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// Bonus Chapter: Dragon Reference Guide 
// Story: Dragons of Hourglass 
// by Rammy 
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Dragon Reference Guide: A Guide to Save Yourself from Certain Death


Introduction


So you want to learn about Dragons? Let me be first to say you don’t. Dragons are a very proud both as individuals and a people. They don’t reveal much about themselves and for good reason. They are creatures that measure life at a rate that spans generation for most races. Because of this they possess knowledge that most races are not ready for. Knowledge comes with a great responsibility.

Dragons are beings of passion, loyalty, honor, nobility. They don't take things lightly as for them very word and action conveys a lot. If you value your life keep your distance and leave them in peace. However, that is an ideal situation. This guide is give you enough knowledge to survive any encounter if and when they come.

Most people think that dragons are rampaging brutish beasts out to steal everything shiny and eat everyone’s children. That is atypical behavior for a dragon see Greed Growth (pg 64) and Rage/Beast Growth (pg 66) for more details. For the most part dragons are quite docile as long as you don’t steal from them, attack them, or insult them. Of the two stealing (inadvertently or on purpose) and insulting them will incur their wrath faster then anything.

It’s amazingly easy to insult them. As mentioned before they are beings of passion (or of emotions) and of honor. They have a series of very complex intertwining rules of conduct that all adult dragons adhere to. This serves to not only calm the well known “Dragon Rage” that is used in fanciful tales about dragons but to also keep dragons from rampaging against each other. A partial list of Codes and their uses can be found in Appendix A.

If you find yourself in an encounter with a dragon here are a few basic pointers to at least keep you alive if you get nothing else from this guide. Never, ever ask for a dragon’s name. If you must always ask a dragon how to address them. Names to a dragon are private and hold special meaning to the dragon. 

When addressing a dragon, especially an angry or irritated dragon, it’s best to address them as “Dragon of such and such location” (if you don’t know where you are the more descriptive the better) “Dragon (insert detailed description of them)” can work in a pinch as well but will most likely not be as well received. This rule doesn’t apply for hatchling or whelps(young dragons that are not of age). See Dragon Life Cycle (pg 7) A word of extreme caution: young adults can look like whelps so its better to follow the above rule when in doubt. See Dragon Names (pg 12) for more information.

If you find yourself in a dragon’s hoard running is not always the best option. If they accuse you of eating/taking their gems and you think you can escape do so. However, if they accuse you of stealing their hoard then you are best not to run. A dragon will stop at nothing to get their hoard back and will destroy anything and anyone in the way. How a dragon will deal with someone stealing their hoard will vary from dragon to dragon. It is always best if you find yourself in a cave with piles of gems, coins, and other shiny type objects is to touch nothing and to slowly step away from the pile and leave as quietly and as quickly as you can.

The prevailing thought is that dragon only hoard shiny things and “playthings.” This is only partially true. What most actually see are a dragon’s bed and food. Though they will use the word ‘hoard’ to describe both. A dragon’s true hoard is usually hidden so what most people think are hoards are not. See Dragon Hoarding (pg 58)

Now I must clear up a misconception and fear (though not completely unfounded). Not all dragons are meat eaters. Those that do will not knowingly eat a sentient creature. Also those that do eat meat do not eat a lot of it. Gems, minerals, and some metals are the main source of nutrition. Gems, by far, comprise most of their diet due to the unique magical properties they possess. Also given the hardness of dragon scales gems are also used to help keep the scales from dulling. See Dragons and Gems (pg 44)

“Dragons are dragons.” a saying that is a bit infuriating. Just like there are several tribes of ponies (i.e. Earth, Pegasus, Unicorn, Crystal) there are several types of dragons. See Dragon Races (pg 30) for a full listing and descriptions. Unlike ponies dragons rarely crossbreed between types. This is more than a culture thing it’s for the safety of the offspring. See Crossbreeds (pg 37) Dragons generally live in extremes and usually hostile areas in comparison to other races. Not only does this help keep them in solitude but also can be an indicator of the type of dragon they are.

A final word of caution and warning. This guide is designed to keep you from harm from an accidental encounter with a dragon. DO NOT use this guide as a way purposefully go out to study or talk with dragons. They don’t take intrusion lightly even more so if it was on purpose.