How to dragon

[Vadosity]

I would like to add that while I write rather traditionally shaped dragons - they have four legs, two wings (webbed) and a long tail. I make them different by giving them intelligence, often more than their human co-cast and they never have riders nor are beholden to any. They have their own laws, their own Council and are often turned to by the Kings in the verious Kingdoms as advisers.

They are also often the heroes of the my stories, filling the roles of chosen, knight, whatever and defeating the bad guy. So I think that dragons are as new or as realistic as you want them to be.

 

[Simpson17866]

When you think about how an arm or wing attaches to a body there are lots of muscles and tendons etc. and I can't visualize how a double shoulder would work.

Anyone have any ideas of real animals that have wings and distinct front legs?

This is why I like "wyvern" dragons better than "classic" dragons, but maybe the forelimbs are far enough below the wings that you have four single-shoulders instead of two doubles?

 

[Vadosity]

The thing that has always bothered me about wyverns is how do they stand when on land? If they need to lie down then 1. how do they get off the ground enough to get in the air again and 2. it sort of leaves them at a huge disadvantage when not in flight which seems silly if you consider the fact of how much energy they would use in flying. Also how do they eat? how do they hold their pray when killing it? Front legs are useful!

 

[Simpson17866]

The thing that has always bothered me about wyverns is how do they stand when on land? If they need to lie down then 1. how do they get off the ground enough to get in the air again and 2. it sort of leaves them at a huge disadvantage when not in flight which seems silly if you consider the fact of how much energy they would use in flying. Also how do they eat? how do they hold their pray when killing it? Front legs are useful!

They walk on their wings like bats

 

[Orc Knight]

I'll throw in my two cents on dragons, with my own particular takes on them.

Honestly, it's dragons, unless it's fire breathing dinosaurs (also a cool option, because why not?). Technically, dragons are so varied between east and west I don't see why one can't call wyvern's dragons too. Be it Behemoth or that fire breathing serpent Beowulf fought or the traditional western one that steals princess' and ends up stabbed later on by that bastard in shiny armor.

As for my own, they are creations of a particular old god, or set of old gods, that have some basis in the mammal like reptiles of the Permian era. They are a young race descended from Salamanders. The elemental sort, not the amphibians. The six legged mutation got played around with and created the Drakes, Dragons, Wyverns and even the Serpents of the world of Eld. They kind of played around with them and while still being dragons, they are not an ultimate power in the world. In fact, they tend to end up as food. As a defense, they've got shape shifting abilities and are technically a hermaphrodite species. They also have the weakness for gold, power and sometimes maidens and creating cults that try to power them to be gods. That usually ends in them becoming dead. And trophy's. And likely a lunch for a small army.

 

[Vadosity]

They walk on their wings like bats

Ah... lol

 

[Vadosity]

I'll throw in my two cents on dragons, with my own particular takes on them.

Honestly, it's dragons, unless it's fire breathing dinosaurs (also a cool option, because why not?). Technically, dragons are so varied between east and west I don't see why one can't call wyvern's dragons too. Be it Behemoth or that fire breathing serpent Beowulf fought or the traditional western one that steals princess' and ends up stabbed later on by that bastard in shiny armor.

As for my own, they are creations of a particular old god, or set of old gods, that have some basis in the mammal like reptiles of the Permian era. They are a young race descended from Salamanders. The elemental sort, not the amphibians. The six legged mutation got played around with and created the Drakes, Dragons, Wyverns and even the Serpents of the world of Eld. They kind of played around with them and while still being dragons, they are not an ultimate power in the world. In fact, they tend to end up as food. As a defense, they've got shape shifting abilities and are technically a hermaphrodite species. They also have the weakness for gold, power and sometimes maidens and creating cults that try to power them to be gods. That usually ends in them becoming dead. And trophy's. And likely a lunch for a small army.

Those shiny bastards! Wondering around giving dragons a bad name!

 

[Holman]

Those shiny bastards! Wondering around giving dragons a bad name!

Now there is the title of a book. "The shiny bastards." A story of a murderous cult intent on wiping out all of dragonkind.

 

[Vadosity]

Now there is the title of a book. "The shiny bastards." A story of a murderous cult intent on wiping out all of dragonkind.

That would be a great title! lol. Also would be a great book. I would read it

I have to note that great minds think alike! A future project of mine is a Novella in Flash documenting how dragons go from being Heros to feared and thought of as evil. I was thinking of taking a "humour" tone to it and making it a slander campaign started by the Kings of various kingdoms after some dragons refused to pay "air taxes".

 

[DragonOfTheAerie]

The thing that has always bothered me about wyverns is how do they stand when on land? If they need to lie down then 1. how do they get off the ground enough to get in the air again and 2. it sort of leaves them at a huge disadvantage when not in flight which seems silly if you consider the fact of how much energy they would use in flying. Also how do they eat? how do they hold their pray when killing it? Front legs are useful!

Same as a similar creature like a bird of prey, i'd imagine

 

[DragonOfTheAerie]

Now there is the title of a book. "The shiny bastards." A story of a murderous cult intent on wiping out all of dragonkind.

That *is* a good book title. Sounds as if it's spoken by a grumpy old dragon to another...

Can we please have a story about dragons that can shapeshift to human form and a princess that escapes her marriage to an evil prince to be with a such shapeshifting dragon?

 

[Simpson17866]

That *is* a good book title. Sounds as if it's spoken by a grumpy old dragon to another...

Can we please have a story about dragons that can shapeshift to human form and a princess that escapes her marriage to an evil prince to be with a such shapeshifting dragon?

Yes, please, write it for us

 

[Insolent Lad]

I wrote a tale about a somewhat elderly shape-shifting dragon who attracted unwanted attention from his housekeeper in human form (the fact that he had a rumored hoard hidden away had something to do with it).

 

[Vadosity]

That *is* a good book title. Sounds as if it's spoken by a grumpy old dragon to another...

Can we please have a story about dragons that can shapeshift to human form and a princess that escapes her marriage to an evil prince to be with a such shapeshifting dragon?

Give me two or three days and I will get you that story !

 

[DragonOfTheAerie]

Yes, please, write it for us

I'm trying to write like 20 things in different parts of my brain

 

[Orc Knight]

That *is* a good book title. Sounds as if it's spoken by a grumpy old dragon to another...

Can we please have a story about dragons that can shapeshift to human form and a princess that escapes her marriage to an evil prince to be with a such shapeshifting dragon?

That would rather fit into the entire basis of my Eld world as is. A rather nice twist to the songs and stories. May take a bit but I can see if I can go that route. Though honestly, it's more likely a Dragon Slayer ends up as a dragons lover. Sort of the Buffy thing.

 

[Simpson17866]

Mine is an Urban Fantasy world, so I won't be writing the specific "princess and shapeshifting human-dragon run away together from evil prince" scenario, but shapeshifting is one of the most common forms of magic in my world and dragons are one of the most common species

The average dragon in my world is also far more ethical and compassionate than the average human

 

[Malik]

I'm trying to write like 20 things in different parts of my brain

The way you write, you need to write them all.

Write, goddammit. I want to read your stuff in print.

 

[DragonOfTheAerie]

The way you write, you need to write them all.

Write, goddammit. I want to read your stuff in print.

Will do. Figuring out how to fit a steady writing habit into my schedule my senior year. But I'm gonna make it work.

 

[Simpson17866]

How much could the updrafts created by a dragon breathing fire make up for their generally being too large to fly?