Dragons 101

Anyone intreested in Dragons 101 comming back?

Koko, great to see you. Hope you make this means you'll be a regular here. Sure would love to see the teaching threads again.

Peace & (((hugs)))
Cori

sorry Koko,
i missed this post til Cori told me about it. I will start a thread for it. And then I will move these posts to it.

How about "Lady Koko's Dragons 101" ?
or you can post in the "Unicorns, Dragons and other things?"

ReddpaW wrote:: sorry Koko,
i missed this post til Cori told me about it. I will start a thread for it. And then I will move these posts to it.

How about "Lady Koko's Dragons 101" ?
or you can post in the "Unicorns, Dragons and other things?"

Brother any where will be fine as long as everyone wants it back.

Number of posts : 75 Age : 63 Registration date : 2008-11-24

count me in!!

would love to see dragons and such around these halls!!

huggs goldie

Count me in!
Love learning, and especially about dragons!

This topic was moved from the RPG board to better facilitate learning. ")

Welcome back Koko!

We missed you.

My apologies Koko, I misunderstood your post. DUH.

Number of posts : 995 Registration date : 2008-11-16

Introduction to Dragons
Everybody knows what a dragon is: an enormous, fierce, bloodthirsty creature appearing in fairy tales and legends as an accessory whose main function is to set off the bravery of knight challenging him. The dragon is an obscure, mysterious character, described in broad terms, and is little more than foil to enhance the hero's valor. Dragon is a legendary beast in the folklore of many European and Asian cultures.

describe dragons as large, lizardlike creatures that breathe fire and have a long, scaly tail. In Europe, dragons are traditionally portrayed as ferocious beasts that represent the evils fought by human beings. But in Asia, especially in China and Japan, the animals are generally considered friendly creatures that ensure good luck and wealth.

According to some medieval legends, dragons lived in wild, remote regions of the world. The dragons guarded treasures in their dens, and a person who killed one supposedly gained its wealth. The English epic hero Beowulf died in a fight with a treasure-guarding dragon.

In China, the traditional New Year's Day parade includes a group of people who wind through the street wearing a large dragon costume. The dragon's image, according to an ancient Chinese belief, prevents evil spirits from spoiling the new year. Another traditional Chinese belief is that certain dragons have the power to control the rainfall needed for each year's harvest.

However the dragon is something else. He is admirable, intelligent and educated creature, who leads a most interesting life. He has some fascinating characteristics in addition to those occasional glimpses we are given through fairy tail and legends.

In the world of fantastic animals, the dragon is unique. No other creature has appeared in such a rich variety of forms. It is as though there was once a whole family of different dragon species that really existed, before they mysteriously became extinct. Indeed, as recently as the seventeenth century, scholars wrote of dragons as though they were scientific facts, their anatomy and natural history being recorded in painstaking detail.

The naturalist Edward Topsell, for instance, writing in 1608, considered them to be reptilian and closely related to serpents: "There are divers sorts of dragons, distinguished partly by countries, partly by their quantity and magnitude, and partly by the different form of their external parts." Personifications of malevolence of beneficence, paganism or purity, death and devastation, life and fertility, good or evil. All these varied, contradictory concepts are embodied and embedded within that single magical word.

The dragon has always been slandered and misjudged, persecuted and hounded by man, simply because they are different. Like so many other living beings, he has experienced death and persecution in the name of so-called superiority of civilized man.

Perhaps, in the future, man will learn with the death of a single animal or plant species an irreplaceable asset - something more precious than all the wealth in the world - is lost. Only then will the Earth continue to be a brilliant blue jewel in the universe, for in its heart will be locked the priceless treasure of the diversity of the species, and man will have recognized his duty to cherish every single one.
Our dragon populations have declined considerably in recent years. Not only have dragons been excluded from all neighbourhoods and driven out of most states, but they are hated almost everywhere. This is usually due to the prejudice of humans, because of a dragons appearance and culture.

This does not mean to say that no-one is willing to join the fight for dragons rights. Recently there has been evidence of an increasing public tolerance of dragons. People are releasing the importance of dragons in the preservation of world-wide ecosystems and the protection of our faunal diversity represented my these magickal beasts.

I hope that the information disclosed in the following pages will prove enlightening for even the most skeptical, or help dedicated dragon-lovers learn a little more about their friends, the dragons.
Although dragons have little reason to believe in us, the least we can do is believe in them.

Dragons are one of the greatest of the otherworldly creatures. Although many people think they live only in books and myths, but in the spirit realm they are very real. There are many different kinds of dragons including Green, Blue, SIlver, Gold, Platinum, Red, and others. Dragons can also come to the physical world in the form of vast fields of energies, aparitions, and in some rare cases they even mundane creatures.

Not only are there different kinds of dragons, but there are dragon-like creatures. They include but are not limited to Draconcats, Dracondogs, and other dragon related creatures. Although these creatures technically aren't dragons, they are the closest related creatures and sometimes even pack together with them.
If you happen to sense a large energy field, chances are its a dragon. They are attracted by people with compadible virtues such as honor, sincerity, and courage. T
hey also like people who are very interested and dedicated to dragons. There are even people who practice Dragon Magick, which is its own diefied religion. Try talking to them if you sense them. If you can't speak out loud then try doing it to somewhat of an effect of telepathy. Although it takes practice to contact other people with telepathy, otherworldy creatures can be contacted with much ease.

The Jabberwocky
By Lewis Carroll

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
"Beware the Jabberwocky, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought-
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwocky, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!" He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogroves,
And
the mome raths outgrabe.

Dragon Child
By the Dragonlady

First an egg, helpless and small.
Then, a hatchling, dependent and lovely.
As it grows, it learns how to feed.
Its wings grow large and wide.
It takes to the skies in flight.
A true Dragon now,
A child no longer.

A Dragon’s Life, A Dragon’s Blessing
Freedom
The wind, the sky
The moon, the stars
Have you and the wind been one?
Have you flown high in the sky?
Have you landed to the moon?
Have you been to the North Star?
I have

Treasure
They sparkle, they wait
They live, they love
Do they catch your eye and sparkle?
Do they wait on shelves to be read?
Do you watch them live, grow, and die?
Do you love them with all your heart?
I do

Power
In body, in heart
In control, in emotion
Feel your body’s muscles, and its roar.
Feel your heart beat as you soar and dive.
Feel the control to work the magic.
Feel the emotion, love and anger.
I feel

Strength
From family, from friends
From courage, from loyalty
Will you be there when your family calls?
Will you say to your friends, “I got your back”?
Will you stand on courage against all odds?
Will you be loyal when others will not?
I will

~ April Morehouse

Number of posts : 995 Registration date : 2008-11-16

The Chinese Zodiac

THE DRAGON

Dragon people are balls of fire! They are full of vitality and love of life. Always on the run, they drag their faithful band of admirers behind them. Dragons are egotistical, eccentric, demanding, and giving.

They are proud, direct, and loaded with high ideals which they always try to live up to. Having a zeal for life, they want to live it on a grand scale. They have the potential for accomplishing many great things as long as they don't get too far ahead of themselves. When dragons do something, good or bad, you can be certain their deeds do not go unnoticed! Dragons are always making the news.

It is next to impossible to win an argument with Dragon people.They intimidate anyone who challenges them. Once you arouse their anger, they keep after you for a very long time. Dragons are extremely loyal to friends and family. When really needed they always come to the rescue. They are the first ones to say "I told you so". In spite of being overly emotional, a Dragon is not sentimental or even romantic. They will just take it for granted that everyone loves them. Although they are stubborn and irrational, they are not petty or begrudging with their favors. It is hard for them to hide their feelings. They don't even try.

Not being secretive themselves, they can't be expected to keep a confidence for long; but Dragons speak from the heart and are always sincere. Their manners may seem brusque and too direct, but they merely want to get things moving. Being creatures of action, they motivate others, too. They often get into rushes and fail to see the flaws in a situation.Instead of diving in, Dragons need to learn to check things out better. Dragons need purpose in their lives, causes to fight for, and goals to reach. An uninvolved Dragon is a sad sight indeed.

Dragons consider themselves very strong. They will often bite off more than they can chew. When this happens, they are too proud to ask for help and exhaust themselves. Dragons can do many things well. They may be artists, politicians, doctors, or ministers. When Dragons choose the right profession, they will be successful and devoted. They just can't help winning!

In romance, Dragons are seldom the losers and are usually the ones breaking hearts. Dragons don't marry too young, and many are content and happier living alone. Dragons will always have more than their share of friends and admirers to keep them company. Dragons are really softies and fall apart if they lose their supporters. They dazzle as long as there is someone who believes in them.

Western Dragon

When people hear the term dragon, they usually think of the western dragon. The western dragon is usually a large reptilian beast with bat wings and four legs. Commonly, there are two hind legs and two fore legs, and, while the dragon may walk on all four of them, the dragon can also sit back on the haunches and use its fore legs.

These dragons also tend to be highly decorated. Their crocodile-shaped heads (also referred to as Wedge-shaped) usually have horns on them or elaborate ears. They may also have spines down their back, and have thick, rudder-tails.

Most people picture western dragons as particularly cruel creatures that horde gold and torture small towns. For the most part, older stories told of dragons are fire-breathers, but some Acid-spitters as well as Ice-breathers have now been appearing. Usually, their abilities are reflected in their scales.

While some cultures felt pain towards dragons, others believed that they were superior beings that would bring gifts to you if you managed to slay one. For instance, some say that if you eat a heart of a dragon, you will understand the birds. Other things include rubbing dragon's blood against the skin, which supposedly protected you from stab wounds, and eating a dragons tongue, which allocated you the power to win any fight of words.

Viking used to have dragons along the sides of their boats, and there are many English crests and coat of arms that feature dragons upon them. Today, their symbol is still strong. The Welsh flag has a red dragon on it.

Eastern Dragon

Unlike their abhorred counterpart the Western dragon, the Eastern dragons were respected among those of the East. They are made up of several different species, and each species contributes a piece of the dragon. Furthermore, the dragon is a symbol of balance, as the dragon had a total number of one hundred and seventeen scales, with a specific balance of yin and yang scales.

Eastern dragons are also one of the twelve zodiacs, and many people hope to have their children in the Year of the Dragon. The dragons, however, tend to be bossy. Other than that, they have wonderful leadership skills as well as a good deal of luck and charisma.

Also associated to weather and nature, many people asked these dragons for rain during the drier months. They also pleaded for good weather. When ever there was a bad occurrence in the weather or in crops, people were sure man was doing something wrong to the dragons.

Eastern dragons vary in slight ways from Japanese, Chinese, to Korean. This is based primarily on their toes, but there are a few extra difference about them. Japanese dragons have three toes while Chinese dragons have five toes. Korean dragons have four toes.

A pseudodragon has a body about 1 foot long, with a 2-foot tail. It weights about 7 pounds.
A pseudodragon can locate creatures within 60 feet by nonvisual means (mostly hearing and scent, but also by noticing vibration and other environmental clues).

They are small winged reptile like creatures from an unknown world that look like miniature dragons. They have a slightly more solid build than full sized dragons and they can be Blue, Grey, Green, or White in color.

Even though they have a life span of 400 years, they mature in about two years. As many types of dragons can take a humanoid stance so can pseudo dragons and their forward feet can be used as hands with 60% of the ability of human hand.

The creatures is Sentient and have a spoken language that can be understood with enough listening but cannot be spoken by a person. This language is instinctively know by all members of the species. They also can understand after some listening, most other creatures tongues although they do not have the vocals to speak those languages either. They are quite adept at learning human body language.

They form mated pairs and that pair will normally work with one or two other mated pairs. This complex bonding often means that when not with their species, they will form emotional bonds with humans and other races and remain very loyal to them. This is also why they are most commonly Scrupulous, Unprincipled, or Anarchist because they tend to look out for others in their group.

They are high energy omnivores and as such they eat large amounts of food and if not watched carefully they will eat huge amounts of their friends food supplies. In their native environment, there are hunting creatures that use Psionics to freeze their prey.

Dragons 101 37878

Faerie /Fae Dragon

Faerie dragons are thought to be among the smallest of all dragons. Many people believe that they are related to butterflies, as they usually have butterfly-shaped wings. Most of the faerie dragons consort with the faeries, and they seldom to never eat meat.

They are also considered to have many bug-like qualities with them. They are often depicted with antennas, for instance. Also, most people see them as mini-Western style dragons. However, there has been an occasion when a wyvern type faerie dragon has appeared.

A chaotic offshoot of the pseudodragon, the faerie dragon makes its home amidst the tangled forests of the world.

Faerie dragons are about one foot long and resemble miniature dragons with thin bodies, long, prehensile tails, gossamer butterfly wings, and huge smiles. Their colors range through the spectrum, changing as they age, from the red of a hatchling to the black of a great wyrm. The hides of females have a golden tinge that sparkles in the sunlight; males have a silver tinge. A faerie dragon can grow to three feet long.

THE SKELETON
The Western dragon Eudraco magnificus occidentalis has a sturdy skeleton structure. Large head, long neck, broad shoulders, thick legs, strong tail, and very large wings. The dragon's bones are very strong, but hollow and light. A dragon's jaw is large to accommodate the very strong muscles around it. The dragon is able to dislocate its jaw, as some snakes are able to do, to grab large objects. The dragon has two types of teeth because of it being an omnivore (It will eat meat and plant food). The canine and incisor teeth of a dragon are long and razor sharp, but also have molars to chew their food instead of eating it whole. The shoulder bones are thick to handle the large wing muscles needed to fly. The wing "finger" bones are very long to wrap the thin flight membrane taut around them. There are many species of Western dragon, and this is only one example showing the different bones of the skeletal system.
Take a look at the Western Dragon Skeleton System by clicking on the picture below!

Dragons 101 Finalskeleton

The Oriental (or Eastern) dragon Dracoserpens Lung orientalis has a extremely long, thin skeleton structure. It has a medium sized head, very long neck, short legs, small hips, and a long tail. This skeleton is very maneuverable because of the shape, such as a long snake is. It can twist and turn its body in all sorts of ways. This type of dragon does not have hollow bones, and the dragon's skeleton is thin because it doesn't need the mass to accommodate flight muscles. This dragon does not have any type of wings as it flies with earth-magic verses brute strength.
Take a look at the Eastern Dragon Skeleton System by clicking on the picture below!

Dragons 101 Skeleas2

MUSCLES
Western dragons have many more muscles then their Eastern cousins. This is mainly due to their massive flight muscles that have to lift their weight into the sky with the thrust of their wings. The main wing muscles are the Supraspinatus and Flexor alae major. Notice that the actual wing does not have many major muscles, it is all near the chest area. Other large muscles account for a very strong tail, and rear legs. The Western dragon could easily hold a human male's weight while in flight. Also notice the large jaw muscle Masseter, this muscle can easily crush bones.
Take a look at the Western Dragon Musculature System by clicking on the picture below!

Dragons 101 Finalmusc

OUTSIDE OF THE BODY
The dragon can be a huge creature depending on the breed. The one shown here is roughly 20 feet long with a wingspan of 35 feet. This type of dragon has extremely small ears, large eyes, spines down its back, and a bone-type spade at the end of its tail. All dragon breeds are different. Some have long ears, and no spade, and some have a fleshy-type triangle-shaped spade. This type of dragon also does not have scales, it has tough leathery skin. Most dragons have scales of some sort.
Take a look at the Western Dragon Body by clicking on the picture below!

Dragons 101 Finalskin

SCALES
Scales (and horns/claws) on a dragon are densely packed cells made up of keratin, a tough fibrous protein. When born, a dragon's scales are as soft as tissue paper, and slowly harden while the dragon grows. The iron from the blood, or vegetable matter the dragon eats is absorbed by the dragon's blood stream and mixed with the keratin to create steel-hard scales. The process of getting scales as tough as they can get takes about one year after being hatched.

COLOR
Scale color is determand by the genes of the parent dragons. Usually only red dragons will mate with other red dragons, etc. But if a mating took place between a gold and a green dragon, the result might be a bronze colored offspring. Scales on a dragon are never simply one shade of color. If a dragon is blue, there will be many, many shades of blue. Light, medium, dark, blue-black, etc. Scales are bright and shiny in a healthy dragon, but dull and muted if a dragon is ill.

Dragons 101 Scalecolr

CAMOUFLAGE

In some breeds of dragons when the dragon is mature, the cells in the scales are able to change color such as a chameleon due to chromatophore, the pigment cells in the scales.This reaction can be caused by emotion (anger, happiness,etc) or by the will of the dragon to change color. If the dragon is angered it can change from its original color to a bright, fierce color such as red, to look more intimidating or during mating rituals, it can flow certain color patterns on its body to attract other dragons. Since dragons are extremely intelligent, it can choose which colors to change into to match the exact background it is near including subtle shadow and highlights. It is so good at this, most things would just walk past a 65 foot dragon hiding in the sand.

Dragons 101 Scalechng

A DRAGON'S ARMOR
The main function of scales is protection of the soft skin tissue of the dragon. An adult dragon can easily take a direct blow from a knight's sword and hardly flinch. Adult dragons have 4-6 inch wide, and 7-9 inch long teardrop shaped scales covering its body. The pattern of the body scales is a flat, rotating design that overlap each other. Easy movement is due to the unique depression on the top side of each scale that allows them to lay evenly flat on the body.

The scales on the chest area are the largest; easily being over a foot wide. The chest scales are one to three flat "scale flaps". These are shaped differently than a regular scale as they are more squarish. The pattern of the chest scales is overlapping and flat running from the throat, under body to the end of the tail. All of the scales lightly slide over each other, so when a dragon walks it will make a soft scraping sound. The overlapping scales make it difficult for anything to successfully injure a dragon.

An interesting fact is that the dragon can make the scales stand on end for washing. Also, when angered, the dragon can puff up, spread its scales, and look a lot larger than the dragon actually is. Lifting the scales is also an effective heat reducing element. Making the scales stand on end allows the skin underneath to release heat, thus cooling the large animal down quickly. A favorite past-time of dragons is to stand the scales up and go into a cool pool of water to allow it to run in between the scales and onto the sensitive skin.

THE WING

The wing. The part of the dragon that distinguishes itself from all other creatures. The dragon wing is a huge, leathery appendage that is found on several different species of dragon. The wing is usually larger than the dragon's body to accommodate the incredible force needed to lift and maintain flight.

Dragons 101 Wing

BONES
The wing is essentially another arm and hand. If you look at the skeleton of a dragon front arm and claws, you will notice that the wing is just a very stretched out version. The two thick "arm bones" (humerus and wing radius) runs from the body of the dragon attaching itself with cartilage and muscle to an "elbow" of the wing. There are usually 4 or 5 elongated "fingers" on a wing each ending in a claw. One short "thumb" claw is at the "wrist". The "fingers" then attach themselves to the "wrist joints" to form the complete wing.

Dragons 101 Wingbone

HOW DO THEY FLY?

Dragons 101 Flydragonanim

Thanks to Windseeker for the flying dragon animation
The actual force of flight is the continuous down sweep of powerful wings scooping, and thrusting the body upwards. An immature dragon does not have the strength needed for a vertical jump from flat ground to take off. They will usually stay near higher cliffs to use the heat updrafts to keep aloft. It takes a few years of flying to build the extremely strong flight muscles needed to lift the dragon body from the ground. The wings make actually look small for the mass of the dragon, but all dragons have an innate magic ability to help them fly. This magic helps keep dragons from straining themselves during long flights.

WEAPONS
Dragons can also use their wings as an attack weapon if need be, but this is a last resort. The wing membranes are easily damaged compared to the rest of a dragon body. If a dragon wing membrane is slashed, it takes a very long time to heal, and there is a chance the dragon might never fly again if it does not heal correctly. If attacked on the ground, the dragon will usually run then jump in the air and fly off avoiding the attacker. But if the dragon is trapped on the ground it will tuck its wings tightly against its body and use its breath weapon and claws to protect itself. If the dragon has to use its wings to attack it will scoop down and slash with its razor sharp wing claws to immobilize the attacker.

SENSES
Dragons have the same senses as humans; sight, hearing, smelling, touch, and taste. But some have a six sense which is being able to "read" the emotion of another being. Their regular five senses are incredibly sensitive. For example, the sense of smell is about 100 times more sensitive than a bloodhound dog. They can smell and hear a person or animal from a couple miles away!

Their six sense is very accurate at close range. If a person or animal is feeling a strong emotion, such as fear or hate, it will register very strongly to the dragon, even if it is not in visual range of it. This is where dragonfear comes from. Dragonfear is an all encompassing, frozen-in-place fear that the dragon causes upon the animal or person seeing a dragon. The dragons sometimes use this advantage to beat its foes, such as thieves or knights. Only the very bravest (or very dim-witted) are not affected by this terrible fear. This is usually an aura around evil-minded dragons, but in a friendly dragon, such as the Faerie Dragon, this aura is non-existant.

THE FIRE BREATHERS!

Dragons 101 Untitled

Fire: the thing that makes the dragon most feared. It's a hellish belch of flame that can turn flesh and bone into ash. Though, not all dragons breath fire. Some have freezing cold breath, others have acid, and some don't use their breath as a weapon at all! The two that have fire breathing power are the Red Dragon and Fire Drake.

HOW DO THEY BREATH FIRE?
It all starts when the dragon catch their prey. When dragons eat, they digest the food in a regular stomach. The digestion then continues in a second stomach that breaks down the food even further. After the dragon's body has used all it can from the second digestion, the body then turns the leftover food and acid into a byproduct of hydrogen. The dragon can hold the hydrogen in various large glands in it's body for later use, and can call upon it at any time it needs to. When the dragon needs to belch it's flame, the glands release the hydrogen into the lungs where it mixes with other various chemicals the body creates. Once this mixture finds oxygen, it burns extremely hot, and very quick. The dragon usually has enough hydrogen in its body for about three spits of flame, but that should be plenty for anything coming up against a large red dragon. This explanation is about the same for dragons that breath other types of breath. Their bodies just break down food into different compounds.

Koko,
Wow!!! Great lesson on dragons. Thank you so much for sharing.

huggers
Cori

Number of posts : 995 Registration date : 2008-11-16

Cordelia wrote:: Koko,
Wow!!! Great lesson on dragons. Thank you so much for sharing.

huggers
Cori

i agree
especially interesting is how the scales are formed
great information

huggies

I always loved dragon lessons.
I still have the notes somewhere around
this place from the ones you did before at the other place.
Thank you so much for the lessons KoKo.
Very interesting indeed.

Can I Join Too? Plz Daddy. I Love Dragons!!!!!! Their one of my Favorite Creatures!!!!!!!!!!!! Plz? I'll Make The Puppy Face. Crying or Very sad

I Know Some thing about Dragons too! Dragons Have Wings Right? Well They Breath Fire, So in the Rain, When They Fly, They Don't Fall Down. The Cause of that is, They Have Gas In Them. So Its like they are Dry in the Rain. another lesson is,
How They Breath Fire, It starts With the word GAS, okay? anyway, the gas in side them can make Fire, I think, i have to watch that Dragon Movie again on Dragons, but anyway thats not all that i learned i also learned that How Do Dragons Keep Their Eggs Warm? how is they put them in their Den or some thing and set the Eggs on Fire, This does not kill the baby Drago or Draco inside, this keeps them warm, so they don't Die.

Now Remember the Meteor that killed 1000's of dinosaurs? well i think all the dragons not sure but they went in the water to keep safe from that ugly and horrible Meteor that could lead them to death. There are very few Dragons today flower

This is a SECRET Which means don't tell any one. got it? okay, here is the secret, when i grow up to be Adult, ill be a DRAGONTRAINER and a MOMMY (PARENT).

Here Are Some More Lessons From My Book

Don't Tell Any Body! Got it? Its a Secret. Question

» DRAGONS, UNICORNS, & OTHER CREATURES