Post by Master Account on Dec 18, 2009 13:51:29 GMT -5
all information is taken from the book Draconomicon used for the rpg Dungeons and Dragons and is copyright to its respective owners. LTFB is neither claiming it as our own nor wishing it to be perceived that way.
Dragon Life Cycle
Barring some misfortune, a dragon can expect to live in good health for 1,200 years, possibly even a great deal longer, depending on its general fitness. All dragons, however, start out as humble eggs and progress through twelve distinct life stages, each marked by new developments in the dragons mind, body, or behavior.
Eggs
Dragon eggs vary in size depending on the kind of dragon. They are generally the same color as the dragon that laid them and they have the same immunities as the dragon that laid them (for example, black dragon eggs are black or dark gray and impervious to acid). A dragon egg has an elongated ovoid shape and a hard, stony shell.
A female dragon can produce eggs beginning at her young adult stage and remains fertile through the very old stage. Males are capable of fertilizing eggs beginning at the young adult stage and remain fertile through the wyrm stage.
The eggs are fertilized within the female's body and are ready for laying about a quarter of the way through the incubation period, as shown on the table below. The numbers given on the table are approximate; actual periods can vary by as much as 10 days either way.
| Egg Size | Length | Weight |
| Tiny | 1 ft | 1 lb |
[tr][td]Small[/td][td]2 ft[/td][td]8 lbs[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Medium[/td][td]4 ft[/td][td]60 lbs[/td][/tr][/table]
| Breed | Ready To Lay | Total Incubation | Size |
| Black | 120 Days | 480 Days | Tiny |
| Blue | 150 Days | 600 Days | Small |
| Brass | 120 Days | 480 Days | Tiny |
| Bronze | 150 Days | 600 Days | Small |
| Copper | 135 Days | 540 Days | Tiny |
| Gold | 180 Days | 720 Days | Medium |
| Green | 120 Days | 480 Days | Small |
| Red | 165 Days | 660 Days | Medium |
| Silver | 165 Days | 600 Days | Small |
| White | 105 Days | 420 Days | Tiny |
Laying Dragon Eggs
Dragon eggs are laid in clutches of two to six as often as once a year. Ovulation begins with mating and a female dragon can produce eggs much less often, if she wishes, simply by not mating. Mating and laying eggs can happen in almost any season of the year.
Most dragon eggs are laid in a nest within the female's lair, where the parent or parents can guard and tend them. A typical nest consists of a pit or mound, with the eggs completely buried in loose material such as sand or leaves. A dragon egg's ovoid shape gives it great resistance to pressure, and the female can walk, fight, or sleep atop the nest without fear of breaking her eggs.
Dragons sometimes leave their eggs unattended. In such cases, the females takes great care to keep the nest hidden. She or her mate (or both of them) may visit the area containing the nest periodically, but they take care not to approach the nest too closely unless some danger threatens the eggs.
Hatching Dragon Eggs
When a dragon egg finishes incubating, the wyrmling inside must break out of the egg. If the parents are nearby, they often assist by gently tapping on the eggshell. Otherwise, the wyrmling must break out on its own, a process that usually takes no more than a minute or two once the wyrmling begins trying to escape the egg. All the eggs in a clutch hatch at about the same time.
Properly tended and incubated eggs have practically a 100% hatching rate. Eggs that have been disturbed, and particularly eggs that have been removed from a nest and incubated artificially, may be much less likely to produce live wyrmlings.
Wyrmling (Age 0–5 Years)
A wyrmling emerges from its egg fully formed and ready to face life. From the tip of its nose to the end of its tail, it is about twice as long as the egg that held it (the actual size of the wyrmling depends on variety of dragon).
A newly hatched dragon emerges from its egg cramped and sodden. After about an hour, it is ready to fly, fight, and reason. It inherits a considerable body of practical knowledge from its parents, though such inherent knowledge often lies buried in the wyrmlings memory, unnoticed and unused until it is needed.
Compared to older dragons, a wyrmling seems a little awkward. Its head and feet seem slightly over-sized, and its wings and tail are proportionately smaller than they are in adults.
If a parent is present at the wyrmling's hatching, the youngster has a protector and will probably enjoy a secure existence for the first decades of its life. If not, the wyrmling faces a struggle for survival.
Whether raised by another dragon or left to fend for itself, the wyrmling's first business is learning to be a dragon, which includes securing food, finding a lair, and understanding its own abilities (usually in that order).
A newly hatched wyrmling almost immediately searches for food. The first meal for a wyrmling left to fend for itself is often the shell of its egg. This practice not only assures the youngster a good dose of vital minerals, but also provides an alternative to attacking its nest-mates. Wyrmlings reared by parents are often offered some tidbit that the variety favors. For example, copper dragons provide their offspring with monstrous centipedes or scorpions. In many cases this meal is in the form of living prey, and the wyrmling gets it s first hunting lesson along with its first meal.
With its hunger satisfied, the wyrmling'g next task is securing a lair. The dragon looks for some hidden and defensible cave, nook, or cranny where it can rest, hide and begin storing treasure. Even a wyrmling under the care of a parent finds its own section of the parent's lair to call its own.
Once it feels secure in its lair and reasonably sure of its food supply, the wyrmling settles down to hone its inherent abilities. It usually does so by testing itself in any way it can. It tussles with its nest-mates, seeks dangerous creatures to fight, and spends long hours in meditation. If a parent is present the wyrmling receives instruction on draconic matters and the chance to accompany the parent during its daily activities. Wyrmlings on their own sometimes seek out the older dragons of the same kind as mentors. Among good dragons, such relationships tend to be casual and often last for decades (a fairly short period by dragon standards). The youngster visits the older dragon periodically (monthly, perhaps weekly) for advice and information. Evil dragons, too, often counsel wyrmlings that are not their offspring-evil dragons lack any sense of altruism but usually understand the role of youth in perpetuating the species. No matter what kinds of dragons are involved, such mentor-apprentice relationships require the younger dragon to show the utmost respect and deference to the older dragon, and to bring the mentor gifts of food, information, and treasure. Should the older dragon ever come to view the apprentice as a rival, the relationship ends immediately; when evil dragons are involved, the ending is often fatal for the younger dragon.
Very Young (Age 6–15 Years)
By age 6, a dragon has grown enough to double its length, though its head and feet still seem too big for the rest of the body. It becomes physically stronger and more robust. Many dragons relocate at this stage anyway, especially if they do not have parental support. (After the dragon has hunted in an area for five years, the location of the original lair might have become known to outsiders, or the area around the lair could have become depleted of prey.)
In most ways, a very young dragon remains much like a wyrmling, albeit more confident in itself.
Young (Age 16–25 Years)
By age 16, most dragons begin a new growth spurt that eventually carries them to their adult size–though they still remain a wyrmlings overlarge head and feet. Their intellects become sharper as they gain life experience and master their innate abilities.
At this stage, a dragon begins to feel the urge to collect treasure and to establish a territory (though it might well have done both sooner). In some cases, however, a young dragon continues to share its lair and its territory with nest-mates or parents. Dragons that leave the nest when they become young often range far from their home lairs, seeking locales where they can set up housekeeping of their own.
Juvenile (Age 26–50 Years)
By age 26, a dragon is well on its way to adulthood. It has nowhere near the physical power of an adult, but it has an adult's body proportions. Some species exhibit the first of their magical powers at this stage.
Young Adult (Age 51–100)
As it passes the half-century mark, a dragon enters adulthood (although its body keeps growing for many more years). It is ready to mate, and most dragons lose no time in doing so.
By this age, a dragon's scales have developed into armor formidable enough to turn aside all but magical weaponry or the teeth and claws of other dragons. A young adult dragon also masters its first spells and shows evidence of a formidable intellect.
A young adult dragon severs its ties with nest-mates, mentors, and parents )if it has not done so already) and establishes its own lair and territory.
Adult (Age 101–200 Years)
During the second century of its life, a dragons physical growth begins to slow–but its body is just entering its prime. With the dragon's initial growth spurt over, the dragon's body becomes even more powerful and healthy. An adult dragon continues to hone is ment faculties and masters more skills and magic.
At this stage in life, a dragon is most likely to take a long-term mate and share its lair with a mate and offspring.
Mature Adult (Age 201-400 Years)
When a dragon passes the two-century mark, its physical and mental prowess continue to improve, though it usually undergoes little obvious physical change. By this stage of life, a dragon is truly a force to be reckoned with–and it knows it.
Mature adults display a degree of self-confidence that younger dragons lack. Mature adults seldom seek out danger just to prove themselves (except, perhaps, against other dragons). Instead they act with confidence, often launching schemes that take years to complete.
Because of a mature adult's power, wealth, and age, it seldom remains unnoticed in the larger world. Its name often becomes known, at least among other dragons, and it often becomes the target of rival dragons or adventurers. One of a mature adult's first orders of buisness is to review and improve the defenses in its lair. Often, the dragon relocates as a matter of prudence. The dragon never chooses its new lair hastily, and usually includes in its plans some scheme to secure more treasure. Bard's tales of dragons destroying kingdoms and seizing their treasuries often have their roots in true accounts of what happen when a mature adult is on the move.
Old (Age 401-600 Years)
By the time most dragons reach this age, their physical growth stops, though they become even more hardy, and their minds and magical powers continue toe expand with the passing centuries.
Old dragons usually being to show some outward signs of aging: Their scales begin to chip and crack at the edges and also darken and loose their luster (though some metallic dragons actually take on a burnished appearance), and the irises in their eyes begin to fae, so that their eyes begin to look like featureless orbs.
Most old dragons continue to hone the patient cunning they began to develop as mature adults. Though quick to defend what they regard as their own, they seldom rush into anything, preferring instead to plumb the possibilities in any situation before acting.
Very Old (Age 601-800 Years)
After passing the six-century mark, a dragon becomes even more resistant to physical punishment. It begins mastering potent spells and magical abilities. this is the last stage of life in which female dragons remain fertile, and most females attempt to raise two clutches of eggs before their reproductive period runs out.
Ancient (Age 801-1,000 Years)
By this stage, female dragons have reached the end of their reproductive years. Many females compensate by mentoring younger dragon of the species, as do many males. Ancient dragons have little to fear from much younger dragons that have not yet reached adulthood, and they have much wisdom and experience to pass on.
Most dragons at this age have minds to match the best and brightest humans, they can tap into vast stores of knowledge, both practical and esoteric.
Wyrm (1,001-1,200 Years)
Surviving more than a thousand years is a grand accomplishment, even for dragons, and this stage is a great milestone in dragon life. Even among rival dragons, a wyrm command at least grudging respect. Male dragons at this age are reaching the end of their reproductive years, but their exalted status among dragons practically guarantees them mates. Younger females often establish territories adjacent to a male wyrm for mating, protection, and to make easy for offspring to gain the wyrm as a mentor.
Great Wyrm (Age 1,201+ Years)
When a dragon passes the twelves-century mark, its mental and physical development is finally at an end, and the dragon is at the peak of its physical, mental, and magical powers.
Death
Exactly how long a dragon can live after reaching the great wyrm stage is a matter of some debate (some scholars contend that a dragon lives forever). Unfortunately, dragons themselves are not help in this matter. They keep no business records and are apt to exaggerate their ages.