Walking with Dragons (Update 1/28/2004)
- Thread starter mythusmage
- Start date
Part Three will be posted later this evening. In a separate thread. At nine main sections plus God only knows how many sub and sub-sub sections (forty entries for each dragon species alone) merging all the posts into one thread could result in the world's longest thread title.
"Honey, we're getting broadband."
"Why, dear?"
"Because I went to read that dragon thread of Mythusmage's and it took me two hours just to download the thread title."
So this will be the general news thread for the project as a whole. And with that in mind. I will be posting the first three parts on my site once the revisions are done. The next thread (after part three) will be on dragon evolution and will include at least 6 postings from yours truly.
For a sample from the evolution postings let me mention that the lung are a separate line from true dragons, being more closely related to sphinxes and lammasu than to western dragons. Furthermore, sphinxes (gyno and andro) are actually more closely related to the li lung than they are to the hieracosphinx. Itself a member of the same family as griffins and hippogriffs. With the pegasus an offshoot of the griffin family.
Yes, it means the pegasus is more closely related to nile crocodiles than to horses. Aint life cruel?
"Honey, we're getting broadband."
"Why, dear?"
"Because I went to read that dragon thread of Mythusmage's and it took me two hours just to download the thread title."
So this will be the general news thread for the project as a whole. And with that in mind. I will be posting the first three parts on my site once the revisions are done. The next thread (after part three) will be on dragon evolution and will include at least 6 postings from yours truly.
For a sample from the evolution postings let me mention that the lung are a separate line from true dragons, being more closely related to sphinxes and lammasu than to western dragons. Furthermore, sphinxes (gyno and andro) are actually more closely related to the li lung than they are to the hieracosphinx. Itself a member of the same family as griffins and hippogriffs. With the pegasus an offshoot of the griffin family.
Yes, it means the pegasus is more closely related to nile crocodiles than to horses. Aint life cruel?
Okay. I'll edit the subject line to indicate the series has been updated. Now off to get the latest update ready.
On Dragons
It is a rare person who has not seen a dragon in flight, the legs tucked in against the body, the great wings slowly beating as the animal flies across the sky. With the exception of Antarctica every continent has a permanent dragon population. Others have had occasion to deal personally with a dragon. But still the animal is the subject of an incredible number of myths and urban legends.
Dragons belong to the order, Dracos. Their closest relatives are Crocodilians, Aves, Lung, and Dinosauria. As with Lung and the Manticoria dragons are functionally hexapedal, though descended from quadrupedal ancestors. They are warmblooded, have four chambered hearts, nurture their young, have pets, and can live a very long time.
Dragons also have magic. As with most every sophont on Dragon Earth they can learn magic. Much of it is an innate dweomercraft most every dragon is seemingly born with. But they are as capable of learning formal magic as any human, kobold, or dwarf. Even their ‘breath weapon’ is magical in origin, being a form of apportation. for instance, the red dragon apports the fuel for his fiery breath, blows it out as he exhales, and lights it off with a magical spark. All without even thinking about it. As a blue dragon once told me, “I try not to think about it. If I thought about it I’d probably electrocute myself.”
Which leads us to the matter of dragon immunities. Dragons are resistant to most anything that resembles their breath weapon, but not entirely immune. A black dragon can be harmed by acid for example. It just takes more and at a higher concentration than it would for most any other animal.
Dragons can be best described as catlike in form. Pantherine as a matter of fact. Their bodies are lithe and supple, with a long neck supporting a large head, a long, thick tail, and a pair of wings that can span a distance equal to the dragon’s total body length including tail. There are variations on the theme, but that should suffice for most species.
Other than their breath and their wings the most notable feature of the dragon is his scales. Now, these are not fish scales, or lizard scales for that matter. They are more akin to the feathers of birds and Lung scales in structure. Indeed, a dragon’s wing scales are featherlike in form and function. In some older books on dragons they were refered to as feathers. According to the latest research it would appear that dragon scales, lung scales, and bird feathers arose from the same ancestral structure, taking different forms as the three lineages took separate paths. It’s just that a dragons ‘body feathers’ (as some writers once referred to them) have a solid ‘leaf’ at the end of the stalk that attaches the scale to the body. This in contrast to the more ‘feather-like’ feathers of avians and the hair-like scales of the li lung. (The so-called serpentine lung have scales much like that of the true dragon.)
(Authorial Note: I know, the above could be better phrased overall, but it just isn’t coming to me. That’s why this is a rough draft. Advice is more than welcome. I also need a better ending than this lame thing. so expect revisions when I can get them done. A complete re-write now that I think of it. But the above should give you some idea of where I’d like to go with this section.
(Where? Basically describe the modern day dragon and show how he fits into today’s world. But right now that part isn’t coming together. Don’t you hate when that happens?
(In any case, expect the posting on dragon evolution next in this thread.)
Alan Kellogg, January 9th 2004
It is a rare person who has not seen a dragon in flight, the legs tucked in against the body, the great wings slowly beating as the animal flies across the sky. With the exception of Antarctica every continent has a permanent dragon population. Others have had occasion to deal personally with a dragon. But still the animal is the subject of an incredible number of myths and urban legends.
Dragons belong to the order, Dracos. Their closest relatives are Crocodilians, Aves, Lung, and Dinosauria. As with Lung and the Manticoria dragons are functionally hexapedal, though descended from quadrupedal ancestors. They are warmblooded, have four chambered hearts, nurture their young, have pets, and can live a very long time.
Dragons also have magic. As with most every sophont on Dragon Earth they can learn magic. Much of it is an innate dweomercraft most every dragon is seemingly born with. But they are as capable of learning formal magic as any human, kobold, or dwarf. Even their ‘breath weapon’ is magical in origin, being a form of apportation. for instance, the red dragon apports the fuel for his fiery breath, blows it out as he exhales, and lights it off with a magical spark. All without even thinking about it. As a blue dragon once told me, “I try not to think about it. If I thought about it I’d probably electrocute myself.”
Which leads us to the matter of dragon immunities. Dragons are resistant to most anything that resembles their breath weapon, but not entirely immune. A black dragon can be harmed by acid for example. It just takes more and at a higher concentration than it would for most any other animal.
Dragons can be best described as catlike in form. Pantherine as a matter of fact. Their bodies are lithe and supple, with a long neck supporting a large head, a long, thick tail, and a pair of wings that can span a distance equal to the dragon’s total body length including tail. There are variations on the theme, but that should suffice for most species.
Other than their breath and their wings the most notable feature of the dragon is his scales. Now, these are not fish scales, or lizard scales for that matter. They are more akin to the feathers of birds and Lung scales in structure. Indeed, a dragon’s wing scales are featherlike in form and function. In some older books on dragons they were refered to as feathers. According to the latest research it would appear that dragon scales, lung scales, and bird feathers arose from the same ancestral structure, taking different forms as the three lineages took separate paths. It’s just that a dragons ‘body feathers’ (as some writers once referred to them) have a solid ‘leaf’ at the end of the stalk that attaches the scale to the body. This in contrast to the more ‘feather-like’ feathers of avians and the hair-like scales of the li lung. (The so-called serpentine lung have scales much like that of the true dragon.)
(Authorial Note: I know, the above could be better phrased overall, but it just isn’t coming to me. That’s why this is a rough draft. Advice is more than welcome. I also need a better ending than this lame thing. so expect revisions when I can get them done. A complete re-write now that I think of it. But the above should give you some idea of where I’d like to go with this section.
(Where? Basically describe the modern day dragon and show how he fits into today’s world. But right now that part isn’t coming together. Don’t you hate when that happens?
(In any case, expect the posting on dragon evolution next in this thread.)
Alan Kellogg, January 9th 2004
Why am I doing this?
To entertain people.
Get my thoughts down.
Solicit advice and feedback.
Maybe inspire somebody.
Besides which, I don't think I've actually paid for my community supporter account yet (won't have the money until February it turns out), so I figure I might as well do something to justify having it.
The next set of postings will be on dragon evolution. In the following order:
1. Early evolution and the Age of Dinosaurs.
2. The Age of Mammals.
3. Recent.
BTW, if I get enough requests I will do write-ups of Dragon Earth's pegusi, manticores, sphinxes, and griffins. I'll even do a pseudo-cladistic chart showing the relationships between dragons, lung, dinosaurs, birds, crocodiles, sphinxes and griffins. Yes, on Dragon Earth the pegusus is (technically) a reptile and the basilisk is a bird. (And you thought I was a nice person.
)
To entertain people.
Get my thoughts down.
Solicit advice and feedback.
Maybe inspire somebody.
Besides which, I don't think I've actually paid for my community supporter account yet (won't have the money until February it turns out), so I figure I might as well do something to justify having it.
The next set of postings will be on dragon evolution. In the following order:
1. Early evolution and the Age of Dinosaurs.
2. The Age of Mammals.
3. Recent.
BTW, if I get enough requests I will do write-ups of Dragon Earth's pegusi, manticores, sphinxes, and griffins. I'll even do a pseudo-cladistic chart showing the relationships between dragons, lung, dinosaurs, birds, crocodiles, sphinxes and griffins. Yes, on Dragon Earth the pegusus is (technically) a reptile and the basilisk is a bird. (And you thought I was a nice person.
)bump
Dragon Evolution Part One
Early Evolution
The end of the Permian Age is marked by the greatest extinction event in the history of the world. Some 90% of all species died off at this time, leaving Dragon Earth with a lot of empty environmental niches.
Early dinosaurs were the first to take advantage of the new opportunities. Thanks to them thecodonts and therapsids were forced onto the periphery, with a number of lines going extinct. Others became small, furtive animals. The therapsids finding refuge in the litter of the forest floor, while the thecodonts took to swamps and bracken for the most part.
With one exception.
Age of Dinosaurs
The oldest known ancestor of the dragon is a small crocodile like thecodont. It was a terrestrial animal and had a semi-erect stance. Weighing no more than 60 pounds, it is thought to have survived by scavenging and raiding therapsid and thecodont nests. The youngest specimen comes from the Early Triassic, so the species apparently survived the Permian Extinction.
By the Middle Triassic its descendents were small, arboreal animals. By this time all four legs were held under the body, giving it a mammalian stance. About a pound in weight at the most, it hunted insects and may have scavenged on larger animals.
One species of proto-dragon in known for a unique distinction. It is the oldest known subject of a time-scry. A difficult and potentially hazardous dweomer that sends the caster’s perceptions back in time. There the caster can view events in the past and study the period. In this case the scrying lasted a few seconds before the caster had to cut it short. He described a hexapedal lizard-like beast.
There is some controversy regarding this observation. First, no one has been able to duplicate the feat. Some say it’s a fraud. Second, no one can say reliably whether the observation was made in the Middle or Late Triassic since there are no known physical specimens from the Late Triassic. Third, the observer described the animal as ‘lizard-like’. Which leads some to say he saw some type of standard reptile. This ignoring the fact paleontologists commonly refer to proto-dragons as ‘lizard-like’ in the literature
So the little six-legged proto-dragon is given provisional status as a Middle or Late Triassic specimen, with most scientists considering it Late Triassic.
Other than Mr. Anomalous there are no known proto-dragons from the Late Triassic and Early Jurassic. It isn’t until the Middle Jurassic that we find proto-dragon specimens, and some are hexapeds.
How dragons came to be six-limbed vertebrates is still a matter of some dispute. Recent genetic studies have indicated a connection with those genes involved in embryological development. But we don’t yet know enough to say exactly what happened.
The fact it occurred sometime in the gap between the Middle Triassic and the Middle Jurassic is amply demonstrated by the fact that some proto-dragons were using their mid-limbs as wings.
The Middle Jurassic was a time of transition for the proto-dragon. Most known specimens were quadrupeds, but those were soon to die out with only one species surviving to the Cretaceous. The terrestrial hexapeds were only slightly less numerous, but they were largely gone before the start of the Late Jurassic. Possibly because of competion with the newly evolved primates. It is the winged proto-dragons that survived this time of crisis.
(And at this point I’ll be cutting this short, since it is turning out to be so long. When next I post I’ll be taking up the thread with the last of the proto-dragons and the first of the true dragons. Then we’ll go on to the Age of Mammals.)
Early Evolution
The end of the Permian Age is marked by the greatest extinction event in the history of the world. Some 90% of all species died off at this time, leaving Dragon Earth with a lot of empty environmental niches.
Early dinosaurs were the first to take advantage of the new opportunities. Thanks to them thecodonts and therapsids were forced onto the periphery, with a number of lines going extinct. Others became small, furtive animals. The therapsids finding refuge in the litter of the forest floor, while the thecodonts took to swamps and bracken for the most part.
With one exception.
Age of Dinosaurs
The oldest known ancestor of the dragon is a small crocodile like thecodont. It was a terrestrial animal and had a semi-erect stance. Weighing no more than 60 pounds, it is thought to have survived by scavenging and raiding therapsid and thecodont nests. The youngest specimen comes from the Early Triassic, so the species apparently survived the Permian Extinction.
By the Middle Triassic its descendents were small, arboreal animals. By this time all four legs were held under the body, giving it a mammalian stance. About a pound in weight at the most, it hunted insects and may have scavenged on larger animals.
One species of proto-dragon in known for a unique distinction. It is the oldest known subject of a time-scry. A difficult and potentially hazardous dweomer that sends the caster’s perceptions back in time. There the caster can view events in the past and study the period. In this case the scrying lasted a few seconds before the caster had to cut it short. He described a hexapedal lizard-like beast.
There is some controversy regarding this observation. First, no one has been able to duplicate the feat. Some say it’s a fraud. Second, no one can say reliably whether the observation was made in the Middle or Late Triassic since there are no known physical specimens from the Late Triassic. Third, the observer described the animal as ‘lizard-like’. Which leads some to say he saw some type of standard reptile. This ignoring the fact paleontologists commonly refer to proto-dragons as ‘lizard-like’ in the literature
So the little six-legged proto-dragon is given provisional status as a Middle or Late Triassic specimen, with most scientists considering it Late Triassic.
Other than Mr. Anomalous there are no known proto-dragons from the Late Triassic and Early Jurassic. It isn’t until the Middle Jurassic that we find proto-dragon specimens, and some are hexapeds.
How dragons came to be six-limbed vertebrates is still a matter of some dispute. Recent genetic studies have indicated a connection with those genes involved in embryological development. But we don’t yet know enough to say exactly what happened.
The fact it occurred sometime in the gap between the Middle Triassic and the Middle Jurassic is amply demonstrated by the fact that some proto-dragons were using their mid-limbs as wings.
The Middle Jurassic was a time of transition for the proto-dragon. Most known specimens were quadrupeds, but those were soon to die out with only one species surviving to the Cretaceous. The terrestrial hexapeds were only slightly less numerous, but they were largely gone before the start of the Late Jurassic. Possibly because of competion with the newly evolved primates. It is the winged proto-dragons that survived this time of crisis.
(And at this point I’ll be cutting this short, since it is turning out to be so long. When next I post I’ll be taking up the thread with the last of the proto-dragons and the first of the true dragons. Then we’ll go on to the Age of Mammals.)
the Jester
Legend
Hey Mythusmage, I really like this so far! And I, for one, really like the 'evolutionist' approach you're taking- it brings me back to the discussion in an ancient Dragon magazine article about languages about the evolution of the various humanoid and demihuman (to use a passe' term) races.
Good stuff!
Good stuff!
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