The Horned Dragon is accountable as the most common type of great drakes known in the world of Caelereth. The most noticeable feature on a Horned Dragon which make them relatively easy to identify is, not surprisingly, their horns. The size, shape and positioning of these horns varies tremendously from dragon to dragon. The average size of an adult Horned Dragon is 7 peds including the tail, and they have a life span of 300-400 years. Unlike other drakes, the Horned Dragon indeed does use its wings to fly long distances, although this happens very seldom. They are mainly found in the Tandala Highlands at the northern border of the Santharian Kingdom.

Image description: An imposing sight, even for the greatest heroes: A mighty Horned Dragon approaching... Picture drawn by Mikael.

Appearance. The horns of a Horned Dragon vary depending on the dragon itself. The most common area they can be found is around the neck. Often Horned Dragons are bearing two pairs of horns on both sides of the upper part of the neck. Although it is not uncommon for horns to be found on the head or the body. Some dragons are known to have a full dozen of horns covering their neck or back, some larger, some smaller, making them a really terrific sight. In fact the size of the horns also varies a great degree. The most imposing Horned Dragons have their whole necks, heads and bodies fully covered with many horns of different sizes, endowing them with a nearly impenetrable armor. Horned Dragons usually are reddish, brown and very seldom black in color and have been known to reach sizes of up to 8 peds including their tail. The average wing span of a Horned Dragon is 6-8 peds.

Special Abilities. Although not as powerful as the fire dragon, Horned Dragons are capable of breathing fire. Unlike a number of other great drakes, the Horned Dragon have a very small repertoire of magic in which they are able to cast. They are limited to spells which cannot be used against their enemies, mainly weak healing and defensive spells. The horns can as well be considered as a special type of armor, at least among the more dominant and imposing of the species.

Territory. The northernmost part of the Santharian Kingdom is where the territories of these creatures lie. The most populated of these being the Tandala Mountains. Being quite territorial, they often cause farmers problems. They are often feeding upon their live stock, and when provoked they will attack the farmers themselves.

Habitat/Behaviour. Most of their lives, Horned Dragons live alone in remote devastated locales and in cavernous lairs. Only males leave their territories for the courting period of some months in order to mate with a female counterpart, females usually never leave the places they were born in. If threatened, Horned Dragons will not hesitate to attack, often burning down nearby houses in an act of aggression.

Diet. Thee diet of the Horned Dragons consists of medium sized animals such as sheep and wild goats. From a height they descend upon their prey, clutching it and hastily returning to their lair before killing and devouring their prey. It is because of this successful hunting tactic why they don't seek out larger prey that could hinder them in flight.

Mating. Horned Dragons rarely leave their territory, it is only when males seek a female counterpart that they leave for a courting period of some month. During mating the aggressive nature of the males seems to cease. It is believed that this is due to a fear of being wounded during a struggle within the relatively small lairs in which the mating takes place.

Myth/Lore. Horned Dragons are not accounted to the mythical, extremely powerful beings like adamant dragons, dark drakes or the aváshta'kháns, the wind dragons, as they are not capable of speaking and also have only a very small repertoire of casting magic. Since the ages, Horned Dragons were one of the most feared enemies of all races. The fights for territories between humans and dragons e.g. has a long history and many stories of heroic deeds and of tragic deaths have their source here. But still there exist people who manage to tame Horned Dragons and utilize them for their own purposes - among them the wizards of the mysterious Other Circle at the White Tower at the stormy Northern Peak of the northwestern Santharian province of Vardýnn.

Another famous story about dragon taming is told in the Mène'téka, the elven books of heroic myth: It recounts the story of the legendary half-blind elf Iethmayá, an outcast from the dark elven community she was born in, who tamed the dragon Quel'mhar, who was said to be a horned one. It is also told in thetales that Iethmayá and Quel'mhar ventured north into the lands of the barbarians in search of the light elves and that they together experienced several unbelievable things which are still traded from generation to generation in order to teach the elven way of life, especially to the human children.