Dragons Physiology

General description

First off is aging, and how it relates to the story. Dragons reach the human equivalent to about 25, and the aging process nearly stops. Dragons can live to thousands of years old and in the right conditions sometimes do. However there is no known case of a dragon dying of old age. Dragons are by no means immortal however, and arguably more fragile that humans. They are more sensitive to temperature due to their large wings acting as blood radiators. They also have more fragile skeletons due to the hollow bones evolved for flight. They can die from injuries, disease or infection just as any creature. Like humans they can also contract cancers, disorders or other life ending problems.

They are a reptilian species standing between 5 and 6 and a half feet to the top of the head (not including horns) with a tail typically twice the length of the torso, and wings that come from just below the shoulders on the back. Wingspans are typically 10 feet per side, totaling 20 feet when fully spread, but can be tucked in to the width of the torso. Spikes start at the end of the shout and increase in size slightly over the head, following down the neck, spine and tail, decreasing in size for the last few. The end of the tail has a soft cartilage spade, which is a secondary flight organ. These spades vary greatly in size and shape between individuals. That size and shape is often hereditary. Two horns extend form the back of the skull, they vary in length but are typically 6 inches to 2 feet long. A line of two or three spikes line up down the length of the snout, the furthest on being largest. The jawline usually has 3 to 5 spikes, and the chin has one to 7 spikes.

Gender differences

To the human eye dragons are very androgynous and even among other dragons it is difficult to tell the difference from visual cues alone. The only differences between males and females is voice, many females have slightly wider hips and a more narrow waist, and of course genitals. However the genitals are concealed within for this species. Often a slimmer male with an effeminate voice may be mistaken as female, or a female with a deeper voice and square build may be mistaken for male. Essentially the only way to be completely sure is to “check”. Due to the androgyny social gender roles are usually pretty neutral with some exceptions, such as parental roles.

Coloration

Most of the population is green in color, shades vary slightly. The belly, chest, and under tail are typically gray, with a tint of their main color. About 75% of the time, wing membranes are also the same color as the front of the body, otherwise they are the same as the rest of the body. Horns and spikes are always white, except for the facial spikes, which may darken for negative emotion, or blush pink or red for emotions that typically cause a human to blush, embarrassment, arousal, ect. Facial Spikes often glow with elemental energy if the dragon is capable and using such powers. Eye sclera are black, and Iris colors vary from dragon to dragon. Genetically every dragon carries genes for other colors, but they rarely present. Yellow/gold secondary color (instead of gray), 1 in 50 Red and Blue: 1 in 4 Orange: 1 in 100 White (Hypomalistic) or Black (Hypermalistic): 1 in 10,000 Gold (yellow): 1 in 100,000 Purple: 1 in 1,000,000

Coloration of white, gold and Purple have social implications. Aside from exceptions of inbreeding in certain families (Titan’s family for example) the appearance of these colors seems completely random. Purple Dragons are considered demons, and are typically outcasts Gold dragons are seen as prophets or demigods White dragons are considered natural leaders, either in business, politics, or religion. Black Dragons are considered naturally more intelligent and artistic, and are often engineers of some kind. Orange Dragons are usually seen as mechanically inclined, often in repair or manufacturing roles. Red dragons are seen as warriors, or defenders, naturally stronger, and are often in military or athletic roles Blue Dragons are often seen as care givers, often becoming involved in medical, cooking, or provision (farming, animal husbandry) roles

However as time went on, these ideas grew old and eventually mostly left public opinion, aside from purple dragons still often lead a solitary life, and are even still sometimes denied services, to the point some may cover up or otherwise disguise themselves, even to the extent of dying their scales.

About 5% of the population has no spikes.

Typical clothing

As dragon bodies are complex, the clothing is either extremely simple, or vastly complex. The vast majority of the general population wears a simple loincloth, usually with a poncho like top, or hooded caplet. This simple top allows for easy wing and arm movement while providing some protection form the elements. Despite this clothing being simple it is often branded, as their extreme late stage capitalist society put brands and logos on everything.

Formal wear or religious garb is much more complex. The former sharing a plain color look surprisingly similar to human suits, but with large difference such as wing sleeves and tail “pants”. Lacking a tie like humans suits, they do often have lapels, bearing the logo of the company they work for. Religious garb is typically draped over the body like a dress, but comprises of many parts to cover the various parts of the body in very decorative ways.

Hazmat suits, space suits, specialty wear for certain occupations becomes wildly complex to house the extra extremities. Often wings are held enclosed tightly in these types of protective suits.

Shedding

Adult dragons shed once every 6 months. Healthy dragon sheds will come off in mostly a single piece, like a gecko or snake, but unhealthy dehydrated dragons may cause the shed to flake off in multiple dry crusty pieces. For younger adolescent dragons this occurs every 2 to 3 months as they are still growing. For young dragons this occurs every month or more if the dragon is experiencing a growth spurt. Soaking in water before and during a shed will help it become loose and come off easier.

Growth and development;

Dragons come from eggs about the size of a soda can. They are extremely small when they hatch, much smaller than a human infant, however unlike a human infant dragons hatch from the egg “fully functional” They can immediately crawl and even with their small size can often walk withing a few days of hatching. Infant and young dragons crave a lot of meat and need to eat often. They grow much faster than a human child in the first 5 years, actually exceeding human child size between the ages of 5 and 10. Growth slows down after that and continued until about the age of 20.