Overview
Dragons in Ilisara are long-lived creatures that require a lifetime to reach their full potential. They are incredibly prolific, live together in broods that comprise anywhere from one to three dozen drakes, and answer to the leaders of their brood. Leaders may be male or female. They typically take one to four consorts.
Dragons tend to live in caves. They are cold-blooded reptiles, so prefer warmer climates, geothermal vents, and/or lots of sun. They have innate magical abilities, and thus find it easy to learn new schools of magic. Some dragons have learned to master shapeshifting into humanoid forms. Dragons all speak the Draconic language, which is imprinted on their young at birth.
Dragons have a variety of brightly-colored wings and bellies, with the majority of their bodies being covered in black scales. Their spit is flammable. Glands in their throat allow them to breathe fire.
The Lifecycle of a Dragon
Eggs
A clutch of eggs may be laid twice yearly, once in Spring, and once in Autumn. They are cared for collectively by their brood. Parents are not particularly attached to eggs due to the high mortality rate of newborn whelps.
Whelps are conscious inside of their eggs. They can hear voices and absorb information from their surroundings. Whelps typically stay in their eggs for up to two years after being born. They have vague imprinted memories from their mothers.
Dragon eggs are very common and plentiful in Ilisara inside the caves that dragon broods live in.
Whelps (1-10 years old)
Newly-hatched whelps are very weak and scarcely larger than a rat. They can barely fly or fend for themselves. In-fighting is encouraged to strengthen the wits and strength of draconic young. It is expected that about half of a clutch will not make it to adulthood.
Juveniles (10-20 years old)
When a whelp reaches about ten years of age, it will be approximately the size of a dog with the strength and stamina to match. They are called juveniles during this awkward stage between childhood and maturity.
At about fifteen to twenty years of age, a juvenile dragon hits a growth spurt and rapidly increases in size and strength. They begin to show adult characteristics. Their horns lengthen and new ones may grow on their heads. Additionally, their tails develop unique patterns of spikes that will carry into adulthood. Dragon wingspans double in size at this age. Their scales may increase in brilliance and hardness. Juvenile dragons tend to be a bit clumsy as they grow accustomed to these changes.
Juveniles and whelps are very common in Ilisara.
Drakes (20-80 years old)
Drakes are considered young adult dragons who have fledged out of their juvenile stage. They begin to tap into their innate magics at this age, and can carry a rider with ease. In their early twenties, drakes are about the size of a carriage. Their scales start to harden beyond chitinous shards and become solid, flexible, and unbreakable.
Drakes comprise the majority of dragons in Ilisara.
Dragons (80-500 years old)
When drakes reach one hundred years of age, they are considered fully grown dragons. Dragons have a full rack of impressive horns on their heads and tails, frills or spikes down their spine, and adamantium-quality scales. They are approximately thirty feet long from shoulders to hips. Capable of carrying several riders, flying long distances, and razing cities to the ground, adult dragons not to be trifled with. A dragon’s rate of growth slows significantly once they reach one hundred years of age.
Dragons are rare in Ilisara.
Ancients (500+ years old)
As dragons continue to age, they slowly grow in power, strength, and aptitude until they are about five hundred years old. At that point, they finally reach their true potential as apex predators with no natural threats in the world. An Ancient is revered among dragonkind.
There are less than ten Ancients in all of Ilisara. They are excessively rare.
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