Casal Dragon

Casali dragons have six limbs; two wings, four legs. Their necks are long and flexible but sturdy, with a skull best compared to that of a dog or a snake, or somewhere in between. Necks are usually held erect, and the tail is lifted off the ground while walking (fatigued or elderly dragons may drag their tail). Legs are sturdy, ending in five-toed, clawed feet, which sport a moderate amount of fine manipulation that humans may compare to that of a human child. There are ear holes near the base of the skull. Dragons usually have two or more horns growing from the base of their skull. Other horns may appear on the elbows, ankles, the end of the tail, or on the wings.

Dragons have three biological sexes--male (sperm donor), female (egg layer), and neuter (incubator). Each sex accounts for about a third of the population--no sex is significantly less common. Dragons can have growths on their skin that are grouped by outside observers into three categories: feathers, fur, and quills. However, these structures are actually modified versions of each other--quills being the mid-point between fur and feathers. Individuals will only display one of these categories (although some feathers may have fewer filaments or hairs may be harder, bordering on quill-like), or none at all. Usually these growths, if present, will cover only part of the body--usually concentrated along the spine--however coverage can appear anywhere. Due to their mountainous native range, dragons are warm blooded.

The period from insemination to egg-laying is around 1.5-2 months, during which the egg-laying dragon is only incapacitated for the final week or so. Eggs are usually laid in clutches of 4-12, however it is common for as few as half of the eggs laid to hatch. The eggs are then incubated (usually by a neuter dragon) for 4-6 months. Larger clutches usually take longer to hatch (but are usually laid more quickly after insemination). Egg laying dragons will ovulate four times a year, however due to the strain put on their bodies to create and lay fully fertile eggs, most can only successfully lay a clutch once or sometimes twice a year. The other sexes have no such restrains on their reproductive capacities, aside from an incubator's ability to physically incubate a given number of eggs.

Dragons are usually considered sexually mature around age 15, with incubators reaching maturity the earliest and egg layers the latest, on average.

Dragons are largely carnivorous, however they are able to consume plant products. 5-15% of a dragon's caloric intake will be plant-based, however, that ratio may adjust when an individual lives among a more omnivorous society (dragons living among humans, particularly in the Kingdom of Doslia, may gain as much as 40% of their calories from plant-based sources).

Hatchlings and immature dragons will shed as often as once a month, while adults will shed two or three times a year. The shed comes off in large flakes, which individuals may hasten with the use of abrasives or baths. This decrease in shed frequency is one of the key markers of dragon maturity, and perhaps the only one universal across the three sexes.

Dragon leather armor used to be common but now it's seen as largely unethical.

Found on the northern parts of the continent, with the heaviest concentration in the western part of the Casal Mountains

Casali contains pronouns for all three genders/sexes (as well as a singular, gender-neutral pronoun, which is very commonly used, as dragons have minimal distinguishing sex characteristics. When interacting with other cultures and languages, "male" and "female" dragons will usually use the pronouns assigned to the equivalent sexes in those cultures. Neuter dragons may use either set, or a third option, if available, it varies by individual. Gender is not usually a defining feature of dragon culture, especially outside of mating and childrearing realms.

The ideal "nuclear family" for dragons would comprise of one member of each gender. However, this is relatively uncommon. Triads, however, are considered the norm, but these may consist of any combination of genders and sexes. Breeding triads are often two egg-layers and a child-rearer, with a sperm donor who may come from a triad of three sperm donors and only comes around when the egg layers are fertile.