Quod Draco Encyclopedia

Primary Water Dragons

The water dragons have devoted their entire lives, and physiology, to bodies of water; lakes, oceans, seas, rivers. Wherever you find water, a water dragon will be there. Water dragons are unique in that they can change their size depending on how much water is available in their natural habitat. In the oceans they truly grow to gargantuan size, large enough to tear apart ships. However, water dragons are in general mellow and calm. They only act up during storms and when their home is threatened. One of the most adaptable species, water dragons are playful and helpful, especially to sailors stranded on the seven seas.

Brook/Stream Dragons: These dragons are the smallest of all water dragons, found only in, as their name suggests, streams and brooks. They appear to be like snakes with fins that trail in the water as they swim. Coloration includes shades of blue or else entirely transparent. Stream dragons eat small fish and insects, as well as cray fish and remnants of picnics by streams and brooks. Brook dragons have a astounding mimicking ability. Not in appearance, but in sounds. The first sounds they hear is the sound of their home, babbling brooks and gentle streams. They learn to mimic this sound to communicate with others, as well as different sounds they hear throughout their lives. Some have even mimicked human speech. More common sounds that can be heard from stream dragons are crickets chirping, frogs croaking, and even birds singing. An old tale tells of a singing group consisting of five beautiful women practicing their songs. Like their appearance, their voices and songs were also equally beautiful, and they happened to practice by a stream. They were heard by several brook dragons, and they began to attempt at mimicking their voices. Over time, the dragons learned to mimic the women's voices perfectly. Add that to a dragon's magic and you get a siren's song. And the amazing part is that a dragon can mimic several sounds at once, including voices. Brook dragons are difficult to tame and train, mainly because they're so hard to catch. These dragon's lives are directly connected to the existence of their home. If the brook or stream were to dry up or else become blocked, the dragon will die. However, stream dragons are highly resourceful and adaptable, so if one home is in jeopardy, they can always move to a new one.

River and Lake Dragons: These dragons are larger than their stream dwelling relatives, and are found in large lakes and rivers. River dragons are the source of the famed Asian Lung dragon myth. They do actually resemble the Asian dragon, with a sleek build and scales, no wings, and whiskers on their mouths. Their four clawed feet help carve out caves deep underwater for the river dragon to live in. They are surprisingly colorful, with blues and yellows and reds found throughout their body. Lake dragons are the origin to the Loch Ness Monster myth, and like the river dragons resemble their mythical counterparts. Lake dragons are the more friendly of the two species, as river dragon temperaments are more, shall we say, turbulent. Both eat fish, aquatic birds like ducks, and small river mammals like otters. Both are masters of their element. River dragons can cause their home waters to become choppy and have rapids, and lake dragons can even affect the weather above their home, if the lake is big enough. River dragons have the power of speech, but lake dragons do not. However, both are very intelligent and know every inch of their watery domain as well as some land beyond it. River dragons eggs resemble huge pearls, and are extremely valuable. However, river dragons will guard their eggs with their lives. Lake dragon eggs are rarely seen, because they hatch deep underwater. Like stream dragons, river and lake dragons lifespan is directly connected to the survival of their home. While more permanent than a stream or brook, if something happened to the lake or river in which a river or lake dragon lived in, they cannot relocate to a new home. That's why, despite a water dragon's typical calm demeanor, river and lake dragon's are fiercely territorial.

Ocean Dragons: Ocean dragons are the largest of all the primary water dragons. Reaching up to the size of ships, ocean dragons are gentle giants, in most cases. Storms have been known to heighten an ocean dragon's hostility and anger, as well as threats to their homes and all the creatures that live in them. Ocean dragons size and color and vary, depending on where in the ocean they live. Those found near the surface and in coral reefs have bright colors and are the size of medium sized sharks. Those particular ocean dragons are incredible playful and friendly, and regularly interact with humans with much zeal. Those that live out in deeper waters are invariably different shades of blue. They are the size of small whales and normally spend their time underwater, coming up to the surface only once in a while, perhaps to see a curious looking ship or else defend their home turf. Those that live in the black abyss are absolutely gigantic. Rarely are they seen, but logic tells us that they probably have bioluminescence, while their skin is pitch black. Nothing ever seems to stir an ocean dragon that lives that deep underwater. Perhaps it's waiting for the right time to surface, such as a celestial event. All these dragons can shape their shape to meet their needs, and eat fish and other sea animals, as well as vegetation like kelp. None of the ocean dragons can be tamed or trained. They seem to act on their own accord. They are, for all intents and purposes, immortal. They do breed, but only rarely.

School Dragons: School dragons are perhaps the most mysterious and rare of all water dragons. They never appear on the surface, and only live out in the open ocean. However, from a few solid reports, they are astounding creatures. The school dragons are not one individual dragon, but instead hundreds of thousand of tiny little dragons, all sharing one hive mind. They are named, obviously, for their schooling behavior, and can be found in schools up to one hundred thousand. A central dragon sits in the middle of the school and directs the colony's movement and behavior. All the dragons eat algae and krill shrimp, the queen receiving the best of those foods. Like a hive of bees, some dragons have a specific purpose, like scouts on the farthest edge of the school that warn of coming danger or food. Others breed constantly, either adding to the current school or letting them go off on their own to form their own schools. Because of their rarity, no one has ever trained or tamed a school dragon. Their lifespan is uncertain, since the dragon itself is made of thousands of little ones.