for the inconvenience.
Hybrid breeds could continue on forever. There is no end to the number of hybrids that can be made between dragons. This can make young dragon shifters go crazy trying to figure out their breed, as they are influenced by all of their hybrid types.
Hybrids of 3 or more breeds are typically just referred to as the breed names, instead of a special hybrid name.
As dragons have become smaller and smaller through the years, not every breed has remained within the niche they previously occupied. Nature takes care of itself, and as a result, there are some breeds who are believed to be extinct. These are those breeds.
Gemstone Dragons
Not much is known about this breed other than that they were a subset of Earth dragons that had very reflective and thick scales, and that many would live in caves and consume gemstones. This led to some of them having broken teeth and injured mouths as they found gemstones that were suitable for their consumption.
Chaos Dragons
Subbreeds of Shadow Dragons, these dragons eventually seemed to separate from their roots as a shadow subbreed. They were often purple or black in colour, with skin wings. They excelled in chaos magic and working with even the wildest of ideas. Now, these dragons are only findable on the astral.