General Measurements and Information:

Size-wise, Aerdon Dragons range in size from 12 ft, snout to rump (str.), to 55 ft str. Callan Blackthorn is the largest so far, measuring in at 63 ft str. Their wingspan averages 1.5 times that of their str length which gives Callan a 91 ft wingspan. The tail is typically as long as the str measurement (but can and does vary), which doubles the Dragon's overall length, and usually has either razor sharp blade-like scales or spikes on the tip which can be retracted to leave the tip of the appendage smooth. The tail acts as a rudder during flight or swimming and can be used as a weapon. It is also fully prehensile, a handy thing when outnumbered in a fight.

The males of the Black variety tend to be heavily muscled on a bulky skeletal structure, however there are exceptions to every rule. This heavy build can and does translate into their secondary form (see further down). Silver males are generally leaner, quicker, yet lighter framed. Females of either race are smaller, lithe and agile, they make up for the lack of overall size and brute strength with treachery, speed and grace.
The average body temperature of an Aerdonian dragon is a feverish 101-103 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Nature of the Beast:

The Black dragons generally have nasty tempers, are hateful and cruel, their nature can be best described as 'chaotic evil'. The Silvers tend to be lawful and just, 'lawful good'. Do not mistake a Silver for being an infinitely patient or wise being, however. They too will exhibit tendencies toward Rage, called the Storm by their race, and a fiery disposition. There are no neutral or indifferent natured dragons, if one seems that way, chances are it is a front to protect their true self or a way of gleaning information. Both races lean toward arrogance and are as varied in their personalities as grains of sand on a beach.

Both races love water, showers, bathing and swimming are as much a part of their nature as breathing and eating. Despite this shared love for water, Silvers have a natural inclination to dwell in deep forests and with Elven kind, whereas the Black race prefers hot sand, bright sun and the company of their own kind or even solitude.

Both races are fastidiously clean in any form, two-legger or otherwise, they keep their dwellings equally clean and any dead and rotting thing is considered disgusting, an abhorrence.
One thing that is often found amusing by other races is the Black Dragons' intense love for sand bathing. A fresh strip of sand is entirely irresistible and can drive the Black in question to complete distraction. The actual process greatly resembles the behavior of a domestic canine after being bathed and set free outside. The dragon will wallow and wriggle about on its back and belly, grunting and growling the entire time and even scooting belly-down on the sand. Sand is generally flung sky-high and after this exfoliating delight, the freshly scrubbed Kin will seek out a lake for further bathing.

About Secondary Forms:

All Aerdon Dragons are bi-morphic, the second form being one chosen early in the dragon's life and will be a form that remains with them until death. For any additional forms, the dragon must use magic.

In the case of the Black Kin, an amulet called an Illinsaad is possessed by select individuals that snatches parts of a victim's soul and stores them in a limbo type state. This piece of life force can be tapped by the wearer of the amulet, the bearer can assume their form and have access to the memories of that soul's life. For more information, please read the post titled The Illinsaad Renor Sar'da, the Black Amulets of Death found here in Illuminatos d'Mythos.

Diet:
Silvers and Blacks are omnivorous, though they do lean closer to the carnivore side of things and have the teeth to prove it (see below); they can and will eat anything. Silvers tend to be more particular about their diet and have been called 'finicky' by the Black race.

Blood:

The blood of either race of Aerdonian dragons is heavy in its concentration of iron, and in order to prevent anemia, greens and meats high in iron are eaten at almost every meal.
If cut or wounded, the dragon will bleed a deep crimson, near black color, and their blood is generally painful to those of the Elven races that are allergic to iron. It has a sharp unmistakable tang to its scent and once exposed to oxygen, the blood will rapidly coagulate and if on a surface, will become a rust color and will stain rocks and other materials for years, sometimes permanently.

About Alcohol:

Aerdonian Dragons also become easily intoxicated on any form of alcohol. Their bodies have a very low tolerance to spirits due to a low level of the enzyme amylase, which enables a body to break the alcohol down before hitting the blood stream. Basically, after drinking wine, ale or any form of liquor, it goes straight to their blood and the resulting hangovers the morning after are vicious.

Body Mass and skeletal structure:

Dragons on Aerdon are built something like felines in that they have so much muscle covering their skeletons, every move is graceful and easy. Their weight can be measured in several tons, rather than pounds, something that is hard to get ones mind around until you see one. On first glance, one might assume they are slow and bulky, especially if a dragon is seen curled up sleeping or sitting on its haunches. That is a deadly mistake as they are unusually quick and many a prey has become dinner by making just that assumption.

Their skeletal structure is lightweight, their bones hollow to facilitate lighter weight for flight. Dragon bones, by necessity, are ultra-strong to support the dragons weight and if broken, mend quickly.

The ability to shift is done by compression of the body cells, a process that has yet to be explored by the scientific community. Obviously, not ALL of a dragon can be compressed into one two-legger body that weighs under 300 pounds on average, therefore, it is assumed that part of their body mass gets shifted on a quantum level into a void between dimensions.

Wings:

As mentioned above, the wingspan of an Aerdon Dragon is typically 1.5 times that the length of the body, str. The wings are evolved from a second set of arms/hands and resemble those of a Terran bat in their framework. The skin covering the framework is highly vascular, the blood vessels expand when the dragon is hot and contract when cold to aide in keeping the body temperate at a constant. Any cuts or scrapes to the dragon's wings will bleed profusely and cause a large amount of pain as the wings highly sensitive to touch and pain.

Teeth and jaws:

Aerdonian dragons have a unique dental structure. They have approximately 40 teeth, rather than human or elven races which have 32. As a predator and primarily a carnivore, the Aerdon dragons developed two extra canines and eye teeth on both rows of teeth. They also have teeth similar to those of a shark... when one gets knocked out, rots out or is worn down, a new one replaces it. This process is repeated throughout the life of the dragon.

The jaws of an Aerdonian Dragon are designed to dislocate. The ligaments in the jaw are fairly elastic and the actual hinge is designed to slip its position, giving the Dragon the ability to eat prey larger than its actual mouth. This can and does happen is the Dragon's secondary form, however, it is usually an accident and happens by the force of a second or even third party causing some trauma...i.e. shoving a large apple in the mouth of a certain Black's half-elven mouth. The process of slipping the joint back into place while in two-legger form is painful, and not something any dragon likes to do very often.

Eyes and Vision:
Both races of Aerdonian dragons have two sets of eyelids, one of which is transparent. These were developed over eons of evolution to protect the eye both during flight, and in the case of the Black dragon, while out in the open sands of which they are so fond The eye of an Aerdonian dragon possesses an additional structure called a tapetum - a reflective layer that lies under the retina and acts as a mirror, bouncing light back toward the retina a second time. It is the same optical structure that makes a mammal's eyes glow when light is shined directly into the eye. When enRaged, the physical reactions to the surge of chemicals in the dragon's body will cause the tapetum to reflect more light than usual, thus making the eye appear to glow phosphorescent. This structure will also glow under the light of a black light, theoretically making a dragon in two-legger form stand out in a crowd at a nightclub...so to speak.

Scales and Claws:

The Kin of Aerdon have full control over the 'shifting' of their scales, and can manipulate them to resemble fabric, armour and even blades when in secondary form. The scales can form smooth armour of various sizes and types. Weapons and garments can also be formed quickly and convincingly. A dragon's claws are usually black, regardless of race and are razor sharp. They are kept sheathed until needed and can be extended one at a time, or all at once.

Reproduction and Family life:

Dragons of either color mate for life, and soulbond with that mate. The chosen mate is referred to as the/a Randii, an honorific name that has the same meaning as 'wife' or 'husband'. There are only a few incidents of a dragon choosing to follow the customs of other races and actually be 'married'. Spoken vows before witnesses, in their eyes, are deemed frivolous and unnecessary when the souls are bound to one another. They are strictly monogamous and deeply passionate in their love.
While both races are incredibly intense in their lust, love and love-making, Blacks tend to lack control in their desires and often will have several sexual relations that are not intended to be more than one night stands.

Silvers are a bit more circumspect, but only a bit. You will find far more Silvers 'save' themselves for a chosen mate, or will have had only a handful of lovers in their lives before choosing a permanent mate.

Homosexuality is not frowned upon, however, the females of the species are more likely than males to enjoy the attentions of their own sex or for that matter, both sexes.

In the event there is a loss of a mate, the survivor will suffer Grieving Madness, which can and does drive many dragons into deep suicidal depression, if that stage is survived, then insanity and savage behavior sets in, and sooner or later, they will more often than not follow their loved one to the OtherWorld. The deeper and older the bond to the lost mate, the more severe the malaise becomes.

The exception to this is in the event there are young offspring involved. Usually, the surviving parent will linger on as the dragons are devoted parents and will not abandon young. This is a bittersweet effort on the parent's behalf, as it is more traumatic to the offspring than simply losing both parents. However, a close relative, perhaps an uncle, aunt or even a much older sibling can and will voluntarily take the young under their wing so to speak or even be asked to do so, thereby freeing the parent to either follow the lost mate or recover in due time.

Female dragons of either color also go through what is called the Irdan E'lan, to put it bluntly, heat. This occurs approximately every 9 to 10 years and lasts about a fortnight or until conception of a clutch. The female's feelings of need are completely out of control at this time in a her life, she exudes a pleasant scent akin to perfume that even off-world males will smell and become aroused in response to and this scent will grow stronger during actual act of intercourse. She will mate with the strongest male if she is not already involved in a relationship with a male. It is from this mating that most permanent relationships form, however, that is not to say most matings of this sort result in permanent bondings.

Generally, the initial flight at the beginning of this cycle ends up repeatedly being public, as it can and does strike out of the blue if a female has lost track of time and her 'season'. These flights are highly vocal, intense and completely uninhabited. Onlookers native to Aerdon generally cough and discretely turn their heads. Blacks will take bets and often cheer their comrades on. In the Black culture, wild drinking parties have been known to erupt, as are...other...group activities. This tradition has been somewhat curtailed in the Keep during recent years, however, visitor beware, it still happens from time to time.

Nudity in the Keep is expected and considered natural, especially during the heat of summer and not viewed necessarily as a sign of sexual readiness. Sex itself is viewed as a natural need, just like hunger or thirst, and should be taken care of immediately and not necessarily in private quarters, under the table or in a secluded alcove or bathing facility will be fine. Once again, visitor beware...just cough and discretely look the other way if you accidentally intrude...any attempt at shaming those involved will generally get one publicly ridiculed and/or humiliated.

A typical clutch consists of three to four eggs and the gestational period is approximately 12 months, Terran time. In the case of half-dragons or hybrids, such as Mira, the infants are born by live birth after the same gestational period. Infants, whether hatched or birthed, are born with a large amount of cartilage in their bodies, this prevents wing and spine deformities, wing claws and talons are soft and pliable for several weeks after birth. As with any live birthed child, the infant will 'drop' and assume a head-first position, its wings will wrap around the child and immediately after birth, it will appear much like a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis.
NOTE: NOT ALL cycles result in clutches, on the average only a handful of cycles result in successful fertilization over the course of a female's life.

Aerdonian young, when born to pure-breds, can and will eat anything that moves upon hatching, hybrid children will, except in rare cases, require breast or bottle for the first few months of their lives. Teeth come in quickly in hybrid children, and as they are sharper than Human or Elven children, there is little or no teething pain.

Age of Majority:

A full-blood dragon of either sex is not considered an adult until approximately 1000 years of life. In females, the first cycle may come between 600 and 800 years, however, they are still juveniles and not always prepared for the rigors of a mating flight, hence the tradition of the Right of Choice. Females are able to flatly refuse suitors, however, in Black society, often that choice is ignored and the suit pressed.
Silvers will celebrate this 1000 year marker in life with something of a formal party, Blacks with an all out, week long bash similar to human bachelor/bachelorette parties.
In the case of Hybrids, maturity is reached sooner or perhaps later, depending on the mix of blood. In example, Mira Blackthorn was considered barely an adult when she met Brandubh Badb Catha at the age of 730 or some odd years, Yarwin, despite being nearly as old as his sire, almost 9000 years old, has the maturity of a human in his early twenties.

Bonding:
The Kin of Aerdon are able to bond on a temporary level, however, this is exceedingly rare and is usually reserved only for prospective, permanent mates. A permanent Soul-Bonding is done easily by Aerdonian dragons and is accompanied by the living tattoos known as bond-marks, however, this is not done with just anyone as it is a permanent state and means the couple are to become monogamous. To bond with another gives access to the soul, to memories both joyful and shameful. There must be time and a deep trust between the two as technically, the dragon is allowing the one he or she bonds with to have access to everything.

Both races believe in a tamer or Liesanah'rah. This word remains the same, regardless of spoken in the Black or Silver tongue. By Aerdonian Dragon beliefs, there is one perfect mate for every Dragon. This is the Liesanah'rah, the dragon tamer, and this person by touch or word alone can calm full blown Rage. Many Kin live their lives and mate permanently and have not been fortunate enough to find this one person. The Madness after the loss of the Liesanah'rah is rarely survived, as the soul-bond to that person is deeper than it would be to any other.

Blood bonds:

Blood-bonds are common and are a show of fealty more than anything and are also accompanied by a living tattoo, a blood-mark. These type of bonds do not allow access the soul and are generally very shallow. These bonds are generally kept tightly closed, especially if the dragon in question is soul-bonded to another. It is considered inappropriate to share oneself in this manner once a mate is taken. The bond between Araxmarr, Yarwin, and the Black and Silver Guard is one type of blood-bond, however, the specifics of this bond are mentioned in a post specifically about it.

Speech and speaking:

Aerdonian dragons are capable of speaking mind-to-mind with any sentient creature, though the conversation may well be one-sided, should the creature in question not have the same ability. This is referred to as Speech, not to be confused with the Black Speech, the spoken language of the Black Dragons which is derived from early Drow and has evolved to the point it is almost unrecognizable as being Drow in origin.

Speech by means of vocal chords is easily accomplished, however, the depth of the tones is usually very low and gravelly and is often difficult for other races to understand. *Think Ents from LOTR here...or even deeper.* In two-legger form, the vocal chords obviously are smaller, therefore, the sound of the dragon's voice can range from pleasant soprano to husky alto in females, and warm tenors and deep baritones in males.

Rage and BattleRage:

All indigenous dragons, regardless of color, tend to slide into the Rage, although most Silvers rarely loose complete control unless intentionally, continually provoked. Simple Rage in itself is usually the result of a slight or insult, either real or imagined. It is different that regular anger in that the amounts of adrenaline released to the brain is far more considerable and has the side effect of deadening pain until the Rage is past. The dragon's body also floods the blood stream with oxygen, which has a similar effect of a human taking ephedrine or speed. Their bodies become charged with a nervous energy and can result in shakes as well as dry mouth. Their thoughts will block out anything but the focus of their Rage, giving the dragon a sense of tunnel vision.

BattleRage is slightly different in that this form of Rage is intentially channeled during legitimate battle with an opponent, as when fighting in an army, rather than just a bar-room brawl. The dragon has greater clarity of thought and greater control over their actions. Either form of Rage is hard to avoid and can be difficult to come out of until it runs it course. The Rage has the physical effect of causing the eyes to glow phosphorescently and highly elevates the body temperature as well as the blood pressure of the Dragon.

The Silvers vary slightly in their Rage from the Blacks in that they refer to the same process as The Storm. In Silvers, it can and does often cause the eyes to not only seem to glow, but also develop haze that resembles frost.

Magic:

Both races do practice magic, or more precisely, transmutation (molecular-alteration). However, the item or person to be enspelled must be touched. They cannot simply create something which is not, or enspell something they cannot touch. This magic can be used for healing, however, to use it in such a manner causes the dragon to tire quickly and if used too much, can completely exhaust it. It is this same ability that allows one of the Kin to heal wounds.

Breath Weapons and 'Gifts':

Black Specific - As mentioned above, both races of dragons possess breath weapons. For Black dragons only, the use of fire is a result of the dragon possessing a bladder-like organ called a firelung. This organ traps a combination of several gases, the main ingredient of which is Methane, a natural result of the digestive process, and compresses while storing it. The gas is released from a set of twin glands located under the tongue and is similar to that which enables a Terran cobra to spit venom. Once this gas mixes with oxygen, it ignites with horrendous effect. Careful control of how fast this mixture is expelled and how compressed it is results in the various levels and intensities of the produced flame.

The goddess of Flame, Brighid, has also gifted the Black Dragon race with the ability to cast fire from their hands when in two-legger form. This ability varies from dragon to dragon, some being more skilled with their aim than others, but all are able to control the intensity and manner of flame.

From Xraden, God of Chaos, comes the ability to mesmerize prey. The exact method is unknown, however, it has been speculated it was intended to cause fleeing prey to pause, if only for a precious moment, to enable a Black to capture its next meal. This ability has been perfected, expanded, and even abused by hunting Blacks when stalking Human or other two-legged prey for the purpose of entertainment.

Silver Specific - Oraex, the Stormbringer, god of storms, has gifted the Silver race with something similar to the Blacks’ Flame. Silvers, however, have two options, both in breath and 'gifts'. Any Silver is capable of either electrical discharge, lightning for all intents and purposes, or ice.

In the case of breath weapons, the electrical discharge is generated by an organ similar to that of Terra's electric eel, however, the force and voltage is so high, the Silver is able to 'cast' it seemingly as a breath weapon as well as allow it to flow over its body.

Frost or ice is cast from an organ similar to that of the Black's firelung. A specially designed bladder traps and retains a combination of several natural gasses, Nitrogen being the main ingredient, and compresses it to a near liquid state. It is expelled identically to the manner in which Black's breathe their fire, through 'pits' located under the tongue. Upon contact with oxygen, the near-liquid gases expand at such a rapid speed, the refrigerant literally freezes that which it comes in contact with. Careful control of how fast this mixture is expelled and how compressed it is results in the various levels and intensities of the produced ice/frost.

None of the above abilities are present in infants, toddlers or young children. This ability becomes apparent between the ages of 6 - 9 and often times is the accidental side-effect of a burst of Rage.

DragonSteele:

DragonSteele (adamantine) is developed from ore found in abundance only on Aerdon. Otherwise, this metal is most commonly found in meteors and other space debris. Any edged weapon formed of this metal will cut through an Aerdonian dragon's scales with ease. A wound to a dragon made by such a blade cannot be healed by the dragon itself through magical means, it must wait on nature or someone else to do the work. If bound in chains of DragonSteele, the dragon cannot use any magic, healing or otherwise and cannot shift, whether by amulet or natural means. DragonSteele also nullifies gifts of fire or lightening, a dragon's natural means of defense or attack.
NOTE: Adamantine is NOT the only metal that will penetrate dragon scale or kill a dragon. It is, however, the only metal which inflicts wounds a dragon cannot heal on its own and can create the only chains that nullify their abilities. The precise reason it has this effect on the dragon in question has yet to be worked out.

Creation Mythos:

Silver Dragons are descended from Dahmaea, goddess of law and justice, and Oraex, The Stormbringer...god of storms. Black Dragons are descended from Brigid, goddess of flame and Xraden, god of chaos. Both races were created by these gods working together on Terra. As time went by, these gods added their 'children' to Aerdon and are pleased with their evolution there.