Dragons

Summary
Dragons are a species of near-extinct gigantic reptiles, with the capacity of flight and the ability to produce blasts of various forms from the mouth, most commonly fire. There are various sub-species of dragon, though none are commonly seen on Vhuld today, as the rise in organised dragon-hunting with the aid of arcana, led to a sharp decline in their populations.

General Appearance
Dragons are enormous reptilian creatures. They walk on four large legs, but also have enormous leathery wings that spread above the front two shoulderblades, and extend down the lower back. The maw is covered in a single row of serrated teeth, made for tearing into flesh of the prey they consume. The color of the scales of the dragon varies. Female dragons are significantly larger than male dragons.

Life-cycle
Dragons have 5 distinct phases of life, and grow significantly larger through each of these stages as they age. From the time an egg hatches to its death, a dragon can live up to 800 years, depending on the sub-species.

Egg
The egg phase is the first phase of the life-span of a dragon, and it normally lasts 1-2 years. In this stage, the unborn creature is defenseless, and the creature's mother will defend it until it hatches. Dragon eggs are approximately 1 meter tall. A female dragon will lay between 6-10 eggs every season.

Whelp
Dragon whelps are the creatures that initially hatch from an egg. This phase of life lasts between 4-6 years, during which the whelp will learn to fend for itself. This is done under the protection of the mother, and normally the whelp will be taught how to hunt in this period. Whelps vary in length from 1-2 meters.

Drake
The drake is the stage in life in juvenility for the dragon, and is actually its most aggressive phase of life. This phase of life lasts from the age of 6-20. Drakes are adolescent, and become sexually active in this period. Males become sexually active before females, but largely are not able to mate due to their small stature. Drake is also the stage in which the dragon becomes able to produce a blast from its mouth. Drakes vary in length from 2-6 meters.

Dragon
Dragon is the adult phase, and longest phase of life. It lasts between the age of 20-600. Dragons are adults, and this is the periodo f life when dragons are able to mate effectively. This is also when they are at their most dangerous, due to their constant activity and almost endless hunting behavior. They begin to rest more by the end of their lives, but they are largely active creatures. Dragons vary in length from 6-15 meters.

Wyrm
Wyrms are the phase of life near the end of a dragon's lifetime. This phase lasts between the age of 600-800. During this phase, dragons will often further develope their affinity for bright objects, namely gold and jewels, and begin hoarding it as they rest. The metabolism of a dragon slows in this phase, and the wyrm stage of life is when a dragon has reached their largest, and ceases to grow. A wyrm will also slowly lose its ability to produce a blast from the mouth. Wyrms vary in length from 15-20 meters.

Sub-Species
Red Dragons

Frost Dragons

Iron Dragons

Ash Dragons

Sand Dragons

Gold Dragons