Several species of dragon are found across the world, from deserts to mountains to swamps. They can fly thanks to sacs filled with gas that’s lighter than air. They keep pieces of quartz crystals, that produce a spark when under pressure, in their crops. (Fun fact: materials that produce a spark under pressure are piezoelectric.) They use these and the flammable gas in their bodies to breathe fire. Dragons are affected by the healing properties of the magic crystals, and the more pieces they swallow, the longer their lifespans can become.
Cockatrices
These are small, crow sized wyverns, a kind of dragon with two legs and two wings. They have long, feather-like scales on their necks, chest and wings that can change colours like a cuttlefish or a chameleon. They ruffle these scales to make flashes of colour, which ‘hypnotises’ their prey until they’re close enough to strike.
Cockatrices can be found in tropical and mangrove forests all over the world. They live in flocks of about thirty members. They will eat anything they can catch or find; insects, rodents, small birds, turtle eggs and so on. Cockatrices use tiny pieces of bone from their prey as a piezoelectric material to help them breathe fire.
Some humans see them as pests, but others see cockatrices as useful for hunting vermin. They poach the dragons and their eggs. For this reason, cockatrices tend to flee from humans or mob them if there’s only one. Many superstitions have arisen regarding these dragons – for example, sightings of them hunting led to rumours and myths that they turn their prey to stone, because their prey often freezes at the sight of their flashing scales.
Fire Agates
These are large dragons with four legs and two wings. They are greyish black with agate like patterns on their wings, which are joined to their bodies at the shoulder and hip, like a bat. They have a ridge of spines, a pair of horns which are longer on males, curved talons and a hooked snout like a hawk’s beak. They mainly use fire agates as firestones, hence their name. Over time, ingesting the fire agates turn their spines and claws orange.
Fire Agates typically live on dormant and extinct volcanoes. They live in flocks and breed either in mated pairs or in harems, depending on their social rank. They are territorial and will defend their islands fiercely from humans.
Their usual diet consists mainly of aquatic life, such as fish, crabs, shellfish, seabirds, turtles and the occasional dolphin or shark. However, they can and will eat land animals, or ‘prey-beasts’, if given the chance to hunt them.
They are either seen as dangerous beasts or as a source of wealth. Hunters target them for the valuable quartz crystals in their crops, for ‘dragon oil’ (made from rendered dragon fat) and for their fireproof hides. For this reason, Fire Agates see humans as strange, dangerous creatures and seek to avoid them as much as possible.
Tourmalions
They are stocky, with squarish muzzles like a big cat and large paws, as well as a mane of hair-like scales. The females are dull, tawny colours whilst the males’ manes are brightly in order to attract mates. The colour of their manes comes from them using tourmalines as firestones. Females use regular quartz crystals as firestones.
Tourmalions inhabit plateaus and mountain ranges. They live in clans consisting of several mated pairs and their offspring, which in turn is led by the oldest and wisest mated pair. Unlike Fire Agates, they are not hierarchical.
Their diet mainly consists of mountain goats, llamas and other herbivores. They are partial to bone marrow and will often drop their prey, dead or alive, from great heights to shatter the bones. They can’t eat aquatic prey.
Similar to Fire Agates, this species is often hunted for their crystals, oil and hide. Some Tourmalion hunters are hired by farmers who fear these dragons will prey on their livestock; however, such attempts are actually rare.
Culebre
Culebres are the largest and rarest of all dragons. Unlike other species of dragon, they are solitary, although they can tolerate the company of smaller dragons. They have brown scales in varying shades, and the males also have a pair of horns, which females lack. Their wings only attach at their shoulders like bird wings.
They are the cleverest species of dragon. Being solitary means they do not have to share the large numbers of healing crystals they hoard, which in turn let them live for centuries, gaining knowledge and wisdom. They are even capable of learning to understand human languages, although they lack the ability to speak in one.
It is thought that as adults, males will instinctively return to the place they hatched and establish that as their new territory. They then accumulate a hoard of firestones and other valuables. The females are nomadic. If one of them encounters an unrelated male, he will display his hoard to her. If she is impressed, they will mate.
She then finds a safe place elsewhere to lay and brood her egg. When the egg hatches, the female Culebre dries the hatchling with her flame before abandoning them to fend for themselves and continue her nomadism.
Culebres are formidable, and whilst they can be slain (albeit with great risk and a lot of cunning), typically the only things able to threaten them are others of their own kind, or a natural disaster of some sort. This gives them a sense of superiority over other creatures, including other species of dragon and especially over humans.
Whilst they would rarely attack another dragon, their attitudes towards humans range from amused tolerance to cruelty. Locals sometimes see these large, powerful dragons as akin to gods; beings to be worshipped and appeased at all costs. Scholars from all over the world are intrigued by their wisdom. The consensus of the Castilleon Empire is that these dragons are not worth the effort to fight or slay, and are best just left alone.
These dragons are known all over the world. They are seen as akin to a force of nature. The males are like mountains; large, dangerous and commanding respect, best to be admired at a distance and not aggravated. The females, on the rare occasions they cross paths with humans, are like hurricanes; they cannot be held back and will pass over soon enough, so it’s considered better to hunker down and wait for them to leave.