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htm

The Ancient Files

A Note: In certain places, you'll note that there is a metric measurement followed by an Imperial
measurement in parentheses.  This represents contradictory data from the sourcebooks.

A Survey of Dracoforms by Ancient History

     Paranormal taxonomists have given dracoforms the class of Reptilia, and the sub-class
Herpetavia, which in turn is divided into:
        • Tetrasauria - This order holds all species of the draco genus, as as Eastern and Western
Dragons.
        • Alatophidia - This order holds all species of the aleutoserpens genus, such as Feathered
Serpents and Wyverns.
        • Magnavaranus - This order holds all the neovarranus genus, such as the Firedrake and
Icedrake.
                                       A Note: These species were formerly classified under the draco genus.

      Exact details to draconic physiology are difficult to pin down, as dragons are such innately
magical creatures that they constantly udnergo slight bodily changes-shifting scale patterns and
horn angles, brightning of coloration, lengthing and shortening of the tail and spikes; among other
things.

Wyverns (Aleutoserpens pili americanus)

            Wyverns in North America reach up to 11 meters from head to tail, with a wingspan of up
to 24 meters.  They are dark brown in color and possess two sets of limbs rather than four: a set of
hind limbs with foot-long claws and a pair of wings, not unlike the body of a Feathered Serpent;
the wings end in claws that the wyvern uses to climb and to rip at their prey.  Their tails end in
venomous stingers (they are immune to their own venom, a deadly black liquid which drips from
their stingers).
            Wyverns tend to hunt in packs, and the carnivores will hunt any prey, even dragons.  On
the ground, they whip their tails to poison their victims (they refrain from using their tails in the
air because it unbalances their flying); when engaged in aerial combat they slam into and latch on
to their enemy, wrapping their tail around it and stabbing it repeatedly until they hit the ground
(the wyvern will hold on even if it hits the ground too).
            The wyvern is highly territorial, attacking invaders with mad bloodlust, but there is little
strife between wyverns.
            Gene-mapping shows partial similarities between Wyverns, the various Drake species, and
Dragons.
            Wyverns in North America favor mountains and forested areas, mainly in the central and
south regions.

        Wyverns (Aleutoserpens pili melior)  Lindwurm

       European wyverns are more common and often larger than their North American versions
(approximately 30 feet long in body, with another 30 feet of tail).  Several have even been said to
be magically active, and to resemble the heraldic beasts.  They reportedly exist in the Alpine
foothills, the Riesengebirge mountain range, the Eifel hill region, the Welsh Dragon land, and the
SOX.

        Freshwater Serpent (Pleurocanthus laci)

       An aquatic lizard some 18 meters long, with four paddle-like flippers and a broad jaw that

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sport the flat, grinding teeth of an herbivore.  The creature is herbivorous, and is an air-breather
able to remain submerged for up to three hours.  Normally dark green to muddy brown in color,
lighter along the blunt spinal ridge.  Freshwater Serpents possess a genetic similarity to other
dracoforms.  Freshwater serpents are found in bodies of fresh water throughout the world, theough
they seem much mroe sluggish in Tir na nOg.

         Saltwater Serpent (Pleuracanthus oceani)

        Much like it's cousin the Freshwater Serpent, this creature is larger, some 25 meters, with
broader flippers and a saw-toothe dorsal ridge.  Also, the creature's crested head has a pointed jaw
with sharp, tearing teeth.  The Saltwater Serpent is carnivorous and predatory; some reports
indicate it may even attack sea drakes.  Though air breathers, these dracoforms can remain
submerged for over two hours, even under heavy exertion, by switchin gto an anaerobic cycle. 
Saltwater serpents are genteically realted to other dracoforms.
            Saltwater serpents inhabit temperate and sub-tropical oceans throughout the world; though
they are noticably more sluggish near Tir na nOg.
 
      The wyvern is actually probably the adolescent form of the Western Dragon, though Western
Dragons categorically deny this.  They are said to revert to a sub-sentient state during this time
period (Their skulls are sharply slanted, indicating less brain mass), though they are also held to
be fiendishly clever when attacking.  The differences between North American and European
wyverns is thought to be a function of age: European wyverns are assumed to be older, closer to
becoming adult dragons.
      It has been conjectured that Wyvern and Dragon DNA differs because adolescent dragons
undertake a magical ritual of sorts to become adult dragons.  It is likely that this magical
coccooning which grants dragons their forms alters the Wyverns' DNA.
      One theory that has been put forward is that wyverns are adolescent dragons who cannot or
have somehow refused to become adult dragons; another states that they are more of a related
precursor species, not unlike apes are cousins to humans.

      Freshwater and Saltwater serpents are a mystery, thought to be either the adolescent form of
the Dragons of the Water. like Wyverns, or some related species or offshoot.  One theory put
forward is that the mana cycle has not yet advanced sufficiently to allow these creatures to
manifest sentience.

Dragons
      It should be noted that all adult dragons possess certain common attributes: they are
dual-natured (from birth) using non-vocal telepathic communication (Dragonspeech) which cannot
be electronically recorded, and possess keen senses, especially a thermographic sense.  Dragons
flight is accomplished by subconscious use of magic (their wings-those that have them-are
insufficient to lift them).  Dragons are mainly carnivorous, preferring their prey as freshly killed as
possible (especially cave crab) and usually hunt within a 200km range from their lair; they have
also been known to imbibe alcohol.  Dragons live for an extraordinarily long time, and apparently
hibernate during the down-cycle.  Dragons do not sleep a great deal, preferring a meditative state
called shal-mora, which allows them to rest, think, and be aware of their environemnt at the same
time.
    Dragons are warm-blooded reptiles, like dinosaurs.  They also possess the standard reptilian
two-chambered heart, but they have an additional cardiac muscle above it the supplies blood to
their wing muscles (those of them that have wing muscles).  Their enzymatic processes are also
very heat-conservative, and members of the Draco-genus have sufficient muscular control of their

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scales to raise them slighlty, forming air pockets for insulation.  The feathers of Feathered
Serpents work in much the same way.
      Female dragons can control their reproduction, and usually only select mate every century or
so.  The eggs are initially a foot in diameter and 30cm long, but grow to a height of over 1.2
meters as they incubate over a century or so.  The Great Dragon who is the egg's caregiver
communicates witha nd teaches the dragon telepathically withinit's shell, and also imposes it's own
form on that of the nascent dragon (that is, if a feathered serpent gave an egg to a Great Eastern
Dragon, the egg would hatch an eastern dragon, not a feathered serpent.)  Eggs that fail to hatch
are consumed by their great dragon caretakers in a special rite.
     Dragon hatchlings resemble wyverns, but are no more than twelve feet long at birth.  At the age
of 200 years, the hatchlings enter a savage adolescent stage, where they stay for 50 to 100 years,
before weaving an astral coccoon around themselves for five to ten years, emerging as an adult
dragon.  Dragons continue to grow throughout their lives, reaching the status of Great Dragon at
about the age of two thousand years.
      Dragon egg shells are made of keratinoid fiber, the same substance which makes up
dragonscale.

Dragons of Fire
      Feathered Serpent (Alatuserpens Quetzalcoatlus)  Feathered Dragons
     Possessing two sets of limbs (a pair of feathered wings and hind legs) on a long sinuous body,
Feathered Serpents differ from the standard dracoform.  The long body of the Feathered Serpent is
some 20 meters (40feet) long from head to tail, an additional 40 feet of tail, a  wingspan of 15
meters (60 feet), and weighs 6,000 kilograms.  The wings and body of this dragon are covered by
feathery scales, the largest and most colorful onthe wings, while those on the body are smaller and
more akin to brightly colored scales.  The contour feathers, the tuft at the tip of their tales, and the
feathered ruff around their heads are usually a dazzling rainbow of colors.  Despite their avian
appearence, the wigns of the Feathered Serpent are membranes stretched between extended finger
bones.  The hind limbs possess five digits, one of which is an opposable thumb, allowing the
creature to manipulate objects.  Feathered Serpents have 60 teeth.  Feathered Serpents often
possess sacs connected to their fangs or a tail spine (it has yet to be determined if those with
venomous fangs or the venomous tail-spike are seperate subspecies or not).
        When fighting, the Feathered Serpent often coils around its prey, stabbing or biting to release
its venom; or simply crush the victim.  They enjoy sunning themselves.  The hatchling Feathered
Serpents do not possess feathers, but appear much as Western Dragon hatchlings.
            Great Feathered Serpents are usually 30 meters long.
            Feathered Serpents are native to South and Central America (but may be found in other
climes, such as Azania); as they were native to Araucania and Aznan in the Age of Legend,
though they also inhabited Indrisia and Fekara in those days; they prefer mountains, open forest
and grassland..

Dragons of the Earth

     Western Dragon (Draco occidentalis) Common Dragons
     The Western Dragon is 20 meters long, standing 3 meters at shoulder height, with a further 17
meters of tail; an approximate 2,000 kilograms at adult weight.  Wingspan is 30 meters.  The
Western Dragon possesses four limbs and a pair of wings; the hind paws have adapted into feet,
while the forepaws display opposable digits.  Dorsal spines and/or membranes may be present,
while the rest of the body is covered in heavy scales and sometimes bony plates as a form of
dermal armor (others have small, non-overlapping scales that lend the appearence of smooth skin);

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the head is located at the end of the long neck and the ruff surrounding it, and possesses horns;
which female dragons find attractive, though they vary from mere nubs to curling ram-like affairs. 
Few Western Dragons lack horns.  Western dragons have 40 teeth.  The Western Dragon is
commonly a single color, darkeneing at the spine and lightening at the belly.  Scales are made of
keratinoid fiber.
          The leading edges of their wings possess small scales that can be raised or lowered to
improve the airflow over their crescent-shaped wings, and the trailing edges of the wings possess
muscles that dynamically alter the wing shape.  Such adaptions help improve the aerodynamics of
the dragon.
          Great Western Dragons are 30 meters long, standing 4.5 meters at the shoulder, with a
further 25.5 meters of tail.
          Western Dragons are native to Europe, especially Wales, as well as some parts of western
Asia.  During the Age of Legend, they were native to Barsaive.  They prefer mountains, fens,
bogs, and dense forests in these regions.

Dragons of the Wind

     Eastern Dragon (Draco orientalis)  Cathay Dragons
          The head and body of an eastern dragon is 15 meters long, with a height at the shoulder of 2
meters, and another 15 meters of tail.  All told, this dragon weighs in at 7,500 kilograms.  The
Eastern Dragon's saurian body has a serpentine or lizard-like shape, with scaly armor neck to tail
surmounted by a ridge of membrane-connected spines.  The head is broad and low; a pronounced
nasal region give way to a pair of barbules, and a fringe of whiskers covers the chin.  The skull
possesses 40 teeth.  Whiskers also sport fromt he rear portions of the skull, and pairs of horns rise
from behind the eyes.  The four-fingered paw of the Eastern Dragon are highly dextrous, and each
digit ends in a large claw (able to handle fragile porcelain vases without mishap).  The scales of
the Eastern Dragon are small, overlapping and iridescent, though coloring varies, but the most
common is iridescent green with gold whiskers and belly scales.  It should be noted that the
Eastern Dragon lacks wings, but still flies, moving through the air in a  swimming motion, it's
limbs tucked close to it's body.  Possessing larger eyes (bigger than dinner plates) and nostrils than
other dragons, Eastern Dragons are noted for their keen eyesight and sense of smell.  Scales are
made of keratinoid fiber.
          The Great Dragons of these species are typically 22.5 meters long, with a height at the
shoulder of 3 meters, and other 22.5 meters of tail.
          Eastern Dragons are native to Asia as they were to Cathay in the Age of Legend, and prefer
river valleys, mountains and coastal cliffs.

     Sirrush
           A metavariant of the Eastern Dragon, the Sirrush is similiar in appearence.  However, the
Sirrush possesses a shorter tail, and its narrower and deeper head lacks whiskers and barbules. 
Furthermore, the limbs are longer, with the hind feet forwaard-facing and possessing limited
dexterity.
            The Sirrush is indigeneous to Asia Minor, and prefer river valleys, mountains and coastal
cliffs.

Dragons of the Water

     Sea Dragon        Leviathan
     The Leviathan is a type of dragon adapted to underwater life, specifically deep salt-water
bodies.  They are approximately 10 meters long (60 feet), with another 8.5 meters of tail.  Their
serpentine body (they lack wings and can fly only short distances) is covered in small, iridescent,

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tightly overlapping scales; they also possess four vestigal limbs-short (6 feet long), stubby legs
with sharp webbed claws that can tear a ship apart.  Their forelimbs possess opposable thumbs, but
limited manual dexterity and ability to pick up objects.  Leviathans tend toward ocean blue-green
hues.  It is notable that the Leviathan contains an organ that collects True Water.  Leviathans can
breath air equally as well as water, but dislike overland travel; as they can move only very slowly
over land and fly (using a swimming motion through the air) for no more than a hundred
kilometers or so, which is very tiring for them.  Leviathans are noted for their large and powerful
jaws.  Some also possess a wyvern-like stinger on their tails.
             The Great Dragons (called Great Leviathans) of this species are approximately 15-25
meters long, with another 12.75 meters of tail.
             Leviathans inhabited the seas of the Age of Legend.
 
       Of all the species of dragons, the most questions surround the Sirrush, the Feathered
Serpent, and the Leviathan.  The Sirrush is most notable as the only known metavariant of the
dragon; while the Feathered Serpent is curious for its wyvern-esque form, plumage and apparent
holdover of Wyvern-tail spike in some indivduals.
         The Leviathan is most noteworthy for its scarcity within the Sixth World: no one knows
what has become of these beings; whether they succumbed to the poisoning of the oceans during
their long sleep, lie hibernating still, are merely keeping quietly out of view, or have perhaps
mutated into the Gorgon.
          It should be noted that there can be no clear and set line of evolution among dragons.  That
is, one cannot say that the Leviathan gave rise to the Eastern Dragon, which gave rise to the
winged Western Dragon, which gave way to the Feathered Serpent, or vice versa.  The various
species, as should be obvious, represent distinct evolutions from a common stock (Predraco
amandae), and are each at the head of their particular evolutionary chain; not distinct steps and
holdovers from previous orders of draconic evolution.

        Hydra
       This abomination was created when a magician of the Denairastas clan stole seven hatchlings
under the care of the Great Dragon Thermail.  The seven were grafted together creating the first
hydra, a stunted abomination half the size of a Great Dragon and mad.  A second hydra was
created from the first, and the two bred.  The hydra resembles a wingless Western dragon with
seven stunted heads on long necks.  Hydras never grow longer than fort feet from heads to tail, and
are armored with small hard scales.
             Hydras spread across Barsaive within a decade after their creation.

        Hydra-Wyrm (Pleuracanthus polycaput)

            An aquatic dracoform with nine heads on long, sinuous necks, each of which avaerages 4
meters in length.  The body averages another 4 meters, and the tail avaerages 5.5 meters.  Body
weight is about 1.4 metric tons.  Skin color varies from green-gray to dirty olive-green with yellow
underbelly; chitinous scale-plates usually cover the forelimbs, which are blue-green or dark
blue-black in hue.  Each head is only .7 meters long, sporting a crested ridge on top and 36 teeth;
most backward-directed and 1.8 inches long each.  Each skull contains little more than sensory
apparatus: the creature's brain rests at the base of its spine, a unique method (as opposed to the
Cerebus Hound, the only other multi-headed paracritter.)  Male hydra-wyrms have a ridge os
spines along the back of the body the same color as the fore-limb chitinous plates.  Hind limbs are
actually large flippers, while the frontal, armored limbs are lizardlike, with webbed toes and sharp-
clawed digits.  Land movement is thus similar to that of a really big walrus; though it cannot
survive on land for more than a few minutes.  Hydra-wyrms typically live for over a century, and

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mate rarely.
            Hydra-wyrms live only in Greece; in deep lakes and the rare deep-water estuary.
 
   The Hydra is no more in the Sixth World, undoubtably hunted to extinction by the dragons of
the time, apparently only the Hydra-Wyrm remains in the Sixth World.  The Hydra-Wyrm is a
mystery due to it's aquatic nature (which the Hydra lacked), the two extra heads and because of
its common lack of parabiological powers. 
   It is speculated that the Hydra-Wyrm is either a mutated (possibly inbred) descendent of the
Hydra, a magically altered version created by Denairastas or Theran magicians, or even an
entirely unrelated species created using the same techniques.
   It seems obvious that the beast must have influenced Greek myth...or vice versa.

   Gorgon (Draco odiosus fabulosus)

             This dracoform reaches approximately 8 meters in length, and 600 kilograms in weight. 
The Gorgon possesses 72 teeth in serrated rows, between one and four inches in length; the
majority of which point backwards.  Fleshy appendages ending in spheres form a ring around the
Gorgon's head.  Most Gorgons have gray to grey-black coloring; sometimes the belly has a blusih
mottling.  Unusual for a dracoform, the Gorgon possesses  well-concealed gills on it's neck which
it breathes through, and only vestigial lungs which allow it to come ashore for several hours at a
time.  The dracoform is genetically related to dragons.
             The Gorgon inhabits coastal waters along the Mediterranean and Black Seas; especially
the Greek coast and polluted areas.
 
There are three theories that leap to mind as regards the Gorgon:
1) It is a dracoform, perhaps a Leviathan or Western Dragon, mutated by prolonged contact with
toxic substances dumped into the seas.  Or maybe the magical residue left from Thera, given the
location.
2) Gorgons are twisted creatures created through some ancient magical experiment, in the
manner of the Hydra, or are an example of those dragons Corrupted by Verjigorm.
3) The Gorgon is a natural, albeit warped, creature.  Perhaps the result of the cross-breeding of a
Western Dragon and a Leviathan; or the adolescent Leviathan (much as the Wyvern is to other
dragons).

        Firedrake (Draco Neovarus minimalis americanus) Vulcanwurm

              This wingless lizard is up to 1.25 meters long, and resembles a small western dragon.  It's
coloring varies from red-brown to tan, with red, malevolent eyes.  It can rear up on its hind legs,
using its tail to balance.  Firedrakes live in small family units in mountainous regions, especially
volcanic areas.  They have been seen in the western part of North America, northern Italy, the
Eifel hills of Germany, the western coastal Dragon Land of Wales, and the Balkans.
              The firedrake's genetic structure is odd, genetically related to both dragons and lizards.  It
has been suggested that the firedrake is either very old, dating back to the common ancestor of
lizards and dragons, or is a chimeric creation of some sort.  The firedrake is related to the Icedrake;
they are comparable even on the enzyme level.

         Icedrake (Draco Neovarus algoris articus) Eiswurm

       This wingless lizard is up to 1.5 meters long, and resembles a small western dragon.  It
possesses white skin with red, malevolent eyes.  It can rear up on its hind legs, using its tail to
balance.  Icedrakes live in small family units in mountainous and arctic regions.  They have been

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seen in the northern regions of North America, Norway, Sweden, Finland and northeastern regions
of Russia.  Unreliable reports place them in isolated alpine valleys within Germany.
               The icedrake's genetic structure is odd, genetically related to both dragons and lizards.  It
has been suggested that the firedrake is either very old, dating back to the common ancestor of
lizards and dragons, or is a chimeric creation of some sort.  The icedrake is related to the
Firedrake; they are comparable even on the enzymatic level.

        Sea Drake (Neotylosaurus pacificus)

              An ocean-adapted reptile with four flippers in place of legs, a short neck and a head
resembling that of a western dragon.  The Sea Drake can achieve a length of 13.5 meters, and is
lead gray in color.  Sea drakes are air-breathers, but can switch to an anaerobic metabolism that
allows them to remain submerged up to two hours.  Sea Drakes can dive to over 6.65 kilometers
deep.  Sea Drakes dwell in temperate and subarctic oceans throughout the world, especially the
Pacific Ocean.  They have also been reported in the Irish Sea, off the coast of the Welsh Dragon
Land, and two have been reported in Tremadoc Bay, near Harlech Castle in Snowdonia.
             While Tir na nOg sports no dracoforms on land, the Sea Drake does appear along the
coasts (and possibly in the rivers and lochs).  These Sea Drakes are prone to longer periods of
inactivity than others in areas of comparable climate, such as Scotland.
              The Sea Drake is closely related to the ice drake and firedrake; as well as distantly related
to dragons.

        Drakes during the Age of Legend

          The Drake is a magical servant created by dragons during the Age of Legend (and perhaps
during the Sixth World to some extant as well), using the Dance of Blue Spirits, created by
Doll-Maker/ Icewing/ Ghostwalker..  The Drake is given substance from the dragon's own, and the
dragon creating the servitor uses life magic to give it part of their own essence so that it may live. 
This process is taxing to the dragon, and when coupled to the limitation on the number of drakes a
dragon may create according to social status, few drakes were created during the Age of Legend.
              In their natural form, the drake appears as a dracofrom some seven to eight feet long, of
the same type and similar coloring to it's creator (that is, drakes created by feathered serpents
resemble feathered serpents, drakes created by leviathans resemble leviathans, and so on.), as the
majority of drakes were created by Western Dragons, the majority of drakes resemble Western
Dragons.  Drakes posses excellent memories, and can change shape from their natural dracoform
to that of an elf, human, dwarf, ork, t'skrang, or troll (their choice; the same drake may change into
a dwarf and then change into a troll, they are not locked to a single form.); they may also be able
to become Jackalmen, but it is doubtful they could become Ulkmen, Leafers or Jubruqs; just as
they cannot become Windlings or Obsidimen.  Drakes require food, water and sleep (though less
sleep than normal, due to their draconic heritage); but they are sterile and cannot have children. 
They have highly magical natures and are possessed of several draconic abilities.  They may also
follow Adept paths to supplement their abilities.
               Drakes are long-lived, and can survive for centuries if they do not meet with violence or
accident.  When their time comes, they return to the base matter from which they came, decaying
at a pretanatural rate.  Drakes require magic to exist; some dragons thus took them with them in
their lairs to hibernate during the down-cycle.

        Drakes during the Sixth World

           First documented during the Year of the Comet (well, barring Ryan Mercury, but those were
exceptional circumstances, akin to the early manifestation of a Troll before the Awakening), these
are metahumans who exhibit the ability to transform themselves into miniature dracoforms as

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though they were shapeshifters.  This Awakening sends a ripple through the astral, alerting nearby
great dragons that a new Drake has become manifest.
               In their dracoform, Drakes resemble miniature Western dragons, 2 meters long from head
to tail.
 

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