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Description

DRACONIAN SUPERSPECIES PROFILE: GAIA (DG: RAZOR PETAL)

Gender: Female
Species: Vitospiritus prodigialis
Dragon Class: Unknown
Length: 714 feet
Height: 243 feet
Weight: 69,000 tons
Wingspan: 1,300 feet
Element: Flora
Danger Level: 3

Ancient myths and legends regarding and revolving around creation gods are nothing new, but the discovery of this magnificent creature is. Gaia, Mother Earth’s beast, helps and loves all. It is not hard to see how entire civilizations formed around the worship and under the care of this Dragon. One major factor as to how this was achieved stems from the unusual behavior of the species, as Gaia is one of the few Dragons with an ongoing positive relationship towards humanity, coexisting with deep forest elves effectively for millennia. This relationship even extends to protection if ancient tellings of the elves are correct, with Gaia actively defending against those that threatened them in the past. This symbiosis could perhaps have been attributed thanks to a special ability the species possesses. Having coexisted for so long, much of the information on the Gaia species have come from accounts and retellings from the elves, which brought to light traits that otherwise would have remained unknown. They state that Gaia is able to communicate via an ethereal language beyond that of mere mortal words. Studies have shown that she is able to emit powerful electromagnetic signals from her independently moving antennae via an advanced series of ganglia across her decentralized nervous system. Most of the time, normal human beings are unable to understand these signals, usually describing them as baseless noise, but the elves are able to take in and understand this brainwave activity in a kind of "telepathy". The elves are supposedly able to communicate with Gaia directly. This may be in part due to their biology, as after millennia of coexistence in this Dragon-stimulating habitat, they now share a small percentage of the genes from a lost “matriarch” of sorts, allowing them to communicate with Gaia through identical brainwave emissions.

These emissions she emits can even be used as a possible defensive weapon, able to stifle aggression or disorient enemies. Due to how seemingly common this form of communication is amongst these lifeforms, studies are currently underway to decipher and understand this "secret language". With help from the elves, artificial means are currently being developed to perhaps one day not only communicate with Gaia but with other Dragons as well. Another intriguing aspect of her biology would be something that the elves like to call "Memories of the Past". Studies have shown that some sections of her nervous system are not entirely her own, having seemingly been acquired from different members of her species. These snippets also contain some semblance of the ancestor's own memories. In short, she and her kind display an advanced form of "genetic memory" capable of passing on and preserving their experiences via their offspring. The oldest of these "memories" may stretch back dozens of millions of years, perhaps more. What use this "genetic memory" has is currently unknown, but some have postulated it may allow younger generations of Gaia to better assess certain situations by recalling ancestral "memory".

Interestingly enough, young individuals of Gaia’s species are seemingly uninteresting, with a deep brown hide that effectively helps them garner a resemblance to Dragon feces. But she still had the tools to make herself known in a world full of predators. In this form, she was physically armed with large, serrated thumb claws to slash at enemies or burrow through the earth, and was covered in a thick plate-like exoskeleton as armor. Large bioluminescent eyespots on the thoracic segments where her armour is thickest would attract the attention of attackers away from the actual head and fool them into attacking the most well-defended area of the body, letting herself get close for a counterattack. Large tusk-like horns on her head would provide some protection from predators that try to attack the real head. A large retractable barb at the end of the tail was able to inject paralyzing venom, while glands on it can shoot noxious gases that induce fatigue quickly, and even if not putting opponents to sleep, it can at least make them weaker and unfocused in battle. This makes it easier for the larvae to entangle them with rope-like silk strands which it can shoot from spinnerets next to its facial horns. Within a few minutes, young Gaia could eject a thick blanket of webbing which hardens quickly into a compound stronger than steel, but can be quickly dissolved by a specialized enzyme she could secrete on demand. The wyrmling therefore worked more to incapacitate her foes rather than kill them, allowing her to escape by burrowing away or giving enough time for an adult to arrive and protect its younger kin.

After a certain amount of time of natural development (usually at least centuries), or when induced by an outside factor (such as during a time of urgency) the wyrmling would use her webbing to construct a den that it develops in, sticking leaves, dirt, and rocks on it for camouflage and protection from the elements. This is the shortest life-cycle stage of the species, sometimes lasting only a few weeks, or supposedly even less. From the den emerges a mature vast winged Gaia now free of her heavily armoured body. This makes her much less durable than before and incapable of burrowing, but much faster, more agile, and most importantly, able to fly.

Gaia’s dense scales and horns provide a home for prehistoric seeds and pollen. Their dispersal recreates ancient, radioactive plant species in her wake, the growth of which is rapidly accelerated by waves of beneficial Dragon Energy that also increase the nutrients in the soil in a vast area. Her scales also possess prion-like substances at the microscopic level. When attuned to certain frequencies, these particles seem to encourage growth and regeneration of other biological matter. As her journey continues, she leaves these energies around in high concentration, significantly increasing nutrition in food plants and in turn providing animals that feed on them a hefty reserve of energy. Within the many million years of her existence, she has shaped some of the most productive ecosystems in the world, which have all become home to many magnificent creatures that couldn’t exist elsewhere in the world.

On their own, her scales are quite effective physical weaponry, each being lined with cutting edges that can cut through softer skin (such as the eyes, mouth lining, etc. of larger Dragons), but they serve a far more spectacular purpose. In battle, she will attempt to shed a large quantity of these scales to create a large cloud that surrounds her. Studies show these scales contain specialized plant pods that are highly reflective and conductive, capable of reflecting or nullifying several kinds of energy-based attacks from other Dragons, effectively surrounding her in an airborne forcefield. These same scales can be used to store up solar radiation to be fired onto an opponent, be it from concentrated blasts from the mouth or through the wings. This energy can also be redistributed across the body to amplify her physical attacks, be it through an increase in strength or damaging enemies via touch. The plant pods within can inflict either poison, sleep, or paralysis statuses, depending on what she previously ate.

Gaia does not seem to feed very often; her florafaunal physiology requires her only to subsist on sunlight and water. She drinks not by scooping the water in her mouth and angling her head upward so it travels down her throat, but rather letting her mouth sit and absorbing the water through spongy oral tissues, like a snake. When she does feed, she subsists on trees, using her specialized peg-like or shear-like teeth to strip branches of their leaves.

Gaia is considered unusual among Dragons in light of her aversion to conflict, being by all accounts very peaceful by Dragon standards. Her parental instincts are highly developed, being able to track and locate her allies over vast distances via some kind of harmonic resonance detected with her antennae. The fact an entire civilization has managed to flourish under her reign is evidence of this, but she does not simply tolerate the deep forest elves, but actively protects and cares for them. The many accounts of her deeds point to a very strong interspecies relationship between her and the elves. Her relationship with some of the other Dragons, particularly Sakuya, is also a positive one, oftentimes uniting to fight an invader too powerful for them to face alone. Even when facing enemies, Gaia usually does not attack with the intent to kill, being highly tolerant and even protective of species that contribute to a healthy ecosystem, only ever resorting to killing for sustenance (most of the time though, she resorts to passively absorbing water, geothermal energy and gamma rays) or if the threat is far too destructive for her to passively solve. Still, one should not expect a light treatment from the life bringer, as she can be incredibly fierce in battle. When Gaia deems something a threat, she does everything in her power to deal with it, even if it means risking her own life in the process. Those who dare threaten her or her home should beware.

In times long past, Gaia once had a sort of partnership with Sarbok, the two occasionally teaming up whenever a greater threat came along. But such times have come and gone. When the two meet, their interactions are begrudging at best, and while the Horned Tyrant may still be willing to team up with the Sovereign of Nature, it's only when he's exhausted his other options. Exactly the reason why they are no longer strong allies is said to have been the result of the Dragon queen's benevolence.

Gaia's unwavering compassion often puts her at odds with the fact that the vast majority of Dragons tend to be rather brutal, cutthroat beasts honed by millions of years of violent evolution. Considering only a few hundred thousand years have passed since the Avatars of the Elements forged an alliance and only a few other species have since joined in on the action, there are still a vast majority of competitors she and her allies need to deal with. There is also the issue that such a task requires the attention of ancient rivalries. A good reason there hasn't been much expansion in regards to the Dragon Hierarchy is that many Dragons tend to grudge matches millions of years in the making against each other, something that might not translate to other species, especially if they do not have the experience behind an ancient rivalry for their species.

Description

DRACONIAN SUPERSPECIES PROFILE: GAIA (DG: RAZOR PETAL)

Gender: Female
Species: Vitospiritus prodigialis
Dragon Class: Unknown
Length: 714 feet
Height: 243 feet
Weight: 69,000 tons
Wingspan: 1,300 feet
Element: Flora
Danger Level: 3

Ancient myths and legends regarding and revolving around creation gods are nothing new, but the discovery of this magnificent creature is. Gaia, Mother Earth’s beast, helps and loves all. It is not hard to see how entire civilizations formed around the worship and under the care of this Dragon. One major factor as to how this was achieved stems from the unusual behavior of the species, as Gaia is one of the few Dragons with an ongoing positive relationship towards humanity, coexisting with deep forest elves effectively for millennia. This relationship even extends to protection if ancient tellings of the elves are correct, with Gaia actively defending against those that threatened them in the past. This symbiosis could perhaps have been attributed thanks to a special ability the species possesses. Having coexisted for so long, much of the information on the Gaia species have come from accounts and retellings from the elves, which brought to light traits that otherwise would have remained unknown. They state that Gaia is able to communicate via an ethereal language beyond that of mere mortal words. Studies have shown that she is able to emit powerful electromagnetic signals from her independently moving antennae via an advanced series of ganglia across her decentralized nervous system. Most of the time, normal human beings are unable to understand these signals, usually describing them as baseless noise, but the elves are able to take in and understand this brainwave activity in a kind of "telepathy". The elves are supposedly able to communicate with Gaia directly. This may be in part due to their biology, as after millennia of coexistence in this Dragon-stimulating habitat, they now share a small percentage of the genes from a lost “matriarch” of sorts, allowing them to communicate with Gaia through identical brainwave emissions.

These emissions she emits can even be used as a possible defensive weapon, able to stifle aggression or disorient enemies. Due to how seemingly common this form of communication is amongst these lifeforms, studies are currently underway to decipher and understand this "secret language". With help from the elves, artificial means are currently being developed to perhaps one day not only communicate with Gaia but with other Dragons as well. Another intriguing aspect of her biology would be something that the elves like to call "Memories of the Past". Studies have shown that some sections of her nervous system are not entirely her own, having seemingly been acquired from different members of her species. These snippets also contain some semblance of the ancestor's own memories. In short, she and her kind display an advanced form of "genetic memory" capable of passing on and preserving their experiences via their offspring. The oldest of these "memories" may stretch back dozens of millions of years, perhaps more. What use this "genetic memory" has is currently unknown, but some have postulated it may allow younger generations of Gaia to better assess certain situations by recalling ancestral "memory".

Interestingly enough, young individuals of Gaia’s species are seemingly uninteresting, with a deep brown hide that effectively helps them garner a resemblance to Dragon feces. But she still had the tools to make herself known in a world full of predators. In this form, she was physically armed with large, serrated thumb claws to slash at enemies or burrow through the earth, and was covered in a thick plate-like exoskeleton as armor. Large bioluminescent eyespots on the thoracic segments where her armour is thickest would attract the attention of attackers away from the actual head and fool them into attacking the most well-defended area of the body, letting herself get close for a counterattack. Large tusk-like horns on her head would provide some protection from predators that try to attack the real head. A large retractable barb at the end of the tail was able to inject paralyzing venom, while glands on it can shoot noxious gases that induce fatigue quickly, and even if not putting opponents to sleep, it can at least make them weaker and unfocused in battle. This makes it easier for the larvae to entangle them with rope-like silk strands which it can shoot from spinnerets next to its facial horns. Within a few minutes, young Gaia could eject a thick blanket of webbing which hardens quickly into a compound stronger than steel, but can be quickly dissolved by a specialized enzyme she could secrete on demand. The wyrmling therefore worked more to incapacitate her foes rather than kill them, allowing her to escape by burrowing away or giving enough time for an adult to arrive and protect its younger kin.

After a certain amount of time of natural development (usually at least centuries), or when induced by an outside factor (such as during a time of urgency) the wyrmling would use her webbing to construct a den that it develops in, sticking leaves, dirt, and rocks on it for camouflage and protection from the elements. This is the shortest life-cycle stage of the species, sometimes lasting only a few weeks, or supposedly even less. From the den emerges a mature vast winged Gaia now free of her heavily armoured body. This makes her much less durable than before and incapable of burrowing, but much faster, more agile, and most importantly, able to fly.

Gaia’s dense scales and horns provide a home for prehistoric seeds and pollen. Their dispersal recreates ancient, radioactive plant species in her wake, the growth of which is rapidly accelerated by waves of beneficial Dragon Energy that also increase the nutrients in the soil in a vast area. Her scales also possess prion-like substances at the microscopic level. When attuned to certain frequencies, these particles seem to encourage growth and regeneration of other biological matter. As her journey continues, she leaves these energies around in high concentration, significantly increasing nutrition in food plants and in turn providing animals that feed on them a hefty reserve of energy. Within the many million years of her existence, she has shaped some of the most productive ecosystems in the world, which have all become home to many magnificent creatures that couldn’t exist elsewhere in the world.

On their own, her scales are quite effective physical weaponry, each being lined with cutting edges that can cut through softer skin (such as the eyes, mouth lining, etc. of larger Dragons), but they serve a far more spectacular purpose. In battle, she will attempt to shed a large quantity of these scales to create a large cloud that surrounds her. Studies show these scales contain specialized plant pods that are highly reflective and conductive, capable of reflecting or nullifying several kinds of energy-based attacks from other Dragons, effectively surrounding her in an airborne forcefield. These same scales can be used to store up solar radiation to be fired onto an opponent, be it from concentrated blasts from the mouth or through the wings. This energy can also be redistributed across the body to amplify her physical attacks, be it through an increase in strength or damaging enemies via touch. The plant pods within can inflict either poison, sleep, or paralysis statuses, depending on what she previously ate.

Gaia does not seem to feed very often; her florafaunal physiology requires her only to subsist on sunlight and water. She drinks not by scooping the water in her mouth and angling her head upward so it travels down her throat, but rather letting her mouth sit and absorbing the water through spongy oral tissues, like a snake. When she does feed, she subsists on trees, using her specialized peg-like or shear-like teeth to strip branches of their leaves.

Gaia is considered unusual among Dragons in light of her aversion to conflict, being by all accounts very peaceful by Dragon standards. Her parental instincts are highly developed, being able to track and locate her allies over vast distances via some kind of harmonic resonance detected with her antennae. The fact an entire civilization has managed to flourish under her reign is evidence of this, but she does not simply tolerate the deep forest elves, but actively protects and cares for them. The many accounts of her deeds point to a very strong interspecies relationship between her and the elves. Her relationship with some of the other Dragons, particularly Sakuya, is also a positive one, oftentimes uniting to fight an invader too powerful for them to face alone. Even when facing enemies, Gaia usually does not attack with the intent to kill, being highly tolerant and even protective of species that contribute to a healthy ecosystem, only ever resorting to killing for sustenance (most of the time though, she resorts to passively absorbing water, geothermal energy and gamma rays) or if the threat is far too destructive for her to passively solve. Still, one should not expect a light treatment from the life bringer, as she can be incredibly fierce in battle. When Gaia deems something a threat, she does everything in her power to deal with it, even if it means risking her own life in the process. Those who dare threaten her or her home should beware.

In times long past, Gaia once had a sort of partnership with Sarbok, the two occasionally teaming up whenever a greater threat came along. But such times have come and gone. When the two meet, their interactions are begrudging at best, and while the Horned Tyrant may still be willing to team up with the Sovereign of Nature, it's only when he's exhausted his other options. Exactly the reason why they are no longer strong allies is said to have been the result of the Dragon queen's benevolence.

Gaia's unwavering compassion often puts her at odds with the fact that the vast majority of Dragons tend to be rather brutal, cutthroat beasts honed by millions of years of violent evolution. Considering only a few hundred thousand years have passed since the Avatars of the Elements forged an alliance and only a few other species have since joined in on the action, there are still a vast majority of competitors she and her allies need to deal with. There is also the issue that such a task requires the attention of ancient rivalries. A good reason there hasn't been much expansion in regards to the Dragon Hierarchy is that many Dragons tend to grudge matches millions of years in the making against each other, something that might not translate to other species, especially if they do not have the experience behind an ancient rivalry for their species.