Next dossier for James Conlon's Age of Monsters. This time it's Legendary: Dragons.
Lindworm
Origins: Europe, Scandinavia
Size: 20 meters long
Type: Dragon
Breath Weapon: Necrotic Venom
Throughout the swamps, bogs, mires and fens of the west lurk the insidious Lindworm, one of the most toxic creatures to ever live. Lindworms are a rare case of an animal being both venomous and poisonous, with their palatal fangs capable of injecting venom through a vicious bite or by spraying it at a distance, and having highly toxic blood containing an milky poison that can ruin sources of freshwater for a generation. Their long serpentine bodies and necks are perfectly adapted to slithering through the plant choked waterways and underwater caves that they lair in, hoarding silver treasure to attract mates. Lindworms only have a pair of forelimbs to help them move on land or through thick mires. The preferred food of the Lindworm is typically fresh water fish and eels, while occasionally snatching up unwary animals that come to drink along the water's edge.
Sea Serpent
Origins: Ocean (Worldwide)
Size: 40 meters long
Type: Dragon
Breath Weapon: Pressurized Water
The largest of all dragons, these serpentine beings rule the high seas, hunting fish, porpoise, sharks, and unfortunately human sailors. These immense dragons can crush small ships in their powerful constricting coils, and their ability to spray a highly pressurized jet of sea water can slice a human being in half. So mighty are these great serpents, that even the Nereid and Merrow avoid them at great cost, needing to call up on greater forces to fend off particularly belligerent individuals. Sea Serpents lair in sea caves that have trapped pockets of air for them to breathe, typically among islands or coastal cliffs. Their preferred treasure horde seems to be pearls that they collect by eating oysters.
Wyvern
Origins: Europe
Size: 15 meters long, 30 meter wingspan
Type: Dragon
Breath Weapon: Fire
The iconic image of the Wyvern is what most people in the west think of when they think of the word “dragon”. While possibly the smallest of the four “true dragons” they are by no means the least feared. Nobody in Europe during the Dark Ages didn’t keep at least one eye on the sky in fear of this monstrous dragon. Wyverns are massive flying dragons capable of traveling many miles from their lairs to hunt for food, and the easiest meals they can catch are livestock. Wyverns are already well adapted to catching wild ungulates, and humans tend to keep them in nice open fields and pens making them all too easy to catch. An adult wyvern has the ability to fly away with a fully grown cow, though young individuals can easily snatch up goats, sheep and deer.
Humans are also under threat from Wyverns because we are the only other creature known to hoard gold, something these dragons seek in order to impress mates. Most Wyverns will lair in mountain caves, far above where most humans live, making them difficult to reach for would be dragonslayers. However it isn't their size, strength, and ferocity that mankind fears most about the Wyvern, it’s their ability to breath fire! An enraged Wyvern can burn whole villages and kingdoms to ash. Those who intrude on a Wyverns lair to steal their gold or eggs and don’t slay the sleeping dragon in the process is considered a crime worthy of execution in every kingdom.
Long
Origins: Southern Asia
Size: 30 meters long
Type: Dragon
Breath Weapon: Lightning
Unlike many dragons, the Long, also known as the Ryu, is a dragon less feared and more revered. The people living beneath these lords of the sky and storms have a healthy respect for these majestic dragons who fly through the air without a need for wings. Seeing a dragon is considered a sign of good luck as they are said to bring rain and good harvest. This is only partially true however. Longs are mostly passive towards humans, and their ability to control the weather does sometimes bring rain and storms but mostly they use it to keep themselves aloft in the clouds where they feel the most comfortable.
They do have lairs however, like most dragons and find themselves safest at the peaks of cloud shrouded mountains.
Long typically feed on birds and deer, and young Long who have yet to fully master flight only need to fear predation from tigers. They do build hordes, mostly of precious gemstones, but normally these are given by local humans that build shrines for them and thus they never need to raid them. However just because these dragons aren't threatened by their local human cohabitants doesn't mean they can’t be wrathful beings from time to time. Those who dishonor the mighty lords of the storm will incur a wrath rivaling that of the Wyvern, bringing with them a thunderstorm and the ability to spit lightning from their mouth with which to smite.
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