Dragons have been with mortals for millennia. Some are feared as destroyers of cities and villages alike, some are revered as gods, and some are respected as fellow keepers of the world. A dragon is a Great Beast, perhaps the oldest to be categorized as such and the most common - though seeing a dragon is always an awe-inspiring event.

Appearance-wise, dragons are massive creatures with a mostly reptilian appearance. They may have anywhere from zero to four legs and may or may not have wings. All dragons are sentient with intellects equal to or greater than mortals, though they have many lesser kin - such as drakos and wyverns - which are just animals. Lesser dragonkin are detailed at the end of this page.

Dragons are capable of wielding great elemental power, drawn from the natural magic which suffuses the world. They are most well known for their breath weapons, though many are also adept spellcasters. Some myths state that the first mages in the world, long before magic was taught through schools and guilds, learned from dragons.

Dragons are as diverse as they are widespread, though there are a few general types they fall into. These have been compared to the different races which exist amongst mortals.

Usually referred to simply as a dragon, this type has four legs and two wings and a distinctly reptilian appearance, with bright scales and a head crowned with horns. They are what most think of immediately when the word “dragon” is mentioned. These dragons come in many forms, though many are attuned to fire or lightning and tend to nest high in mountainous caves.

Also spelled “Lung”, this type of dragon is somewhat more mammalian. They have four legs and no wings, yet fly anyways via magic. They tend to have a mane of fur down their backs and a tufted tail, as well as branched horns. These dragons are an important cultural icon in Ruefang, Cahyali, but some also exist on Jaern. It is unclear if Jaernian Long originated from Cahyali, or if they are an offshoot of regular Jaernian dragons.

These are important to distinguish from sea serpents, which are not sentient creatures. Sea dragons are far larger than other dragons, often bigger than even the largest sailing ships. They are thought to be native to Jaern. They may or may not have legs and wings, though either way they rarely have more than two pairs of either. Sea dragons also sport gills.

Jaernian dragons originated with Jaernian humanoids on Torandor. Not much is known about how they came to be, or how the Torandorans interacted with them. What is known, though, is that when Torandor's destruction was imminent, they pooled their magic to escape into a safe pocket dimension, where they would remain in slumber.

A deal was struck with mortals: after two hundred years, a return portal was to be opened and the dragons would be let into the new world - assuming one was found. However, in the chaos of Jaern's advent, this deal was forgotten and the dragons would remain in slumber for more than two millennia more.

In 10061, four obelisk artifacts keeping the dragons' dimension active were activated, making good on the forgotten promise. The portal opened, the dragons were awakened, and they returned to the world. Ever since, dragons have mostly been keeping to themselves, and those which cause problems are usually dealt with rather quickly by adventurers.

Jaernian Dragon Worship: The Cult of Kelvar: On Jaern, there is an esoteric religion spreading which worships dragons, particularly one named Kelvar which ascended to divinity before the destruction of Most of this worship is now centered on the island of Keer'Levex. Most Jaernian dragons do not give much heed to dragon worshipers, though some enjoy being the subjects of reverence.

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