Dragonettes

Humanoid draconic sentient creature. They have back-mounted wings on their lower back for six limbs in total, plus a tail, and their legs have a digitigrade stance. Dragonettes are very flexible compared to humans, giving them great agility in the air. They have thick leathery silvery-white skin with large blue scales on the front of the neck/torso and underside of the tail, blue inner wing membranes, green eyes, and copper-based blue blood. Dragonette hearing, low-light vision, and distance vision are all somewhat better than human, but their near field vision is slightly worse and they are somewhat more vulnerable to their senses being overwhelmed by bright light or loud sound. They are cold-blooded, as a result they are vulnerable to extreme heat and cold, and can also overheat more easily from too much physical activity. Dragonettes have somewhat slower metabolisms than humans and as a result sleep more and don’t eat quite as much, and their diet also relies more heavily on meat than a human’s.

Dragonettes are an egg-laying species. The fertile period is during the summer, eggs are then laid during the fall and hatch in the early spring. A clutch usually consists of 1 to 3 eggs, though up to 5 is possible. The parents care directly for the children during the time on the nest and for the first year-ish of the kid’s life, at which point they are old enough to not need constant attention and to be raised with the other kids. Skin color in dragonettes varies with age, starting pure white as newborns and growing more and more silvery with age. Dragonettes grow quickly; at hatching they are considerably smaller than a human infant, but are considered young adults by 10-11, and reach full adult height by around 13-14 (though with a considerable amount of filling out still to go). Dragonettes commonly live to over 100 years old.

Dragonettes are strong and agile fliers, capable of carrying another dragonette in flight (in their native gravity). Top speed for an average dragonette in level flight is around 120-130 kph, and top speed approaches 150 kph for a strong flyer in peak condition, though they cannot maintain these speeds for very long.

Females are generally larger with larger wings and better flight characteristics. Males are smaller and have a more stocky build.

Female: common height 175-195 cm, weight 70-95 kg. Wingspan roughly 6 meters.

Male: common height 160-175 cm, weight 55-75 kg. Wingspan roughly 5 meters.

True Dragons

Large four-legged lizard-like being ranging in size up to over 50 tons with wingspans approaching 60 meters. Like dragonettes, dragons have large scaly plates on their undersides to provide protection in a brawl against tooth and claw. Unlike their smaller brethren the rest of their skin still sports smaller scales rather than stout hide, providing an additional modicum of protection and resistance against wear and tear.

Unlike the smaller dragonettes, dragons do not possess thumbs on their forepaws, though the remaining four digits are dexterous enough to allow some manipulation of objects. Common to all five colors of true dragon, they heal rapidly and have very keen senses of smell, hearing, and sight. All dragons also possess some measure of resistance to corruption, though some think it may be simply due to their greater size. Dragons grow continually throughout their lives, becoming larger and stronger with age. Extremely long-lived, they have been known to reach over 600 years.

Though the true dragons share many traits, each color does sport some unique characteristics. When finding a mate such traits both physical and personality wise results in most couples being of the same color, though mixing does occur. In such cases the offspring always takes after their mother.

Blue: Wider wingspan, sleeker and longer build, faster fliers. Lightning breath weapon

Red: Sturdier builds, powerful legs, thicker scales, resistance to heat. Fire breath weapon.

Green: Medium build, venomous bite, greater endurance. Poison gas breath weapon.

Black: Medium build, better night sight. Acid breath weapon. Black dragons are often distrusted due to the dragonettes’ association of the color black with corruption.

White: Medium build, sharper prickly scales, resistance to cold and stronger resistance to corruption. Frost breath weapon.

Ferinix

A large six-legged tail-less horned beast with thick white fur that lives in the cold, frozen north, either on northern islands or on the ice sheets below. They possess an incredibly strong resistance to cold and to as well as corruption, traits which allow them to hunt down dark creatures as prey all over the frozen north. This behavior has earned them an honored spot in the pantheon of the dragonettes as guardians of the north, and thus they are considered sacred. Despite the fact that most would eat a dragonette as readily as they would a darkling.

Nauliker

A medium-sized six-legged pack-hunting beast named for the god of the hunt. They sport a vaguely canine appearance and hunt in packs. They are swift hunters with great endurance, particularly for a land bound creature. Their bite delivers a venom similar to the green dragon’s, which proves fatal for most creatures even from a single bite. The living poison also breaks down the target much as one may expect from a digestive enzyme, making the meat tender and easy to consume, though sadly toxic to any save the Naulikers themselves.

There have been reports of tamed examples from the fringes of the world and even a few trained to entertain in the city centers, but they are dangerous pets to be sure and not to be trifled with.

Odahir

Ordahir, also known as mountain worms, are smaller than their brethren, sporting six stubby legs, dark grey skin, and spiky black scales. They live underground in tunnels and warrens sometimes dug out of dirt or burned through solid stone. To achieve this they make use of their potent acid as well as powerful front legs and sturdy claws to rip through any obstacle. Shy and non-confrontational, most encounters with an Odahir ends with them retreating further into their tunnels. Though they may be found on the surface in search of water or even carrion.

It is well known that an Odahir will eat just about anything, but just what their diet consists of is not fully understood. Some have reported sights of them grazing along mountain tops as they fly overhead, even licking moisture from the mountain peaks on cold mornings.

Zahicar

Zahicar, also called Demon Hunters by many, especially on the frontier, are large six-legged amphibious creatures with both gills and lungs, webbed feet and fins, dark blue skin and thin fishlike scales. Believed by some to be the closest relative to the beasts which roam the seas below, others decry such notions as downright heretical. What is known with certainty is that the long sleek body and long tail of the Zahicar combined with its six powerful flippers can propel it through the water at considerable speed, closing the distance on any lake demon known to dragon kind.

Once the distance has been closed the Zahicar may seek to use either its potent bite or its natural ability to electrify its surroundings in order to kill or incapacitate it’s prey. These tactics are even more effective when employed as part of a small hunting pack, which can often see small lakes reduced to barren ponds before the pack of demon hunters move on.

Glassmole

The Glassmole, also known as the Sand Drake, is a large hard-scaled six-legged desert dwelling creature. They possess extreme resistance to heat and are capable of breathing fire at temperatures which even the true red dragons may struggle to achieve. They use this white-hot jet of flame to melt sand into glass, forming burrows beneath the desert surface for them to hide in. Such burrows may even be surrounded by what look like crude bowls which collect rainwater. The water is often used to lure in prey who seek any source of water they may be able to find in the cruel desert.

There have also been cases shown of such water bowls being found sealed beneath the sands, believed to serve as water storage for the future be it either for consumption by the glassmole or to fill future traps to lure in yet more victims.

Unicorn

Closely resembling the earthen horse, deviating only in its serene chalk-white coloring, along with cloven hooves and signature twisted ivory horn. Unicorn blood resembles mercury and is known to have powerful healing properties, even able to reverse death itself.

Unicorns themselves posess a high intellect as well as powerful magic. Known abilities include, teleportation, telepathy, telekinesis, and powerful healing. They are able to converse with fellow sapients through their telepathy, which among other things grants them the ability to discern a lie at but a glance.

Serving as the guardian of the woods by the will of Naulk himself, the unicorns are never the less bound by the treaty of the land, which lays out the collaboration between the dragonette kingdom and the unicorns of the forests. This pact binds the unicorns to provide the bounty of their forests to the dragonettes in exchange for protection against the forces of the dark which would seek to destroy their most holy places.

Should a unicorn be killed both its blood and horn may prove extremely valuable to the right buyer. The horn especially serves as a component in teleportation spells as well as a potent enhancer of innate magics, spells, as well as enchanted items, and as such is highly sought after.

Vargulf

Demonic-looking creatures with bat like wings, clawed legs, and a long spindly tail tipped with a stinger carrying paralyzing poison. The poison wears off with no ill effects after a while, but completely paralyzes the victim while active. Wingspan of perhaps 5-7 meters, warm-blooded and capable of engaging at night.

Sometimes employed by darkling forces as mounts, forming aerial cavalry, a formidable force capable of hunting down any fleeing dragonette not able to make it to safety in time. Often found in the wild all over the forests of Oka where they are hunted down and killed as part of the pact between the dragonette kingdoms and the unicorns who guard the forests of the world.

Night Terror

Referred to as ‘large mutant bat things’, by some, the Night terror truly is a terror. Standing over 3 meters tall and weighing in at over 3 tons, the night terror is one of only a handful of creatures who could ever hope to challenge a true dragon in combat. Scholars believe these creatures to not be a product of nature but rather divine creation by -Redacted.

Capable of prolonged flight at day or night, the Night Terror faces little difficulty traveling from island to island, a feat which many fliers must face considerable peril to achieve. Often seen in the direct service of either dark knights or witches, the presence of such a creature should never be taken lightly by anyone, dragon and dragonette alike.

Pjeltor

A vile looking spider like creature, with entirely too many eyes and legs. They are often found in the caves and mines crisscrossing many islands the world over. The pjeltor is considered a pest and a minion of evil and thus often eradicated wherever they are found. One should be careful when dealing with Pjeltors, as their bites inflict a nasty venom that slowly pickles the victim from inside. It is a slow painful death during which the pjeltor will seek to encase its victim in a silken cocoon.

Darkling

Dragonettes that have fallen to magical corruption are referred to as darklings. Their skin turns ashen grey and their eyes turn black as the curse takes hold and their ability to wield magic vanishes for good. There is some debate on if the soul stays with the body or passes on when you become a darkling, but there have been rumors of cured darklings through the use of unicorn horn in the past. Whether these are tall tales or reality is lost to history though.

Slaves to a master and unable to disobey their master at the expense of not being able to act upon their own initiative, often seen as dumb drones capable of only animalistic intelligence outside of following orders to a T and without hesitation.

Dark Knight

Dark knights are former dragonettes bound to a piece of magical equipment, usually a set of armor known as lichplate. Once donned such armor can inflict unimaginable pain on the user by linking with the freshly minted dark knights mind directly. The armor only obeys its true masters will, believed by many to be none other than the unholy doetna.

Some knights and witches serve willingly, being rewarded by their foul masters with the magical armor, which in and of itself is no small boon, often made from Mithril and sporting potent enchantments. In addition such loyal traitors may often be given darkling slaves to command. A dark knight can be distinguished from their darkling slaves by their pitch black skin and bright red eyes, brought on as they slowly descend into the depths of evil, their very soul slowly burning away.

These willing knights are often the most dangerous, as their minds are left intact. Those who are forced to become a dark knight against their will and wishes, or those who betray their master, will be subjected to the full effect of the armor, feeling unimaginable agony for hours, days, weeks or months on end until they break. Like training a dog with a shock collar, these individuals are often highly unstable following a lifetime of torture, not sure when the next shock will come. They often seek to please their master in any way possible, undertaking any risk with little to no regard for outcome. Such impulsiveness can often be exploited though.

Witch

Much like the Dark knight the witch is bound to the will of a greater master through an arcane item, in the witch’s case often a gold and mithril ring sat atop their head known as a witch crown or sorceress circlet. What sets apart the witch is the modification carried out to their very soul, it is not simply bound to the armor as a dark knight but rather is twisted into something wholly new. Most witches did not possess the abilities of the mage when they fell to the temptation of the dark or were forced into servitude. To change the innate magic of a dragonette is to change who they are at the most fundamental level.

How the witches are created remains a mystery but their role is well known, they serve as masters of rituals of the dark, be it the creation of darklings, the transfer of such slaves from one master to another or even the binding of animals to their will. The witches practice no caution in their magic, and no inhibitions of any kind. They may draw magical power from the very land beneath their feet to fuel their wretched spells laying ruin to all who would stand before them.

Shadow Drake

Speed: Unknown
Size: Unknown
The unholy offspring of corruption and death itself. Never engage this dragon. Your only chance: Hide and pray it does not find you.