Shivan Dragon

On the island continent of Shiv, there is a legend about the creation of the continent, and the birth of the three races which inhabit it. In this legend, it is said the first of the dragons of Shiv were born from the air, and have ruled it ever since. On this point, the Shivan dragons would be inclined to agree. Believing that they have a divine right to rule the air above the land of Shiv, and preferably the air above all lands, the Shivan dragons are powerful and haughty creatures, capable of being terribly fearsome. But in rare times, when the dragons come under the sway of a charismatic and capable leader, they turn into the greatest defenders of Shivan freedom and independence.   Of the Fire The Shivan dragons are known to come in a variety of colors, representative of the same varied breeds of dragon to be found in other lands. But unlike these other dragons, most Shivan dragons can only unleash gouts of fire from their maws, rather than calling upon other elements. Unlike the common red dragon, which requires a short time between breaths to blast fire at its enemies, the Shivan dragon is capable of unleashing its flames far more frequently. The bites of the Shivan dragon come from a mouth filled with both razor-sharp teeth and blasting heat, and they are even capable of launching balls of fire at large ranges with pinpoint accuracy.   Of the Air The belief of Shivan dragons in their dominance over the skies is fairly well-founded, as few creatures as populous of the dragons of Shiv are capable of such acrobatic displays. The shape of a Shivan dragons wings allows it to fly at higher speeds than most other dragons, while the structure of their muscles allows them to keep gliding for hours on end, meaning few other airborne creatures are capable of escaping the pursuit of a Shivan dragon. While many have looked with envy on these displays of aerial power, and more have come up with the clever idea of taming a Shivan dragon as a mount, rare is the Shivan dragon that would deign to help a lesser race, and rarer is the one that would ever carry a lesser race on its back. For many Shivan dragons, a quick death would be preferable to such an action of servitude.   Lords of Shiv For the Shivan dragons, a core part of their mythology is the existence of five primal dragons, said to be the origin of all other Shivan dragons. Though the primal dragons died many centuries ago, the legends of the Shivan dragons state that the primal dragons are reborn after they die. These reborn primal dragons are supposedly destined to rule over all other Shivan dragons, leading them into an era of great prosperity. Because of this, the dragon lords of Shiv, the largest and most powerful dragons, often try to claim themselves as being one of these reincarnations, in the hope the claim will give them legitimacy in their rule. Such stories are rarely ever found to be based on truth, and are almost impossible to verify unless all of the reincarnated primal dragons are brought together, but few who decide to serve the dragon lords ever care otherwise.