The True Dragons

The True Dragons are the largest living creatures in the world of Arcanspire, and an awesome sight to behold. Despite their frightening appearance, however, the dragons are generally a calm and reasonable lot, though they often hold themselves above the “petty squabbles of humans.” Their intellect far surpasses that of any known sentient, and is cultivated over the span of hundreds, sometimes thousands of years. This level of intelligence is extremely rare in the animal kingdom of Arcanspire, as it is on Earth, and has been the subject of years of study in an attempt to understand the origins of these colossal beings. The leading theory is that the dragons evolved alongside the other draconids, but were elevated in both size and cognition by their close connection to the Arcane. The earliest available dragon fossils indicate creatures closer in size to a wyvern, however, fossils dated only a few thousand years later indicate an incredible overall size difference, along with a larger brain cavity. A few thousand years is not nearly enough time for evolution to occur naturally when the low birth rate and long lifespan of dragons is taken into account, which leads experts both human and draconic to believe that the influence of the Arcane was essential in the rapid development of the modern dragon, which would also explain the vast physical differences between members the same species.

As the only fully sentient beings aside from humans in Arcanspire, the dragons hold a unique place in the animal kingdom. Their size alone makes them the apex predator in any ecosystem, but their raw power is tempered by conscience, and guided by a deep respect for the natural world. Though their size makes large amounts of food intake necessary, the dragons are careful not to take more than an ecosystem can give, and meticulously rotate their feeding grounds to allow time for the animal and plant populations to recover. The dragons are also unusual in that while they do lay claim to vast swaths of territory, most do not act as dictators. Human settlements and cities thrive within draconic lands, and the dragons are content to allow them to do so, provided they do not disrupt the natural order. Conversations with the dragons indicate that they do respect humans as fellow sentients, but view them as a much younger species who must be instructed in the ways of the world. Some dragons take a more active role than others, interacting frequently with the humans in their domains, while others prefer to stay distant, only speaking to the few brave humans who seek them out. We can only hope to remain in their good graces.

The dragon depicted here is Hajnsynoch, the Burning Ring. Hajnsynoch marks the Arcanspire Forest and the Dragon’s Roost Mountains as his territory, and has been instrumental in the research of the ecosystem of his forest. As the ruler of his territory, he has made himself somewhat available to his human subjects, allowing them to seek him out in his roost in the mountains for guidance or aid, but does not often walk among them without good reason. He was particularly intrigued by the expedition sent from Earth, however, talking for hours with the research team. Hajnsynoch has been most forthcoming with his knowledge of Arcanspire, and has been curious to learn about Earth from the researchers. Even so, he has been quite guarded about the inner workings of draconic culture, sharing only pieces of information about their hierarchy, morality, and rituals. One topic of particular interest for the researchers was his tattoos, which are formed by using the arcane to recolor a dragon’s scales. Like all dragons, his tattoos mark his own personal taste, while also following in draconic tradition. As his title would suggest, Hajnsynoch is fond of circular and ring imagery, and often displays this through massive rings of arcane fire. A dragon’s first tattoos are carefully cast onto their scales by their elders when they reach maturity at around 100 years old, signifying their transition into adulthood and their proven control over their innate arcane abilities. Hajnsynoch’s elders have long since passed, but he still wears the tattoos they gave him, only adding to them occasionally when a mark strikes him.