Post by engelbert on Jan 10, 2008 23:23:20 GMT
Description:
The Dragons of Archidet are similar to European dragons rather than the Eastern or oriental style dragons. They have four limbs with which to walk upon and a large set of wings that enables them to fly.
Typically an adult, fully-developed dragon is roughly the size of a two-story-three-bedroomed detached house. The wingspan of a dragon varies depending on the wing structure, though the most accepted theory is that the wingspan is 2 lengths of the dragons body from shoulder to the tip of the tail.
The dragons are also quite colourful. Their scales are monotonal yet vary from deep blues to ochres and chestnuts. The only colours that do not seem to appear are metallic colours (ie. silver, gold, chrome, bronze) or flourescent colours (including magenta, lime green, illuminous yellows, etc).
Dragon eggs also vary in colour and size. The average egg is around 1 meter high and 1/2 a meter in diameter from the widest point. They are shaped rather like chicken eggs. Colours are in pale pastel colours often featuring irregular patterns. For example, spots or other patterns seen in the animal (perhaps a pattern similar to that of a giraffe's hide, zebra hide or various tropical fish)
The Inner Workings of the Dragons:
It may seem to many that it should be impossible for a creature of such huge mass to become airborn (unless flung frown a giant catapult). Fortunately though, the dragons are an incredible feat of natural design.
Their bone structure is very strong but is porous. In this way the dragons weight is dramatically reduced. Dragons also have an 'air sac' that sits below their lungs but above the stomach. This site is roughly their center of gravity and so gives most effect. The air sac itself is filled with both hydrogen and natural gases from the dragons stomach. Hydrogen is a gas that is much less dense than air (it rises in air) and so it aids the dragon in flight.
When the dragon is not in flight, the hydrogen is stored in a large gland in the form of hydrogen peroxide. This is a highly reactive chemical that quickly breaks down and so is perfect for storing a gas that may be quickly needed for flight.
Some dragons have also been known to regurgiate this chemical upon attackers. Hydrogen peroxide is highly corrosive to skin.
It is also well documented that dragons have the ability to breath fire. They do this again by using the hydrogen and natural gases within their air sac. The sac compresses and a valve opens allowing the gases to escape into the oesophagus and out of the mouth. At the front of the mouth, behind the front incisors on the upper jaw are two more glands. when secretions from these glands meet, heat is formed and this sparks the gases emitted into flame. Unfortunately if a dragon is to breath fire it leaves the airsac empty and the dragon can no longer attain flight for at least a few hours. If the dragon was breathing fire whilst airborn, it must quickly land or it will lose altitude and crash.
History:
The dragons are the eldest race living upon Archidet. Because of this, their past is relatively unknown. They are known to exist in large families in the Caverns of Wisdom. Their diet used to consist of mountainous creatures living to the North of the Fallen Woods. However, since the mountains and forest have been usurped by the harpies... Harpies are now the regular foodsource of the dragons.
The dragons have always chosen to raise their young in the safety of the Caverns of Wisdom. It gives the young dragonkin freedom to explore and test their wings without fear of attack.
This seclusion is of no matter to the adult dragons though, as they are speedy fliers and it takes a mere hour of flight (in favourable conditions) to reach the Fallen Woods.
Way of life:
Dragons exist in large extended families that occupy different cave systems within the Caverns of Wisdom. Generally it is the more elderly dragons that take care of the eggs or mothers heavy with eggs. From breeding it takes 6 months for the eggs to develop sufficiently within the mother and often 20 to 30 eggs are laid at a time. This extra weight often leaves mothers unable to fly during the last month of their 'pregnancy'. They spend this month looking after the collective of eggs. Stones are heated and placed around the eggs to keep them incubated. This is not a problem for the nursery dragons as they are unable to fly anyway.
Younger dragons are required to look after newly hatched dragonkin. New hatchlings are curious about the world and seek to explore, regardless of whether their flight skills are quite up to scratch. Dragons are often posted on watching duty... this mostly consists of watching for dragonkin that look more like they're plummeting than flying... and ensuring that they don't fall to their deaths.
Other dragons are placed on hunting duty. These fly out and search for food (usually stray harpies) to bring back to feed both the young and the currently flightless.
The dragons consider themselves equal to one another but elder dragons are treated with great respect. These elderly dragons are no longer agile enough to fly safely, but make decisions about the family in order to best serve and preserve their kind.
The Matriarch is the name given to the eldest female of the dragon family. She is treated as the leader and ultimately decides the fate of her family.
Dragons have been known to live to around 600 years. The eldest dragon currently alive is the Matriarch of the Silverclaw family. She is known to be 523 years of age.
Other dragon families include the Ambertail family, the Lightwing family, the Flamescowl family and the Brazentooth family.
The dragon families regularly mingle, the are separated only to their loyalty to their individual Matriarchs.
Faith:
There are no deities within the dragon community, only the mantra.
"Age is Wisdom, Wisdom is founded upon Knowledge, Knowledge is Power."
Places of Importance:
(This should be used only as a brief decription of the areas that this race inhabit. The places are described in more depth in the Catagory named 'The Land'.)
All dragons are born and raised in the Caverns of Time. There are many large hive-like caves within this region, most of which are large enough to accomodate the huge dragons. The largest of the caves are home to whole dragon families; including the Matriarch, her mate (if she has one), many younger dragons and partners, young dragonkin (hatchlings) and a large cavernous room used as a hatchery for the eggs.
Each Family has given their name to their Cavern and so the largest of the caves are named as follows:
Cavern of the Silverclaw
Cavern of the Ambertail
Cavern of the Lightwing
Cavern of the Flamescowl
Cavern of the Brazentooth
Each has a maze-like quality and so it would be futile to try and describe the position of particular cavernous rooms. All that can be said is that the caves are free from stalagmites and stalagtites to avoid injury and that most are free of stones. The more travelled corridors have been worn smooth by the passage of dragons and so have a marble-like quality.
The Dragons of Archidet are similar to European dragons rather than the Eastern or oriental style dragons. They have four limbs with which to walk upon and a large set of wings that enables them to fly.
Typically an adult, fully-developed dragon is roughly the size of a two-story-three-bedroomed detached house. The wingspan of a dragon varies depending on the wing structure, though the most accepted theory is that the wingspan is 2 lengths of the dragons body from shoulder to the tip of the tail.
The dragons are also quite colourful. Their scales are monotonal yet vary from deep blues to ochres and chestnuts. The only colours that do not seem to appear are metallic colours (ie. silver, gold, chrome, bronze) or flourescent colours (including magenta, lime green, illuminous yellows, etc).
Dragon eggs also vary in colour and size. The average egg is around 1 meter high and 1/2 a meter in diameter from the widest point. They are shaped rather like chicken eggs. Colours are in pale pastel colours often featuring irregular patterns. For example, spots or other patterns seen in the animal (perhaps a pattern similar to that of a giraffe's hide, zebra hide or various tropical fish)
The Inner Workings of the Dragons:
It may seem to many that it should be impossible for a creature of such huge mass to become airborn (unless flung frown a giant catapult). Fortunately though, the dragons are an incredible feat of natural design.
Their bone structure is very strong but is porous. In this way the dragons weight is dramatically reduced. Dragons also have an 'air sac' that sits below their lungs but above the stomach. This site is roughly their center of gravity and so gives most effect. The air sac itself is filled with both hydrogen and natural gases from the dragons stomach. Hydrogen is a gas that is much less dense than air (it rises in air) and so it aids the dragon in flight.
When the dragon is not in flight, the hydrogen is stored in a large gland in the form of hydrogen peroxide. This is a highly reactive chemical that quickly breaks down and so is perfect for storing a gas that may be quickly needed for flight.
Some dragons have also been known to regurgiate this chemical upon attackers. Hydrogen peroxide is highly corrosive to skin.
It is also well documented that dragons have the ability to breath fire. They do this again by using the hydrogen and natural gases within their air sac. The sac compresses and a valve opens allowing the gases to escape into the oesophagus and out of the mouth. At the front of the mouth, behind the front incisors on the upper jaw are two more glands. when secretions from these glands meet, heat is formed and this sparks the gases emitted into flame. Unfortunately if a dragon is to breath fire it leaves the airsac empty and the dragon can no longer attain flight for at least a few hours. If the dragon was breathing fire whilst airborn, it must quickly land or it will lose altitude and crash.
History:
The dragons are the eldest race living upon Archidet. Because of this, their past is relatively unknown. They are known to exist in large families in the Caverns of Wisdom. Their diet used to consist of mountainous creatures living to the North of the Fallen Woods. However, since the mountains and forest have been usurped by the harpies... Harpies are now the regular foodsource of the dragons.
The dragons have always chosen to raise their young in the safety of the Caverns of Wisdom. It gives the young dragonkin freedom to explore and test their wings without fear of attack.
This seclusion is of no matter to the adult dragons though, as they are speedy fliers and it takes a mere hour of flight (in favourable conditions) to reach the Fallen Woods.
Way of life:
Dragons exist in large extended families that occupy different cave systems within the Caverns of Wisdom. Generally it is the more elderly dragons that take care of the eggs or mothers heavy with eggs. From breeding it takes 6 months for the eggs to develop sufficiently within the mother and often 20 to 30 eggs are laid at a time. This extra weight often leaves mothers unable to fly during the last month of their 'pregnancy'. They spend this month looking after the collective of eggs. Stones are heated and placed around the eggs to keep them incubated. This is not a problem for the nursery dragons as they are unable to fly anyway.
Younger dragons are required to look after newly hatched dragonkin. New hatchlings are curious about the world and seek to explore, regardless of whether their flight skills are quite up to scratch. Dragons are often posted on watching duty... this mostly consists of watching for dragonkin that look more like they're plummeting than flying... and ensuring that they don't fall to their deaths.
Other dragons are placed on hunting duty. These fly out and search for food (usually stray harpies) to bring back to feed both the young and the currently flightless.
The dragons consider themselves equal to one another but elder dragons are treated with great respect. These elderly dragons are no longer agile enough to fly safely, but make decisions about the family in order to best serve and preserve their kind.
The Matriarch is the name given to the eldest female of the dragon family. She is treated as the leader and ultimately decides the fate of her family.
Dragons have been known to live to around 600 years. The eldest dragon currently alive is the Matriarch of the Silverclaw family. She is known to be 523 years of age.
Other dragon families include the Ambertail family, the Lightwing family, the Flamescowl family and the Brazentooth family.
The dragon families regularly mingle, the are separated only to their loyalty to their individual Matriarchs.
Faith:
There are no deities within the dragon community, only the mantra.
"Age is Wisdom, Wisdom is founded upon Knowledge, Knowledge is Power."
Places of Importance:
(This should be used only as a brief decription of the areas that this race inhabit. The places are described in more depth in the Catagory named 'The Land'.)
All dragons are born and raised in the Caverns of Time. There are many large hive-like caves within this region, most of which are large enough to accomodate the huge dragons. The largest of the caves are home to whole dragon families; including the Matriarch, her mate (if she has one), many younger dragons and partners, young dragonkin (hatchlings) and a large cavernous room used as a hatchery for the eggs.
Each Family has given their name to their Cavern and so the largest of the caves are named as follows:
Cavern of the Silverclaw
Cavern of the Ambertail
Cavern of the Lightwing
Cavern of the Flamescowl
Cavern of the Brazentooth
Each has a maze-like quality and so it would be futile to try and describe the position of particular cavernous rooms. All that can be said is that the caves are free from stalagmites and stalagtites to avoid injury and that most are free of stones. The more travelled corridors have been worn smooth by the passage of dragons and so have a marble-like quality.
