So, it’s time to note down the first of my ideas. Over the course of writing and researching I realized that my first idea was also one of the more controversial ones, but rather than back down, let’s see if we can make this idea work and make true Felaryan dragons.
And if it doesn’t... well, there’s no shortage of ideas in my head yet.
So without further adue... dragons. Their appearance is largely inspired by Karbo’s Your princess is in another dragon.
In many worlds where they exist, dragons are mighty and ancient beings who can count their age in milenia. Feared by many and held in awe by more, they are the top of the food chain.
On Felarya, dragons are classified as “a crunchy snack that comes in various colors and flavors.”
Dragons on Felarya differ greatly from their distantly related cousins on most worlds. For one, having taken a plunge down the food chain has caused the average age of dragons to drop immensely. A dragon over three centuries is already considered old (and lucky). It also means they share little of the pride and arrogance dragons in other realms are known for. Knowing that half the creatures you meet can kill you if you’re not careful and the other half even if you are tends to put things into perspective. This is not to say dragons are weak (a grown dragon would still rank as a high threat to humans) however in Felarya, dragons have as many predators as they have prey.
Arguably the biggest defining difference though, is that dragons in Felarya exist in humanoid forms. A horned human body with draconic wings, a scaled tail, hands that are covered in glove-like scales and scaled and clawed feet is the common appearance for many types. Nobody knows the exact reason for this, but since the first records of this change appearing was in 10 370 B.U. it is often theorized that the Era of Mirages either influenced them or brought them here.
When dragons are born from their eggs, they tend to be small and easy prey, only five to six feet. It will take at least three decades for the average dragon to reach its full size, which varies around 90 to 120 feet for most. All dragons are carnivorous, and while they will eat animals, with humans making some of the easiest prey that wanders around Felarya it’s little surprise they are a favorite. Dragons hunt mainly from ambush, dropping down from the skies on or lying on wait for unsuspecting opponents, incapacitating their defenses with their breath weapons and gulping them down. Hoarding lots of treasure to make the adventurers come to you remains a popular tactic. All dragons have a breath attack, a magic they instinctively know how to use from birth. While it is limited only to their breath attack (a dragon does not instinctively learn all magic) it is a powerful survival tool. However, since it is magic by nature it is subject to the same weaknesses.
Dragons are survivalists, forging either tight-nit communities or symbiotic relationships with their surroundings depending on the type of dragon. Other dragons learn to fortify their lairs or hide from predators alltogether. This often surprises adventurers, who expect dragons to arrogantly sit alone in easy-to-reach caves. There’s a bit of a variety between dragons, with various types growing accustomed to various places. Mostly the classification is named after their prefered territory, but it is not impossible to see dragons of a type appear in a different area. It is simply more likely you encounter a certain type in its preferred territory. It should also be noted that while there certainly are stereotypes associated with the various dragon types, these stereotypes are based on culture, not genetics (for example, desert dragons tend share a bigger comradery because they are used to band together to survive in the desert, while mountain dragons are the have the highest raid count mostly because “raid the camp” and “who can eat the biggest caravan?” are traditional sports). Exceptions to the stereotypes exist plentiful.
Mountain Dragons
Preferring raids on caravans and camps has made mountain dragons the most well known type of dragon, mountain dragons make their lairs in the sides of mountains. As they have a high resistance to heat, they prefer volcanic ones, and fortify their lairs immensely. Mountain dragon lairs are known to be the most fortified among dragons. They typically have black and red scales, and mainly breathe fire. They have an affinity for fire and earth magic.
Desert Dragons
The lairs of desert dragons are often found in rocky formations or ruins of past civilizations, turning a potential safe-spot into a deadly trap. Surviving in the desert means desert dragons tend to share a greater sense of comradery compared to their other kin. Their scales are often brown and copper colored. They can use sand or air as their breath weapons, and have an affinity for wind magic.
Plain Dragons
Living on wide open plains, these dragons are experts at dropping down on their targets from the skies. Plain dragons often create cavern lairs in the middle of their territory. On the plus side, being able to see a cave from miles away means it’s easy to recognize where a plain dragon lives. On the downside, this means they’ve also probably seen you. They use lightning and wind as breath weapons have affinity for wind and nature magic
Forest Dragons
Forest dragons can breathe a powerful wave of acid, as well as a cloud of paralyzing or sleeping gas. With scales of various green hues, forest dragons have a powerful affinity for nature magic, and make their lairs in great trees or root-formed caves. Forest dragons share a symbiotic relationship with dryads. Forest dragons take care of the dryads, and the dryads in turn warn forest dragons of danger. This thriving relationship between dryads and forest dragons is almost sacrosanct to most forest dragons, and saving a dryad from danger is a sign of considerable prestige.
Arctic Dragons
Living in the polar regions and highest mountains, arctic dragons tend to be very solitary creatures. Their scale color tends to be a dull silver and white, with a skin color to rival, allowing them to blend in with the surroundings and become virtually invisible to predators and prey alike. They have an affinity for ice magic, their breath weapons include the ability to either breathe a cone of razor-sharp ice spikes or a freezing cloud.