Many thanks to Derik Harris for supporting this project through that patron place. You know the one. Cover art commission from the wonderful Tamplior.
Written in the month of May, Year 2215 A.E.
Dragons are truly fascinating creatures, capable of wielding magic unseen anywhere else in the universe, and they live far longer than any other known sentient species. There hasn't been a moment in mole history without dragons, and the same could be said for every civilization I have encountered. All of us are awestruck and curious, asking questions, and science is all about those kinds of questions, as well as their answers. I am the first mole to live amongst dragons for a half-decade at a time within the past five hundred years, which puts me in a unique position to provide answers. Though my presence here has gone mostly unnoticed by these long-lived giants, my stay barely an eye-blink in their minds, it is a lot of time to me, and I have not been idle. Certainly, there are exceptions to the rule, and these are even more fascinating than their more traditional kin. Before we dive in, I must admit that I have a personal connection to one dragon in particular, and I will show some bias in his favor. He saved my life and my entire realm, the former many times, and it is simply impossible for me to think objectively where he is concerned. I know he's going to read this so -
Thank you, Spyro. For everything.
Firstly we should start at the beginning: dragon eggs. More specifically, how one gets to having dragon eggs, and their effects on the world around them. It should come as no surprise that dragons have a very long and particular fertility cycle, considering they can grow to be well over 100,000 years old. Some believe the outlandish tale that Fairies bring the eggs from the Faewild during the Year of the Dragon due to some cosmic alignment. It is a children's tale here in the Dragon Realms, and nothing more. Dragons do have a close relationship with fairies, but they are completely separate civilizations and handle their own reproduction independently. In fact, the relationship between dragon eggs and the zodiac is reversed, as the Year of the Dragon was set by the dominant dragon clan of the time long before the other zodiac animals were filled in by other species, and that dragons share the wheel of cosmic cycles with mere animals irritates them to no end. It simply takes twelve years for the oldest of the female dragons, known as dragonesses, to become fertile enough to carry a clutch of one, two, or three eggs. Thus, many more eggs are laid in the Year of the Dragon than in any other, since so many dragonesses were fertile in the previous year. Many dragons are laid and hatched at other times, since dragonesses younger than 10,000 years and older than 2,000 can become fertile more often, their cycles between three and ten years 90% of the time. Dragons younger than 2,000 years cannot breed, but this does not imply sexual inactivity.
As for the eggs themselves they must be nurtured for eleven months before they will hatch, give or take one month. Throughout this time the eggs radiate life magic into the world around them, stimulating the environment and powering portal roots throughout the land. The portals which most of us take for granted actually grow into existence over time, and the dragon eggs speed up this process. Partially intangible plants form the portals, and adult dragons or peoples advised by them construct gates from various materials wherever the portals appear to provide some protection from dark magic. If dark magic seeps into the earth itself then the portals can weaken to the point of being unusable, as was discovered during Spyro's campaign against Red, a separate matter that deserves its own document. Furthermore, the sustenance that dragon eggs provide to these portal plants is essential to their function, and they will fizzle out in lands dragons no longer occupy unless a substitute power source exists. While hatched dragons produce less and less of the needed ambient life magic as they grow older, ceasing to do so completely by the age of 20 years, some dragons learn how to harness this energy and direct it outward intentionally, healing the land when it is in dire need.
One great mystery about the portals is what exactly it is that happens when they grow. Some believe that the worlds they lead to already existed, and simply could not be accessed without the portals, but it is possible that life magic is literally birthing new worlds. I speculate that both are true, depending on the realm one occupies. For instance, in Avalar portals form over thousands of years and in pairs without the aid of dragon eggs to speed up the process, and civilizations have usually formed in these worlds in isolation before becoming connected to the rest of the realm. Meanwhile, here in the Dragon Realms, portals often form on their own, leading to places with only plant life or a few dangerous beasts, and these worlds have a very primordial character. Gravity and atmospheric conditions vary in these untouched places, and the portals to them often form in mere centuries. It is possible that the worlds form as the roots do, and are then accessible when the full portal plants have grown. The data enclosed with this document shows the difference in mana signatures for portals of different realms. Interestingly, dragon eggs are capable of powering portals from all known realms, as are Avalarian orbs.
Beyond the eggs we have the young, particularly those less than a century old, colloquially known as zeroes. They have a difficult time relating to their much older parents, and have a lot of growing to do before they integrate into dragon society fully, so they find other ways to spend their time. Microcultures have formed in groups of zeroes and gatherings of others below the age of 2,000 years throughout history, and the forms of these cultures vary by location and the time period. Where dragon parents are more involved with their young, often in hub worlds with many portals and adult dragons, the youth can be observed forming cliques and clubs around particular interests, sports, or various martial or magical disciplines. In our current era there are a great many dragons in the same areas with more neglectful parents, resulting in the formation of gangs which operate outside the law, following their own codes of conduct. The adults look down on these groups with disappointed contempt, but don't bother to interfere unless their own wealth is threatened, making the streets of dragon cities surprisingly dangerous for non-dragons and more benign zeroes. Individual strength is extremely important to dragons, so the surrounding culture of the adults dictates that the young be allowed to form their gangs and thin their own numbers, ensuring only "worthy" dragons survive. There are some orphanages for the rare case of some dragons whose parents have perished in a cosmic conflict, but the protection they provide is only offered to dragons below the age of 33 years.
I am of the mind that these young dragons are all the more magical and fascinating than the adults, and I know I'm not alone in this opinion. While dragons who have lived to breed several times take an aloof stance in the face of most other races, there are many dragon gangs that interact directly and often with other races. Approximately 76% (plus or minus 3%) of all dragon investors are below the age of 2,000 years, and they put their wealth to use funding races with a mind for scientific advancement or magical discovery. Dragons need a large hoard of valuable items, land, or stock to feel fulfilled, so are inclined to take risks to grow their hoards while they are younger. They will inevitably grow to be more reserved with their expenses as they settle for what they gathered in their youth, but the results of these investments benefit all dragon kind, regardless of age. All the latest technology from across the known realms can be found in the Dragon Realms, and the richest of zeroes have the best and most experimental of these technologies. Despite the high mortality rate of these children, they leave the world better than it was, and those few dragons who somehow maintain their youthful spirit into adulthood keep the economies of nearby civilizations booming with their massive donations and huge investments.
The active and adventurous nature of young dragons may be contributing to their abnormally high sex drives, as well as their interactions with species that become sexually mature after less than 20 years. Zeroes often become ready and eager for physical intimacy between the ages of 29 and 35 years, and this interest persists into adulthood. Dragonesses have described to me the state of mind they find themselves in when they are finally mating to breed rather than simply for pleasure, and after their first clutch they tend to be less aggressive in their advances. Male dragons calm over the course of their next half-millennia of life, continuing to mate for pleasure but with less frequency. The sexual activity of the younger dragons will vary from group to group, but many of them stick to the mating traditions of their kin, often times more strictly than the adults due to instinctive pride. Power earns the right to mate in draconic eyes, so pair bonding is not common practice. Instead, dragons perform fair value calculations of one another, and the most powerful dragons will take mates until they have a group of weaker dragons whose collective influence are equivalent to his or her own. If gender plays a role in these internal calculations, it is a minor consideration at most. The exact results of my survey of these sexually active zeroes are included with this document, but in summary there was no statistically significant difference between mating groups led by females as compared to those led by males.
Conflicts often arise between groups of zeroes who have different codes, morals, and beliefs, since they will disagree on the value of potential mates who wish to engage in sex outside of their gangs. This does sadly lead to many deaths, a dragon's passion for a desirable mating arrangement serving as another of many motivators for the "weeding out of the weak" process. This population control is born of dragon culture and their instinctive pride, but it is not necessary in the least. Since dragon eggs continue to fuel the growth of portals to entirely new worlds the dragon population could potentially expand infinitely without consequence. Considering this and the record lows for mortalities amongst the young in the last cycle, it is possible that we will see a massive culture shift away from these fatal contests. Spyro, a hero amongst dragons, is only 32 years old as of this study, and has inspired his peers to focus on external goals rather than their constant in-fighting. I've included my predictions for the development of mortality rates for the next twenty cycles of the zodiac.
As for the adults I know very little. They are not forthcoming with direct answers and often speak in riddles. I know not what the Dream Weavers actually do, or whom the Peacekeepers go to war with every 200 years. I can say that some adults don't fit into the central structures of the dominant dragon clans, and many of these dragons serve as solitary protectors and rulers of their own civilizations, other races forming communities of servile laborers under the dragons' wings and watchful eyes. One thing that most every dragon shares despite where they fit in dragon society is a hatred for dark magic, and those dragons who turn to it are considered perverse abominations. It is a very special circumstance indeed that sees an adult dragon forgiven for using dark magic, and a popular advocate insisting that such a dragon has changed his or her ways is very helpful in this regard. Younger dragons who dabble in dark magic are mostly left alone, as it is believed that the exposure will cause enough pain on its own to encourage such dragons to change their ways before it is too late. This lax attitude seems to work the majority of the time, but if a young dragon becomes exceptionally adept at using dark magic they are quickly snuffed out by teams of Peacekeepers.
Signed,
Professor, The
Note to self: adults still coming off as too unsympathetic? Consider rewording again for third draft. Perhaps push publishing back again for more information on the clans. The Magic Crafters and Dream Weavers are hiding something of importance-
The Professor stopped, setting his pencil aside. Why did I write that down? He thought, viciously scribbling over the post-script. Perhaps it is time that I moved these drafts and data to Spyro's new castle, just to be safe. Thus far the dragons had respected his property and privacy, but with each passing month he grew more paranoid. When he'd met Spyro an example had been set, and he grew to believe that dragons were heroic and noble creatures. Some nights he lied awake, wishing he'd never learned otherwise. At least Spyro will have a good life. He's strong enough to forge his own path. Regardless of his paranoia, the Professor knew that the Dragon Elders had no reason to perceive him as a threat. The thought didn't slow his racing mind by much, and he never noticed that a crumpled up piece of paper had been removed from the trash can by the door.
