Drakuoum – What Kesh call Dragons and Riders.

The following information will tell you what a Dragon Rider is, what skills they have and what their purpose is. I will provide some history on them as well as information on dragons. It will not have everything as I feel that character should learn as they go.

The bond that connects a dragon and its rider is a special one. Not even the dragon-riders know why or how a bond forms, but they do know that it is the choice of the dragon prior to its hatching. The connection that a rider and dragon share is more than just a magical link, they are physically, emotionally and spiritually bond to one-another. 

It is well known that dragons become more powerful the older they get, they get larger and develop diverse magical abilities. The same can be said for a Rider as his bond grows stronger. While young riders are comparable to your regular human, a rider with centuries under his belt is far stronger than half a dozen strong men, quick as lightning with senses on par with some animals. Truly ancient riders even begin to take on characteristics of their dragon, mostly commonly reptilian eyes. Though hardened, scale like skin and pointed teeth and fangs have also developed.

While Dragons do not take on human characteristics they do grow, mentally, as a human might. They are capable of reason, learn to speak and grow as a human might. It’s important to note that Wild Dragons are little more than instinctual creatures. 

True Dragons, as the dragons ridden by their Riders prefer to be called, also develop magical abilities beyond that of their Wild kin. While dragons are magical creatures they do not use magic the same way their Rider does, one will not see a dragon casting spells. Rather, a dragon can influence the natural world around them, be it through animals or plants, though truly ancient dragons can affect the weather in a limited fashion around them.

It’s important to note that True Dragons do not possess the Wild Dragon’s ability to adapt instantly to different environments, such as going from aquatic to volcanic conditions. So while True Dragons are very resistant to magic and weather effects Wild Dragons are all but immune to such things. 

While dragons vary in appearance as much as their human counter-parts the size of a dragon can help in determining their age. Dragon Riders have broken down a dragons age into five categories based on size to help with training, the categories are largely unknown outside of the order.

Hatchlings – Dragons that are under 2 years old, they are usually the size of a large house-cat, are not capable of flight or any other magical abilities. Hatchlings are largely dependent on their Rider at this stage.

Wyrmling – Wyrmlings are larger than a house cat but no bigger than a wolf, they can fly for short periods at this time but cannot yet carry a heavy load. This is the age in which dragons are capable of hunting for themselves. Wyrmlings generally remain as such for over a decade.

Drake – The vast majority of Dragons are considered Drakes, that is to say that they are capable of carrying a passenger but do not possess the terrifying bulk that a Wyrm carries. Drakes are more often than not, sleek and fast. A Dragon grows more slowly once they reach maturity and are considered drakes for over a millennia.  Drakes vary in size but are generally between the size of a large horse and elephant.

Wyrm – A wyrm is the thing of legends, they are as large as a house and are capable of incredibly displays of magic. They do not possess the sleek body that drakes do, and have gained a considerable amount of girth due to muscle over the years. A single Wyrm can be enough to deter a nation from war.

Great Wyrm – The only difference between a Wyrm and Great Wyrm is status, a Great Wyrm is one of the dragons (along with their Rider) that sits on the council of Riders.