HOME | DD

Description
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Bonus

Oh yeah, there`s feathered ones too. Although feather-based, their wings are also supported by wing-bone (even if it`s a very different shape). How exactly that structure evolved and what`s the relationship between the two flying dragon clades is still a mystery.

The ice-drake (1) was designed as counterpart to the Vystrani rock-wyrm, since I figured out the membrane-winged drakes won`t do too well in the colder mountainous regions. Anatomically it`s pretty much the archetypal feathered dragon, but it has one very unusual feature - its breath weapon is an extension of its respiratory system that amasses pressurized carbon dioxide. Expanding rapidly when exhaled, it produces the closest thing one can have to an"ice breath" without actual magic. Maybe droplets of the dragon`s venom injected into the gas stream can cause formation of small ice crystals, idk.
The majority of the feathered dragon species is split between the beaked, venom-less gryphons (2), including herbivorous hippogryphs (3), and the bipedal wyverns (4), which don`t spit their venom, but smear it on their feathers, especially the defensive tail quills. The firebirds (5) are bipedal like wyverns and beaked like gryphons, the result being easily mistaken for a bird. The venom they cover themselves with glows brightly - probably as warning, since it also causes an intense burning sensation. So they don`t literally set themselves on fire, but it`s easy to misinterpret.

Description
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Bonus

Oh yeah, there`s feathered ones too. Although feather-based, their wings are also supported by wing-bone (even if it`s a very different shape). How exactly that structure evolved and what`s the relationship between the two flying dragon clades is still a mystery.

The ice-drake (1) was designed as counterpart to the Vystrani rock-wyrm, since I figured out the membrane-winged drakes won`t do too well in the colder mountainous regions. Anatomically it`s pretty much the archetypal feathered dragon, but it has one very unusual feature - its breath weapon is an extension of its respiratory system that amasses pressurized carbon dioxide. Expanding rapidly when exhaled, it produces the closest thing one can have to an"ice breath" without actual magic. Maybe droplets of the dragon`s venom injected into the gas stream can cause formation of small ice crystals, idk.
The majority of the feathered dragon species is split between the beaked, venom-less gryphons (2), including herbivorous hippogryphs (3), and the bipedal wyverns (4), which don`t spit their venom, but smear it on their feathers, especially the defensive tail quills. The firebirds (5) are bipedal like wyverns and beaked like gryphons, the result being easily mistaken for a bird. The venom they cover themselves with glows brightly - probably as warning, since it also causes an intense burning sensation. So they don`t literally set themselves on fire, but it`s easy to misinterpret.