Dragons have co-existed with human beings for millennia. They are most likely an intelligent and warm-blooded distant relative of the dinosaurs of old, though it is unclear whether they survived the cataclysmic events resulting in the extinction of their cousins because of some already extant trait, or because adaptive mutations occurred during this period which resulted not only in their survival but their current physiology.
Dragons are invariably covered with scales, especially upon dorsal surfaces, though the scales range from armor-like plate on some to very fragile micro-scales, soft as butterflies' wings, on others.
Variation in size among types of dragons is remarkable, ranging from the diminutive pocket dragon to gigantic ice and snow dragons.
Dragons are quite diverse in coloration as well. Shades of gray and green predominate, but an astounding number of hues and patterns decorate some varieties, especially Draco pratum maculosus (Spotted Meadow Dragon), in which outrageous color and design seem to perform an as yet ill-understood survival function.
Most dragons are strictly vegetarian, though some small types are known to include a variety of insects in their diet. Some of the larger dragons are omnivorous, however, and should be avoided if obviously hungry. There are certain terrible tales of dragons gleefully making a banquet of human flesh and bones, but evidence of such occurrences is largely circumstantial and the stories may well be merely further examples of the inauspicious public image that dragons have suffered for the past twenty centuries.
No one knows just how long dragons live, but for many of the larger types, at least, it must be a very long time indeed. It is thought that in the case of Draco harena vastus (Giant Sand Dragon), for example, the developmental period lasts for centuries and the dragons do not achieve full adulthood for at least a thousand years. The relatively tiny Draco nympha (Fairy Dragon), on the other hand, appears to have a life spanning no more than a score of years and becomes adult within days of hatching. This may be due to the fact that Fairy Dragons tend to be a rather boisterous, fickle lot and ill-suited to the demands of protracted parenthood, though it is also possible that their diminutive size is the predominant determining factor.
It is unfortunate that dragons have come to suffer such a poor reputation among men. They are despised and feared and generally thought of as the most malevolent of beasts among many of those who believe in them, while they are simply discounted as laughable fantasy by those who do not. Unfortunate, yes, but in all fairness quite understandable in view of the fact that most literary accounts of dragons are either blatantly false, wildly inaccurate, or comically naive.
This fact is in turn due to perhaps the most vitally important mystery of all when it comes to dragons and men: all of us can see them, but only the pure of heart can ever hope to remember what they have seen.
Yes, dragons are very real indeed. They live with us on this Earth and play no small part in the affairs of men. But some men will forever refuse to believe, and will continue to ridicule those who do. They will trot out their machines of science to prove that dragons cannot possibly exist, and will demonstrate time and time again that what they claim is logically true. Nevertheless, logic has little to do with the truth of primary assumptions, and truth, in the end, is that which we believe to be true. Truth is a consensus of belief--beyond proof , merely a convenient illusion.
Those possessed of open minds and loving hearts, you may be sure, will have no doubt of what they see. The dragons are, after all, quite obvious, and as real as any forgotten dream suddenly--breathtakingly--remembered.
One bit of human folklore relative to dragons is that they are attracted to gold and may be easily enlisted to the task of guarding treasures. This is true to a degree, but treasure dragons are actually quite rare, and other dragons favor freedom and mobility too greatly to accept lightly the restrictive confinement that such guardianship requires. On the other hand, it is true that dragons as a species are attracted to gold, as well as to the sparkle of silver and the shine of copper and polished jade. In fact, they seem to be almost compulsively curious about everything that sparkles and shines--whether mirrors or marbles or crystals of snow. Even the sun's reflections upon the ripples in a stream may hold a dragon spellbound for hours. It is not that they are simple minded, but that they take great pleasure in even the simplest of things--a trait which we humans seem to lose with the passing of childhood and only rarely regain.
There are actually quite a number of dragon charms, ranging from marshmallows to flute music to prisms and tears, a fact of considerable importance in your dragon watching activities. A carefully laid trail of marshmallows can lead a dragon straight to your door, and a single fallen tear may bring you a friend forever.
Several other characteristics seem common to most dragons. They tend to catch colds easily and are not at all pleasant company as long as the sniffles persist. They are often clumsy and prone to falling out of trees and off ledges if there is insufficient room for both tail and toes. And, finally, they tend to be extremely stubborn, especially when it comes to matters of the heart.
One of the most fascinating and least understood aspects of dragon life is the mystery surrounding the conception and hatching of their eggs. Dragons are generally reticent about such matters, refusing even to recognize that you have asked a question if they consider it to be in the least intrusive or indelicate. Thus most of what is known of the intimate lives of dragons is based on quite isolated instances of observation.
Nevertheless, the most intrinsically beautiful phase of the dragon's procreative process is also the most celebrated and oft-observed among humans. These events compass the hatching of a dragon egg, heralded by the appearance of a rainbow. No one knows whether the rainbow plays some active part in causing the egg to hatch or whether the egg, when hatching is imminent, somehow modifies its external environment, thus helping to create the rainbow. Whichever may be the case, the event is certainly one of the most colorful and spectacular in all the world. When a rainbow appears, many of the dragons in the vicinity will come together in groups of ten or a dozen in respectful celebration until it finally fades from view. The heavenly arch has gone, the solemn groups have dispersed, the egg has hatched, and a new dragon is ready to begin sharing its life with us.
Dragons are invariably covered with scales, especially upon dorsal surfaces, though the scales range from armor-like plate on some to very fragile micro-scales, soft as butterflies' wings, on others.
Variation in size among types of dragons is remarkable, ranging from the diminutive pocket dragon to gigantic ice and snow dragons.
Dragons are quite diverse in coloration as well. Shades of gray and green predominate, but an astounding number of hues and patterns decorate some varieties, especially Draco pratum maculosus (Spotted Meadow Dragon), in which outrageous color and design seem to perform an as yet ill-understood survival function.
Most dragons are strictly vegetarian, though some small types are known to include a variety of insects in their diet. Some of the larger dragons are omnivorous, however, and should be avoided if obviously hungry. There are certain terrible tales of dragons gleefully making a banquet of human flesh and bones, but evidence of such occurrences is largely circumstantial and the stories may well be merely further examples of the inauspicious public image that dragons have suffered for the past twenty centuries.
No one knows just how long dragons live, but for many of the larger types, at least, it must be a very long time indeed. It is thought that in the case of Draco harena vastus (Giant Sand Dragon), for example, the developmental period lasts for centuries and the dragons do not achieve full adulthood for at least a thousand years. The relatively tiny Draco nympha (Fairy Dragon), on the other hand, appears to have a life spanning no more than a score of years and becomes adult within days of hatching. This may be due to the fact that Fairy Dragons tend to be a rather boisterous, fickle lot and ill-suited to the demands of protracted parenthood, though it is also possible that their diminutive size is the predominant determining factor.
It is unfortunate that dragons have come to suffer such a poor reputation among men. They are despised and feared and generally thought of as the most malevolent of beasts among many of those who believe in them, while they are simply discounted as laughable fantasy by those who do not. Unfortunate, yes, but in all fairness quite understandable in view of the fact that most literary accounts of dragons are either blatantly false, wildly inaccurate, or comically naive.
This fact is in turn due to perhaps the most vitally important mystery of all when it comes to dragons and men: all of us can see them, but only the pure of heart can ever hope to remember what they have seen.
Yes, dragons are very real indeed. They live with us on this Earth and play no small part in the affairs of men. But some men will forever refuse to believe, and will continue to ridicule those who do. They will trot out their machines of science to prove that dragons cannot possibly exist, and will demonstrate time and time again that what they claim is logically true. Nevertheless, logic has little to do with the truth of primary assumptions, and truth, in the end, is that which we believe to be true. Truth is a consensus of belief--beyond proof , merely a convenient illusion.
Those possessed of open minds and loving hearts, you may be sure, will have no doubt of what they see. The dragons are, after all, quite obvious, and as real as any forgotten dream suddenly--breathtakingly--remembered.
One bit of human folklore relative to dragons is that they are attracted to gold and may be easily enlisted to the task of guarding treasures. This is true to a degree, but treasure dragons are actually quite rare, and other dragons favor freedom and mobility too greatly to accept lightly the restrictive confinement that such guardianship requires. On the other hand, it is true that dragons as a species are attracted to gold, as well as to the sparkle of silver and the shine of copper and polished jade. In fact, they seem to be almost compulsively curious about everything that sparkles and shines--whether mirrors or marbles or crystals of snow. Even the sun's reflections upon the ripples in a stream may hold a dragon spellbound for hours. It is not that they are simple minded, but that they take great pleasure in even the simplest of things--a trait which we humans seem to lose with the passing of childhood and only rarely regain.
There are actually quite a number of dragon charms, ranging from marshmallows to flute music to prisms and tears, a fact of considerable importance in your dragon watching activities. A carefully laid trail of marshmallows can lead a dragon straight to your door, and a single fallen tear may bring you a friend forever.
Several other characteristics seem common to most dragons. They tend to catch colds easily and are not at all pleasant company as long as the sniffles persist. They are often clumsy and prone to falling out of trees and off ledges if there is insufficient room for both tail and toes. And, finally, they tend to be extremely stubborn, especially when it comes to matters of the heart.
One of the most fascinating and least understood aspects of dragon life is the mystery surrounding the conception and hatching of their eggs. Dragons are generally reticent about such matters, refusing even to recognize that you have asked a question if they consider it to be in the least intrusive or indelicate. Thus most of what is known of the intimate lives of dragons is based on quite isolated instances of observation.
Nevertheless, the most intrinsically beautiful phase of the dragon's procreative process is also the most celebrated and oft-observed among humans. These events compass the hatching of a dragon egg, heralded by the appearance of a rainbow. No one knows whether the rainbow plays some active part in causing the egg to hatch or whether the egg, when hatching is imminent, somehow modifies its external environment, thus helping to create the rainbow. Whichever may be the case, the event is certainly one of the most colorful and spectacular in all the world. When a rainbow appears, many of the dragons in the vicinity will come together in groups of ten or a dozen in respectful celebration until it finally fades from view. The heavenly arch has gone, the solemn groups have dispersed, the egg has hatched, and a new dragon is ready to begin sharing its life with us.