By Tooth And Claw Dragons

Dragon Lore: I

A large tome dedicated to the intricacies of dragons, explaining everything from origin to physical differences and more. Sorted by subspecies and split into several volumes.

Noted are pages on dragons and their various species and families. The tome is professional, bound in hard leather and penned in a neat and tidy script. Some parts are oddly missing, protected by an ancient spell. Carved into the thick cover is simply 'Dragon Lore I'. It seems to be first sorted by dragon types by discovery, then dragon subspecies and other dragon cousins. This first part pertains to the Original Dragons, found in the First Realm and created by the One.


WESTERN DRAGONS:

The first of all dragons, created in the image of the One and gifted by the Void, was Kazule; those that followed were called simply 'dragon', and had two wings and four legs. They were made in all shapes and sizes; vibrant colors were found in abundance, and extravagant decoration was commonplace, differing greatly between individuals. Each was made in the god's image to rule over and teach lesser creatures, though given free will and judgment to make their own decisions. Primarily, dragons are thought to have existed first of all races, and to have been the one the One God observed the most, even after other creatures were made and introduced.

Today, such dragons are referred to as 'westerns'. These dragons eventually got their name after the destruction of the First Realm, when they were sent to Millirand to save their race from extinction. Initially, they settled in the eastern parts of the world, and went on a great western migration witnessed by humans, elves, and dwarves. The humanoid nations they came to settle in referred to them as 'westerns', and persisted long after they settled across the Realm, even after spreading to other, unrelated worlds. The usage of the name continues even today.

WYVERNS:

The second type of dragon created in the First Realm, somewhat smaller and different from their western cousins – hatched without forelimbs, and instead larger and more powerful wings. It's said that all ancient wyverns once held barbed tails, though this claim has since been found to be false. Just as intelligent as their western brethren, wyverns intermingled with the other dragon types, though lesser in number.

Traditionally, western-wyvern hybrids have rendered four-legged, winged western-like dragons, and thus such pairings were once shunned to keep wyvern lines true. Such a way of thinking has since vanished, but it is the reason most wyverns did not follow their western brethren until much later in Millirand, and why the breed persists today.

DRAKES - GROUNDRAKES:

Third created, alongside the runnerdrakes as a type of wingless western dragon, were those known as groundrakes. Quadrupedal in design, these drakes were known to be built heavy and strong, though slimmer beasts were soon noticed among those first hatched. Initially, these dragons were very muted in color and decoration, though interbreeding with other dragon types has since introduced great variety into the groundrake gene pool. These wingless creatures can be found anywhere, in any shape, color and size, though restricted to the ground in their movements.

DRAKES - RUNNERDRAKES:

Built alongside the groundrakes as lithe and quick runners, with strong hind legs and smaller forelegs. Runnerdrakes are bipedal, and are thought to be the template upon which many raptorial saurians were made. Brightly colored, with great frills, horns, feathers and other means of decoration, runnerdrakes often sped across the valleys and plains of the First Realm, before adapting to the jungles of Millirand and then making their way abroad.

Written/Told by: Malakar Songseeker, dragon bard
Contributed by: Verridith

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