It was once said that a dragon's most dangerous enemy was... its own heart.
That could not be more true than what had happened long ago...
Even from a long time ago, dragons were a rare species. But one could still encounter them if one struggled, and if one knew where to find them.
'No doubt but there is no other beeste comparable to the mightie dragon in awesome power and majestie, and few so worthie of the diligent studies of wise men'
- Gildas Magnus, Ars Draconis, 1465
- Drakon, Drako, Drago, Draco, Lindworm, Lung, and Tanin. There is a word for dragon in every language, and a meaning attached to that word. A whole culture clustered around it. It varies from a fear of the creature that swoops down to eat you, to the appreciation of the one which gave you fire, but none the less, the culture is there.
Why does every culture have a dragon? Because they are real. These rare reptiles have many species, most breath fire, but poison is also common. Wings are also optional, as are legs with their being varieties with four, two, and zero legs. All have scales and hair somewhere, but some have skin, and others even have feathers!
However, dragons of all sorts are increasingly becoming rare as human activities threaten them (through the capture and hunting of dragons) and their natural habitat (through the destruction of food webs and ecosystems, deforestation, and global warming) -