The Prime Nexus

Wyrm/Dragon Species

Though intellectually distinct, Wyrms and Dragons are the same species, and thus, share the same characteristics. However, there is a distinction between Greater and Lesser Wyrms/Dragons that results in varying characteristics. These species are able to interbreed, though, creating an even wider variance. The main difference between them is the location in which they live: Greater Wyrms are suited for the skies and floating islands, whereas Lesser Wyrms prefer the network of caves beneath Ybis' surface.

Greater Wyrms/Dragons

With massive wings, Greater Wyrms soar above the skies, inhabiting mostly the sky islands and sometimes tall mountains. Their wings connect all the way down their tail, resembling a kite, and they have four legs, with a long tail that ends in a variety of shapes, though typically a spade. To blend in with the sky or flora, their scales range from blue to red to white. Scale colour is known to mix minutely in dragon clutches, with some hatchlings getting their sire's scales, others their dam's and the remaining a mix of shades in between. With massive horns that spread out like antlers, they shed only the outer lining during Bhodist. Their eyes, unlike Lesser Wyrms, have vertically slitted pupils and are yellow, brown or entirely black; they do not glow in the dark.

Greater Wyrms breathe fire. There is a small organ in the back of their throat that catches against the fire elemental threads of the Cords, pulling them together to cast various fire spells. Wyrms manipulate their tongue to accomplish different spell shapes.

Lesser Wyrms/Dragons

Lacking the wings and bountiful skies of their sister species, Lesser Wyrms lurk in Ybis' extensive cave system, even as far as the Planetary Core (PRE). As such, Lesser Wyrms are speculated to be found in Kipara, and there is debate as to which they are native to, Kipara or Orīrī. Their bodies are long and slender, resembling that of a snake, but still having four legs. Their horns are always shorter and far closer to their head, as to not get caught on the cave walls. Lesser Wyrm scales are often shades of browns, purples, greens, greys and blacks, which blend into their cave homes, and their eyes are yellow, green or purple. Unlike Greater Wyrms, their eyes glow in the dark, with horizontal slit pupils. Their tail is typically a spiked sphere, resembling a club, which they can use as a blunt-force weapon. Though it is not uncommon for a Lesser Wyrm to have a spade or heart-shaped tail.

Unlike their Greater cousins, Lesser Wyrms breathe ice. It functions identically to a Greater Wyrm's breath weapon, except it draws upon the water elemental threads. Hybrid Lesser-Greater Wyrms can breathe both fire and ice, and, additionally, water.

Collective Characteristics

Despite their division into Greater and Lesser, all Wyrms share similar traits. They have four-legged bodies, long snouts, are covered in scales and have at least two horns on the top of their head. Lesser Wyrm horns are often smaller due to their confined environment; Greater Wyrm horns are larger and more magnificent. All Wyrms shed their horns and the thin layer of skin on top of their scales. Horns are shed once every Bhodist and regrow during Darkhelm and Sored. They are at their full length at Sunrich during the mating season.

These majestic beings have two rows of sharp teeth and a slender, forked tongue. If one can get them to bleed, they bleed golden blood. Some scientists speculate that this is caused by radiation, others that this is a natural phenomenon. Opinions are largely hinged upon the same scientist's verdict on the Hiro.

Similar to ants, wyrms have pheromone-based hivemind networks. Though these seem to imprint on hatchlings at a young age, developing a strong bond that is strengthened by the female wyrm remaining in the hive during her first estrus (a female who wishes to remain in the hive spends her first estrus in the companionship of a close female friend, as opposed to leaving to find a male). This imprint will bring them back in the years to come—as well as their lair within the hive—after subsequent mating seasons, bringing with them their hatchlings. Hiveminds are generally a mundane aspect of wyrms and dragons, with both able to produce and detect pheromones. They are used to control social order for the hive and ensure food supplies; wyrms go out to hunt and bring back extra for the den-mother (typically a dragon) living at the centre of the hive. If they fail to do so, the pheromones ensure the wyrm is complacent and accepts her own life as forfeit. She is eaten by the den-mother, or at least part of her is; unless it is Darkhelm or Sored, the den-mother does not typically eat the whole wyrm and takes a leg, typically. Leaving her maimed but still able to hunt. Hatchlings are not an acceptable replacement for the lack of hunting. If a female with hatchlings is eaten, her hatchlings become the responsibility of the den-mother herself, and the den-mother must divide her tribute amongst them. Such rules are in place to prevent den-mothers from targeting fertile female wyrms. On the other hand, male wyrms do not have the same pheromone receptors, as they are not part of hives. Though they are still susceptible to a female wyrm's pheromones, which is what keeps them especially docile during mating season, whilst the eggs are being incubated. Male wyrms and dragons cannot produce pheromones.

All dragons have finger-like toes that are extremely dexterous, on both sets of feet.

Social Hierarchies and Mating Behaviours

Wyrms

Outside of mating season, female and male wyrms do not nest together. While during Sunrich and Bereat, the female (or several females) will share a nest with a male, which he constructed, outside of such the female lives in a hive. The main difference between the sexes is that females are social creatures and males are solitary creatures. If two males encounter each other, they clash violently, but if two females encounter each other, they are more likely to be friendly. A female and a male encountering each other outside of mating season results in a bloody battle, perpetrated by the female. Especially if he is close to her hive.

As stated previously, female wyrms are social creatures and live in hives. These hives are made up of at least a dozen female wyrms in massive lairs. Greater Wyrm females construct extensions on the exterior of their hives, especially if they're built into cliff-faces or sky islands. These extensions resemble bird nests, made of mud, plant matter and clay, and serve to create temporary, small lairs for hatchlings. It is important for hatchlings to have their own space and gain independence because males must leave the hive when they reach adulthood. Female hatchlings are allowed to stay, but often they leave together in flocks to establish their own hives due to a lack of space. The largest hive ever recorded had nearly three-hundred wyrms and was discovered underground in Eanodura. Within these hives, each wyrm has her own lair and her own horde. Curiously, females steal from each other's hordes with little to no consequences and often replace the item (with the original or a new item) after a brief period of time. Their lairs have antechambers to rear hatchlings in post-mating season, and all hives have communal spaces. Female wyrms sleep together more frequently in communal hordes, which are often constructed out of pillows, blankets, tapestries and other fabrics sometimes collected from nearby places, but not always. It is more common for female wyrms to make their own communal horde materials, and there is an extensive history of wyrms weaving, sewing, knitting and crocheting, which is in stark contrast to the assumption that wyrms are strictly animalistic.

In addition to creation, wyrms have also been observed communicating in verbal and non-verbal language. Though no writing systems have been found. It is possible that all wyrms are capable of such behaviours, but only females have been observed doing them, as males are too solitary to exhibit them.

Males live alone, typically within the same lair for their entire lives, which usually end by another male ousting them and claiming the lair as their own. These lairs are where male wyrms construct their nests. A bachelor nest is full of anything the male covets, typically shiny objects, but this can range from plants to books to sand. A mating nest is made of the softest objects a male can find, and it is usually constructed in a secluded ante-chamber deep enough within the lair that it is protected from unwanted intruders.

The coupling will incubate their eggs together until the end of Sunrich, at which point the eggs will hatch. Then it is up to both of them to take turns watching the hatchlings and hunting for them, until they are strong enough to fly. In this way, wyrms resemble birds, except they do not regurgitate food for their babies. When the hatchlings can fly, the female takes them back to her hive. Males, on occasion, will challenge the female for parentage, but females are larger and stronger than males, and this is more seen as a suicidal practice, contributing even further to the lack of dragons.

To the fascination of scholars, wyrms display "backward" gender-based behavioural characteristics. Male wyrms are timid, shy and build elaborate nests to attract a female partner. Female wyrms are brash, brutal and violent, as if testing their potential mate's strength. 1 in 12 male wyrms suffer fatal injuries during mating season as a result. These behaviours persist outside of mating season.

Wyrm mating season is during Sunrich and Bereat, though a female Wyrm's heat only occurs during Sunrich. The remaining weeks are dedicated to incubating eggs and raising hatchlings until they are able to fly and return with the female to her hive. Males do not maintain parental status of wyrm hatchlings, except in extreme cases where the female and her entire hive are deceased. Female Wyrms enter estrus for three weeks, even while pregnant, as wyrms have three uteruses, enabling them to carry three clutches at a time. If two or three are fertilized, one will wait until the first has laid its eggs before developing its own clutch. Wyrms lay 3-9 eggs per clutch on average, though it is rare for more than 3 to be viable.

Dragons

Unlike wyrms, dragons do not have a mating season. Though they are still fertile, they no longer have a biological need that drives them to procreate. If they elect to do so, it is on their own terms. Most dragons, both male and female, live in three types of lairs: solitary, communal, colonies.

Solitary lairs resemble those of male wyrms, who live alone and do not entertain nest-mates. Typically, solitary lairs are made by male dragons near communal lairs with female dragons, or even colonies the male wishes to join. (Note: there are instances of same-sex solitary lair courting, most commonly displayed amongst female-female same-sex pairings, where a female will construct her nest close to a communal nest to impress a potential female partner.) These lairs are elaborately constructed, meant to impress their potential partner, either to encourage them to leave their lair and join the new one, or ask the solitary dragon to move into their lair with their horde. Dragons are perceived as most compatible with each other if they have similar horde interests, such as collecting relics from the same historical era & culture. However, this is not always the case, as there are instances of solitary lairs constructed by dragons who wish to be left alone, rather than seek the presence of other dragons. Most often, solitary nests are done for courtship, but not always.

Communal lairs are similar to female wyrms, except they lack the same pheromone-controlled hiveminds associated with den-mothers; instead, they have a collective social system that resembles multiple dragons living solitarily together, rather than a hive. They can be mixed-sex, or strictly female or male. These lairs have weak interpersonal bonds and are typically a transitional period between female wyrm hives and colonies. Over time, the communal lair becomes a colony as more dragons move in and deep bonds form between the residents.

Finally, colonies are a mix of male and female dragons living together in a web of romantic, platonic and familial bonds (though familial refers to pseudo-family, not biological family). When the people of Ybis speak of dragons, this is the most common depiction. Akin to female wyrm hives, colonies are massive and appear to function off of a hivemind, except they have an oligarchical government that determines what is best for the colony and ensures all needs are met. Hunting, scavenging and all resources are communal, except for hordes, which are deeply respected. One is not permitted to mess with another's horde without facing dire consequences, such as wing clipping (which grounds the greater dragon until the wing heals), losing a finger or whole hand, and even tongue severing (which completely prevents the dragon from using their breath weapon). These punishments are also applied to any instance of rule violation; dragons are not forgiving. There are even instances of cannibalism if a dragon is perceived as too much of a threat, but never over lack of hunting skills, always over "criminal" behaviour. Dragon colonies can have up to a hundred citizens, and as such, the rules are incredibly strict, as that many large, powerful dragons living together without rigid guidance is a powder keg waiting to blow.

Hoarding

As mentioned previously, bachelor males often horde whatever catches their fancy. This is true for all wyrms and dragons. In their youngest stages, wyrms collect anything nearby that occurs frequently; if they live near ruins, they have all the statues or artifacts they can find; if they live on mountains, they have all the goats and flowers (it is curious to note that wyrms don't simply devour their animal hordes, at least not in abundance, and instead express farming behaviours). As they grow older, the wyrm's tastes become focused on a specific thing, like paintings from a singular artistic period or artist. Even as a dragon, this specific interest continues, and their hordes only become more elaborate. Though dragons notably exhibit trading behaviours, going as far as to collect items they know another dragon enjoys to swap them for a piece of that dragon's horde that they wish to add to their own.

Dragons are fiercely protective of their horde, growing greedier and greedier with age. A young dragon is far more likely to part with a piece than an old dragon. This is a major problem for historians, as dragons love to hoard the most random objects that, over time, become historical relics and sometimes even the only remaining ones. Dragons are not keen on giving these away, or even letting historians near them. Young historians entering esoteric fields are encouraged to befriend local dragons (if they're brave enough) in case this is required in the future; there are even guidebooks written throughout the ages on how to accomplish such a task.

Aging

Until the age of 1,000, they are considered Wyrms. Past the age of 1,000, they are Dragons. As previously discussed, there is an inherent distinction of intelligence between Wyrms and Dragons—such distinction is largely perpetuated by Dragons themselves, who see Wyrms as children or lesser beings... some Dragons take this belief quite far, becoming Den-mothers, whilst others elect to steer quite clear of Wyrms to avoid contact altogether. Whatever the case, it is undeniable that neither Wyrms nor Dragons wish to deal with young Wyrms, fresh out of the nest. Once they are no longer hatchlings, wyrms are left to fend for themselves, and the sudden disorientation of coddling to abandonment causes extreme aggression, attachment issues and territorial instincts to flare wildly. As a result, young Wyrms earn their ilk's bad reputation: the vast majority of rumours about Wyrms and Dragons pillaging the countryside are about young Wyrms on rampages.

t -> overgrown sword with a shut eye to represent the eras of the Prime Nexus. The eye references the various eye-motifs I incorporate in my work. The sword represents the harsh past of Ybis' many continents, whilst the overgrowth shows how on the backs of it, a new world blooms

a -> perpetuating intestinal motif that can be found throughout my work. symbolical of the themes of body and soul dualism I explore in the actual worldbuilding.

p -> a stylistic representation of Ybis at the top of the p, and Ybis' three, technically 4 moons (one is a moon moon)

i -> a hand reaching toward the sun; this one is more obscure. the terraforming infrastructure abandoned across Ybis, left by the Cord, has a frequent hand theme (semi "the hand of God" reference). It reaches toward the sun, as if reaching toward greatness; the sun's three blobs reference the three suns that Ybis orbits

e s -> the lesser and greater wyrms of Ybis. I just like dragons, and felt any illustrated signature without them would not fully represent me.

t -> a star, because I enjoy drawing stars in everything; referencing my love of sci-fi and also just for fun.

r -> rather simple, it is in the shape of a tiack, a biological magic detector, which are seen on both the Qate/Im'uth and the Hiro/Mos species.