Dragon

All adult dragons produce eggs. Over its lifetime, a dragon can produce anywhere from one to four clutches, each consisting of one to four eggs. The dragon will hold onto a given clutch of eggs until a sufficiently magic-rich area can be found in which to lay them.   Most dragon eggs resemble geodes. The look like plain, roughly spherical rocks on the outside but have a brilliant crystalline structure on the inside. They typically range in size from 15cm to 1m, rarely getting as large as 3m.   The crystals in the act as a matrix that holds the small amount of dragon magic imparted upon it by the parent and further absorbs the ambient magic of the surrounding area. If an egg is opened before the dragon magic can coalesce into a nymph, the energy will remain trapped within the crystals and never form into a dragon nymph, thus spoiling the egg.   As a dragon egg absorbs the ambient energy, the dragon spark blends with the absorbed energy, nourishing the spark. After sufficient energy has been absorbed (typically 25–200 years) the energy finally coalesces into a physical manifestation—a nymph. The stored energy continues to transfer to the nymph until there is no magic left in the crystals. This triggers the catastrophic failure of the containing stone and the dragon nymph emerges.   A dragon nymph appears as a smallish lizard, no more than 40cm long. The specific appearance varies from nymph to nymph, influenced by the parent, the environment it grew in, as well as the specific formation of the crystals within the egg. Thus, all dragon nymphs are unique. However, they do all share a catlike curiosity and a tendency to explore and frolic with the world around them. They stay within magic-rich areas, as they feed on magic energy. They continue to be influenced by the world as they approximately double in size. As they grow, their intelligence rapidly increases. They go from a kitten-like intelligence to near human intelligence in the span of a few years.   The nymph remains close to the magic area until it has grown strong enough to construct its chrysalis. This is done with a combination of plant material, stones, crystals (particularly joto crystals) and other minerals, something resembling saliva, and raw magic. This chrysalis is typically twice the size of the nymph, anywhere from 1.5m across to 5m. Every attempt will be made to blend the enclosure into the surrounding landscape. The nymph completes the chrysalis by sealing themselves in. They then enter a state of hibernation, in which they remain for about a year. During this type they grow and transform into a immature dragon.   When they transformation is complete, the juvenile dragon emerges by consuming the materials of the chrysalis, usually over the period of several days, incorporating the additional magic absorbed into the materials into their own bodies, growing in size by an additional 30 % to 50%. The young dragon starts the rest of its journey at 2m to 6m long.   The dragon, now fully an intelligent creature of magic, lives primarily on ambient energy, preferably magic, but geothermal, solar, and other forms of natural energy can provide a form of subsistence for the dragon. Too little energy and the dragon enters a form of stasis or hibernation.   There are currently four adult dragons that exist in the world. Three of them are known to other intelligent beings. One is not.