Aperonian Dragons

One of the four breeds of dragons known on Rachma. Though prevalent in myth and iconography, Aperonian dragons are currently extinct. Most of what we know about them today comes from historical records and artists' renderings.

Appearance
Aperonian dragons were scaled quadrupeds with two long wings located on their backs, above the fore-shoulder. They have long tails and narrow, horned heads. Most paintings take artistic license with the color of their hides, but the most common shades are bronze and brass. Their toes ended in long talons, as did each "fingertip" along their segmented wings.

According to illustrations, dragons varied in height, going from the size of a man to the size of a house (This is in contention, though, as zoologists argue that there could be any number of liberties taken with the renderings available for the sake of drama or to illustrate a metaphor). They appeared to have been an egg-laying species. Aperonian dragons are consistently drawn with rows of pointed teeth, leading to the belief that they were carnivores, only supplementing their diets with the occasional grain or vegetable.

Whether or not dragons possessed the ability to speak the human tongue is unsure. Legends often contain speaking dragons, but the same stories have singing and dancing rabbits, so it's not exactly a confirmation.

Unfortunately, all this is conjecture. Though expeditions and digs have been made across Aperion, no intact dragon remains have been discovered. Some collectors and Noble families have claimed to have bones or teeth that are draconic in origin, but they will generally refuse to allow the samples to be studied.

Rumors state that there is a complete dragon skeleton in the libraries of the Fifth House, but the keepers are reclusive and only allow a select few outsiders to pass through their doors. Those that live and work in the environment are sworn to secrecy about all facets of everyday life inside the House, including any features of note.

In Aperonian Society
Records of dragons date back to the Indomitus Era. When airships became a more common method of transport, stories circulated that a dragon's scales would keep the ship safe from storms, and their wing membrane would act as a sail that would never tear. These proved to be untrue, but rovers are nothing if not superstitious, and thus dragons were hunted for centuries.

The only place left that rumors state might contain a living dragon is in the Maelstrom, a consistent whirlwind that makes it home in the upper northeast part of Aperion. No ships have ever been able to breach the winds and rains, so whatever lies in the eye is a complete unknown.

In Aperonian life, dragons are a common image. They're used in every iteration of the First House's crest, and they're a symbol of strength and majesty in everyday society. They've invoked in speeches and curses, usually in the eastern Uplands, where dragons were historically worshiped in the Indomitus Era.

In Aperonian Legend
The Aperonian creation myth states that dragons were the first race of mortals shaped by the Creator.

Dragons were said to be the masters of storms, and they breathed lightning.