Dracones Mundi

The dragons of Ymsath are widely revered as beings in direct contact with the gods, born from the first embers of Arjakh’s fire. As creatures that emerged from this ever-shifting primordial fire, they are seen as kin to all beasts, humans and gods. Scholars of the First Faith have deemed draconic souls to be the most sensitive to inputs from the Great Star of Arjakh, holding greater potential of harnessing it and extending its powers to other beings. The most common and sought after side effect of following a dragon would be a prolonged lifespan, though the vast majority of dragons have a negligible ability to aid humans in pursuit of eternal life. Dragons play a key role in Ymsath’s histories, and while being far less numerous than humans themselves, they have often had a greater say in the world’s disputes ever since the first conversation between a dragon and a human took place.

Ymsath’s dragons have four legs and a pair of wings capable of flight. The majority of their bodies are covered in feathers, typically excluding lower front and hind legs, wing membranes and snouts. Their feet all have five digits, with their front feet being nearly identical in build to human hands. They’re typically of a lean build with a deep chest, long muscular maned necks and tufted tails. Dragon heads are similar to equines in appearance, with prehensile lips and a set of long whiskers. Dragons usually have one pair of horns, though two or more pairs may be present in larger individuals. The colors and patterns of their plumage are highly individual and do not change once a dragon has come into adulthood. Their life expectancy varies, usually from 70-90 years, though great dragons may live up to two centuries. They are omnivorous and able to consume a very wide variety of foods depending on their habitat and individual preference.

As dragons are integral to many of Ymsath's myths, consumption of their body parts is often believed to offer higher insight or grant supernatural capabilities. Consuming dragon meat and blood is custom in some regions, making dragons in those parts of the world at risk of being hunted and killed. Their feathers can be used as insulation in clothing, and their hair can be woven into fabric. As they periodically shed feathers and their hair can easily regrow, dragons on good terms with humans may consent to let those be turned into crafting materials. In medicine, draconic saliva is often used as it behaves similar to opioids when ingested by humans.

As beings of equal sentience to humans, each dragon is its own individual with a complex personality, habits, ambitions and desires. Along communicating with one another with a wide array of vocalisations and body language, dragons are also capable of telepathic communication, enabled through physical touch. As telepathy enables a deep insight into an individual's psyche, dragons are very guarded around touching one another before their bond is strong enough. Even though most dragons instinctually know how to guard themselves against accidentally bleeding their thoughts into each another, complete protection is never guaranteed. Telepathy could be described as a „mind melt”, and when two individuals are engaged in such communication, differentiating their own thoughts from the other's may be very difficult, if nigh impossible. With enough subtlety and cunning, a more well-versed conversationalist can impose their own thoughts and ideas into an another dragon (or humans, which are extremely susceptible to this), and have them believe that foreign ideas are their own. In pairs or groups of dragons who spend a lot of time with one another communicating telepathically, their thought patterns will gradually morph over time, achieveing somewhat of a blended, unique personality shared between two or more beings. Unwarranted touch is a grave insult in draconic culture, and while most dragons tend to flee from uncomfortable situations, being touched without permission is the fastest way to provoke them into aggression.

Stranger dragons will initiate friendships with one another starting with a gifting process, with the dragon who first initiates leaving food items or other found or crafted objects at the other's residence. If the recipient reciprocates, the dragons will meet in person. A draconic friendship may go for months, or even years without ever establishing a telepathic bond. Dragons are often very selective of their friends, and generally take a while to consider someone trustworthy. Bonds with their friends are constantly affirmed through time spent together, hunting together, mutual grooming and play, often manifesting in flight through complex aerial maneuvers. Aerial coreographies and dance may also be used in courting rituals.

Throughout Ymsath, many dragons live alongside humans in integrated societies, and in such circumstances, a dragon raised near humans will typically be more extroverted. For ease of expression and clarity, dragons who often deal with humans will have a dedicated human translator who is specifically trained to read and interpret draconic thought patterns.

Three categories of dragons are recognized on Ymsath – drakes, lesser dragons (dragon-beasts) and great dragons.

Drakes are the smallest members that fall under the draconic umbrella, with wings suited for short bursts of flight typically used to evade danger or to perch on higher ground. Drakes are never taller than 1 m (~3'3'') at the withers, with the vast majority being roughly 50 cm (~20'') tall. Of all dragons, drakes are the most social, often living in groups of 5-10 individuals. Usually to establish the safety of their group, drakes will gravitate towards living in the territory of a greater dragon, in exchange doing a part of the hunting on the greater dragon's behalf if it accepts them. If near human settlements, some drake groups may try to take a human for their host, and if an individual isn't familiar with the draconic gifting custom, they may inadvertently invite the group to stay with them. If treated well, drakes are typically very reverent of their hosts, are eager to anticipate their needs and to defend their territory in their absence.

Lesser dragons, sometimes called dragon-beasts, are much more keen on a solitary life, able to swiftly put leagues between themselves and any danger due to their ability to fly long distances. A dragon-beast's soul will not be able to passively influence others in the same way as a great dragon's would, and only the very few potential humans who bond with it could actually live a little longer. As such, dragon-beasts can enjoy a freedom of a lack of large followings, cults, or threats from great dragons. Lesser dragons who live among humans may take a lancer in times of war to deter other dragons from attacking. Dragon-beasts usually range from 1,5 m (~4'11'') and 3 m (~9'11'') tall at the withers.

Great dragons of Ymsath are identified by their large size, but more notably, their ability to breathe fire. Due to their power and reputation, human followers often gather around these great dragons in hopes that being under their wing will extend their life, grant protection and bring them closer to divinity. A great dragon with a sizeable cult will typically be called a dragon-lord. While their followers enjoy the boon of their innate powers in life, the great dragon's death will gravely affect their followers. Sudden severance from years of feeding off of the dragon's soul will cause humans to succumb to sudden illness and death, what is known on Ymsath as the dragon's curse. On its own, each living soul in the New Cosmos generates its own lifeforce that sustains their corporeal form, but when bonding with a soul of greater strength than theirs (such as that of a great dragon), it stops producing its own lifeforce and begins to leech it from their stronger partner. When severed from them, the organ of the soul within the body cannot work properly in its atrophied state due to years of being sustained externally. While some dragon-lords choose to take their followers with them into death, those who remain will often seek out a new draconic patron to sustain them. Some great dragons are more accepting of followers, revelling in the awe and the worship they inspire, and others want nothing to do with humans pestering them. Likewise, the formation of such cults is accepted and commonplace in some regions in the world, while in others it is taboo, given that once a human follows a dragon, it's unlikely they will ever be able to part from their influence.