Post by frankthetriviaman on Jul 30, 2016 15:59:33 GMT -5
In the late 1500s, the Colormen collectively published a manuscript detailing the nature of dragons in the world. Though it was rare for non-magic types to encounter them, the hope was if dragons ever emerged, this knowledge would be readily available for people to know their enemy. This is what they wrote. Please note that, being 500 years old, it may be out of date, and a new edition may be needed. (Translation, once the original is complete; feel free to add on)
......
The dragons as a species are a fascinating creature. Though many may have a picture in mind of the large, scaled, fire breathing monster, this only covers a small fraction of the total subspecies that exist. It is hoped that this will clarify the different types of creatures that exist.
ON REPRODUCTION:
Studies of more than 700 specimens have shown that across the subspecies, there is a male and female, and they lay eggs. Dragons who give birth to live young, and dragons that reproduce asexually have been found to not exist.
ON SIZE:
Dragons are classified into one of three size categories. "Small" dragons range in height from 2 feet to five feet, and length from 2 feet to 10 feet. Their young range in size from 6 inches to 12 inches tall, and 6 inches to 3 feet long. "Medium" dragons range in height from 5 feet to 20 feet, and length from 10 feet to 30 feet. Their young vary in height from 12 inches to 3 feet, and in length from 3 feet to 10 feet long. "Large" dragons are at least 20 feet tall and 30 feet long. Their young vary in height between 3 feet and 6 feet, and in length from 10 feet to 15 feet.
though Every subspecies exists in every size category, it appears that large only breed with large, small with small and medium with medium.
ON INTELLIGENCE:
Intelligence seems to vary across size and subspecies, with no true correlation. Many are wild beasts, but others have the capacity to develop a human level of intelligence.
ON SUBSPECIES
98 percent of dragons are classified based in their element they are reminiscent of. The eight recognized subspecies are:
Fire, who can breath fire and have a red appearance.
water, who have a dark blue appearance and can breath boiled water
Earth, who have a green appearance and are able to manipulate the ground around then.
Air, who have a gray appearance and can manipulate wind
Ice, who have a light blue appearance and can breath ice (believed to mean they can shoot super cooled air that can freeze anything it touches)
Dark, who have a black appearance and have powers over "dark" magic
Light, who have a golden yellow appearance and powers over "light" magic
Electric, who have an orange appearance and can shoot lightning
The Remaining two percent of dragons are known as "powerless." These docile dragons are albino in appearance, and possess no powers of any of the eight sub-species. They have a human level of intelligence, and some are able to speak human languages, rather than communicate in screeches and howls. They are not a threat, and are able to live peacefully with humans.
ON REPRODUCTION BEHAVIOR
Dragons seems to breed within both their size category, and their subspecies. Rarely have dragons been observed breeding outside their subspecies. When they have, the result is always the "powerless" type dragons. Likewise, when "powerless" dragons breed, the result is "powerless" offspring. Given this reason, it seems that dragons as a species refrain from inter-breeding across sub-species.
ON SUB-SPECIES BEHAVIOR
FIRE dragons are generally aggressive, and prone to attacking out of anger. However, more docile individuals, though rare, do exist. They are considered a very serious threat, and as such all non-docile individuals were hunted down.
WATER dragons can be either placid and calm, or violent and destructive. The destructive ones are considered a very serious threat and as such were hunted down. The docile individuals who possess the intelligence to recognize humans as friends are not a threat, and can be spared.
EARTH dragons can be extremely destructive when provoked, but seem interested more in protecting nature than attacking humans for the sake of attacking humans. They are only a threat when attacking human settlements, and as such actively hunting for them is not necessary
AIR dragons can be destructive, as their wind manipulation can be equal in destructive force to a tornado. No docile individuals have been found, and as such were hunted to extinction
ICE dragons are rather calm, and only attack when they are attacked first. They have shown to possess higher intelligence across the board compared to other subspecies, and are the most likely to develop the ability to speak human languages. The only ones that need to be hunted are the occasional aggressive individuals
DARK dragons are quite literally, evil incarnate. They have little to no redemptive traits and as such, had to be hunted into extinction
LIGHT dragons are less than 8 percent of all existing dragons. They seem to avoid all human contact, and only intervene in human affairs to destroy evil individuals. From what can be studied, they are a force for good, and can be left alone
ELECTRIC dragons are unpredictable and can destroy on a large scale. No docile individuals were found, and had to be hunted into extinction.
(At the time of publishing, Dark, Electric and Air subspecies had been hunted into extinction, as far as the Colormen were aware)
ON APPEARANCE
The word that best describes a dragon's appearance is reptilian. They are covered in scales, and their mouths possess many sharp teeth. The color of their scales is reflective of their subspecies, but across all, their eyes are either red, white, green or yellow. It is believed some can take a human appearance, but our studies to date have not been able to confirm this. Dragons can be 2 legged or 4 legged. They can have wings and not have wings. When they possess wings, both wings attached to arms, and wings separate from arms have been observed. The can be long and thin, or large and stocky, with every size in between.
ON DIET
Though it may seem that dragons prefer to eat humans, it has been found that dragons can be carnivores, herbivores and omnivores depending on their subspecies, home and behavior.
ON ATTACK
Dragons can cause devastating damage, based on their subspecies specialty, and their claws. Naturally, larger dragons can cause more damage
ON DEFENSE
Some dragons have little to no defense, and their hides are easily penetrated. Other's have thicker hides as tough as metal plating, and naturally can be harder to kill. The Colorman Alloy Viktrium has been shown to be one of the few things capable of puncturing said hides. Generally speaking, dragons capable of flying have thinner armor than those that can not, because otherwise they would be too heavy to fly
STATUS OF SPECIES.
Air, dark and electric dragons have been hunted to extinction, in all size categories. All other subspecies, docile small and medium category individuals have been allowed to live. No docile large dragons have been found, and as such, had to be completely hunted down.
......
The dragons as a species are a fascinating creature. Though many may have a picture in mind of the large, scaled, fire breathing monster, this only covers a small fraction of the total subspecies that exist. It is hoped that this will clarify the different types of creatures that exist.
ON REPRODUCTION:
Studies of more than 700 specimens have shown that across the subspecies, there is a male and female, and they lay eggs. Dragons who give birth to live young, and dragons that reproduce asexually have been found to not exist.
ON SIZE:
Dragons are classified into one of three size categories. "Small" dragons range in height from 2 feet to five feet, and length from 2 feet to 10 feet. Their young range in size from 6 inches to 12 inches tall, and 6 inches to 3 feet long. "Medium" dragons range in height from 5 feet to 20 feet, and length from 10 feet to 30 feet. Their young vary in height from 12 inches to 3 feet, and in length from 3 feet to 10 feet long. "Large" dragons are at least 20 feet tall and 30 feet long. Their young vary in height between 3 feet and 6 feet, and in length from 10 feet to 15 feet.
though Every subspecies exists in every size category, it appears that large only breed with large, small with small and medium with medium.
ON INTELLIGENCE:
Intelligence seems to vary across size and subspecies, with no true correlation. Many are wild beasts, but others have the capacity to develop a human level of intelligence.
ON SUBSPECIES
98 percent of dragons are classified based in their element they are reminiscent of. The eight recognized subspecies are:
Fire, who can breath fire and have a red appearance.
water, who have a dark blue appearance and can breath boiled water
Earth, who have a green appearance and are able to manipulate the ground around then.
Air, who have a gray appearance and can manipulate wind
Ice, who have a light blue appearance and can breath ice (believed to mean they can shoot super cooled air that can freeze anything it touches)
Dark, who have a black appearance and have powers over "dark" magic
Light, who have a golden yellow appearance and powers over "light" magic
Electric, who have an orange appearance and can shoot lightning
The Remaining two percent of dragons are known as "powerless." These docile dragons are albino in appearance, and possess no powers of any of the eight sub-species. They have a human level of intelligence, and some are able to speak human languages, rather than communicate in screeches and howls. They are not a threat, and are able to live peacefully with humans.
ON REPRODUCTION BEHAVIOR
Dragons seems to breed within both their size category, and their subspecies. Rarely have dragons been observed breeding outside their subspecies. When they have, the result is always the "powerless" type dragons. Likewise, when "powerless" dragons breed, the result is "powerless" offspring. Given this reason, it seems that dragons as a species refrain from inter-breeding across sub-species.
ON SUB-SPECIES BEHAVIOR
FIRE dragons are generally aggressive, and prone to attacking out of anger. However, more docile individuals, though rare, do exist. They are considered a very serious threat, and as such all non-docile individuals were hunted down.
WATER dragons can be either placid and calm, or violent and destructive. The destructive ones are considered a very serious threat and as such were hunted down. The docile individuals who possess the intelligence to recognize humans as friends are not a threat, and can be spared.
EARTH dragons can be extremely destructive when provoked, but seem interested more in protecting nature than attacking humans for the sake of attacking humans. They are only a threat when attacking human settlements, and as such actively hunting for them is not necessary
AIR dragons can be destructive, as their wind manipulation can be equal in destructive force to a tornado. No docile individuals have been found, and as such were hunted to extinction
ICE dragons are rather calm, and only attack when they are attacked first. They have shown to possess higher intelligence across the board compared to other subspecies, and are the most likely to develop the ability to speak human languages. The only ones that need to be hunted are the occasional aggressive individuals
DARK dragons are quite literally, evil incarnate. They have little to no redemptive traits and as such, had to be hunted into extinction
LIGHT dragons are less than 8 percent of all existing dragons. They seem to avoid all human contact, and only intervene in human affairs to destroy evil individuals. From what can be studied, they are a force for good, and can be left alone
ELECTRIC dragons are unpredictable and can destroy on a large scale. No docile individuals were found, and had to be hunted into extinction.
(At the time of publishing, Dark, Electric and Air subspecies had been hunted into extinction, as far as the Colormen were aware)
ON APPEARANCE
The word that best describes a dragon's appearance is reptilian. They are covered in scales, and their mouths possess many sharp teeth. The color of their scales is reflective of their subspecies, but across all, their eyes are either red, white, green or yellow. It is believed some can take a human appearance, but our studies to date have not been able to confirm this. Dragons can be 2 legged or 4 legged. They can have wings and not have wings. When they possess wings, both wings attached to arms, and wings separate from arms have been observed. The can be long and thin, or large and stocky, with every size in between.
ON DIET
Though it may seem that dragons prefer to eat humans, it has been found that dragons can be carnivores, herbivores and omnivores depending on their subspecies, home and behavior.
ON ATTACK
Dragons can cause devastating damage, based on their subspecies specialty, and their claws. Naturally, larger dragons can cause more damage
ON DEFENSE
Some dragons have little to no defense, and their hides are easily penetrated. Other's have thicker hides as tough as metal plating, and naturally can be harder to kill. The Colorman Alloy Viktrium has been shown to be one of the few things capable of puncturing said hides. Generally speaking, dragons capable of flying have thinner armor than those that can not, because otherwise they would be too heavy to fly
STATUS OF SPECIES.
Air, dark and electric dragons have been hunted to extinction, in all size categories. All other subspecies, docile small and medium category individuals have been allowed to live. No docile large dragons have been found, and as such, had to be completely hunted down.