Info on Dragons Options

For thousands of years, Dragons have captivated the minds of men, and have insipred many tales, poems and songs (not to mention high-budget movies) about them and their glory.

Dragons were megestic creatures, who roamed the earth long before man. Unfortunatly, they fell into extinction sometime in the 14th century, AD.
But they did have a long rule over the world, and a productive one. Dragons were very spirited and noble creatures. And even though some were evil, dragons became a symbol of strength, bravery, power, and most of all; control.
Until their fall, Dragons were admired, by all sorts of people. Peasents to Czars all shared a fascination, even if suddle, towards the dragon... the most beautiful creature in the world.

Dragons are large reptilian creatures, with a strong lair of scales and cold blood in their veins. They usualy grow to be fairly large, lengthing between 15 - 30 feet, from head to tail, weighing close to a ton or two.
Dragons are divided into two major racial classifications: Western and Eastern. There is also a classification for other dragon-like creatures, called Dragonkin. Dragonkin are pseudo-dragons, consisting of the Wyvern, Drake, Sea-Serpents and many other races that I'm not going to talk about. Dragonkin are actually not dragons themselves, but are closely related.
As for Western and Eastern Dragons; Westerm Dragons take the body shape of winged lizards, While Eastern Dragons have a more serpent-like appearence.
Dragons have slim, horned heads flanked by a pair of spiny frills atop Long muscular necks. The Jaws of a dragon are fairly large and powerful, able to swallow a man whole (should the dragon find need too).
Western Dragons have large, strong leathery wings, used to acheive flight. Most Eastern Dragons do not have them, but can still acheive flight (Discussed in 'Special Features; Flight').
Lastly, Dragons have long, thick tails, usualy tipped with a blunt or sharp end, used in attack. Tails are a good offensive weapon, mainly because they are the strongest apendage on a dragon's body.

Breeds
There are thousands of different breeds of dragons, across the globe. Some have many horns, some have smooth scales, some have hair. Too date, there is no acurate count of all the breeds of dragons. There are many that look similar, but have small differences which set them apart.
The most common way to classify the breeds of dragons are by the colors of their scales. The most common Breeds then are Red and Green, but there are also large numbers of blue, white, gold, black, brown, and many other colors, or combinations of colors. There are a few breeds with two colors, which come from crossbreeding.
So, the only way dragon breeds are cataloged, are as Red, Green, Blue, etc... But each catagory contains hundreds of different races.

Skeleton
Dragons have very thick, heavy bones for an avian. Their skeletons make up close to 45% of their body weight, and an entire skeletal structure of a grown adult can weigh up to 700 lbs.
Dragons have partialy-hollowed bones, for flight, but they are still very sturdy for combat. It is almost impossible to break a dragon's bones, especialy their pelvis, ribs, and theigh bones. They are most fragile in their wings, the longest and thinest bones.
Inside the bones are little pockets, which is where hydrogen needed for fiery breath and to help make a dragon lighter is stored.

Interior
The interior organs of a dragon are very similar to most other reptiles, but are a bit more complex.
In the digestive track, there is the esophegus (of course), a crop, two stomachs, intestines, and rectum. The respretory system consists of two lungs, each strong enough to withstand the dragon accidentaly inhailing it's flames. Dragons have a special set of muscles, that it can flex to draw the hydrogen from it's pockets, and force it into the lungs, where it it blown out, and ignited by the thimbel to produce flame.
The Thor's Thimbel is a small organ on the roof of a dragon's mouth, where a uvula (dangly thing) should be. When flexed, it produces an electric charge, used to ignite the dragon's fire.
Some races of dragons don't have a thimble, and instead have special glands to produce chemicals that mix with the hydrogen to make it fully combustible when in contact with oxygen. It is more dangerous for the dragon, but burns hotter.
Dragon's have very strong hearts. Unlike most reptilian hearts, Dragons actually have four-chambered hearts. Their hearts need to be so strong and efficient, because there's a lot of distance to pump the dragon's cold-blood through.
A Dragon's brain is fairly advanced, too. But it's size varries, depending on the social classification of the dragon (See: Behavior).

Scales
Dragons have thousands of scales covering most of their bodies. The scales are very strong, and can come in any shape from triangle, to tear-drop, to oval. These scales make excelend protection for the dragon, because the skin underneith them is very soft. A dragon can make it's scales stand on end, in battle to make the dragon look bigger, or in bathing, to clean those hard-to-reach places.

Aging
Once hatched from the egg, A dragon can mature very quickly. A dragon will spend only about 4 months as an infant, and will reach adolecance within two to three years.
A dragon usualy reaches adult maturity around the age of 8 or 9, where it's growth slows down remarcably, and will not reach senior age until over a hundred years old.
This is the norm for dragons, but there are quite a few breeds which mature slowly, or die quickly. But the adverage lifespan of a dragon is close to a hundred years.

SENSES
A Dragon has fairly heightened senses. They have exceptional eyesight, sense of smell, and hearing. Dragons are capable of hearing sound waves to low for the human ear, and can see up to a mile further. As for smell, well... You can't beat perfection.

FIERY BREATH
It is a well known fact that Dragons are capable of breathing fire. Not many people know (or even care, for that mater) how, or why.
Dragons are known to devour the bones of their prey. When broken down, the Dragon's stomach acids mixing with the calcium of the bones created hydrogen. The hydrogen is stored in small pockets in the dragons bones until needed.
Of course, bones provide little calcium, so often Limestone, or Firestone as it is known to dragons, is eaten and corroded. If a dragon has had it's fill of hydrogen, it keeps bones lying around it's lair for later.
When a dragon wants to summon up it's fiery breath, it draws the hydrogen from it's bockets, by flexing a special set of muscles. The hydrogen is drawn into the lungs, where it is blown out as a normal breath.
On the roof of a dragon's mouth is a small organ called a Thor's Thimble. When flexed, the Thimble sparks an electrical charge, igniting the hydrogen, and creating a briliant flame.

FLIGHT
Dragons are also much known for their flight. It is quite obvious how this is acheived.
Dragons have very large leathery wings, much like those of a bat. These wings are quite capable of giving the dragon lift. A dragon's wings are very powerful, and the wing muscles are strong enough to lift their pray's weight alone (but the bones leave something lacking to atempt this).
But just in case, those pockets of hydrogen, a gas as lighter than air as it is flamable, help to make a dragon's frame lighter, so not as much work is required.
Some Eastern Dragons don't have wings, but are still capable of flight. Eastern Dragons weigh considerably less per square inch than Western dragons. For Easterns, the pockets of hydrogen alone, under good control, is enough to fly.
Of course, because most Eastern dragons are of the greater class, magic usualy has something or other to do with it.

INTELLIGENCE
Dragons are very intelligent creatures. They can be divided into three social classifications, based on their intellegence.
Lesser class dragons are rather dim, beasts. Mid class dragons are just as intellegent as humans, and can speak in our tounge, too. Greater class dragons are mystics... the ones who protect the earth in myth.
Dragons are facinating not only in appearence and ability, but in personality as well. Dragons are highly advanced social creatures, and can be very emotional at times.
Granted, there are good and evil dragons, but there are also Good and evil Humans too. Evilness is a natural a trail as having green scales (no typecasting here). Dragons can range greatly in their personalities, from very complex characters to rather dull individuals. Some dragons are kind and caring. Some are ruthless and cruel. But each is mentaly unique, and has their own place in a dragon society.
Dragons have a very structured social machine. There are thousands of clans, cults, flights, and gathers of dragons. Each different, each with a leader, each with a purpose. Dragons are very loyal, and respectful. Honor everything, even the opponent at war-time. And a Dragon almost always keeps his word.
Dragons enjoy all kinds of activities, and some even suport hobbies. Dragons enjoy thrills, and hunting. They enjoy learning about interesting things, and talking with friends. Dragons hate loosing, or being tricked. They're not known to have a healthy sense of humor, but know a good joke if they hear one.
Dragon shave very strong family ties. Hatchlings stay with their parents through their infancy, and even some time after that. Families are usualy very close, even closer that bonds in the clans.
There are many Dragon religions, too. Not all Dragons practice religion, but most clans are fast-bound to it. Dragon messiahs are usualy the Greater Class Dragons. The Dragon God is called Bahamut, and the Dragon devil is named Khesisus. Another well-noted Dragon God is Tiamate, who created the universe (Bahamut just rules it, because Tiamate is long dead).

SOCIAL CLASSES
Dragons can be divided into three social classes, or standings. There is rarely interaction between the standings, especialy clan-wise. However, there are always exceptions to every rule, and some cross-over has been noted.
Lesser Class Dragons are wild beasts. They have a small language of primitive roars, and no technology. They are just animals, and very unintellegent to prove it. Most don't know what to make of door-knobs. Lesser Dragons are often captured and riden by Humans, where they make the best steeds possible!
Mid Class Dragons are intellegent, skilled, and very friendly. They have the intellegence of a regular human, and knowledge of their technology and language as well.
Greater Class Dragons are mystics. The origionaters of magic, and control over the earth. They are extreamly intellegent, and powerful. Greater Class Dragons are the guardians of the earth, and possess the greatest magical power of any mortal race.
Most Eastern Dragons are of the greater class. It is thought that some dragons still live, all of which are Greater Class, able to shape-shift, and camoflauge themselves like chameleons.

Communication...

Dragons communicate with eachother, as well as many other species, in more ways than you think.
The most common way a dragon communicates is verbaly, once it's mastered the art of speech in any of the dozens of human dialects, or hundreds of dragon ones. Almost every clan, cult, flight or gather of dragons has a different slang, and then there are many other basis languages for inter-clan communication, and clan-less dragons.
But Dragons are also big body talkers. The movements and expressions of a dragon can convey messages themselves, stirring, and responding to natural reactions. For instance, a Dragon can command you to sit down with a look, and you would understand. Don't worry, you'll know that look when you see it.
The lesser class of dragons are incapable of complex speech, and rely on body talk most of the time. The common natural sound of a dragon is a nice, hearty roar, which the lesser class expresses with great enthusiasm.
The Greater class dragons can also use telepathy to communicate with people, and can sometimes influence a beings mind in this way.
There is also a myth of Dragons communicating across the forest by thumping their tails on hollow logs, but... who could beleive something like that?

Diet...

Dragons feed primarily on cattle, or steers (Horse, Cow, Goat, Deer, Llama, etc.). Vary rarely will they eat humans on the basis of being hungry (do you know how awful you people taste?). You'd need to do something really nasty for a dragon to want to put something as icky as you in it's mouth.
But meat isn't everything. Dragons are herbavours, with molars at the back of their jaws. Their insizors are razor sharp, but are incapable of chewing. Dragon's don't make a habit of eating plants, but it helps when one is too lazy to bother hunting one morning.

Attraction
Dragons, as all sensible creatures do, have very tasty dreams of inadvertantly creating offspring. Their urges, along with hormones, usualy bring togeather a family unit, in the best way possible.
Male dragons look for certan qualities, as do females. Males think their looking for beauty, but it's really a search for the best dragoness possible to physicly bear and nourture young. Females look for a dragon that can provide, and be responsible enough to make them, and future children, happy.
There are thousands of courtship rituals amungst dragon society. Some are short, some last weeks, some involve three words: "I want you". Some require dance, some require song, some require displays of bravery. Usualy, all of them work, depending on the culture of the dragon that is targeted.

Mating
Dragons do it the way almost every other living thing does it. He takes his thing, and puts it in her. They dance around, and he passes his sperm into her, in hopes of contacting with her eggs. And if not 'Drat, I guess we have to do it again *wink wink*. Don't you just love nature?

Pregnancy
Conception is just as one might think, male sperm enter the females tubes, where they meet her eggs, and impregnate them. Females usualy produce multiple eggs at once, which is why they have litters.
A few months after the dragoness becomes pregnant, she will begin to grow as the eggs do. Once the eggs have a hard enough shell (this usualy won't be until over half of the time between sex, and hatching), the female finds a nice spot and lays them. The average western dragon takes about 4 months pregnancy, and 3 months in eggs before it is born unto the world.

Children
yep, after all this, the offspring become stable enough to experience life first hand. They hatch from their eggs, a litter of little dragons, each like their mother and father. It will be about a year before they are truly independant, and relly on their parents until then.
Well, not all of them. Some races abandon their eggs as soon as they are laid, and that's okay with them.

With dragons there are exceptions to every rule. This will also be true with the next generation of dragons...

Feel free to edit or comment on this Radiant... Your the Dragon Master! lol...

Daev

RadiantStar

Someone with more time than me I see LOL.

Very interesting information Daev

Less tolkien and more fresh air, dude

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/00000008.gif)
you should write for the cretins on TV! Abit of fancy, eh what?

Hi everbody!

Hm... daev... it's nice. But I shall say, your post can be accepted on a role-playing forum, not on this one (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Well, you did make a good work, writing down the western stereotypes, the cliches, the fairytales... but i didn't read any _real_ information about these amazing entities.

First: what is _exactly_ a dragon? Oh, well, I know most of the myths and legends about dragons, and dragonkins... But what is the reality?
What _can_ we call a 'dragon'? I know, fairytales can be very nice and heartwarming, but we can _not_ base on them. Or the myths? The western cliches says, that dragons and wyrms are evil creatures -it's origin is the ancient matriarchic protoreligion, where the snakes were important deitised creatures -they represented the Power of the Goddes. And after the patriarchistic religions defeated the old ones, every old aspects of the God[des] became evil, dark, etc.

The eastern's dragon is a symbolic entity, the way they drawn them is absolutly symbolic, because they are Powers, Deities, Kings.

So we found a base concept, what we can call 'original': the dragons are Powers, (individual powers, or deities).

OK, we have the first important thing.

Secondly: what do the dragons? What is their role? Again, we can find clues in myths, tales, etc., but these are symbols... anyway, these are: protection (guarding) of treasure (of wisdom/knowledge/power), helping (the Empire, the Emperor, the innocents, or those,who are in need).

If we learn more about ancient religions, we will find, that they are world-creators (Sobek, Tiamat, Kur [sumerian origin of the babiloniain Tiamat, in later period Kur became the Netherworld, etimological means: mountains, land]), their main element is the water.
Of course, the Primordial Waters, the Waters of the Chaos -or, as the egyiptians said: the Waters of Nun (and Naunet), what is the true potentia, where nothing is real everything is possible. That's why the egyiptians said, that we going back to Nun in our dreams, and the dreamworld is such reality as the "dayworld".

Summarised: dragon is an Individual Power, who make the possible to real, and who guarding the gateways between possibility and reality.

Any comments?
(if you find my english bad, please correct me! I'm only learning this language)

Drakhonis

IMHO, I think the best way to find out what a dragon is and does is ask one yourself! That way you could find out what a dragon REALLY IS and what IT DOES or whatnot. Of course if you don't believe in dragons as entities or something along those lines than that's going to be a bit difficult!

By the way daev, nice posts! Very informative! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ac42.gif)

Hi Wiseone!

Ask a dragon? Oh, and how? On the astral plane? Well, OK, go to the Temples and ask one... I did it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)


Or invocing/evocing one? So you will need some information (sigillum, symbols, etc.)
-the wiccan way is _not_ working, so you can drop 'Dancing with Dragons' to the trashbin.
-I don't know if there were any enochian method to call a dragon.
-Old paths? You can use sumerian/babilonian, but you have to know these languages to summon one ancient wyrm (nope, the Necronomicon is useless, 'cause it's a fake thing) -same at the egyiptian summoning. If you are not a real priest, and don't know the language, the formulas, etc., you will summon anything (mostly lesser demons), except dragons.

So, if you don't have at least one dragon's sigillum, you can not summon any.

Astral plane is working, but I don't trust in this method... by the ego and the subconscious you can easily trick yourself. But well, if you know _how_ to travel and you can deicide between fantasy and reality -it's working.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

So, if you don't have at least one dragon's sigillum, you can not summon any

I am trying to remember which ritual I was using when I first saw mine, I think he had been sent many hours before I actually saw him and I have seen many since then, I have become aware of them outside of ritual, but the impressions are fleeting.

So I am not sure I agree with the idea that you have to have a sigil or not, but there again, mine was sent to me and told to show himself to me. Hmmm... you have me thinking that I might make a stronger contact by using an 'attractor' though and I am going to have to think on what that thing would be.

PS: Daev's information at the beginning of the thread is mainly mythical I believe; if you get to attract a dragon entity, you will not recognize much of this; either way, it is an interesting read (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Greetings Drakhonis!
If you want a canned recipe for contacting dragons I think you'll have a long wait...
I met them during a shamanic foray to the World Tree. Call it a freestyle guided meditation or what have you. He introduced himself to me and hasn't gone far since...about 15 years now. Before you decide that I (we) are all potty on acid laced tea, give shamanic journeying a try...it may just change the way you look at things. I don't believe that you can really summon them against their will but I've been wrong before. Another avenue may be through a faerie portal... Practice seeing on the astral and keep a sharp lookout...good luck.

I agree with bym, they come to you, I have heard others say that they just appear to and it is usually for a reason which we may or may not be aware of at the time, or indeed ever.

The only time I have ever heard of anyone calling one, it turned out to be one that needed to be asked to go again.

I still intend to use an 'attractor' to get a better look at some that have visited me since they have chosen to come.

It is actually surprising just how many have contact with dragons, but they keep it to themselves as others think they are deluded. Confession time here, I thought my boyfriend was deluded when he told me he had one, that is until mine turned up (IMG:style_emoticons/default/i_triangle.gif)

Radiant Star:

but there again, mine was sent to me and told to show himself to me.

There is a _big_ difference between summoning one and meeting one. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)


bym:

If you want a canned recipe for contacting dragons I think you'll have a long wait...

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/00000008.gif) "Magick Can. Contains: 1Oz 'Instant dragon summoning' Powder"

Nope, I don't believe in these stuffs. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

I met them during a shamanic foray to the World Tree

Hmmm... I met them the same way first... But because I'm not a shaman, this way is only a rare possibility to me.


Radiant Star:

It is actually surprising just how many have contact with dragons, but they keep it to themselves as others think they are deluded.

Yes, you are right... most of us are hiding these experiences. And if you were in yahoo groups, you could see: there are hundreds, who "working" with "dragons", but most of them live only it's fantasies.

IMHO, I think the best way to find out what a dragon is and does is ask one yourself! That way you could find out what a dragon REALLY IS and what IT DOES or whatnot. Of course if you don't believe in dragons as entities or something along those lines than that's going to be a bit difficult!

By the way daev, nice posts! Very informative! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ac42.gif)

I'm glad someone else said it.

With much respect,most of the original post was wrong,but with what little is available about our friends,it's understandable.

Most glareingly wrong,Dragons are warm blooded and give birth to live young,they are probably smarter than humans and are peaceful,non intrusive beings,and are definately more spiritual!

Dragons are far from extinct,they live among us now.

Most of what you wrote was about a similar but non related species which gave dragons a bad name,they are,in fact cold blooded and hostile,and they are the only creature which dragonkind harbors ill will.in fact they will attack the wyrm on sight.

Can I ask those who guard the Dragon and Visa Versa, Doesn't your Dragons mind that you discuss them?
I was under the impression that I would be snubbed and snorted if I discussed anything with anyone.

Some of us younger people who are still forced to live with their mothers are probably asking, "What is the world tree?". I am new so bear with me, I'm learning as fast as humanly possible (IMG:style_emoticons/default/flame.gif)

Greetings!

The origins of the dragon, and their "conservation status", are endlessly fertile topics...

I would like to reccommend a book by David E. Jones, titled An Instinct for Dragons and published, tellingly, by Routledge. You will probably find it in the Social Anthropology section of your library, rather than the Occult or 'Mind Body Spirit'.

Jones argues, and I think very convincingly, that the dragon is a composite of very ancient (pre-civilised - prior to the stone-age) primal predators: the eagle, the snake, and the big cat, who ruled the forests where our aboriginal forefathers lived. It was the original mythical creature, a 'thought form' of irresitable power and protean terror. As humanity became civilised, our dragon myths reflected our evolving relationship to the forces of nature: from fear (Tiamat) to struggle and conquest (Jason, St George) to taming and harnessing (Dickinson's Flight of Dragons) and, at the present stage, efforts to nurture and preserve (The [/I]Pern[I] stories).

This set me musing. The first tentative hypothesis that occurred to me is that dragons are so notoriously difficult for serious magicians to "summon" and work with because by their very nature they represent something 'other', something 'alien' to ourselves, and that at the most deeply ingrained level (perhaps genetic?-!) our Will-to-Survive wants nothing to do with these man-eating monsters. Following on from that, it seems to me from purely annecdotal evidence that most of the practitioners who do report encounters with dragons are Wiccan or Asatruar, or follow another earth- and nature-based path, or are shamans. Is the dragon force only accessible to those who have come to understand and integrate their place in Gaia's subtle interplay of forces, and feel themselves as both predators and (potentially) prey? Or does it manifest as a test from the Otherworld, of the shaman's ability to confront the most ancient of fears?

I'm fascinated by this! Please keep this thread up!

Blessings

I agree with the above statement, but it took me awhile for my young brain to figure all those complicated words >.< Go easy on us young, foolish ones please o_o