Dragon

Dragons are a broad group of large reptiles of the clade Draconiformes, known for their ability to breathe fire. They are one of only two surviving lineages of dinosaurs alive today, the other being the birds. Dragons have several important roles as cultural icons across Rathnir and Eldham.

Internal Systematics
As animals, dragons can be split into three families; the Eudraconidae, the six-limbed dragons, Wyvernidae, the four-limbed dragons, and the Apterodraconidae, which consist of various wingless dragons like the lindworms, Aurlûnoren Lûn, and sea serpents.

Hybridization
As far as the hybrid human-dragons go, they are generally assumed to have Wyvernid genetic material combined with their human DNA, merged together via a skilled magic process that has been lost to the centuries. While the Celestial Elves may often bear many draconic features, it is unknown whether or not they are hybrids or merely convergently evolved these traits.

Evolution
The ancestors of modern dragons are hypothesized to have been ceratosaurian theropod dinosaurs which lived during the Lothranic Period roughly 190 million years ago. Many traits possessed by non-draconian dinosaurs included hollow bones, four-chambered hearts, a somewhat endothermic metabolism, air sacs, and an efficient unidirectional respiratory system. These traits allowed for the evolution of powered flight to occur twice in theropods- once in dragons, and once in birds.

The first crown-group dragons appeared in the mid-late Dracian Period, about 155 million years ago. Eodraco avalofensis, discovered in Dracian rocks in Druk Yul, is considered to be the most primitive true dragon known to science. The discovery of Eodraco demonstrates that the first true dragons were indeed hexapodal fliers or at least gliders, and that the wyverns and apterodraconids are only secondarily four-limbed.

Vexillology
Dragons are featured on the flags of many countries, such as that of Druk Yul, Daelyria, the Regnum Drakaes, and the Aurlûnor Velande. The dragon is seen as a symbol of power, and the country often chooses the most well-known dragon species native to the region.

Religion
In Aurlûnor, the Twin Dragon faith regards a pair of celestial dragons as the creators of the world. An unrelated but similarly-named religion known as the Followers of the Twin Headed Dragons exist as well. The Faith of Draconism also focuses on Dragons, however, their "Dragon-Gods" are not thought as Dragons, but the Dragons as holy beings. In Milo Paganism, Dragons of all kinds were worshipped as messages from the gods.

Known Dragon Species
''This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. Names marked with a † represent extinct species.'' Apterodraconidae


 * Andorn Lindworm
 * Aurlûnoren Lûn
 * Great Western Sea Serpent
 * Guojiang Weaseldragon
 * Nebskoslavian Lindworm
 * Phagosian Sea Serpent
 * Tortugan Sea Serpent
 * Varn Torum Seadragon†
 * Oceanum Sea Serpent

Eudraconidae


 * Avalof Sawtail
 * Eodraco†
 * Niedean Nightdragon
 * Phoros Maned Dragon
 * Silver Dragon
 * Serrona Windrider
 * Onthukhan Imperator Dragon

Wyvernidae


 * Daelryan Wyvern
 * Lesser Wyvern
 * The Northern Kaladinian Bloodserpent