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Description
Dragons are always grand creatures that catch the attention of everyone around them. If you ever are looking for a tale about giant beasts and terrifying hunts, then you will most likely get a story that stars a dragon in them. Even the term "dragon" is used so much for monsters and beasts that it has practically become synonymous with them! I know I have said this many time, but such usage of the word "dragon" as gotten to the point where it rarely actually refers to the fire-breathing reptiles everyone thinks of. Now we have it where you need to specify if you are talking about a true dragon or a dragon beast whenever you bring them up! The difference being that "true dragons" are your reptilian creatures, while "dragon beasts" refer to pretty much anything that has the name "dragon" slapped on it. We already talked about things like Venom Dragons, which are just tiny mollusks that people overreacted about, and the Slime Dragon, which is...well, a Slime. In this entry we are going to talk about Bone Dragons, which are another species that people freaked out about and threw in the dragon title. What is fascinating about them is that not only are Bone Dragons more like insects, but they are actually more than one creature!

The habitats that Bone Dragons live in are often on the arid side and possess rocky landscapes. Places that have mountains, canyons, caves and boulder fields are where you will often find them, though they have been known to extend their range if food sources are low. It is here where they will dig out their nest and lair, burrowing into the stone to form a personal cavern. In here is where they shall lay their eggs, hide from rough weather and horde their collected food. Whatever prey they don't immediately consume from a hunt will be carried back here and stored until they grow hungry once more. It is this practice of theirs that partially lends to their title of "Bone Dragon," which is funny because this end result comes from the fact that they dislike bones. Meat, organs and hide are happily consumed, but their mouthparts are not suited to feed on bone and marrow. As a result, the cleaned bones are tossed aside in their lair, which eventually start to pile up over the years. Like the Flayers, Bone Dragons will soon have a cave that is just filled with mounds of old bones. Their eggs and young will often be hidden beneath them, either for protection or the fact that there isn't much room for them to go anywhere else. These massive piles of remains helped give them their moniker, but the real reason they are called "Bone Dragons" is their unique appearance, which comes from their truly amazing reproductive habits.

Look at these massive beasts from a distance, and you will easily see why they earned their name. They wear a pale exoskeleton that looks like bone, the fanged head that possesses large sensory pits gives the appearance of a skull and the long, knobby antenna gives the impression of skeletal wings. When these creatures were first encountered, people truly believed that the skeletons of long dead dragons had risen for revenge! The tales behind them varied from ancient necromancers to the belief that certain elder dragons possessed so much magic that it caused their remains to continue living long after death! It took quite some time for people to realize that these creatures were actually flesh and blood, and even more to realize that they were actually two separate beasts!

When Bone Dragons hatch, they do not have this dragon-like appearance. What emerges depends on the gender of the larvae, as males and females have two completely different forms! Males look more like centipedes, with long serpentine bodies that possess a multitude of legs. Females have a body lay out that fits more with crabs and lobsters, as they have large pincers, long antenna and fewer functional legs than the males. The females also have a bulkier body, and their heads grow a large plow-like structure. Both of them have sensory pits on their head that allow them to detect scent, sound and even heat! They use them to track down prey, then they use their unique tools and bodies to take them down. For hunting, males use the speed of their snake-like bodies to ambush prey. Their forward most pair of legs have been modified into feeding appendages, which are used to seize a target and hold them tight. From their mouths come an orange fluid that is quite caustic, and they spew this acid all over the trapped creature. This aids in killing prey, and it also helps digest food before they have taken a single bite! For females, their hunting tactics are more slow and brutish. There is no stealth in their tactics, rather they locate potential prey and charge right at them. Due to this blatant tactic, females go more for animals that are big and slow. Those that are wounded and sick are also potential targets, and they will even scavenge off carcasses. Females essentially will eat whatever they can get. They will charge after living prey and use their sharpened nasal structure to stab and ram. When prey is knocked down, their powerful pincers will be used to rend and tear. These same claws will tear off chunks of meat to feed their mandibles as they pick through their kill. For years after their birth, males and females will live these separate lives, feeding on flesh and blood to help fuel their growth. After about eight to ten years, these individuals will get the yearnings for a mate and so begins their incredible transformation!

After reaching that special age, the female Bone Dragon will begin to leave scent markers on their territory that will catch a viable male's attention. These secretions pretty much announce to any male Bone Dragon that she is ready to mate, and those that come across these markers will hurry to find her. Interestingly enough, it seems that this only works on males that have also reached the proper age, as juveniles seem to ignore these markings. Viable males will track down the female and deal with any other males that are also after her. These disputes, however, are quite rare, as the territory of Bone Dragons are so large that her scent markings will only ever reach the snouts of two or three males. Often, it will be a single male that will find her, and they shall begin courting. During this process, the male and female will take a long time to smell and inspect one another, which probably is how they determine the health and strength of their potential mate. Other behaviors includes rubbing their snouts together and nipping at each other's antenna. If all goes well and the two decide to become mates, the male will climb onto her back and mount her. For this reason, female Bone Dragons have a groove that runs down their back, which are fenced by their dorsal spines. In this groove are two lines of special orifices, with over a dozen of these holes running along each. This is where the male will insert their legs, slowly and carefully settling themselves in the female's dorsal groove. The twin "tails" of the male are inserted into the female's abdomen, where they shall permanently remain. These "tails" are actually aedeagi that are used for reproduction purposes. When the male has finished this act and has settled in, the two will begin to "bond." What I mean by that is that the male and female will essentially fuse together so that their bodies are permanently attached! Special organs located in the female's dorsal orifices will begin to digest the male's legs, melting the exoskeleton so that it fuses with the outer walls. The male will respond by breaking down these limbs from the inside out, using the nutrients to fuel the growth of its nerves. His nervous system will extend into her body and connect with her own system. Their veins will also connect with one another, making it so that the two are practically one! This process is a slow one, often taking days to fully finish. Due to this, the mated pair will go to the female's lair to perform this, so that they are away from predators and the elements. As the process goes on, the female will become sluggish and unresponsive, almost in a state of half sleep. The male will be somewhat drowsy, but he will be lucid enough to react to any creatures that come too close. If you keep a good distance away, the two will hardly notice you, but if you start getting about a stone's throw away, he will most likely spew acid at you.

When all is done and the two have fused their bodies together, you will at last get the famous image of the Bone Dragon! The male shall sit upon the female's back, his long body and head giving the impression of a skeletal neck and skull. Her antenna shall be the "wings" and her claws will be the legs. Now bonded, they shall be together for the rest of their lives. The two will work as one to take down prey, stock their cave with food and raise their young. Due to the fusing of their veins and nervous system, the pair work in perfect sync with each other. No one is sure how the two brains are able to function in this way, but you can clearly see that the two move with extreme grace and precision. While the female attacks prey with her claws, the male will easily lash out with his fangs and sharpened legs. Even when spewing acid, her movements will hardly affect his aim. Speaking of acid, remember when I mentioned that it was bright orange and highly caustic? I bet you can guess what that brings to mind when the male is spitting gobs of flesh burning fluid! Back to their connection, the male and female work in perfect unison to become incredible predators. There are hardly any creatures that are able to stand up to these beasts, as they have to fight against two at once! When prey is consumed, both heads shall eat at once. Each have their own set of organs to keep their own bodies going, but their connection helps serve as back up in case of injury. In one case, a fight had severely damaged the mouth of a mated male, which prevented him from eating until it could heal. Despite this injury, he never starved due to the nutrients supplied by the female. She would just eat all the food, and then transfer it through their bonded limbs! So strong is this connection that they are even able to function when one of their brains is destroyed! If the male's head is lopped off, she can still use her nerve connection to control his body and keep things working. If the female is killed, the male can still pilot her limbs so that he can move. Once again, this furthers the idea that Bone Dragons are undead creatures, as warriors who chop off the beast's skull will find that the battle is far from over! Sadly, while the death of the partner does not inhibit their body functions, it does seem to have a detrimental effect. Either their brain is overworked by trying to control two bodies at once, or the partner is grief stricken by the loss of their mate. Which ever it is, Bone Dragons that have lost their mate will live much shorter lives than healthy couples, their own health and strength deteriorating at a faster pace.

Once the two have bonded and have sufficiently stocked up on food and fat, they shall get to laying eggs. Due to their arrangement, fertilization is quite simple and the female will lay dozens of sticky eggs. They will be deposited within a bone pile in their cavern, and the parents shall watch over them until they hatch. Once the young emerge, they shall crawl their way to the collected meat that their parents gathered and will gorge themselves. For weeks, the mated pair will bring food for their young so that they can grow big and strong. Once they reach a certain size and age, the young shall leave the cave and venture out on their own. While they do start out at a decent size and strength, many young Bone Dragons will fall to predators before they reach maturity. Very few shall make it to a breeding age, but this is something that this species accounts for. Mated pairs of Bone Dragons will continue to lay eggs and raise young for the rest of their lives, causing them to churn out hundreds, if not thousands, of eggs over their lifetime. With such numbers, it is a guarantee that these parents will eventually have a dozen or so offspring who reach adulthood.

Due to this bizarre relationship and their incredible appearance, Bone Dragons are interesting and terrifying creatures to the local populace. One shouldn't be surprised that people find these beasts scary and that they consider them to be quite the menace. With a large appetite and a vicious nature, Bone Dragons can be quite aggressive to anyone they come across, which gives them this nasty reputation. Their young also don't help with this image much, as they are equally hungry for flesh and blood. When the time comes for the young to leave their parents' cave, they can strike the countryside like a ravenous swarm. Herders and farmers who live near Bone Dragon territory may suddenly find their flocks besieged by these hungry tykes, as they instantly zero in on an easy food source. Towns located near their habitat will build fortifications to keep these creatures at bay, and many watchmen will always keep a look out for roaming adults. For a time, these creatures were seen as absolute monstrosities that had to be destroyed, but things recently took a rather interesting turn! After studies were done and word got out that Bone Dragons were pairs that mated for life, the public developed another image for this species. It seems that this fact has created some romance around these creatures, and people find a special symbolism in them. Though still seen as dangerous, Bone Dragons are also seen as romantic figures and symbols of marriage. This has led to gifts and jewelry being made from the carapace of juvenile Bone Dragons. The popular thing to do is to make two identical necklaces, one made from a male and the other from a female, and gift one of them to a loved one. The symbolism of a Bone Dragon seems to resonate the most with wedded warriors and hunters. Two powerful individuals who fight alongside one another in perfect unison, I think that fits pretty well! With all this romance and what not, it has led to an interesting change of heart when it comes to mated pairs. Before it used be that Bone Dragons had to be killed on sight, but now people are more inclined to drive them away but keep them alive. More of an effort is made to repel these beasts and prevent clashes from happening. This way these bonded couples can continue living as one, and the nearby towns can get a bit of tourism from these roaming creatures! Such a tale really warms the body for me, as I am always happy to hear when people become more accepting of those around them! Unfortunately, that only really applies to mated adults. The juveniles are often hunted and culled, as they are pests and they don't really carry that sentimental image. I guess I will take whatever victory I can get!

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

------------------------------------------------------------------

They have been mentioned practically any time I have written about dragons, but finally here they are! The Bone Dragon species is one that I have been trying to do for a long time, but I finally pulled it off! I really loved the idea of them being arthropods, and the concept of two being one was one I couldn't pass up! I love these guys, but I pretty much say that about anything I make!

Also they fill the "skeleton" requirement for any Halloween season!

Description
Dragons are always grand creatures that catch the attention of everyone around them. If you ever are looking for a tale about giant beasts and terrifying hunts, then you will most likely get a story that stars a dragon in them. Even the term "dragon" is used so much for monsters and beasts that it has practically become synonymous with them! I know I have said this many time, but such usage of the word "dragon" as gotten to the point where it rarely actually refers to the fire-breathing reptiles everyone thinks of. Now we have it where you need to specify if you are talking about a true dragon or a dragon beast whenever you bring them up! The difference being that "true dragons" are your reptilian creatures, while "dragon beasts" refer to pretty much anything that has the name "dragon" slapped on it. We already talked about things like Venom Dragons, which are just tiny mollusks that people overreacted about, and the Slime Dragon, which is...well, a Slime. In this entry we are going to talk about Bone Dragons, which are another species that people freaked out about and threw in the dragon title. What is fascinating about them is that not only are Bone Dragons more like insects, but they are actually more than one creature!

The habitats that Bone Dragons live in are often on the arid side and possess rocky landscapes. Places that have mountains, canyons, caves and boulder fields are where you will often find them, though they have been known to extend their range if food sources are low. It is here where they will dig out their nest and lair, burrowing into the stone to form a personal cavern. In here is where they shall lay their eggs, hide from rough weather and horde their collected food. Whatever prey they don't immediately consume from a hunt will be carried back here and stored until they grow hungry once more. It is this practice of theirs that partially lends to their title of "Bone Dragon," which is funny because this end result comes from the fact that they dislike bones. Meat, organs and hide are happily consumed, but their mouthparts are not suited to feed on bone and marrow. As a result, the cleaned bones are tossed aside in their lair, which eventually start to pile up over the years. Like the Flayers, Bone Dragons will soon have a cave that is just filled with mounds of old bones. Their eggs and young will often be hidden beneath them, either for protection or the fact that there isn't much room for them to go anywhere else. These massive piles of remains helped give them their moniker, but the real reason they are called "Bone Dragons" is their unique appearance, which comes from their truly amazing reproductive habits.

Look at these massive beasts from a distance, and you will easily see why they earned their name. They wear a pale exoskeleton that looks like bone, the fanged head that possesses large sensory pits gives the appearance of a skull and the long, knobby antenna gives the impression of skeletal wings. When these creatures were first encountered, people truly believed that the skeletons of long dead dragons had risen for revenge! The tales behind them varied from ancient necromancers to the belief that certain elder dragons possessed so much magic that it caused their remains to continue living long after death! It took quite some time for people to realize that these creatures were actually flesh and blood, and even more to realize that they were actually two separate beasts!

When Bone Dragons hatch, they do not have this dragon-like appearance. What emerges depends on the gender of the larvae, as males and females have two completely different forms! Males look more like centipedes, with long serpentine bodies that possess a multitude of legs. Females have a body lay out that fits more with crabs and lobsters, as they have large pincers, long antenna and fewer functional legs than the males. The females also have a bulkier body, and their heads grow a large plow-like structure. Both of them have sensory pits on their head that allow them to detect scent, sound and even heat! They use them to track down prey, then they use their unique tools and bodies to take them down. For hunting, males use the speed of their snake-like bodies to ambush prey. Their forward most pair of legs have been modified into feeding appendages, which are used to seize a target and hold them tight. From their mouths come an orange fluid that is quite caustic, and they spew this acid all over the trapped creature. This aids in killing prey, and it also helps digest food before they have taken a single bite! For females, their hunting tactics are more slow and brutish. There is no stealth in their tactics, rather they locate potential prey and charge right at them. Due to this blatant tactic, females go more for animals that are big and slow. Those that are wounded and sick are also potential targets, and they will even scavenge off carcasses. Females essentially will eat whatever they can get. They will charge after living prey and use their sharpened nasal structure to stab and ram. When prey is knocked down, their powerful pincers will be used to rend and tear. These same claws will tear off chunks of meat to feed their mandibles as they pick through their kill. For years after their birth, males and females will live these separate lives, feeding on flesh and blood to help fuel their growth. After about eight to ten years, these individuals will get the yearnings for a mate and so begins their incredible transformation!

After reaching that special age, the female Bone Dragon will begin to leave scent markers on their territory that will catch a viable male's attention. These secretions pretty much announce to any male Bone Dragon that she is ready to mate, and those that come across these markers will hurry to find her. Interestingly enough, it seems that this only works on males that have also reached the proper age, as juveniles seem to ignore these markings. Viable males will track down the female and deal with any other males that are also after her. These disputes, however, are quite rare, as the territory of Bone Dragons are so large that her scent markings will only ever reach the snouts of two or three males. Often, it will be a single male that will find her, and they shall begin courting. During this process, the male and female will take a long time to smell and inspect one another, which probably is how they determine the health and strength of their potential mate. Other behaviors includes rubbing their snouts together and nipping at each other's antenna. If all goes well and the two decide to become mates, the male will climb onto her back and mount her. For this reason, female Bone Dragons have a groove that runs down their back, which are fenced by their dorsal spines. In this groove are two lines of special orifices, with over a dozen of these holes running along each. This is where the male will insert their legs, slowly and carefully settling themselves in the female's dorsal groove. The twin "tails" of the male are inserted into the female's abdomen, where they shall permanently remain. These "tails" are actually aedeagi that are used for reproduction purposes. When the male has finished this act and has settled in, the two will begin to "bond." What I mean by that is that the male and female will essentially fuse together so that their bodies are permanently attached! Special organs located in the female's dorsal orifices will begin to digest the male's legs, melting the exoskeleton so that it fuses with the outer walls. The male will respond by breaking down these limbs from the inside out, using the nutrients to fuel the growth of its nerves. His nervous system will extend into her body and connect with her own system. Their veins will also connect with one another, making it so that the two are practically one! This process is a slow one, often taking days to fully finish. Due to this, the mated pair will go to the female's lair to perform this, so that they are away from predators and the elements. As the process goes on, the female will become sluggish and unresponsive, almost in a state of half sleep. The male will be somewhat drowsy, but he will be lucid enough to react to any creatures that come too close. If you keep a good distance away, the two will hardly notice you, but if you start getting about a stone's throw away, he will most likely spew acid at you.

When all is done and the two have fused their bodies together, you will at last get the famous image of the Bone Dragon! The male shall sit upon the female's back, his long body and head giving the impression of a skeletal neck and skull. Her antenna shall be the "wings" and her claws will be the legs. Now bonded, they shall be together for the rest of their lives. The two will work as one to take down prey, stock their cave with food and raise their young. Due to the fusing of their veins and nervous system, the pair work in perfect sync with each other. No one is sure how the two brains are able to function in this way, but you can clearly see that the two move with extreme grace and precision. While the female attacks prey with her claws, the male will easily lash out with his fangs and sharpened legs. Even when spewing acid, her movements will hardly affect his aim. Speaking of acid, remember when I mentioned that it was bright orange and highly caustic? I bet you can guess what that brings to mind when the male is spitting gobs of flesh burning fluid! Back to their connection, the male and female work in perfect unison to become incredible predators. There are hardly any creatures that are able to stand up to these beasts, as they have to fight against two at once! When prey is consumed, both heads shall eat at once. Each have their own set of organs to keep their own bodies going, but their connection helps serve as back up in case of injury. In one case, a fight had severely damaged the mouth of a mated male, which prevented him from eating until it could heal. Despite this injury, he never starved due to the nutrients supplied by the female. She would just eat all the food, and then transfer it through their bonded limbs! So strong is this connection that they are even able to function when one of their brains is destroyed! If the male's head is lopped off, she can still use her nerve connection to control his body and keep things working. If the female is killed, the male can still pilot her limbs so that he can move. Once again, this furthers the idea that Bone Dragons are undead creatures, as warriors who chop off the beast's skull will find that the battle is far from over! Sadly, while the death of the partner does not inhibit their body functions, it does seem to have a detrimental effect. Either their brain is overworked by trying to control two bodies at once, or the partner is grief stricken by the loss of their mate. Which ever it is, Bone Dragons that have lost their mate will live much shorter lives than healthy couples, their own health and strength deteriorating at a faster pace.

Once the two have bonded and have sufficiently stocked up on food and fat, they shall get to laying eggs. Due to their arrangement, fertilization is quite simple and the female will lay dozens of sticky eggs. They will be deposited within a bone pile in their cavern, and the parents shall watch over them until they hatch. Once the young emerge, they shall crawl their way to the collected meat that their parents gathered and will gorge themselves. For weeks, the mated pair will bring food for their young so that they can grow big and strong. Once they reach a certain size and age, the young shall leave the cave and venture out on their own. While they do start out at a decent size and strength, many young Bone Dragons will fall to predators before they reach maturity. Very few shall make it to a breeding age, but this is something that this species accounts for. Mated pairs of Bone Dragons will continue to lay eggs and raise young for the rest of their lives, causing them to churn out hundreds, if not thousands, of eggs over their lifetime. With such numbers, it is a guarantee that these parents will eventually have a dozen or so offspring who reach adulthood.

Due to this bizarre relationship and their incredible appearance, Bone Dragons are interesting and terrifying creatures to the local populace. One shouldn't be surprised that people find these beasts scary and that they consider them to be quite the menace. With a large appetite and a vicious nature, Bone Dragons can be quite aggressive to anyone they come across, which gives them this nasty reputation. Their young also don't help with this image much, as they are equally hungry for flesh and blood. When the time comes for the young to leave their parents' cave, they can strike the countryside like a ravenous swarm. Herders and farmers who live near Bone Dragon territory may suddenly find their flocks besieged by these hungry tykes, as they instantly zero in on an easy food source. Towns located near their habitat will build fortifications to keep these creatures at bay, and many watchmen will always keep a look out for roaming adults. For a time, these creatures were seen as absolute monstrosities that had to be destroyed, but things recently took a rather interesting turn! After studies were done and word got out that Bone Dragons were pairs that mated for life, the public developed another image for this species. It seems that this fact has created some romance around these creatures, and people find a special symbolism in them. Though still seen as dangerous, Bone Dragons are also seen as romantic figures and symbols of marriage. This has led to gifts and jewelry being made from the carapace of juvenile Bone Dragons. The popular thing to do is to make two identical necklaces, one made from a male and the other from a female, and gift one of them to a loved one. The symbolism of a Bone Dragon seems to resonate the most with wedded warriors and hunters. Two powerful individuals who fight alongside one another in perfect unison, I think that fits pretty well! With all this romance and what not, it has led to an interesting change of heart when it comes to mated pairs. Before it used be that Bone Dragons had to be killed on sight, but now people are more inclined to drive them away but keep them alive. More of an effort is made to repel these beasts and prevent clashes from happening. This way these bonded couples can continue living as one, and the nearby towns can get a bit of tourism from these roaming creatures! Such a tale really warms the body for me, as I am always happy to hear when people become more accepting of those around them! Unfortunately, that only really applies to mated adults. The juveniles are often hunted and culled, as they are pests and they don't really carry that sentimental image. I guess I will take whatever victory I can get!

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

------------------------------------------------------------------

They have been mentioned practically any time I have written about dragons, but finally here they are! The Bone Dragon species is one that I have been trying to do for a long time, but I finally pulled it off! I really loved the idea of them being arthropods, and the concept of two being one was one I couldn't pass up! I love these guys, but I pretty much say that about anything I make!

Also they fill the "skeleton" requirement for any Halloween season!