Dragons

Dragons are a race of very large and intelligent reptilians which have been encountered in most places across Aladron. Dragons are formidable creatures with physical and magical powers well beyond those of any mortal. That they obviously have a tendency to involve themselves with the mortal races is another observation.

Origin
In the Age of Information it is speculated that dragons are the survivors from an ancient era of reptiles which occurred millions of years ago. Supposedly surviving where their kin did not thanks to their magical abilities, if this theory is correct it would suggest dragons where the first race to master magic.

Body & Characteristics
Physically, dragons are reptiles similar to drakes but with four legs and a large set of wings. High dragons appear in a wide variety of colors from pearl white to leaf green or pitch black while lesser dragons are always grey. The smallest known specimens have been the size of a pony or small horse while the largest could tower over whole buildings and palaces. The latter are sometimes called “high dragons” to distinguish them from their smaller kin, but as the relationship between them is unknown it can only be speculated whether or not they are different races or simply different growth stages in a dragon’s life.

Mentally dragons show resemblances to the mortal races but also great differences. As they do not live in groups (in fact it has never been reported of two dragons meeting under favorable circumstances) it is argued, mainly by atheists, that the dragon mind is wholly self-centered. Still they appear to be able to connect and feel empathy for other creatures which, again by the atheists, is attributed to a superior intellect having learned to interact with other creatures, rather than for this behavior to come naturally. In support of this theory is the fact that dragons encountered far away from any type of civilization has generally been very lacking in empathy – not to say outright hostile.

Opponents of this theory argues that there has been too few reported incidents to draw any conclusions while proponents find the number of expeditions not reporting back at all a telling figure.

Aging
It is not known much about the aging of dragons. What is known is that they can be very old – staying alive for hundreds, if not thousands, of years and with the ability to hibernate through difficult or dangerous periods in time to awake at a much later date.

Reproduction
As with their age, very little is known about dragon reproduction. It is assumed they lay eggs like drakes, but how many and how often is uncertain. Whether a male and female share the duty of raising the hatchlings - or indeed if there even exist sexes among dragons - is totally unknown.

Culture
In the Age of Knowledge it is well established that dragons have been behind most of the major religions known to the mortal races. While some argue that it has been only as a form of control others claim motives are more benign aimed to further the progress of the mortal races. Others still point out that dragons may differ in their motivations just as mortals and some, usually of strong faith, says that the form of the dragon is merely a powerful form taken by a god, just as some stories depicts gods taking the shape of mortals to form a closer bond.