Dragons

Dragons are typically large, quadrepedal, winged beasts. They are often over thirty feet from their head to the ground, and they are even larger from head to tail and across their wingspan. Their two hind legs are typically larger and longer than their front ones, often crouched so they can leap into the air to aid their takeoff at any given moment. Their front legs, while smaller, are still bulky and can do significant damage if a dragon ever chooses to swing at potential threats. Their wings are massive and are generally bat-like, with each being larger than the rest of the dragon's body. Most dragons only have two wings, but there are some specific kinds of dragons (such as Bug Beasts) that possess more. However, while this is largely the standard for the appearance of dragons, there is still massive variation in their appearance, as it is more of a broad lable (similar to how bee is a broad term for many kinds of pollinating insects) for many different sub-types of animals.

Draconic genes are dominant over all other, but when two different kinds of dragons compete it is common that the female dragon's genetics take priority over the male's. It is unknown why this occurs, but it prevents hybrid species of dragons from being a major occurrence, which is a significant concern to most dragons.
While most dragons lay eggs, there are a few specific kinds that live birth.

The preferable environment for dragons depends on the kind of dragon they are. Some dragons possess extra layers of fat to protect them from the cold, while others have developed rather rubber-like skin to be able to survive in environments that experience frequent thunderstorms. There are even dragons that are adapted to live in the sea by being more amphibious and having the ability to breathe through their skin.

Dragons used to exist across the entirety of The Surface Realm, being one of the only species that could be found anywhere in Tarnyk. However, after the Great Dragon Purge dragons have become scarse in Ayrath, and it is likely that none remain on the continent. However, some dragons fled to The Under Realm and live there, while many others live on Dracosalus, hidden away from the rest of Ayrath. There are also dragons remaining out in the seas of Tarnyk, as well as some that have taken up residence on islands, and there are likely still dragons present in the second continent, if it truly does exist.

Dragons are among the most intelligent species to ever exist. Their only true intellectual rivals are ancient beings like the Sphinxes, but dragons being at the same level as these ancient beings is impressive with dragons' lifespans being a blip to these other lifeforms. Dragons' intellect is largely due to two main factors: The first is their photographic memory, allowing them to hold onto any knowledge they acquire without worry of losing it. The second is that through some unexplained process, the knowledge a dragon possesses is passed down genetically, meaning dragons not only possess their own knowledge but the knowledge of their parents.

Dragons have numerous abilities beyond that of most lifeforms. The first (and most obvious) is their magical abilities- while different kinds of dragons have different relationships with magic and vary in their abilities, nearly every kind of dragon has a relation to magic in some form. The standard is through breath weapons- they use magic to emit a certain element or substance in their breath, such as fire, ice, lightning, poison, or acid. Others have different forms of magic, such as telepathy, telekenisis, size changing, and invisibility. There are even some dragons that possess multiple of these abilities- although these are, admittedly, rather uncommon.
Dragons also possess heightened senses- they have perfect vision, beyond that of any anthroest, and senses of smell and hearing that can reach miles. They can even detect the slightest changes in their environment, making it near impossible to sneak up on a dragon. They can also sense whenever someone tries to use a mind-based magic on them such as pathokenisis or telekenisis.

It is a widely believed legend that dragons walk among anthroests. Supposedly, there are dragons capable of taking on a humanoid form, which is what allows them to have relations with anthroests. However, there is an element of conspiracy to it, as it is widely believed that dragons took on their human forms during the Great Dragon Purge and have begun to live within anthroest society, waiting for the perfect moment to reveal their presence. However, despite having been a legend for over 300,000 years, it is still unknown to the general population of anthroests whether dragons truly do possess this ability.

Dragons tend to not have issue with interspecies relations with anthroests. There are many dragons throughout history that have had children with anthroests, creating Dragonborns. Dragons have been having children with anthroests for hundreds of thousands of years, although these children only first became known to the people of Ayrath around the year 679 BE, as recorded in an old journal. However, despite dragons' relations with anthroests, there is another kind of interspecies relationship that dragons tend to be far less fond of- relationships between different kinds of dragons. While it has become more acceptable to do since the Great Dragon Purge, it is still widely frowned upon by a large number of dragons.