Though I don't yet know how they will fit into my story, I have a race of dragons in my world.
Dragons are rare, living in small tribes in caves in the mountains. Like most reptiles, they never stop growing, and, after a lifespan of about thirty years, can grow to a length of more than thirty feet from nose to tail-tip. Twenty feet long is the most common.
Due to their stony habitat, dragons' backs have dark, muted coloration, usually dull, dark red with a pattern of grey and black triangle-shaped spots. The underside, however, is a bright yellow, with patterns of small bright red and black scales along the edges.
The dragon's body type is similar to a lizard's, though they carry themselves a bit higher off the ground than lizards do. Dragons usually crawl and scamper along the ground, and are good climbers, but when they want to go a great distance, they unfurl their large, black wings and take to the sky. They are capable of standing on their hind legs, using their long, powerful tails to brace themselves up. This position is useful when they need to use their knobby, scaly clawed hands.
Dragons are carnivores, and need to eat several times a year (more often if they fly a lot). They usually sustain themselves with wild goats and other small animals who live in the high mountains. Their favorite hunting tactic is to imitate the calls of their prey and lure it close, then pounce from a hiding place.
When food is scarce, dragons have been known to fly down to the inhabited parts of the country and kill farm animals. Since most dragons cannot support additional weight while flying, they usually eat on the spot and then escape, not wanting trouble from the humans. However, though it is extremely rare, some dragons go rogue and start hunting people.
A man-eating dragon usually hunts for the thrill of it, not for survival. He will hide near people for months at a time, and learn to imitate the language of his prey. Then he will seek out a human who is alone, such as a shepherd or field hand, and speak words of friendship to him. After he has his trust, the dragon will lead him away from the town for the feast.
You see, my dragons have no soul or conscience. Though they are highly intelligent, they are purely animal, thinking only of day-to-day pleasures and needs. In my world, if a man is sadistic, treacherous, or cruel, he is said to be worse than a dragon.
Like I said, I don't know what role dragons will play in my story, but they have been fun to develop. I need help with the wings, though. How can I make them plausible? How big do they need to be, etc. Any other questions?
|
How embarrassing. 
I'm full of those. 