Dragon

Despite their enormous variance in appearance, all dragons share a similar underlying anatomy. They are bipedal, walking only on their digitigrade feet (on their toes), leaving their hands (with opposable thumbs) free. They typically count four digits per limb, but some variation is known to exist.

Dragons mostly stand upright, with a posture and body-shape similar to humans, though they often have long necks and always have tails. Their headshape varies greatly, and only some races possess outer ears; others may possess horns, fins, manes, whiskers, or any combination of these.

The tails of dragons are powerfully muscled, and are typically carried above the ground. The flexibility--and thus use--of the tail varies among dragons, with some having prehensile tails whereas others can barely move them due to stiffness, but all use it as a useful tell in body language.

As a sapient species, many traits are dependent on culture, and numerous more based on race. Some dragon races are significantly shorter or taller than the average, and living circumstances can heavily influence weight, height, and life expectancy.

Dragons are a binary-sexed species, though they possess little to no sexual dimorphism; their cloacas leave little visible as well. They possess no breeding season but can reproduce throughout the year, with copulation stimulating the body into ovulating. The fertilized egg will develop into a proper egg over the course of several months. In rare cases, twins may occur, but it is extremely rare for both to survive. More commonly, one will be absorbed by the other or by the body, or both will die.

Once developed fully, the soft-shelled egg will be laid. It then needs to be kept safe and (moderately) warm. For this purpose, it is often either carried by a parent or caretaker (and swaddled well), or kept in a designated room where fire can keep it warm without causing ill to the unborn child.

Dragons spend roughly 2 to 3 months growing in their egg, varying slightly based on a number of circumstances, most notably temperature and size (of the egg and the expected full-grown size). They break through with their egg tooth, which is shed shortly thereafter, barely any smaller than the egg was. A newly hatched dragon is commonly known as a toddler, and are immediately capable of crawling and sometimes even clambering and clinging, but possess little to no language skills. During the first year or two of their life, they develop rapidly, and dragons as young as six months can speak clear words and walk unassisted.

By two years, dragons have a child's grasp on language, and can move around with confidence to the point of self-sufficiently. They are capable of not only walking, but also running, climbing, and jumping. They are roughly equivalent to human children of five.
From this point on, their growth is roughly equal to that of human children. They thus reach their teens around age 10, and reach sexual maturity around age 14-15. Dragons are typically considered adults at age 16, at which point their growth will slow enormously.

Dragons can be found worldwide, their innate magic allowing them to adapt especially well to different environments by forming distinct races. Every culture has their own way of living, and thus the impact they have on their habitat. Some may share the lands peacefully with nature, some may live as nomads and leave no permanent marks, some may terraform their environments to create massive cities and farmlands. It varies greatly, along countless cultures and times.

All dragons are omnivorous and require a balanced diet to thrive. How they acquire said food varies among culture, location, season, and means. Hunting and foraging is common among many dragons, but farming and keeping livestock is also common practice.

All dragons shed, though the number of times varies depending on environment and integument. Scaled dragons typically shed four times a year: once per season, and shed their skins fully like many reptiles. Feathered dragons typically drop their feathers once per year. Furred dragons typically shed twice a year, to swap between summer and winter coats. Dragons with combined integument tend to sync up in this, shedding all integument at once.

Outside of shedding, dragons take little notice of the passage of time and seasons. They don't hibernate or brumate, thanks to their warm-blooded nature and their ability to create protection from the elements.

Found worldwide, their point of origin is uncertain, in part due to their rapid adaptation and evolution. Often, their creation is attributed not to nature, but to deities... and perhaps that is the truth behind their origin.

Dragons are a sapient species with human-level intelligence. Like humans, level of intelligence varies, and individuals may be more or less skilled in specific areas.

All dragons possess the same senses, though the quality of this varies among individuals and races. Mo̊narsh have keen eyesight and an excellent sense of smell, while Khef have poor eyesight but fantastic sense of smell and hearing, and so forth. In modern times mingling of races--and people moving away from their homelands--is quite common, making variance in senses even greater, as their innate magic adapts to their new environments.

A less-known sense is a dragon's ability to sense magic. In many dragons it is weak to the point where they're not even aware of possessing the skill, it is present, allowing them to detect on the strongest sources of magic around: deities, and their artifacts. A harrowing experience, especially to those not used to sensing anything.