I. Legendary dragon
Dragon is a kind of Chinese legend, good change, can rise clouds and rain, benefit all things of the gods and animals, for the longest of the scaly insects, the first of the four spirits (dragons, phoenixes, unicorns, tortoises). Ancient accounts of its image more than one. One said for the slender four-legged, horse head and snake tail. One said that the body clad in scaly armor, head with bearded horns, five claws. Compendium of Materia Medica" is said to have "nine dragons like", for a variety of animals with all the features of the alien. There are many names for it. The one with scales is called Jiaolong, the one with wings is called Yinglong, the one with horns is called Chi-dragon, and the one without horns is called Gnarl. The small ones are called Jiaolong, while the big ones are called Dragons. Legend has it that it can be visible and hidden, fine and huge, short and long. Spring equinox ascends to the sky, autumn equinox dives into the abyss, calling the wind and rain, omnipotent. In mythology is the underwater world master (Dragon King), in folklore is a symbol of auspiciousness, in ancient times is the embodiment of imperial rule.
The dragon is one of the four spirits of ancient Chinese mythology. In the Taishang Dongyuan Mantra Sutra, there is the "Dragon King Pin", which lists the "Dragon Kings of the Five Emperors", the "Dragon Kings of the Four Seas", the "Dragon Kings of the Four Seas", the 54 names of the Dragon Kings, and the 62 names of the Dragon Kings of the Gods, which are differentiated by the heaven and earth. During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, the Dragon Pond was used as a shrine, and an altar official was set up to offer sacrifices to the Dragon King in the same manner as that of the Rainmaker. Emperor Taizu of Song Dynasty followed the system of sacrificing five dragons in Tang Dynasty. In 1108, Emperor Huizong of Song stuttered that all the five dragons in the world would be given royal titles. The Green Dragon God was named King of Guangren, the Red Dragon God was named King of Jiaze, the Yellow Dragon God was named King of Fuying, the White Dragon God was named King of Yi Ji, and the Black Dragon God was named King of Lingze. In the second year of Tongzhi of the Qing Dynasty (1863), the Dragon God of the Canal was appointed as the "God of the Dragon King of the Water Divide of Yan Shou Xie Ying", and the Governor of the River Road was ordered to offer sacrifices on a regular basis. In "Journey to the West", the Dragon Kings are: Aoguang of the East Sea, Aoqin of the South Sea, Aojun of the West Sea, and Aoshun of the North Sea, known as the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas.
Thus, the Dragon King's job is to raise clouds and rain, for people to eliminate the heat and trouble, the Dragon King of the water has become a common folk belief. In the Taoist "Taishang Dongyuan Divine Mantra Sutra", the "Dragon King Pin" says, "The country was in drought, and the five grains were not harvested, so I don't know how to time it", and the First Heavenly Father came to the country on the five-color cloud, and the Dragon Kings and other heavenly dragons proclaimed the righteousness of the law, and rescued the living beings, and rained down torrents of rain, which was sweet and moist in due course.
The day of the Dragon King's divine birth, a variety of documentary records and local folklore are different. In the old days, the temple dedicated to the Dragon King is almost as common as the temple of the city god and land. Whenever the wind and rain are out of balance, long drought, or when it rains for a long time, the people have to go to the temple of the Dragon King to burn incense and pray, in order to ask the Dragon King to rule the water, the wind and the rain.
Archaeologists believe that the early dragon is a snake with horns on its head, a pure reptile; while some people believe that the dragon was first formed, the dragon's head is very much like a pig, the dragon body is the same as the snake body; others pointed out that the dragon is metamorphosed from the crocodile; the famous scholar, Mr. Wendy Yi-Duo, has a unique insight into the dragon, Mr. Wendy believes that: the dragon is a synthesis of snakes and a variety of other animals, and it is based on the snake body, incorporating the horse's body, and the snake body, and the snake body. Mr. Wen believes that the dragon is formed by the synthesis of the snake and many other animals, and it is based on the body of the snake, incorporating the mane of the horse, the tail of the cow, the horn of the deer, the claw of the dog, and the scales and whiskers of the fish.......
Since entering the modern society, many experts and scholars have carried out an in-depth exploration of the origins of the dragon. Analyzed from many unearthed cultural relics with graphics about dragons, the formation of the dragon has experienced a fairly long history. Among them, the clam dragon unearthed in Puyang, Henan Province, has a history of 6,000 years from now, which on the one hand embodies the vein of Yangshao culture, and on the other hand proves the initial formation of the dragon.
On the origin of the dragon, after a long period of research and testimony, people finally achieved a more consistent **** knowledge: the dragon is a variety of animal complex, is the formation of primitive society, a symbol of totem worship.
The dragon is great, because it has been honored by all the children of the Yellow Emperor; the dragon is nothingness, because it is only a spirit, not a substance.
In Chinese myths and legends, it is a divine animal with the image of a snake body, lizard legs, eagle claws, snake tail, deer horns, fish scales, whiskers at the mouth and beads under the forehead. According to the "Classic of Mountains and Seas", Xia Houqi, Matsui and Jumang all "rode the rain dragon". According to another book, "Zhuan Xu took the dragon to the four seas" and "帝?'?'ü's spring and summer dragons". There are four kinds of dragons: those with scales are called Jiaolong, those with wings are called Yinglong, those with horns are called Qionglong, and those without horns are called Chi-dragon. Some people believe that this is the ancient Yan Huang unified the Central Plains ministries backward, the integration of the totems of the clans to form the image. Legend has it that the dragon can be hidden and visible, ascending to the sky in the spring breeze and diving into the abyss in the fall breeze. And can rise clouds to rain, and later became a symbol of imperial power, successive emperors have appointed themselves as the dragon, the use of artifacts are also decorated with dragons. The dragon was worshipped by the Chinese ancestors as an ancestral god, and generally honored the "dragon", the Chinese people often call themselves "the descendants of the dragon".
The dragon is the fifth in the traditional Chinese zodiac. Together with the phoenix, the unicorn and the tortoise, the dragon is also known as the "Four Rui Beasts" (四瑞兽). (There are also many books and historical writings that refer to pills as pills of immortality, pills of pills, pills of immortality, and mythical beasts of immortality.) The Pillsbury pills are also known as "pills of immortality" and "pills of pills" are also known as "pills of immortality".
The dragon in Buddhism is one of the eight tribes among the celestial beings, namely the Dragon, the second of the Eight Divisions of the Heavenly Dragon. In Buddhism, the eight parts of the Dragon are the protector deities of Buddhism, especially the Dragon beings are sworn to defend the Buddha Dharma vajra as their own responsibility, to ensure that the Buddha Dharma in the three worlds are not scourged. When someone is actually practicing Buddhism there are also dragon beings who are sent down to protect the person practicing Buddhism, which is called the protector of the Dharma.
While the word "dragon" is generally translated as "dragon" in English, there are some similarities in the background and symbolism between the word "dragon" in Western culture and the traditional Chinese dragon. In addition to some similarities in image, the background and symbolism are very different. The Western "dragon" generally carries an evil connotation and is not the same as the Oriental beast.
The term "dragon" refers to the fact that the dragon has nine sons, all of whom are different from each other. The so-called "nine sons of the dragon" does not mean that the dragon happens to have nine sons. Traditional Chinese culture, to nine to indicate that very much, have the supreme status, nine is an imaginary number, but also the number of noble, so used to describe the dragon son. Dragons have nine sons of this statement has a long history, but exactly which nine animals has not been said, until the Ming Dynasty appeared a variety of claims.
III. Table of the Nine Sons of the Dragon
One of the sayings of "The Dragon has Nine Sons" comes from the Huai Lu Tang Jie of the Ming Dynasty - Li Dong Yang, the nine sons of the dragon are:
The oldest one, Prisoner Bull (qiúniú)
The second one, Jairus (yázì)
The oldest one, Mocking Wind (cháofēng)
Lao Si Pu Juan (púláo)
Lao Si Mythical Geibi (suānní)
Lao Si Bi Xi (bìxì)
Lao Si Quod Si (bì'àn)
Lao Si Si Si (fùxì)
Lao Si Chi-chi (chīwěn/chīwěi)
Other sayings are:
Bi Xi (bìxì), the oldest one
Chi Chi (chīwěn/chīwěi), the second one
Púláo (púláo), the third one
Quodi (bì'àn), the fourth one
Tao Tie (tāotiè), the fifth one
.Sixth centipede pit vipers (should be lying pit vipers) (bāxià)
Seventh Jairus (yázì)
Eighth mythical animal (suānní)
Ninth Pepper (jiāotú)
Some accounts also include chi chi dragons, unicorns, Chao tian roars (hao hao), and braves in the Dragon's Son.
Bi Tuo (Pinyin: Bìxì):
Also known as Tortoise Tarsus, Baxia, Fillia, the eldest of the nine sons of the Dragon, he looks like a tortoise, has teeth, is strong and good at carrying heavy loads. Its back is also loaded with heavy objects, in the stone monument under the stone turtle for its image. During the demolition of the old city wall of Beijing, half of a Gui Tuo (屃) was found under the city wall of Dongbianmen (東便门) and Xibianmen (西便门), and thus it is said that Gui Tuo carries the city of Beijing.
Prisoner Bull:
One of the Nine Sons of the Dragon, in the shape of a small yellow dragon with scales and horns, he likes music and squats at the head of the qin. This musical dragon is not only found on the Chinese huqin, but also on the Yi dragon's moon zither, the Bai's three-stringed zither, and some Tibetan musical instruments, where it is depicted with its head raised and its mouth open.
Jairus (Pinyin: Yázì):
One of the nine sons of the dragon, dragon body and jackal head, sex is fierce, the most is good to kill and kill and fight, engraved in the knife ring, the hilt of the sword to swallow the mouth.
Mockingbird:
One of the nine sons of the dragon, the life of a good risk, and now the temple corner of the beast is its image.
Pu Juan:
Legendary one of the nine sons of the dragon, struck by a loud roar, acting as the beast of the flood bell lifting the beam knob, to help its sound far and wide.
Mythical Geibei (Pinyin: Suānní):
Legend has it that one of the nine sons of the dragon, shaped like a lion, likes smoke and sits well, so the image is generally found on the incense burner, and then swallowed smoke and spit out fog. Tang Dynasty monk Huilin said, "Mythical Geibi that is also a lion, out of the West."
Quodid (Pinyin: Bì'àn):
One of the nine sons of the dragon, the image of a tiger, the legend says that it is good at litigation, so the prison door or the main hall of the government offices on both sides of the image.
Negative Tuo (Pinyin: Fùxì):
One of the nine sons of the dragon, Xi Tuo (负屃) has a body similar to that of a dragon, and it is said that he is good at lawsuits.
Chihui, also known as the scops owl, scops owl (Pinyin, Chīwěn, Chīwěi, Chīwěn):
One of the nine sons of the dragon, the mouth Run voice coarse and good swallowing, so the temple ridge ends of the swallowed the ridge beasts, to take it to extinguish the fire to eliminate disasters. The scops owl in the end is a kind of bird or the legendary whale at sea there is no certainty.
Taotie (pinyin: Tāotiè):
The legend of a vicious and gluttonous beast, the ancient bronze above the common use of the shape of its head to do the decorations, called Taotie pattern. Legend has it that it is one of the nine sons of the dragon. Zuozhuan - Wen Gong eighteen years on this paragraph: "Jinyun's untalented son, greedy for food and drink, the risk of goods and bribes. The encroachment of the desire to Chong Lai, can not be full of boredom; convergence of the accumulation of the real, do not know the discipline of the extreme. Do not distinguish between orphans and widows, do not sympathize with the poor. The people of the world are compared to the three evils, and are called taotie."
Centipit, should be Paddy Vipers:
Legend has it that one of the nine sons of the dragon is fond of water, and is carved into the form of a beast that drips water from bridge pillars and buildings.
Pepper:
One of the nine sons of the dragon, shaped like a snail and clam, closed to the nature of the most resentful of others to enter its lair, pave the head of the ring for its image.
Chi dragons (pinyin: chī), or chi dragons:
One of the nine sons of the legendary dragon, with a large mouth and a stomach that can hold a lot of water, used in architecture for the decoration of drainage outlets, known as chi dragons to disperse water.
Kirin:
Ancient Chinese mythical beast said to live for 2,000 years. The male is known as Ki and the female is known as Lin, collectively known as Kirin. It is known as a benevolent beast because it is gentle in nature and does not harm animals or trample on flowers and plants. The shape of the unicorn is like a deer, the tail is like a cow's tail, the unicorn has a single horn, the unicorn has no horns, the mouth can spit fire, the voice is like thunder. In ancient China, the unicorn was used to symbolize auspiciousness. It is said that this beast only appears in times of peace and prosperity, or when there is a saint in the world, and is also known as the Ti Lin (骐驎). Folklore says that the unicorn brings sons to people and makes the family prosperous, hence the saying that the unicorn sends sons. Legend has it that a kylin appeared to Confucius' mother before she gave birth to him. During the Ming Dynasty, Zheng He's fleet sailed to East Africa and returned to Beijing with two giraffes, which were believed to be unicorns. Ming Chengzu used this auspicious omen to show the greatness of his administration.
Horizoma, commonly known as the roar of the sky, the roar of the sky:
Legend is the son of the Dragon King, has the habit of keeping watch. The stomping dragon at the top of the Huabiao pillar (i.e., roar towards the sky) roars at the sky, which is regarded as uploading the will of the sky and reaching out to the people. It is also documented that the mount of the Goddess of Mercy is the "Roar of the Sky".
Pixi (Pinyin: pí xiū), also known as Tianlu:
It is a mythical beast in ancient Chinese mythology, with a dragon's head, a horse's body, and a forest's feet, resembling a lion's shape, and with gray fur that can fly. It is fierce and powerful, and likes to suck the essence blood of demons and monsters and transform it into wealth. It is responsible for the patrol work in the sky to stop demons and monsters, plagues and diseases from disturbing the heavenly court. There is also a saying that it is the ninth son of the dragon. In ancient times, people often also used the brave man as the name of the army. Legend has it that the brave man violated the rules of the sky, the Jade Emperor punished him only to the four sides of the wealth for food, swallowing everything without diarrhea, can attract wealth and treasure, only in and out, the magical powers of the special. Now many Chinese people wear brave jade products because of this.
V. Dragon
The word "dragon" is used in paleontology to refer to a huge reptile that went extinct a long time ago.
VII. Lóng: a kind of surname
I. Origin of the surname
The origin of the surname Lóng (Lóng Lóng) can not be examined in detail because it involves a lot of myths. According to "the source of the record" and "bamboo book chronicle", the yellow emperor's ministers have dragon line, the yellow emperor lived in yu xiong (today's henan province xinzheng). It is the Henan Long clan.
2, from shun time after nayan dragon, to official name for the clan. According to the "Tongzhi - clans", Long's, Shun's ministers, the dragon also Nayan (the so-called Nayan, is then a kind of specializing in the delivery of the emperor's order of the official position.) The descendants of Shun were called the Long Clan after the name of their official position. Since Shun's activities were in the Jinnan area, this branch of the Long Clan came from the territory of present-day Shanxi Province. It is the Shanxi Long Clan. Passed more than two thousand years to the Han Dynasty, there are Long Mian, because the Shi from Hebei Ju Lu Zhao moved Fufeng Jingzhao, passed on four generations of Long Shu, the word Bo Gao, Long Bo Gao first served as a county magistrate of Shandu, Han Guangwu Emperor, Zuoling Taishou, the official in the Chu, the family of the Wuling. The first ancestor of Wuling.
3, from ancient myths and legends, after the Dragon. According to the "family name KaoLiu" contained, the dragon surname from the Dragon's, looking out of Tianshui. Such as the Xia Dynasty, Liu Lei of the Dragon's (after Yao, because of the ability to tame the dragon, y appreciated by the Xia Emperor Kong Jia, was given the "Dragon's") in the descendants of the Dragon's. The former city of Liu Lei was located in the present Henan Province. Liu Lei's hometown is in the south of Yanshi County in present-day Henan Province, which is the Henan Dragon Clan.
4, from ancient myths and legends, after the豢龙氏. According to "Tongzhi - clans" and "the famous Xian clan speech class draft" and other information, according to legend, Dong father, has the surname, good at feeding the dragon to raise dragons and Shun gave the surname "豢龙氏". His descendants have a dragon for the clan, is the Hubei dragon.
5, from the Western Han Dynasty, the place name of the place name. According to "Huayang Guozhi", the place names in the Western Han Dynasty had the Long surname. The place-name system is located in the northwest of Kaili County in present-day Guizhou Province.
6, from the name of the place, to pick food for the clan. In the Spring and Autumn period, Chu Daifu ate and collected food in Long (present-day Tai'an, southwestern Shandong Province, Longxiang), and some of his descendants took Long as their name.
7, from other sources and ethnic minorities with the surname Long:
① According to the "Northern History", Yanqi country (now belongs to the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Yanqi Southwest), the Western Area and the 弥 (today's Xinjiang Changji, Manas two counties), the king of the Long family.
② Minority ethnic groups have the name of Long. In China, Miao, Pumi, Hani, Yi, Dong, Yao, water and other ethnic groups have the name of Long.
Two, migration distribution
Legendary era of the Long surname originated in Henan, Shanxi, Hubei. Because the Long surname has more branches, so the distribution is wider, this feature makes the Long surname quickly to the surrounding areas to expand and multiply. About the Han Dynasty, Gansu and Hubei, Hunan Province and Shanxi, Hebei, Henan, Shandong Province is the three major centers of the Long name. In this period, Shuzhong (now belongs to Sichuan), the Long family name to move in, and then moved south to Guizhou, forming one of the four major surnames (Long, Fu, Yin, Dong). Wei Jin and North and South Dynasties, the Central Plains Long surname to avoid war and southward migration, prompted by the growth of the population of the South Long surname, this migration is also for the later Jiangnan Long surname development momentum than the North laid a solid foundation. According to the "Northern History": "and the King of Mi, Yanqi King are all Dragon surname." Yanqi country is a small country in the western region, Long will be in power, had defeated the king of Guzi, a moment east of the Onion Ridge, all rate of service, his son Long Xi reign, surrendered to Houliang, sent his son into the service, and gradually integrated with the Han Chinese. Tang and Song dynasties, eight of the Longfan, chiefs are Long surname, later divided into large Longfan, small Longfan Pacification Division, Yang Longkeng, Gu Long, Shanglong Chief Secretary, Anlong Tuqiandu. During the Song and Yuan dynasties, the second large-scale southward migration of the Long surname in history occurred, prompting the population of the Long surname in the south to greatly exceed the number of people in the north. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the above mentioned "Longfan" branches developed into "Longjia", gradually and Han, Buyei, water, Miao integration of various ethnic groups. From the point of view of the historical evolution of the Long family name, this process, that is, reflecting the northern Long family name and the integration of the southern tribes, but also reflects the minority Long family name and the integration of Han and other tribes. In this step-by-step integration, the dragon surname completed the historical journey throughout China. Today, the Long surname, especially in Hunan, Sichuan, Guangdong, Jiangxi and other provinces, recent surveys show that the four provinces of the Long surname belongs to the Wuling County, Jiangxi Long Geng branch, accounting for about 67 percent of the national Han Long population. The reason for their migration is eunuch travel, and the five hu mess China has nothing to do, the dragon surname is today's Chinese surname ranked eighty-fifth of the big surnames, the population is more, accounting for about zero point two four percent of the national population.
Tang names
Shishitang, Badeitang, Dunhoudang: all three names originated from Longshu of the Later Han Dynasty, whose name was Bogao and who was the governor of Shandu. Ma Yuan gave a letter to his nephew, advising him to learn from Long Shu's two words: "Thoroughness and circumspection, no choice of words, prudence and thrift, honesty and justice." Ma Yan called these the "eight virtues" of Long Shu. When the emperor found out about this, he promoted Longshu to the post of governor, saying that he could be "a teacher of the world".
Jingde Tang: In the Qing Dynasty, [url]Long Qiduan wrote "Jingde Tang Anthology", and his study was called "Jingde Tang".
Wu An Tang: Guangdong Guangdong central region branch, including Guangzhou region, Foshan region, Zhaoqing region, Qingyuan region, etc., the latest survey, more than 200 villages, population of more than 100,000 people, living abroad accounted for more than 20% of the ancestor of the Dragon near the sky, Wu An Tang from; Liu table to Pang Gong said; do not enjoy the official salary, not to be left behind by the children and grandchildren, the public said; the world left to the danger, I only left to the security, have not tasted nothing to be left behind. Therefore, he said that he would leave peace. The character lineage of the "Wuan Tang"; (see the genealogy of the Long Clan in Yuezhong)
In addition, the main hall names of the Long family name are: "Wuling Hall", "Tianshui Hall", "Nayan Hall", "Dunbentang", "Zhongqin Tang" and so on.
Five, family genealogy
National: Fujian Quanzhou Long genealogy is not divided into volumes
Guangdong:; Yuezhong Long genealogy two volumes, Shunde Daliang Long genealogy seventeen volumes, Huaxian Dacao Long genealogy is not divided into volumes, Huaxian Nanxi Long genealogy, Dongguan Long Yaqui Long family, Deqing Daining Long genealogy, GaoYao JinShan Long genealogy, Guangzhou Baiyun District, Dada Miaobian Long genealogy
Zhejiang: Lanxi Longshu genealogy six volumes
Jiangxi: Wanzai Long genealogy (1782, Volume is not clear), Wanzai Jiangtang Long genealogy (Volume is not clear), Wanzai Long genealogy (1812, Volume is not clear), Wanzai Long genealogy is not divided into volumes (1839), Wanzai Long genealogy is not divided into volumes (1876), the Wanzai Kanglefang Long genealogy, the Wanzai Long genealogy of thirty-nine volumes of the first two Volume end four volumes, Wanzai Long genealogy twenty volumes, Wanzai Long genealogy twelve volumes of the first two volumes of the end of four volumes, Wanzai Yijing Long genealogy
Hunan: with the West high bridge Long five repair genealogy thirty-seven volumes, Changsha Long genealogy sixteen volumes, Chaleng Yun Yang Long genealogy is not divided into volumes, Xiangxiang Xiangxiang city South Long continued to repair genealogy eighteen volumes, Xiangxiang Chengnan Long genealogy eight volumes of the first volume, Xiangxiang Long genealogy four volumes of the first volume, Xiangxiang Xiangxiang chengnan Long's four repair genealogy fifty-two volumes of the first four volumes
Chongqing: Dazu County & lt; Long's genealogy & gt; not divided into volumes (2002). Dazu County Gao Sheng Town
Sixth, clan characteristics
1, the dragon is the Chinese people respected times to the gods, to the dragon for the family name, is also a manifestation of the psychological underpinnings.
2, in the history of the development of the Dragon family name, more reflect the historical trend of national integration.
3, the Long family name character line generation well organized.
VIII. Ten Different Kinds of Dragons
The giant fire-spitting flying reptile dragons are the most awe-inspiring and dangerous of all magical beasts. Today, there are still ten different kinds of dragons in the world.
Antipodean Opaleye (New Zealand)
Chinese Fireball (also known as Lion Dragon)
Common Welsh Green (Wales)
Hebridean (Hebridean Islands) Black Dragon Black (Hesperides)
Hungarian Horntail (Hungary)
Norwegian Ridgeback (Norway)
Peruvian Vipertooth (Peru)
Romanian Longhorn Romanian Longhorn (Romania)
Swedish Short-Snout (Sweden)
Ukrainian Ironbelly (Ukraine)
9 DRAGONS OF THE WESTERN WORLD
(The following paraphrases are from the D&D rules)
(The following paraphrases are from the D&D rules). amp;D rules)
The dragon is a reptile with a constant body temperature. That is, it is a warm-blooded animal, with its body temperature controlled by organs within its organism. This trait allows it to adapt to the wide range of environments in which it lives, and to be active day and night throughout the year, unlike other reptiles, which can only be active at night due to the need for daylight to maintain their body temperature. Dragons are usually winged and have hollow bones to reduce their weight. Some dragons, usually ancient survivors, were wingless and had short, stubby legs. These ancient survivors were often so intelligent and aggressive that they were categorized as "worms of the deep" and faced extinction. Dragons can live for a very long time, and there are records of dragons living for 500 or even 1,000 years. However, there are no records of dragons dying of old age. On the other hand, they die from accidents, diseases or due to battles with their most brutal enemies - humans.
Skeleton
Dragons are the largest of all known flying creatures. In order for this massive body to be able to fly through the air, its body structure must have been different from that of the average reptile. So don't associate dragons too much with the usual common reptiles. The dragon's wing bones were connected to broad shoulder bones that supported powerful wing muscle groups. This requires a very special and unknown skeletal connection system that is stronger than concrete but much lighter.
It's important to note that dragons, like birds, have hollow bones to save weight. Scientifically speaking, any creature with a body structure like that of a dragon would be able to fly very well and very fast.
Muscular System
The muscular system of the dragon is one of the most fascinating and complex parts of the dragon's body. We estimate that a dragon bites down with an average of two tons of force per cubic centimeter of space (so much force that it could easily bite through steel).
In fact, the dragon is incredibly powerful. Its legs and "arms" can support very heavy loads with little effort. But that's only on land; in the air, a dragon can't carry anything heavier than half its weight for long.
You might try looking more closely at pictures depicting the bones and muscles of dragons... My opinion after looking at a lot of pictures depicting dragons with front and back claws is that dragons are incapable of running, their muscles have not developed in that direction. That's not to say they couldn't walk, just that dragons couldn't reach a very high speed on the ground. (Of course, there are many species of dragons, and there may be some that are able to run)
Scales
The body of a dragon is almost completely covered in hard, shiny scales, though the neck and belly of a dragon are usually free of scales. It is generally believed that this was due to its habit of digging holes in the ground, although not every dragon researcher agrees. To protect its "soft" belly (at least not as hard as the rest of the dragon's body), the dragon usually "wore" a "breastplate" made of precious stones. With its strongly viscous saliva and stomach secretions, the dragon often glued the gems to its neck and abdomen, which was both protective and aesthetically pleasing.
The dragon's scales have five horns, a bit like a teardrop, with two long sides and two short sides and a very short side connected to the skin. Dragons can make their scales stand up or be in other states to dress themselves. Keep in mind that dragons are very clean creatures and take great care to keep their skin and scales clean and perfect.
Generally, a dragon's scales are skillfully interlocked, thanks to the raised cavities on the surface of the scales, which allow the scales to interlock nicely without interfering with movement.
If you look closely at a dragon scale, you'll notice that the innermost layer of the scale has thick hairs that are firmly rooted into the epidermis like roots. Within the hair follicles then are secretory glands that secrete a bonding substance that keeps the scale and epidermis together. This substance comes mainly from minerals, and this determines the color and hardness of the dragon's scales. The outermost layer of the scales, on the other hand, is a translucent layer of angular musculature that gives the scales their luster.
Dragons don't have to shed their skin like most reptiles. Dragon scales grow as an automatic rebuilding process, just like human nails and hair. Scales do not fall off a dragon's body except when it is sick.
Wings
In principle, a dragon's wings are not radically different from the forearms of other animals. In the dragon's wings there is one shorter and four longer phalanges, to which are attached wing membranes similar to those of bats. The shoulders, arms, and fingers that make up the dragon's wings are very similar in the structure of the wing membranes (see image at left). It is important to note that some images of dragons have the root of the wing membrane attached to the shoulder, which is biologically incorrect. The root of the dragon's wing membrane should be attached to the middle of the back near the legs. This is very important because if the pteronotal root is attached to the upper back, then the dragon can fly but can only control numerical movement (head tilt or tail down), which is obviously very bad for flight speed and maneuverability. If the root of the dragon's wing membrane is attached to the middle of the back, then the dragon can control horizontal movement, using the head and tail as a rudder to control direction, which gives it a high degree of maneuverability. This also made the surface of the wing much larger.
The root of the wing membrane is very close to the legs
Here the surface of the wing is much larger. And the wing is in the middle of the body, which makes it easy to balance and adjust height through the neck and tail. This is what a dragon's wing should look like.
Life cycle of dragons
Depending on their adaptations, a dragon can live a healthy 1200 years, or more.
Except for a few misfortunes.
However, all dragons,
from their humble beginnings as eggs, evolve through 12 distinct stages.
Each new stage of evolution is reflected in the dragon's body, mind, or behavior.
Eggs
Eggs change in size depending on the type of dragon.
They are generally the same color as the dragon that gave birth to them
and are immune to the same elemental damage as that dragon.
(For example, black dragon eggs are black or dark gray
and are immune to acid damage).
Dragon eggs have an elongated, egg-like shape
and a hard, stone shell.
A female dragon can lay eggs from her youth
and remain fertile even in her extreme old age.
Males have the ability to fertilize eggs from their youth
and remain fertile until their Swift Age.
The eggs are fertilized in the female,
and the time required to prepare them for production is about one-quarter of the incubation period
as shown in the table below.
Approximate numbers are provided on the table;
The actual cycle may vary by up to 10 days.
Rules: Dragon Egg
Although it contains a living embryo, the Dragon Egg is considered an inanimate object.
Production of Dragon Eggs
Dragons produce eggs once a year, with 2-5 in a litter.
Ovulation begins with mating, and a female dragon usually lays a small number of eggs,
she may not mate if she wishes.
Mating and production can occur at any season of the year.
Most dragon eggs are laid in nests within the female's brood,
where the mother or parents can guard and care for them.
Typical nests consist of pits or mounds of earth, and
the eggs are completely buried in loose material such as sand or leaves.
The ovoid structure of a dragon's egg gives it great resistance to crushing,
and the female is able to walk, fight, or sleep on the nest
without fear of breaking her egg.
Dragons sometimes leave their eggs far from protection.
In these cases,
the female takes the concealment of the nest very seriously.
She or her mate (or both of them) may visit the area containing the
nest on a regular basis, but they will beware of not getting too close to the nest
unless the eggs are threatened by some kind of danger.
Hatching Dragon Eggs
When a dragon egg has finished hatching, the hatchling inside must break free of the egg.
If the parents are nearby, they will usually help the hatchling by gently tapping on the eggshell.
Otherwise, the chick must break through the shell on its own, a process that usually takes less than a minute or two when the chick begins to try to escape until it breaks free.
All the eggs in a clutch begin to emerge at about the same time.
Dragon eggs that are properly cared for and incubated have an almost 100% hatch rate.
Disturbed eggs, especially those incubated away from the nest,
are less likely to produce live chicks.
Once produced, dragon eggs are incubated in an environment adapted for incubation.
The basic requirements depend on the type of dragon, as described below.
Hatchling embryos can survive inadequate incubation inside dragon eggs, but not for long.
In environments where hatching conditions are not met, hatchlings must undergo an hourly body mass test
(DC 15+1 every previous test; a hatchling embryo has the same body mass as the hatchling it was hatched from)
to determine whether or not they will survive.
During the last 1/4 of the incubation period
The hatchling embryo in the dragon's egg will become sentient.
Dragon eggs hatch in the following environment:
Black: Eggs must be submerged in acid strong enough to cause 1d4 damage per round, or buried in various swampy wetlands
Blue: Eggs must be kept at temperatures ranging from 90 degrees Fahrenheit to 120 degrees Fahrenheit for the first half of the day, and 40 degrees Fahrenheit to 60 degrees Fahrenheit for the following half day.
Brass: Eggs must be placed over an open fire or at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bronze:Eggs must be submerged in the sea or ocean or where there is tidal flooding at least twice daily.
Red Bronze:Eggs must be submerged in acid strong enough to inflict 1d4 damage per round, or wrapped in cool sand or mud (40 degrees F to 60 degrees F).
Gold:Eggs must be placed over an open fire or at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
Green: Eggs must be submerged in acid strong enough to cause 1d4 damage per round, or buried in rain-soaked leaves.
Red: Eggs must be exposed to open flame or at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
Silver: Eggs must be buried under snow, encased in ice, or kept at
0 degrees Fahrenheit.
White: Eggs must be buried under snow, encased in ice, or maintained below
0 degrees Fahrenheit.
Hatching of Dragon Eggs
To hatch from an egg, the hatchling must break free of its shell.
Based on its position in the egg, the hatchling is unable to tear the shell,
and the strength of the hatchling's claws is not enough to break through the hardness of the shell.
In order to break the shell the fledgling must make a DC 20 Strength check.
Fortunately it can take 20 in the appraisal, and it takes about 2 minutes to break the shell
If the egg is in the care of at least one of the chick's parents, it doesn't need to do a further appraisal to determine if it is viable.
If the incubation conditions are worse than ideal, the chick must undergo a fitness test to determine survival.
The dc values for the fitness test linked to the list of environments provided in the table below
determine survival under unfavorable conditions.
In situations such as when a nest is disturbed or an egg is removed from the nest,
a creature caring for an egg can make a medical check, with a +1 bonus if the creature has 5 or more levels of arcane knowledge.
A fledgling dragon can use either its constitution check result or its medical check result, whichever is highest.
Breaking an egg before the last 1/4 of its incubation period causes the hatchling to be on the verge of death.
If an egg is broken during the last 1/4 of its incubation period, the hatchling can make a Survival check, and if it passes the check, it takes bruise damage equal to its current life.
This damage cannot be healed until the hatchling passes its normal incubation period,
and the hatchling is unstable throughout this period.
Taking care of a prematurely born chick during this time must ensure its survival as if it were an unhatched egg.
Chick (Age 0-5 years)
Through sufficient growth the chick crawls out of the egg and is 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
(The actual size of the hatchling depends on what kind of dragon it is; see Chapter 5).
A newly hatched dragon is unrecognizable and wet.
After about an hour, it will be ready to fly, fight, and think.
It inherits from its parents how to use its body properly and efficiently,
but this innate knowledge is often buried in the depths of a hatchling's memory,
ignored until it is needed.
The hatchling is somewhat clumsy compared to older dragons.
Its head and feet are larger,
while the wings and tail are proportionately smaller relative to adult dragons.
If the parents are present when the hatchling hatches,
the hatchling will have a protector and will probably be safe and happy for the first 10 years of its life.
If not, the hatchling will have to fight for survival.
Whether they are raised by other dragons or left to fend for themselves, the first thing a hatchling learns is to become a
The first thing a hatchling learns is to become a dragon, and the first thing a dragon learns is to become a dragon.