Dragonkin

This page is a copy of the original lore which can be found hereand should be rewritten to be a summary of the lore.

Artwork by unknown Dragonkin Note: This creature can only be played by Event Team-Members.

The Birth Of The Dragon

When the world was young and the sun was low, the Daemon, Dragur, came to the realm of Aegis as a simple black hawk. The Daemon had been tasked by the Arch-Daemon Iblees to create life, but more than life - ultimate life. Dragur sought to conjure a beast so majestic, so intelligent and so mighty that it would dominate the world and call it its own. For Dragur envied Man and its unique gift of potential, for man was many things and it could become so much more given the time and guidance. But man was flawed, he could make something better.

Dragur summoned forth great pillars of stone from the earth, which shaped into a large winged beast with claws sharp and teeth many. He would breathe life into this statue of perfection, and thus give birth to the first of many. The Dragon. Dragur created many more of this breed, each varying in some way. Some were stronger or bore a different pigmentation of scale, some were cunning and some were peaceful, but all mastered the truest form of devastation Dragur could bestow upon them - fire. It remains no secret that Dragonkin have mastered the art form that is fire, all are capable to spew flame on demand to whoever would be unlucky enough to be in their path.

Dragur however, did not believe it to be enough. These creatures alone could not see to the world he envisioned, they would need guidance. Thus he imbued large fragments of his Daemonic essence into a handful of dragons, and he named them ‘Dragaar’. These creatures existed with great magical potential - gaining the ability to assume the guise of a mortal Descendant on a whim, and bore the power to bring about great change. Dragur tasked these ‘Greater Dragons’ with the protection and accumulation of knowledge. They were to see all life protected and were to use the dragons as their tools of protection, for destruction is the enemy of knowledge.

Greater and Lesser Dragonkin are not capable of reproduction, their designs are too powerful and too complex for any natural biological method of reproduction to successfully mimic their nature. To create Dragaar, a number of Dragaar must gather as a group and magically craft them. Alas, Dragaar although powerful, cannot hope to master the power of creation wielded by Dragur himself. Their product will likely be imperfect, the creation of the egg to birth the Dragaar will require trial and failure, and each failure is a Drakaar. It is understood that this is how Setherien and his sister, Chysteria, were born - they were the failed products of draconic creation, but the Dragaar did not have the heart to slay one of their own, and thus sealed them deep away only to later be discovered by the dwarves.

The Great Corruption

The trickery of Iblees runs deep, and extends far beyond the reach of the mortal Descendants. Dragur himself was deceived by the Arch-Daemon, and his visions of a world shaped by his creatures fell to ash when Iblees stole many of the creatures away that Iblees was unable to create himself. Iblees’ influence turned the Dragaar into something now known as a ‘Drakaar’, its corrupted variant. He did the same to Dragons, and saw them turn into Drakes. These dragons became corruption itself, their scales turning black and withering away, they’d spew a vile black flame that would singe and twist life into abominations.

Iblees did this, by cursing Dragur’s Brood. The curse he bestowed was immense corruptibility. All of dragonkin could lead itself into corruption through a variety of means. Anything resembling Iblees’ taint, anything of a vile or immensely dark affliction, and perhaps worst of all, existing Drakes and Drakaar. This corruption, was a disease. It drastically shortened the lifespan of the Dragonkin it affected, and caused them to become enraged with a fury like no other, gaining an insatiable thirst for malice and destruction. The corrupted Dragonkin, would become an extension of the will of Iblees - the sad truth is that regular dragons and dragaar wish no ill-will upon the descendants, they exist in hiding but become hunted regardless for the actions of their corrupted variants.

Dragur’s Brood

Lesser Dragons

Dragons

Dragons are the base product of dragonkin, they are the great flying serpents that in truth bear no particular sense of evil or destruction. A dragon is a predator, but without guidance it is a simple beast, similar to that of a wolf. It is vastly intelligent, and incredibly powerful, making it one of the single most successful hunters in the known world. However, its intelligence is able to recognise significant danger, and thus dragons tend to avoid direct contact with descendant life. Seldom will a dragon directly attack descendants unless in an act of desperation, starvation or self-defence; there are far easier prey. A dragon is incredibly muscular and can produce a thick jet of flame from its maw - an important note is that a dragon is more powerful than a drake. A dragon can come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours, and are also known to bear different forms of draconic breath, for example, a breath of frost that freezes all before it, and a breath of life that grows shrubs and plants where it lands. A dragon will on average grow to about 20m in length.

Drakes

A Drake, was once a dragon. It has by some means become corrupt and thus both its body and mind have befallen the same fate. Its scales will turn a sickly black colour and begin to wither away and fall from its wiry body. A Drake, unless influenced by a Greater Dragon, will be in a constant state of anger and bloodlust, constantly seeking out something to destroy and consume until its inevitable demise, either by its withering entity or being defeated in the combat it so greedily throws itself into. A drake will not breath regular flame, but instead a corrupted black variant, which is known to both burn and distort the flesh it touches into irregular wounds and abominations of flesh, always unpredictable, but always vile and destructive. A drake is significantly weaker than a dragon, but a dragon will forever fear it. For a drake is able to corrupt a dragon with ease, and thus the dragon shall forever avoid it.

Greater Dragons

There are two species of dragonkin known to have descended from Dragur, though corrupted and defiled forms of both have formerly existed. Dragur, the Daemon of Knowledge, oftentimes appears as a dragon in his true form. Dragur’s chief descendants, the Dragaar, are sentient “greater dragons” that seek to collect and share knowledge with mortals. They can conceal themselves under the guise of mortals and other creatures, though it is a rare occasion to meet a Dragaar in person. Dragons, on the other hand, are more common—though proportionately rare compared to other living beings—than greater dragons. They are generally referred to as dragons, though the proper classification is “lesser dragon.” They are non sentient, and are commonly viewed as natural predators that roam our world. However, like all living beings, they are susceptible to taint and corruption. Though a rare occasion, dragons have been known to alter their very nature into a twisted, foul portrayal consumed by hatred and rage for the mortal races. The outcome of this calamity is referred to as a drake. Little is known about the purpose of the dragonkin as a whole, except that each species’ intentions vary greatly.

Dragaar

A Dragaar is a powerful dragon, a ‘Greater Dragon’. It is incredibly powerful and almost always has incredible magical potential. These creatures are able to switch on a whim between two states, one humanoid and one dragon. Their dragon state is significantly larger than a normal dragon. Most Dragaar can grow to up to 80m in length, but history has recorded certain greater dragons to have grown beyond an incredible 300m. This type of dragon is able to speak fluently in most tongues, and as a creature birthed from knowledge is capable of great intelligence and philosophy. A Dragaar is a protector of knowledge and by extension, the descendants - in this form they wish nothing but good upon the descendants. They exist to hoard as much knowledge as they can, and each are known to possess an item known as a ‘Dragaar’s Lexicon’, which they use to store any knowledge the come across.

Bestowed with the gift of immortality and sentience, the Dragaar exist chiefly to seek and gather knowledge. Each Dragaar is assigned the role of gathering a distinct aspect of knowledge, and this role defines their characteristics and demeanor. However, they do not solely desire knowledge and wisdom. The greater dragons, or Dragaar, act as ever watching wardens over the mortal races. However, most prefer to live in seclusion in deep thought and meditation, only to emerge when the races call upon them in their time of need. The Dragaar can and often disguise themselves under the guise of a mortal or creature. This is their preferred method of watching over mortals, as it is both subtle and inconspicuous. There are only two Dragaar that have revealed themselves to the mortal races, and the decision to do so was not lightly concluded. Though the Dragaar seek to protect the mortal races, they often decide to do so by living in secrecy. Many discern that if they chose to associate themselves with mortal affairs too frequently, dire consequences would arise. The primary concern held by Dragaar, in regards to involvement in the matters of mortals, is that the races would eventually resort to relying on them to protect mortals from any form of evil. However, the greater dragons aspire to teach the mortal races self-preservation, without them depending on the intervention of immortals.

Drakaar

A Drakaar is the corrupted variant of a Dragaar, much like how a drake is to a dragon. Their powers remain immense but of course, become incredibly twisted and corrupted. Their inherent flame becomes one of immolation, a form of destruction capable of burning the very soul itself. Drakaar mimic Dragaar in that they too are capable of changing from a humanoid to a great black dragon, but their intelligence is usually effected by the withering corruption they bear. Most Drakaar will become consumed with ideals of destruction, alas this is not always true. A Drakaar can only ever be a fanatical destroyer of life, but their intentions are known to vary. Their greater intelligence allows for them to become the most deadly of threats. The only thing known to better the destructive capabilities of a Drakaar, are the Aenguls and Daemons themselves.

To attempt to bend the will of a Dragaar would be all for naught, and thus what can cause a Dragaar to devolve itself into a twisted abomination of hatred is unknown. The ancient ancestors of the four mortal races once believed that the choice for this horrendous transformation to occur was their own, though the aftermath of such a decision would contradict their entrusted duty. The greater dragon itself is a terrifying opponent, but a Dragaar that feels no remorse and fears no consequence? That is the true fear of corruption; the perversion of the mind and distortion of one’s morality is a dreadful circumstance. In past times, the outcome of such an event would often be referred to as a “greater drake.” It is the combination of a Dragaar’s sentience and a drake’s all-consuming hatred. The likelihood of a Dragaar devolving into a being tormented by rage is next to none, as most would, in their right mind, turn themselves into stone to prevent the conversion. The only verifiable event recorded of a Dragaar turning to stone is that of Velketzar. The Guardian Velketzar, consumed by self-condemnation and despair due to his failure, dramatically transformed into a stone statue to prevent the inevitable calamity. If a Dragaar were to fall under the hand of corruption, it would hold the power to politically corrupt nations with ease. Additionally, detecting and pursuing such a foe would be toilsome, all due to its shape shifting ability. Fortunately, deep meditation and concentration can inhibit this rare occurrence, along with immersing themselves in their aspect of knowledge.

Wyrms

Wyrms are small, feral creatures that are in themselves not directly dragons, but related to them. Of the dragons that were forged in stone, these are the residue, the pebbles of life left in the wake of the great Draconic creation. These creatures are known to take many shapes, and each bears a resemblance to the pure dragon breed, but they are each far inferior, and without the dreadful draconic curse of corruptibility. Unlike Dragonkin, the complexity of Wyrms is far less prominent, and thus they are capable of breeding quite naturally. Their types are as follows:

Wyverns

Wyverns are generally the most common and well known type of Wyrm. Their features greatly resemble that of their dragon counterparts, taking on most of the typical draconic traits such as the razor sharp teeth, spined backs, leathery wings, scaly bodies and often horns sprouting from their heads. Wyverns never have more than two legs, their hind legs being quite strong and taking almost full responsibility for their movement on land. All wyverns are raptor-like in their forms, with a pair of large leathery wings sprouting from their shoulders. More often than not, their wings will have claws, useful for climbing buildings and assisting the Wyvern in moving on the ground. They will often, but not always, have the ability to breath a liquid fire, which is produced from deep within their chest. Sometimes, Wyverns have other weapons at their disposal, such as being able to spit acid or produce a thick smog. This is not always the case, however it is known to have happened.

Wyverns are physically strong and quite large, taller than the average horse and more than twice as long (tail length and all). Their claws are extremely sharp as are their teeth, but contrary to popular belief their bones, teeth and claws are not unnaturally durable (definitely not a viable weapon material). Much like any other beast, their bones are merely bones. Their scales are much softer than that of a dragon, drake or dragaar (and their corrupted cousins), taking on a more snake-like appearance. Their scales are often rather smooth, but should not be confused for weakness, as their hides are quite thick and able to withstand being embedded with numerous arrows.

Much like most predators, Wyverns feed on a surplus of raw meats, preferring to catch their prey themselves and savagely feast on them. Their young also pick up this instinct at quite an early age; a baby wyvern is far more vicious than it is cute. They breed much like fish do, in the sense that the female Wyvern will lay a surplus of eggs, while the male (the bull) will fertilize them. Because of this, a great majority of Wyverns are female. Note: Bull Wyverns (male) are far superior to their female counterparts, but far rarer, being almost twice as large and having much more coarse and hardened scales.

Basilisks

Unlike the rest of their kin, Basilisks are always legless and wingless, taking on a far more serpentine body than the rest of them. Most Basilisks choose to live in watery areas, be it in lakes, seas, watery caves or sometimes even sewers (if they’re large enough). Generally Basilisks are quite large, at full length being able to stretch to the top of most trees. However because of their snake like bodies, their movement is fairly limited.

Having no legs and no wings, Basilisks often slither across the ground, dragging their heavy bodies with them. However, with their loss of flight, they have gained a great affinity to swimming. Basilisks enjoy remaining in the water, often hunting large sea creatures as well as large game on land. Much like snakes, Basilisks secret a potent, acidic venom from their teeth, using it to slow down their larger prey. This acidic venom can also be spat, often burning through most organic tissue, barring bone (not through steel or stone). Oddly, Basilisks use this at the end of their “feast”, cleaning the carcasses of their prey and using the bones to decorate their caves.

Different from their kin, their scales are mostly soft and snakelike, with a hard layer of tough scales across their backs. They have no claws (of course), but have great horns and spines across their back and covering their tails, often using it to pummel large landborne victims. Their teeth are very sharp, however their snouts and noses are strangely tough and hardened, often using their faces to hammer into large creatures. Basilisks tend to reside and nest in great caves, often on coasts and by the sea. They will often come out of their caves, be it to the sea or to land, to catch and kill their prey, not feasting until they return to their nests. Because of this, their caves are often filled and covered with the clean, white skeletons and bones of all their prey; a horrifying site.

Hydras

Hydras are the strangest of all the Wyrms, being the only draconic beings to have more than one head. Obviously, the most famous Hydra is the wingless, five headed coastal Hydra, however Hydras take on fairly different forms. Sometimes a Hydra will have two heads and wings, sometimes it will have three heads and no legs, sometimes it will have five heads and four legs. Although they are all large and all dangerous.

Due to the nature of their bodies, Hydras’ separate heads have their own thoughts and “personalities”, however have found a way to work together in absolute unison. They appear to have some form of telepathic communication with one another, being able to coordinate with each other fairly well. Hydras don't have particularly hard scales, but have a thick hide and long sharp teeth. Like most dragons and Wyrms, they gnash and gnaw at their prey, tearing them to shreds and feasting on them.

Hydras often have some form of “breath” be it fire, smog, etc while others divide up their duties, for example one might have the ability to spit an organic oil on their victim, while the other might ignite it etc. Their multiple heads often make them a very tricky foe. For the most part, Hydras tend to live by coasts and cliffsides, nesting in caves and coming out to hunt. Hydras, similar to Wyverns, often have great hoards of gems and minerals in their nests, laying their eggs amongst piles of them. They have an unnatural obsession with it shiney objects, much like magpies and gather the stuff for their nests.

Pygmy Dragons

Pygmy dragons (or dwarf dragons) are the smallest draconic beings ever recorded. Easily recognisable by their size alone, Pygmy dragons are usually no bigger than a cat or a small dog. However their size should not be mistaken for vulnerability. They will almost always travel in packs or even swarms, overwhelming their prey with savage strikes and bites, tearing into their enemies viciously.

Similar to Wyverns, their bodies are quite similar to their dragon counterparts, sometimes having four legs, other times having two like wyverns. Always a pair of leathery wings, scaly hides, long tails (often dotted with spines), sharp short teeth and vicious claws. Unlike Wyverns and most other Wyrms, Pygmy Dragons cannot breathe fire or much else other than air. Whether this is attributed to their small stature or some other defect with their bodies, it is unclear. However not once has a Pygmy Dragon been known to breath fire. Instead, Pygmy Dragon’s rely on their size, their speed, their size and their numbers to annihilate their prey, behaving much like bees.

Pygmy Dragons travel and hunt in swarms rather than alone, overwhelming their prey with sheer numbers. Like the rest of their kin, they are predatory and feed on meat, usually attempting to subdue their prey one way or another, sometimes blinding, biting ankles, attacking their victim’s throats, etc. Amongst themselves, like bees, Pygmy Dragons are mostly males, workers for the rest of the flight. They are led usually by a single female, a Queen much like bees, and work to serve her. The queen is usually three times as big as the males, but wingless, remaining in their nest to breed. When there is a shortage of food, the Queen will often eat some of the worker Pygmies, their lives practically fully dedicated to her.

The Lexicons

As Dragur produced Dragaar they were born with an inherent calling; each of his children were bestowed with the eldritch power of creating a lexicon that stores the copious amount of knowledge a Dragaar discovers in its seemingly immortal lifetime. These lexicons can come in all forms, from a mere book that’s pages sprawl with an unparalleled amount of knowledge and seemingly endless text. To an obelisk that can produce an illuminant hue akin to a nexus, reading out specific sects of knowledge a Dragaar has obtained in their lifetime. These lexicons could be revoked and produced albeit can only be one per Dragaar, storing knowledge within the confines of this lexicon for no other reason than their birthright. This feature is contained within each, and every Greater Dragon, after Dragur weaved it into the very fibres of their being and is therefore unavoidable Drakaar or Dragaar. However they use this knowledge depends on the individual itself; with malicious intent or to nary lift a finger and do their dutiful task for their father.

However, tales were spun by the oldest of their ilk of a nexus so grand it derives from their father itself; the hub of all lexicon’s forged on by Dragur to await the moment in time they’re tasked with returning the knowledge they’ve gathered back to their father. For these lexicons were not only a means of obtaining knowledge, they were also a means of returning back to the great Slumbering God itself. When Dragur sent these primordial beasts on their way, and as they fell by whatever means, their lexicons remained, only to be discovered by foe or ally; legend foretells of a man who plucked a crown from the corpse of a decaying, everlasting dragon and foresaw the great beast himself in corporeal form, and later became a tyrant of the draconic beasts.

From Scale To Stone

While Dragur was not able to directly cure his children of the corrupting affliction bestowed upon them by Iblees, he was able to provide them with a means to escape it. When a Dragon or Dragaar has been exposed to corruption, they will begin a painful transformation into their corrupted counterpart. Should the dragonkin be able and willing, they will be able to commit the ultimate sacrifice for the good of all those they would otherwise harm as a Drake or Drakaar - they are able to turn themselves back into the matter of their creation, and turn themselves into stone.

Often will descendants mistake great stone images of dragons for statues when in truth, it is a grave. A stone dragon is a symbol of sacrifice for the betterment of the world, but not always is a dragon willing to commit this sacrifice, as like all creatures, they are prone to preserving their own lives, no matter the cost. Should a Dragon or Dragaar die by normal means, then its body will remain as any other living creature’s does. However, should a Drake or Drakaar die then their body will fall to ash, their withering shells finally breaking apart, all memory of the once proud and mighty creature being lost on the wind.