Vorkosigan

She's been reciting this for days. I managed to record it.

At over 12 peds in length, the Fire Dragon in an enormous beast. Its head alone measures some 1 or 2 peds in length, and has an elongated snout. The upper jaw curves slightly down into an almost bird-like point over the lower. Sharp, dagger-like teeth are usually seen coming down from the upper jaw. A horn rises between the two nostrils in the ends of the nose, which commonly release waves of charcoal smoke into the air. Two horns protrude from the chin.

Following the strong jaw of the Fire Dragon, one will see that the back of the shin, near the back of the head, are all lined with horns, fairly irregular, without any sort of pattern to their locations. As though colored by the gas wafting from the nose, the horns on the end of the snout and chin are colored ashen. The horns that protrude from the back of the head are of a slightly lighter coloration. These horns, built upon the same bone forming the snout, pierce the air behind them, being completely straight. In many of the oldest male Fire Dragons, these horns are as long as the dragon’s head, though these appendages tend to be slightly smaller in the female.

The eyes of the Fire Dragon of located on either side of the bone forming its snout and horns. Though the eyes seem small set within the enormous head, they are rather large in comparison to other animals, being several palmspans in diameter. Those who have seen the Fire Dragon remark that they "seem always set in a deep-set glare". These eyes are usually of a golden hue. It is believed by some that the eyes really are gold, merely molten by the intense heat churning inside the beast.

The Fire Dragon does have ears, though they are not easily seen. These ears are merely holes on either sides of the dragon’s head, right behind the back of the jaw. They are covered with the earflap: a tannish-colored piece of skin held by 4 (female) or 5 (male) horn-like spikes that lend it stability.

Spikes protrude from the dragon’s spine, going from in between the two magnificent horns upon its head down to its mace-like tale. These spikes are connected to each other through rubber webbing that is thin yet strong. The edges of the webbing closest to the body are a deep crimson red, moving up to a mightier golden-yellow hue near the edges. These series of spikes and webbing aids the dragon when flying. Usually these spikes are held upward, but bringing them down quickly can give the creature a sudden boost in speed.

The wings of the Fire Dragon reach an enormous wingspan of close to 14 peds. The main bone of the wings is jointed where all the individual pieces of the wing connect. From this joint, a large horn protrudes, incredibly sharp and dangerous. It measures around 2 peds in length, though it exceeds this measurement in some of the older dragons. Some refer to it as the Fire Dragon’s "thorn", as though it is indeed what it looks like. It’s true purpose is vastly unknown, but some think it may be used for spearing creatures. It adorns the wing, as one of the two splits on the main bone at the joint. The other parts of the bone taper off into the wing, serving as a sort of net on which to place the thin skin of the wing. This skin is rather thin, but like the webbing of the back, also very strong and able to heal. The skin itself is a light golden-yellow color.

The Fire Dragon has four limbs, all of which are large and strong and end in claws. The claws of the front legs are extremely long and almost bony if not for their thickness. They end in extremely long claws that are rather straight, almost like the fingers of a hand, before carefully bending downward. These claws are razor-sharp and come in sets of three on each hand. A form claw protrudes from the side, far smaller than the others, just as deadly. It appears to some like a small spear. From the joints of the legs protrude large horns where it is believe that the fifth claw of the Fire Dragon may have drafted and disappeared long ago. The horns, however, will sometimes number more than one, and even up to three depending on age and health.

The Fire Dragon’s tail takes up nearly a third of its total length, and is extremely strong. It acts as one of the dragon’s most deadly weapons, as most never see it coming until a gigantic spikes ball comes plummeting down. Though these spikes are usually very sharp, they tend to get injured in battle and even sometimes by mistake. For this reason, it is rare to find a dragon with all their spikes unless they are very young. The older the dragon, the more breaks and chips in the mace-like tail.

Its scales, which cover the dragons body everwhere, save for the skin, horns, claws, spikes, etc, determine the dragon’s color. These scales vary in shades of red. Some have a deep, deep red that can almost appear as a fiery black color, while others have lighter yet still dark crimson scales. The dark scales of the back grow slowly lighter as the reach the underbelly of the dragon where the scales turn to plates going from the undersides of the dragon's neck down to the tail. Despite the size of these plates, they are still considered by researchers to be scales, merely very large and strong. Each of these large scales comes to a broad point in overlapping. The undersides of the legs are similar in sides, but tend to be more like bands, without the distinctive point. These scales are very smooth, dubbed by some to be even soft. Most of the scales have the feel of being surrounded by a thin coat of skin. Return to the top

Special Abilities. The second reason that the Fire Dragon has earned its name is through its gratuitous use of fire. It has no use of magic whatsoever, but out of all species they have the ability to breathe fire for a longer period of time. Their flames are well feared for often has a village fallen prey to the scorching flames of an angry Fire Dragon. The beast also has an incredibly sense of smell, which can readily identify many different creatures. This combined with a natural aggression and territorial tendencies make them a formidable enemy, and one better left alone. Return to the top

Fighting a Fire Dragon
View picture in full size Image description. A heroic party fighting a Fire Dragon. Picture drawn by Isilhir.
Territory. Fire Dragons most often live inside a volcano, as near to the molten magma as it can get. It is known that Fire Dragons once lived in the volcano Hèckra in the midst of the Sarvonian continent, and it is reported that when the volcano erupted due to the famous "Curse of Fire" of the Helcrani, that a Dragon's roar could be heard from the mountain. It is not known if any Fire Dragons live there now. The only confirmed areas that still houses these dangerous creatures are several volcanoes in the Celeste Mountains in Northern Sarvonia as well as the Volcano Rim of the island kingdom of Qel'tra'loh. Return to the top

Habitat/Behaviour. Fire Dragons are very territorial oriented, both the males and the females. The males tend to live deeper down in the volcano. This is also a sign of the importance given to the different genders. Males, being larger and stronger rule by right of strength. The females also live closer to the opening in the mountain, as they are the main hunters for the group. The Dragons use their wings quite a lot, in fact they use the heat waves from the magma to lift them out of the top of the volcano. Whichever Dragons live together in a volcano are considered a family. Birth family is not considered nearly as important as those picked to be part of the family. One older male, usually with a full black stripe heads this group. Every mating season the younger males may challenge the leader to become the new head of the group. Return to the top

Diet. The females of the family group do most if not all of the hunting. They will take large game such as deer, wild oxen, and even bears. They do not need to eat much, as they seem to get some form or raw energy from the heat of the lava they lair by. It is also a poosibility that they might even drink magma to enhance their strength and fire breathing abilities. Still it is not known if this is the truth or merely a superstition. Return to the top

Mating. Once every few hundred years the mating ritual of the Fire Dragons begins. There are not a certain number of years between each mating season. Rather it is assumed that the forces and flows of the magma in the earth determine the mating time. It is a brutal time, where an old male and young one can be seen locked in aerial combat. This will continue until one of the males has cowed all of the others, and has proven itself to be the strongest. This male will then impregnate all the female Fire Dragons. A female Dragon will lay between one to four eggs. When the eggs hatch, most of the baby Fire Dragons will not survive the intense heat of their new home and will die. This keeps the Fire Dragon population down to just a thousand or so throughout the world. Return to the top