Hotburple-Draco ferrocomedentis
Class: Boulder
Size: 19 feet long, wingspan of 17 feet
Appearance: Color overall is rusty orange overcast with brown, but overall a lighter coloration than the Gronckle.
A bulky, rock-like dragon very similar to its closest cousin the Gronckle (some consider them subspecies of the same species) but with a flatter design on all parts. The body is roughly ovoid and broader than tall, supported by four short, stumpy but very muscular legs ending in blunt paws and short but sturdy claws. The tail is divided into two ovoid segments, the one nearer to the body larger and more elongate than the more rounded, overall spherical section. One might say this species doesn't possess a neck, rather just a massive, flattened ovular head that swivels right off the front of the body. Jaws close in a slight underbite exposing sharp, curving and sturdy teeth, and the nostrils sit just on the side of the shallow rostral bump at the tip of the snout. Eyes are relatively small and rounded but bulbous and extending out of the skull, and set about halfway along the length of the head, just above the mouth where the head flattens out and angled forward. Even with them near the back of the skull is a pair of short wing-like ear lobes. The lower jaw and entirety of the rest of the body are adorned with small rounded wart-like protrusions, notably larger and more evenly sized on the distal section of the tail like the knobs of a mace. Wings are fairly small, though larger than those of a Gronckle, membranous and supported by thick limb bases, and with a short thorn-like claw on the main joint. Typical coloration is rusty orange or greenish with a brown overcast, sometimes leaning red, with a mottled circle pattern of light and dark shades across the wings. Eyes are bright yellow to orange, framing vertically slit pupils.
Fire: Metal-based magma projectiles, with a shot limit of 6.
Flight: Powerful wing muscles allow this dragon to hover expertly, moving in any direction with ease, but not quickly; this is often referred to as the laziest of all dragons, regularly sleeping while in flight.
Hotburples are the couch potatoes of the dragon world, rarely ever walking anywhere but instead hovering until they land, in which case they generally drop to the ground and fall asleep. They are also more capable of staying aloft for great lengths of time while asleep than their cousin the Gronckle is, and they have extremely high stamina in order to manage such a feat, ironically. It is not uncommon for a Hotburple to be encountered literally in the middle of nowhere sleeping like a log while floating several hundred feet in the air, pushed by accidental shifts of its wings or air currents around it. When not constantly acting dead to the world though Hotburples tend to be found in a rather specific environment, mountainous slopes containing rich veins of metal ores. Like their cousins Hotburples also take in earthen material to produce their firepower, but due to their thinner and more evenly shaped teeth this species tends to prefer softer metals rather than rocks and crystals of any old kind. This makes their fire more dangerous however, as molten metal flows easier than rock and is more likely to enter crevices where it can burn without being put out and reach places regular magma cannot. This also makes them extremely efficient at purifying ore, the molten metal extremely strong and versatile once cooled and worked, and Hotburples have powerful scenting capabilities allowing them to locate areas with high metal density and making them invaluable to those of the mining profession.
As one might expect with their snore-rich behavior, the Hotburple is not exactly what you would call an aggressive or violent dragon. Disturbed from a peaceful slumber (which is most times), they can occasionally give short, toddler-like tantrums and pouts which are often tempered by their lack of will to actually get up to show their displeasure, but more often than not they'll soon calm enough to begrudgingly acknowledge whoever has disturbed them, and complete the task asked if that is the reason. Smelters may often have a designated Hotburple sleeping spot next to their forges so they can simply nudge their companions for a shot of new material to work with or relight a forge fire. They are also great snuggling companions for staying warm on long winter nights. Once a Hotburple has bonded with someone though, they can occasionally show extremely loyal, severely protective streaks as well just like the Gronckle. Harm its family, and you might very rapidly find yourself covered in molten metal or simply flattened by the dragon dropping on you from a great height.
A/N-Many of my favorite dragons are coming up very soon, so stay tuned! And as always, make sure to leave a review and let me know what you think!