Draconic Overview

Kalína Dalá'isyrás

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Draconic Overview

« on: 17 December 2009, 15:51:24 »

Ok, I am putting up the old first section for my reference in formatting. Nothing really new to see here yet, but hopefully soon!

Dragons are some the most powerful creatures you can find in the world of Caelereth. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, such as the Mythical Dragon the Adamant, or the greedy Great Drake - or simply "Dragon" - the Fire Dragon, the Lesser Drake Urzash, down to the tiny Dracoid Eingana Whelps.

Appearance Though most Dragons resemble giant lizards or serpents, a few of them are warm-blooded, and some kinds even live in extreme arctic climates. In general Dragons can live with all elements: some prefer the air, others live near the water, on the ground only or also underground - depending on their species. Some Dragons even live on other planes, such as the Abyssal Dragon, which is one of the few creatures living in the Etherial Void. The Dragon is moderately uncommon, but can be found in all parts of Caelereth, though sentient Dragons can mainly be spotted only near the Dragon's Maw and the Tandala Highlands.

The Dragon is rarely seen, simply because of the fact that the natural hunting territories of such powerful creatures are shunned by the people. Certain kinds of Dragons also keep to themselves and "sit on their treasures, waiting for the next hero to pass by - only to have a very short company" (quoted from one of Master Tribell's typical fairy tales about dragonkind). However, at a very special historical occasion it is reported that masses of Dragons covered the skies in order to avenge the death of one of the legendary Adamant Dragons - at the famous Dragonstorm. The horrors this storm brought over Sarvonia are still recounted from generation to generation and will never be forgotten.

Most Dragons hunt by themselves, although some, who either favour large prey or are very small, hunt in packs. Most of the larger kinds have no natural enemies, and are at the top of the food chain of Caelereth, while the Lesser Drakes and Dracoids can be food for other beasts or even other Drakes. Many Dragons also have extremely powerful magic, equal to or even greater than the strongest powers of the lesser races (as Dragons interpret elves, humans, gnomes, orcs and the like).

Since there exists a vast variety of dragonkind, Dragons have extremely different habits and temperaments and are very unpredictable. Some Dragons will kill and devour members of the lesser races on sight, if given the chance, while others would try to befriend them. Still other Dragons may find it better to ignore them unless they are harrassed. Therefore a very important thing to be aware of in Caelereth when encountering Dragons is to finding the right way to react. Many a sorcerer has been killed when a well-meaning Dragon has approached them, and they fought back. The Dragon was angered and easily killed his opponents. The most notable example of this situation is in the case of Dorgrim the Slightly Dim. Dorgrim was a powerful wizard with little intelligence, as the legends tell us (strange, but true). Dorgrim angered an Aurora Dragon and was known from then on to his acquaintances as Dorgrim the Very Dead... Return to the top

Sentience/Abilities

Brief History

Draconic Categorisation
Dragons/Drakes can be divided into four different groups. There are Legendary Dragons, the legendary Dragons of history and myth. There are Dragons, which are usually identified with the term "Dragons" and comprise the sentient or more powerful spectrum of Dragonkind living today. The next classification are the Drakes, sometimes called "Wyverns". The last and smallest group are those lizards or serpents which exhibit distinct Draconian qualities, but are very small or not quite Drakes in their own right, the Dracoids We summarize the different kinds of Dragons as follows:

The Legendary Dragons
It is written in ancient passages and spoken of in legends, that there are Dragons are creatures of unimaginable power and knowledge, believed to have moulded and shaped the culture of their kin. Their deeds of good or evil are renowned throughout the races, yet the truth of their existence has been lost to the passing of time. Almost every mention of them portrays magic, wisdom, knowledge, and superiority over their kind, though this may not necessarily be true for all.

The Great Dragons
Dragons are magnificent and enigmatic creatures of ancient power and profound wisdom, deemed by many to belong to the most noble race in Caelereth. Their complex language and magical ascendancy baffles many who attempt to study them, as they have spent centuries building and perfecting their methodologies. They are respected by their lesser kin and all other races for their knowledge and abilities, having commanded armies of Drakes and other lesser races in past battles. The unity amongst the creatures is nearly unbreakable, despite the individual differences between many of them.

The Lesser Drakes
Unlike their ancient cousins, Drakes are much more of a commonality in Santharia and are considered to be beasts in the Draconic family. They come in three varieties: Wyverns, Wyrms, or Drakes. Each retain some physical aspects their larger and more powerful counterparts, but they lack the speech, power, and literacy which give the Dragons ultimate superiority. The kinship they feel with the Dragons, is reflected in the willingness to do their bidding, rarely acting in defiance against their wishes.

The Nether Drakes

The Dracoids
Dracoids are creatures which have drake-like qualities, but do not have any true Draconic blood flowing in their veins. Despite this, many races still attribute them as being descendants of the greater beasts. There are many different varieties scattered throughout the world. People find them intriguing and often attempt to domesticate them in hopes of owning, what many seem to believe, a direct yet small cousin of the Dragons.


« Last Edit: 08 August 2010, 22:57:43 by Kalína Dalá'isyrás »	Logged

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Ta`lia of the Seven Jewels

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Re: Dragon Overview

« Reply #1 on: 17 December 2009, 16:43:10 »

Now that I see it without the listing, I know what is missing, a general introduction about dragons, drakes, etc, maybe a word about the problem of categorising them. Not much, just another paragraph.

Or is this just the beginning of your great Dragon/drake entry?

Drakes - Lesser drakes. Maybe you name this category just Drakes (no need for lesser here), so you could always split them up again in two or more groups later , if you want, for those who have a hint at sentience (like dogs, cats or apes) and those who are duller, say, more lizard like.


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Kalína Dalá'isyrás

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Re: Dragon Overview

« Reply #2 on: 17 December 2009, 16:54:02 »

*points to the pencilcon* This is the beginning of the ultimate revision.

This is completely different from the Categorisation. The purpose of that thread was merely to have the entries placed in the correct corresponding locations in the compendium, to know what desperately needs updating, and to give us all a starting point from where we can build off ideas. The first part of this I am still working on rewriting and possibly adding some sections to for a more thorough introduction to Dragons as a whole.

Quote

Drakes - Lesser drakes. Maybe you name this category just Drakes (no need for lesser here), so you could always split them up again in two or more groups later , if you want, for those who have a hint at sentience (like dogs, cats or apes) and those who are duller, say, more lizard like.

Drakes will be drakes. They are not sentient at all. If they portray aspects of sentience, then they should be classified as Dragons. This is part of my work in making the Draconics less complicated and not so much all over the board. It is either sentient or not. Yes, each Dragon will have a different level of understanding and general intelligence, but the basic premise remains the same.

You may have noticed I didn't use the word "sentience" at all in the overviews, and this was on purpose. Sentience is a very loose word, and everyone seems to have their own definition of the word - which obviously creates problems right off the bat.

Sentience, as defined within the realm of Draconics: Speech, complex magic, writing/language system, complex thought patterns. This opens the playing field for religion and other variables within those aspects, building off of the thought patterns and ideas provided by those who had lived before.

What sets humans aside from the rest of the animal kingdom is our progression from orality to literacy: Our ability to review past thoughts and experiences and build upon those thoughts and ideas to further our mental capacity and learning.

Ok, I got a bit carried away...*blushes* Forgive me, I get a bit preachy on this subject at times.

More is coming, do not fret, but these give a basic outline for the time being.


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Ta`lia of the Seven Jewels

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Re: Dragon Overview

« Reply #3 on: 17 December 2009, 17:02:09 »

I see, sorry for intruding in such an early stage!

*mutters - my cat is a tiny little bit sentient, when she looks accusingly at me for having given her again the wrong food..*


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Kalína Dalá'isyrás

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Re: Dragon Overview

« Reply #4 on: 17 December 2009, 17:03:47 »

Not to worries Talia! I am glad people are at least paying attention and humouring me in my endeavour!


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Azhira Styralias

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Re: Dragon Overview

« Reply #5 on: 18 December 2009, 00:18:52 »

Quote from: Talia Sturmwind on 17 December 2009, 17:02:09

I see, sorry for intruding in such an early stage!

*mutters - my cat is a tiny little bit sentient, when she looks accusingly at me for having given her again the wrong food..*

Yeah, I hate when I get fed the wrong food, too!

Otherwise, looks good so far, Kali! thumbup


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