They first only lived within volcanic caverns where the perpetual glow of magma gave them light (hence bad night vision). And yes, there was some eruptions, but these were easily avoidable as signs of a volcano's wrath were easy to spot, there were refuges where dragons could wait out, and unmovable poles to support caverns kept their homes safe. This ecosystem fed off chemosynthesis and resulted in huge fungi trees. And prey for the cave-dwelling summer dragons. (Unimportant because they all die anyway later on) They were afraid to venture out because incidents had occurred where rainwater would flood a chamber and drown/poison any dragons unlucky enough to be there. These seinet beings learned to make metal objects and harness the power of fire. One day a massive earthquake (like a REALLY big one. We're talking 12.0 "rip apart, end-of-the-world, 2012" quake) caused the caverns, and the entire volcano, to collapse and forced the summer dragons into the world above. This also destroyed all written records they left behind of their existence in the caverns underground. (city name to be verified) And yes they do have a writing system. I'm thinking of basing it off Mesopotamian symbols.

Lucky for them they came out into a desert. Back then, summer dragons were all beige, blueish-beige, or a dark shade of red. Unfortunately for the red and blue ones massive birds of prey spotted the them easily and make a meal of them. These dragons became rarer as the population as a whole tried to start life anew. They had once built metal buildings in their underground city but that wouldn't work here. It got really hot during the day and frigid cold during the night. It wasn't the heat that was a problem, it was the cold. THEY CAN'T STAND THE COLD WHATSOEVER. Well, they can get used to a mild temp like 50 F but snow? No. They are reptiles that simply can't handle anything below 30 F. They don't go into an automatic hibernation like snakes.

So they got into the habit of making heating systems. Heaters, fire-pits, and other methods. This lead to a life-style change- a dependence on industry and exploration. Up in the desert, their source of liquid substance came in a different form than the water that rained down in massive winter storms every couple of years. These storms would last maybe a week and the rest of the year was dry as a bone. The number of populace grew and shrank as sources of water were found, new diseases plagued them, giant birds descended from above, and industrial scientists discovered new ways to construct buildings and keep a consistent source of heat during the night hours. There wasn't much wood to burn in the area so they had to test many metals and any other sources available to them. (This would also include a method similar to burning "cow pies". You can see why these dragons were having a rough start)

But over the decades things settled. Red and blue dragons learned to stay indoors within their metal houses and work as servants, always cleaning and watching over the young ones of their beige masters (i'm sure they could have done other things... This idea is still being developed). This slowly spiraled into an idea that red and blue dragons were inferior. Eventually, medicine improved a little. Over trial and error they learned some remedies that the desert plants were good for. I won't go into specifics but they lessened the stress of doctors in the young nation. Backing up a little, as the situation got better in the founded town, some dragons got the idea of expanding. The idea quickly spread, along with the idea of exploring the area beyond the desert. One idea led to another and before anyone knew it red and blue dragons wanted to leave altogether. When the leader of the town pointed out that the birds of prey would devour them if they left the area one replied. (the society is a bit sketchy... will get to that)

"Being mauled in the doing of our independence is more honorable than being treated like lowly worms!" (The dragon probably said this in a better way but you get the point)

In this way red and blue dragons quickly made an exit, called the Mass Departure. (might chance the name) Many of them indeed died at the talons of great birds and tribulations of travel but some (70 individuals) were able to make their way south (following the mountain range) to a cooler but milder climate. After a month of flying (they spend almost all their time traveling) and struggling in a world not meant for them, they came, weary and exhausted, to the coast. But, a decent sized cove proved to be a perfect home.

The dragons here set up a village on the sea cliffs and adopted new customs. They had little use for metal since it rusts in humid areas.

Anyway, their industry changed. Stone was used instead. Metals were too much trouble to dig up when the village needed to settle in. After a time though, they were settled enough to mine some metal for things like buckles and pots, pans, ect. This was used minutely because it was such a hassle to mine it out when getting food was most important. They are now thriving and have lived there for 10 generations. The dragons know about the desert city, which has become a nation by now, but none are allowed to venture out of the bay unless on a fishing trip out in the ocean or gathering fresh water. (general safety. Or is it? Not sure yet...)