Dragons are a common and highly intelligent species native to Nova, with a variety of breeds. They are all four-legged and can fly with large and powerful wings. Whilst the majority of dragon-kind are scaled, certain breeds are predominantly furred.
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Dragons communicate in dragon-tongue, vocalisations that are not understood by humans. However, humans who grew up alongside dragon-kind may be able to discern a dragon's intent, mood, and instructions via their inflection and body language. Similarly, dragons cannot understand human language naturally, but may eventually recognise distinct phrases or expressions over time.
Civilised dragons dwell within town and city walls, occasionally aligning themselves with particular factions. Like humans, they can be employed, dine in public taverns, and partake in civic leisures. Some factions welcome dragon company, and even build their infrastructure to accustom the larger creatures, including high-ceiling architecture and wider roads. Despite these accomodations though, dragons are seldom considered to be citizens by law, and cannot own properties of their own. In cities, dragons generally average a ratio of one for every ten tumans.
Wild dragons live outside city walls, and are not typically aligned with any faction. Their temperament can range from aggressive and territorial, to reclusive and passive. In the wilderness, dragons outnumber humans roughly three to one. Solitary travellers are recommended to keep a watch out for predatory dragons when wandering, with many choosing to hire or bond with a companion dragon for protection on the road.
Each breed possesses morphological traits that distinguish it from others. This is usually the shape and form of their body, but also their dominant scale/fur colour which correlates with their innate element. Dragons may exhibit scale/fur patterning, and though said markings are usually themed around the dragon's breed, they can vary in complexity, location, and colour.
Morphological variations are common, resulting in natural differences in size and shape. For example, whilst all water dragons possess flexible horn-like appendages along the back of the skull, these horns may vary in length, curve, and thickness.
Draconic social bonds are similar to the social bonds of humans: ranging from nonamorous, to monoamorous, to polyamorous. Females will lay one egg per nesting cycle, though a clutch of two or three eggs is possible.
Hatchlings are born entirely grey and without a particular element. As a hatchling grows, they slowly develop a colour and element. The element that they grow into is dependent on their nature and nurture. Most dragons will develop the same element as one of their parents, due to a combination of their nature preferring the biology of their parents, and their nurture being influenced by the personality of their parents.
However, it is possible for a dragon to grow into a different element entirely, which happens most often when their upbringing is unsteady or volatile. Once a dragon has reached maturity, they may leave their family and migrate to another region, especially if their developed element does not match their current environment - such as a magma hatchling raised by terra parents relocating from a forest canopy to a volcanic range.
0-4: Hatchling - small, fragile, grey, and without an element.
5-12: Flightling - now have enough strength to fly on their own, their element and colours begin to develop.
13-90: Adult - fully sized, their element and colours finalised; their element cannot fluctuate from this point on.
91-120: Elder - begin to grey once more, natural stamina and elemental capacity gradually deterioriating.
All dragons have an innate ability to manipulate their own element, but they cannot create said element from nothing. For example, a terra dragon cannot create plant matter in barren dirt, but they can shape the existing flora around them. As a result, most wild dragons will reside in habitats that - in some degree - naturally contain their element. This ability to manipulate elements costs the dragon their energy, where excessive manipulation can tire a dragon quickly.
Dark dragons are intimidating creatures, their quiet nature even unsettling. One moment they're completely still, the next moment hunting their quarry down with terrifying agility. Even if their prey were to find a place to hide, a dark dragon will still be able to find them, just by locating the sound of their breathing. Thankfully wild dark dragons do not consider humans to be prey, but domesticated dark dragons can and usually are employed to hunt when requested. However, they cannot directly harm individuals with their darkness manipulation, they are able to use the darkness to blind, obscure, and distract.
🐉 Body: Slender, flexible, smooth.
🖤 Primary Colours: Blacks, Dark Greys
🌑 Element: Dark
🏠 Habitat: Dark and confined spaces, usually deep caverns.
🍽️ Preferred Food: Small mammals and birds.
🪽 Physical Abilities: An enhanced sense of hearing, used for identifying movement within their dark homes. Ribbon appendages on the face and tail, which are used to feel their own surroundings and avoid collisions. Adept movement, skilled in navigating cramped areas at high speeds.
✨ Elemental Abilities: Can manipulate the energy around them to create localised pockets of darkness by absorbing light. They can blind creatures by creating a pocket of darkness over their eyes, which is done both offensively and defensively (this of course doesn't work on other dark dragons). Shadow puppets can be created to scare off other creatures or create a distraction. Darkness can also be created to protect oneself or others from harsh sunlight, or to obscure the shape or identity of an entity.
⚙️ Behaviour: Typically, asocial and territorial, preferring minimal social contact as crowds tend to overwhelm their auditory senses.
💼 Occupations: Due to their keen sense of hearing and ability to traverse difficult terrain even during the night, they are often employed to track and hunt animals, dragons, or people.
❔Other: Nocturnal
Light dragons are majestic fun-loving creatures, and are rarely seen living on their own. Even from great distances, light dragons can identify one another - due to the unmistakble glistening of their scales. Due to their extraverted social requirements, light dragons are rarely kept as companions to humans; a human would need to keep at least three or more for the dragons to be content, a cost and effort that not many are willing to spend. Though light dragons will eat large mammals, they are not known to hunt or eat humans. Before they take down their prey, they blind the animal using their elemental abilities, disrupting the animal's ability to flee.
🐉 Body: Hearty, flexible, smooth.
🤍 Primary Colours: Whites, Light Greys
☀️ Element: Light
🏠 Habitat: Open sunny areas, pastures, and mountains.
🍽️ Preferred Food: Large mammals and fruit.
🪽 Physical Abilities: The floppy appendages that extend from their neck and spine are used primarily for socialisation. The flexible extremities will arch high when the dragon is angered, alerted, or excited; and droop lowly when saddened or exhausted. Using this to accompany their vocal communications, the social dynamics between light dragons are deemed to be one of the most complex constructs out of all the dragon breeds.
✨ Elemental Abilities: Can manipulate the energy around them to create localised pockets of light. They can blind creatures by creating a pocket of light over their eyes which is primarily used offensively rather than defensively. During the night, a chosen dragon from the pack will maintain balls of light, providing their sleeping pack members with a sense of safety. Plantlife within a pack's territory tend to grow atypically, due to the increased light exposure.
⚙️ Behaviour: Incredibly social, quick to become depressed if not residing within a pack. Highly talkative and expressive. Friendly to one another but wary of outsiders.
💼 Occupations: Aids in construction and exploration, helping to light dark and confined spaces. Their protective loyalty to one another can also make for decent guards.
❔Other: Diurnal
Rock Dragons...
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Water Dragons...
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Plasma Dragons...
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Magnet Dragons...
Some humans and dragons consider magnetic dragons to simply be hatchlings that never developed a distinct element, due to their naturally grey scales.
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