Dragons of Rutania

Rutania has a vast array of of dragons throughout it, varying from small to large and with a vast array of traits. Broadly, dragons are grouped into four separate categories based on size and/or individual significance.

Lesser Dragons

Starting with the smallest, the group of Lesser Dragons includes many smaller and less significant dragonoids, some of which are more animalistic and less outwardly intelligent. Most of these dragons are in roughly the same size range as humans, or a bit bigger.

• Sparks are a species of lesser dragon native to Vulcania. They're bulkier than most dragons their size, and feature heavier, rock-like scales across their body, sharp blades on their tails, and spitting out flammable saliva rather than the gas-based fire breath most fire-breathing dragons have. They're mostly found in Vulcania's mountains, where they can easily disguise themselves among rocks while waiting for prey. They're the least intelligent species of dragon in Rutania, being little more than rocky lizards, and consequently tend to be very unfriendly.
• Kobolds are a much more humanoid species of dragonoid, and the most intelligent of the lesser dragons by quite a margin; they reside primarily in Rutania's various mountainous regions, and are exceptionally crafty and social creatures. They may be small, but they're a force to be reckoned with when collaborating, and they do that a lot.
• Seawings are a species of amphibious lesser dragon found in Rutania's oceans, particularly north of Vulcania. They're long, sleek dragonoids that spend much of their time in deep waters, though they're also capable of venturing onto land. They're some of the fastest creatures in the deep sea, but unlike their rocky cousins, Sparks, they're much less hostile to other creatures. They mostly hunt smaller fish, and tend to ignore larger creatures that don't outwardly threaten them. Really, they have a lot in common with cats with regards to behaviour, and as a result they're sometimes tamed by residents of the Kingdom of Atlan.
• Aether Wyrms are a small species of lesser dragon native to Runia, known to be very lithe and agile, and like many other creatures on the archipelago, very magical. They can often be seen zipping around the treetops through the forests of the Runic Islands, as brightly-colored streaks, usually either hunting or playing, either with other Aether Wyrms, or even other native creatures. They tend to be exceptionally friendly, so long as they're not threatened, and come in a variety of colors, which typically correlate to an element of magic they're able to use.

Greater Dragons

Next up is the Greater Dragons, which includes many dragons that more fit the bill of your typical dragon, including many resembling D&D's selection of dragons. These dragons are typically between 15 and 50 feet across. This is also the group of dragons most Dragonborn come from.

• Metallurgic Dragons, named such to avoid confusion with D&D's similar group of good-aligned dragons, are a subgroup of greater dragons thought to be closely related; all of them have scales strongly resembling metals.
  • Steel Dragons are the most well-known variety of Metallurgic, possessing durable, steely scales, and being more humanoid in body structure than most dragons. They're particularly known for their unusual fire breath, which they can use in two distinct 'modes'; a more typical fire breath resembling a gas fuel-based flamethrower, and a much hotter, shorter-ranged fire breath akin to a supersized blowtorch. They're also known for their intelligence and disposition- they're quite intelligent, and though often gruff, are generally friendly; consequently, they're a somewhat common sight throughout Vulcania and to a lesser extent Auronia.
  • Copper Dragons are a less-known variety of Metallurgic, mostly found in Auronia and Dunefall. Their scales are copperized, giving them a beautiful orange sheen when new, that turns green over approximately a decade before being shed. And as one would expect from a dragon literally covered in copper, these dragons possess powerful lightning breath, being the first on this list to spit out something other than fire. They typically possess similar intelligence and demeanor to their steel cousins, though they tend to be more introverted, opting to reside in isolated mountain homes.
  • Cobalt Dragons are the only known amphibious variant of Metallurgic, and the least common of them. They look similar to their steel cousins at first glance, particularly underwater, but on further inspection possess somewhat less glossy and more blue-tinted scales, not to mention their more traditionally-draconic body structure. Unlike their cousins, they don't possess a breath weapon of any kind, presumably as a product of their amphibious nature. Much like their cousins, though, they're quite intelligent, and they tend to be much more outwardly friendly, with a particular propensity for humor.
  • Auronite Dragons are another less-common variety of Metallurgic, and compete with cobalt dragons for the title of 'least seen on the surface'; these cave-dwelling dragons are much bulkier than their cousins, and have some highly unusual traits among the Metallurgic dragons. Alongside their broader, more heavyset build, they have much stronger claws with indented undersides, presumably to serve as 'shovels' for digging, alongside thick, duller metallic scales with a cyan tinge. Their wings are also noteworthy, being able to fold up more compactly against their body than most dragons, and they have possibly the most unusual breath weapon of any dragon- they can expel a variety of different gaseous toxins, ranging from mild ones used to pacify and/or stun creatures to intensely lethal neurotoxins. Otherwise, they tend to be fairly similar in personality to their steel cousins, and quite intelligent as well, though they have an appetite for rocks and often an incredible wealth of knowledge on stone, ores, and all sorts of other things concerning their environments, which they're often all too eager to share.
• Dune Dragons are sand-colored greater dragons native to Dunefall's deserts. They're capable of burrowing in sand, and as their name suggests, will often disguise themselves as dunes for one reason or another. Unlike the Metallurgics, who generally are friendly, these ones tend to be all over the scale. If a dune in front of you starts moving, it's pretty much a coin toss whether you're going to get a pleasant conversation or get barbecued with electricity. In general, though, most dune dragons are... personable enough, so long as you don't anger them. Similar to copper dragons, dune dragons possess a powerful lightning breath.
• Vulcan Dragons are probably self-explanatory based on the name; native to Vulcania, these fiery dragons spend most of their time near or in volcanoes, and unlike most of the greater dragons seen so far, with only a couple exceptions, they're pretty much unequivocally assholes. They're not necessarily evil, but they're rarely friendly towards other creatures, and consequently tend to keep to themselves a lot. Despite their demeanor, though, vulcan dragons are fiercely loyal, to both family and those that help them. That aside, vulcan dragons have one of the more unusual breath weapons among greater dragons- a combination of gaseous fire breath ala steel dragons and flammable saliva ala sparks, producing a volatile, napalm-like flame.
• Frost Dragons are icy greater dragons found mostly in Rutania's northern polar region. These ice-covered dragons, though often less intelligent than a lot of other greater dragons, and in spite of their cold appearance, are usually very friendly and even outright benevolent. In particular, they regularly offer shelter to other creatures during particularly harsh weather, and seem to be very social creatures. Like cobalt dragons, they're amphibious, and also possess another unusual breath weapon- they can expel hyper-cold air saturated with water, producing essentially a freezing breath. They're also one of the more magical varieties of dragon, as they are known to be able to essentially spit powerful blasts of cold magic that can create large icicles.
• Blackwings are a species of greater dragon found in Torus, and thought to either be native to Creavis, or a product of demons and other dragons. Either way, they're definitely much more demonic than most other dragons, and consequently are more known for evil than any other species. Their most noteworthy traits are their matte black scales, array of horns and spikes, and their incredibly powerful breath weapon- they're capable of spitting out both purple flames and what are likened to meteors. This combined with their generally very unfriendly demeanor (though, like with demons, there are certainly exceptions) has earned Blackwings a reputation of being evil and highly destructive.
  • Voidwings are dragons thought to be a subspecies of Blackwings (hence the naming), and are exceptionally rare; they're powerful dragons suffused with Voidic energy, resulting in them being some of the most twisted dragons in all of Rutania. Their capabilities are similar to Blackwings, though of course wielding corruptive, dangerous Void matter and energy, but ironically their demeanor tends to be far more varied. Some are veritable assholes like the dragons they're thought to originate from, but some are far more amicable. Due to the Void's influence, though, they have an extreme tendency towards the Evil side of things- a Neutral-aligned Voidwing is a rare sight, and a Good-aligned Voidwing is thought to be a myth.
• Raptor Drakes are a rather unusual variety of dragon among Rutania's assortment, as at a glance they can almost be mistaken for very large birds. Almost. They're very large quadrupedal dragons that are covered in feathers, bearing powerful and mildly terrifying talons and some of the fastest flight seen anywhere in Rutania. They're also migratory, moving their nests roughly every five years, and will visit pretty much any non-polar region on the planet, which combined with their other traits, has made them somewhat feared. Despite all this, though, they're relatively amicable; they rarely bother people with more than a close fly-by unless they have specific reason, and are otherwise just fine keeping to themselves. They can, however, be very chatty if you do happen to engage with one.

Primal Dragons

This is the first of the two more unusual groups- primal dragons are, as their name implies, thought to be older species of dragon, and potentially progenitors of many of the existing species of lesser and greater dragons. Most of these are also very, very large, usually in excess of 100 feet across.

• Leviathans are a rare variety of dragon found exclusively deep in Rutania's northern and southern oceans, usually in the colder waters closer to the poles. These massive serpents generally keep to themselves, being fairly antisocial, and given they very rarely reproduce, most of the currently-living ones are very, very old. They tend to be indifferent to creatures around them, and typically will ignore them unless hungry... and, well, they don't exactly have many qualms about what they eat. That said, some, particularly those in the Kingdom of Atlan, believe them to be very wise, and will sometimes try to find one to seek advice. How well this goes... tends to vary. Sometimes you come up empty, sometimes you gain truly useful information, sometimes you wind up being lunch.
• Espers are an elusive form of dragon that spend most of their time in Rutania's upper atmosphere. They're rarely seen by people, given they often stay up in the sky for centuries at a time, only coming down occasionally to breed. They're thought to be very magical, as the few reports of sights of them seem to indicate that they don't have wings... and, well, they literally spend all their time up in very thin parts of the atmosphere. Besides that, not much is known about them, as the last time one was seen was approximately 250 years ago.
• Pyre Dragons are a unique and incredibly rare fiery variant of dragon last seen in Vulcania; they're thought to be direct ancestors to modern vulcan dragons, being eerily similar, though their fiery traits are to a much larger degree. Like espers, they're thought to be very magical, given they've historically been described as being 'hollow and filled with fire'. Also like espers, very little is known about them, as the last sighting of one was over 600 years ago; it's thought that they may now be extinct.
• Plinians are a downright mythical species of dragon hailing from Vulcania; massive, hulking dragons with scales of stone, spewing gouts of lava at anything that may earn their ire. They're thought to be the progenitors of the Sparks, and have been likened to walking, and occasionally flying, volcanoes, hence the name. It's not known if these dragons still exist anymore- or even existed at all, for that matter. For all anyone knows, some random volcano in Vulcania could actually just be a Plinian curled up on a millenium-long nap.

Apex Dragons

Finally, we have the second unusual group- apex dragons are the absolute pinnacle of dragonoids in Rutania, often being completely unique specimens with incredible power. They're generally of similar size to primal dragons, but can vary wildly in either direction.

• Stellar Dragons are the most widely-known apex dragon species- powerful dragons with prismatic scales thought to be stars of Astrus reincarnated into draconic bodies. To date, there are only two known examples- Nova, the guardian of the Omniwood, who resides at the top of its massive trunk, and a very young stellar dragon currently partnered with a paladin of Homura.