Draganean

The Draganean are an old, extinct race, that originated beyond the far northeastern edges of Eldham, approximately 180 million years ago and went extinct some 179 million years ago. Current fossil evidence suggests that a small group of them migrated to Eldham shortly before they went extinct. The extent of their civilization before their extinction is unclear. The only known Draganean to still be alive is Dragon Gryphyn.

Appearance and Physiology
Fossil records indicate that while they were alive, Draganeans had a scaly exterior. Dragon Gryphyn has mostly green scales, but it is unclear whether this is universal or just a variation of scale colors. Fossil records also indicate that Draganeans could live up to 50,000 years without the use of ᔑリ╎ᒲᔑ ℸ ̣ ∷ᔑリᓭꖎᔑℸ ̣ ╎𝙹 (Anima-Translatio), and that they could grow up to 8' in their prime (roughly 10-13 thousand years of age). After 20,000 years of age, Draganeans start morphing to look more and more like dragons, steadily growing in a pair of wings, with their body becoming more and more into the structure of a snake. Around 50,000 years of age, the process will be fully complete, and Draganeans will completely become dragons, losing most if not all of their intellegince. Anima-Translatio is process that stops the transformation. While the exact details have been lost to the sands of time, Dragon Gryphyn believes it is an advanced form of soul magic that acts as a way of reincarnation.

History and Extinction
The exact cause of extinction of the Draganean race is unclear, however, fossil records show that the first dragon fossils were only a few thousand years younger than the last Draganean fossil. This indicates that Draganeans may have devolved into dragons.

Alternatively, they may have wiped themselves out using some form of advanced magic. Two fossils show that an undiscovered element was imbued directly into the bones of of the Draganeans (see the properties below). This implies that this element may have been used as some sort of magical weapon, or that the Draganeans used the element for some recreational use.

The Element
The exact properties of this are unclear, however when a large quantity of this element are dissolved into water or lava, then that liquid starts to float into the air. This effect has been demonstrated in The Rotorblades, where the element in the air also has caused several islands to start floating in the sky. Exposure to high quantities of this element can make any Draganean go into a trance like state (Dragon Gryphyn has done this several times). After coming out of this state, Dragon Gryphyn describes that he was having, "such a wonderful dream," where visions of massive dragon-like creatures (unclear whether these are dragons or Draganeans) frolic under magical golem creatures. Almost always towards the end of this dream, a massive cloud comes down and destroys all of the dragon-like creatures, save for the dreamer. Subjects in the same area of Dragon Gryphyn during this dream will notice a slight buzz in their ears.

Dragon Gryphyn claims to know more about Draganean culture and history every time he comes out of this dream, and he currently believes that this element plays a crucial part of Anima-Translatio.

Culture and Anima-Translatio
Most of the culture of the Draganean have been lost to time, but due to Dragon Gryphyns divinations using the element. some fractured parts of Draganean culture have been found.

Draganeans used to follow a philosophy based around a mixture of scientific discovery and magical divinations that rapidly advanced their civilization in technology, ethics, philosophy, and the arts. They were ruled by a council of seven elder Draganeans, who were usually 45,000 years of age, and at this age were looking more like dragons and less like Draganeans, but still maintaining their sentience. The Draganeans also created many different magical golems, that were powered by a mixture of the element and their own souls. Shortly before the extinction/devolution of their species, Dragon Gryphyn believes that six out of the seven of the Draganean elders transferred their souls into several of the most powerful golems, while the seventh refused. It is unclear as to why, but the seventh elder refusing to join the other elders in golems created a schism in the species, and shortly after this, the Draganean species went extinct.