Lore24 Apr 19: Dragons

While the word ‘dragon’ gets applied to many wildly different creatures, the ones most consider to be ‘true’ dragons, are an interesting bunch. They look neither wholly mammal nor reptile, scales and fur both covering their towering frames. While no two are exactly alike, and they can vary in their size, color, number of limbs, or abilities, they do have some things in common, which mark them as belonging to the same group.

The first one is their aforementioned mixture of traits, the second is their batlike wings, which allow them to fly, unless they have grown too fat on their many victims. The third is their affinity to some kind of ruin. They spread this ruin around their lairs merely by existing, and they can focus it into a kind of breath weapon. For example a fire dragon’s domain would be permanently burnt out and it would be able to breath fire, while a poison dragon’s demesne would produce choking fumes, and the dragon itself would be able to breath poison strong enough to kill any person.

The fourth defining trait of a true dragons is their intelligence. They are just as smart as any humanoid, and most can speak multiple languages. Most of them use this intellect to rob, dominate, and bully anyone and everyone unfortunate enough to live near their territory, and to amass gigantic hoards of wealth, which are the envy of kings. While most are content to just sit on their ill-gotten gains and fiercely defend it, some see the value in not only trading with their enormous wealth, but hiring enterprising mortals to errands for them, which they are too lazy, or simply ill-suited to do themselves. Of course dragons are a prideful lot, and the smallest perceived slight can make the enterprising mortals lose their pay or even their lives. On the other hand, an excessive amount of flattery and grovelling as well as offering everything of value one has can save one from even a hostile dragon.

 Image from The Hobbit (1977)

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