DC Lore AMA

[Nerei]

How long does it take the average dragon egg to hatch, in real time? How long are females typically gravid?

[HeatherMarie]

(I admit I haven't read this entire thread so sorry if this has already been asked)

 

Is there some in-universe explanation for lineages? Specifically, I had this question because of the AP text,

 

Once an egg has been touched by a human, the human's scent rubs off onto the egg. The mother dragon then will reject the egg and no longer be able to tell that it is her own. That's why these abandoned eggs and hatchlings are just sitting outside the cave, dying, and the mother dragon isn't doing anything about them.

 

If the parent-dragons can't tell it's their own egg, how would *we* know which egg has which parents? Grandparents, great-grandparents... How do we know that stuff?

[TJ09]

(I admit I haven't read this entire thread so sorry if this has already been asked)

 

Is there some in-universe explanation for lineages? Specifically, I had this question because of the AP text,

 

 

 

If the parent-dragons can't tell it's their own egg, how would *we* know which egg has which parents? Grandparents, great-grandparents... How do we know that stuff?

The same way we know anything about history: someone wrote it down and kept track as things happened.

 

Really, though, I don't think many humans care about dragon lineages, given that dragons are significantly longer-lived than humans.

[TJ09]

How long does it take the average dragon egg to hatch, in real time? How long are females typically gravid?

Eggs probably take on the order of a couple years to hatch; something that probably sounds long but isn't actually in relation to a dragons' lifespan.

[Pixxelation]

How long are Valkemare's day and year in comparison to Earth's? /random

 

Also, on the subject of humans actually caring about a dragon's lineage: do you think they'd be more likely to care about a pedigreed purebred Drake in a similar manner to how some people care about purebred dogs? Continuing from there, are there possibly "drake shows" akin to RL dog shows? Because I find that idea quite amusing

Edited April 20, 2015 by PieMaster

[Nerei]

How long are Valkemare's day and year in comparison to Earth's? /random

That's not exactly what I meant. I want to know how long it takes for Valkemare to revolve once, so I know how many hours are in its day. I didn't necessarily want to convert DC time to our time

Size of the planet hasn't yet been decided. I think it's a function of how much stuff I want to put into it; the visible map is only a small portion of the world, so what else should there be outside of Galsreim?

 

I'd say the day is probably slightly longer (25 or 26 hours), and the year is also longer. This is arbitrary, based on random whims and not any sort of justification.

 

Given that humans didn't really know what a galaxy was until we had advanced enough telescopes to be able to see other ones far far away, I don't think the concept of a galaxy is understood, which puts naming out of the question.

 

I believe this answers your first question?

[Pixxelation]

Ah, thanks! I had a slight feeling it had been asked before, but I wasn't quite sure, and didn't feel like digging through the thread XP

[Nerei]

Eggs probably take on the order of a couple years to hatch; something that probably sounds long but isn't actually in relation to a dragons' lifespan.

So it would be unreasonable for parent dragons to exhibit brooding behavior around their eggs?

[TJ09]

So it would be unreasonable for parent dragons to exhibit brooding behavior around their eggs?

All of the time? Yes, that'd be unreasonable.

 

Some of the time? perhaps.

[Fiona]

Over in the suggestions forum there is a suggestion for some sort of alternate way of acquiring dragon eggs, like a store, and it got me to wondering. In the DC-verse, would there be people who are traders of dragon eggs? In the sense of they "find" the eggs some where and go around peddling them, not in our sense of trading. Maybe not as they only thing they sell, but that they might have a few (or a couple) in their stock.

[TJ09]

Over in the suggestions forum there is a suggestion for some sort of alternate way of acquiring dragon eggs, like a store, and it got me to wondering. In the DC-verse, would there be people who are traders of dragon eggs? In the sense of they "find" the eggs some where and go around peddling them, not in our sense of trading. Maybe not as they only thing they sell, but that they might have a few (or a couple) in their stock.

It seems likely. It sounds like the type of thing that'd be in some sort of shady black market type deal.

[Rachel72]

What does "AMA".... stand for?

[pinkgothic]

What does "AMA".... stand for?

"Ask Me Anything". I believe the acronym's been popularised on reddit, where there are frequent AMA threads.

Edited April 20, 2015 by pinkgothic

[Nerei]

Is mana in general a rather volatile substance? For example, could deposits of fire mana randomly spark fires? Or would this happen only if it were disturbed? I don't actually really know how mana is supposed to work. I think it's like some type of material with "magical" properties, that only changes when acted on by an outside magic or presence?

 

Also, are there other kind of mana in existence, besides the 13 that appeared in the Snow Warning event? Can different kinds be combined?

 

Does mana actively produce the thing they are associated with? Like, can fire mana make heat or be used as fuel, light mana luminesce, and ice mana be used to cool things?

[TJ09]

Is mana in general a rather volatile substance? For example, could deposits of fire mana randomly spark fires? Or would this happen only if it were disturbed? I don't actually really know how mana is supposed to work. I think it's like some type of material with "magical" properties, that only changes when acted on by an outside magic or presence?

Mana is a substance that holds a lot of energy that can be released. Since it stores a lot of energy, and it's pretty easy for mana-using beings to access it, it'd have to be pretty volatile. I don't know if it'd "randomly" happen, but something could trigger a reaction (e.g. wind, falling branches).

 

"Processed" mana makes it less volatile so humans can deal with it without risk, at the cost of being less efficient (you get less energy per unit of mana) and at the cost of having to expend energy to do the processing.

 

Also, are there other kind of mana in existence, besides the 13 that appeared in the Snow Warning event? Can different kinds be combined?

There are thirteen elements, and thus 13 types of mana. Raw mana can be mixed, but would not "combine" as such (it'd be like mixing oil and water, they'd separate out).

 

Does mana actively produce the thing they are associated with? Like, can fire mana make heat or be used as fuel, light mana luminesce, and ice mana be used to cool things?

Well all mana luminesces, but in general, yes, those types of mana would be suited for the things you mentioned. Balance mana could probably be substituted for the appropriate element, but would be less efficient. I'm not sure if other-elemental mana should work with increasingly lowered efficiency (e.g. For something light-element, 1 unit light mana ≈ 2 units creation-element mana ≈ 4 units balance mana ≈ 8 units other-aspect mana).

[Nerei]

What do you think a Black Tea's scent is comparable to?

Like the plant, or freshly brewed tea itself?

Edited May 29, 2016 by Niyaka

[TJ09]

What do you think a Black Tea's scent is comparable to?

Given their name, I'd expect them to smell of tea leaves...

[Nerei]

Can you explain how Revive works? Supposedly not even White dragons, the healers, can bring back the dead, but somehow humans can? Is life mana required, or is there some sort of spell that can actually give life back to dead dragons? Can it bring back things that have died of old age? Does it work on people, and if so, is it a very widely known and simple practice? Or is it rather difficult, with great restrictions?

[Ansela Jonla]

Do Cheese Dragons look like the sort of cheese they're made out of?

 

Like one made of mature cheddar would be yellowish-white, a sage derby cheese would be marbled green, a red leicester type cheese would be orange, etc?

[Dewdropmon]

Do Cheese Dragons look like the sort of cheese they're made out of?

 

Like one made of mature cheddar would be yellowish-white, a sage derby cheese would be marbled green, a red leicester type cheese would be orange, etc?

I hope so. That would be amazing.

 

Do Paper dragons vary in size? Could you have one as big as a tree or as small as an ant depending upon the size of the enchanted parchment?

Edited May 22, 2015 by Dewdropmon

[TJ09]

Can you explain how Revive works? Supposedly not even White dragons, the healers, can bring back the dead, but somehow humans can? Is life mana required, or is there some sort of spell that can actually give life back to dead dragons? Can it bring back things that have died of old age? Does it work on people, and if so, is it a very widely known and simple practice? Or is it rather difficult, with great restrictions?

Well for one, it's very difficult to do, and requires a lot of energy (true of creating life in general). Perhaps more than most beings are able to safely channel. That's why it can often fail.

 

White dragons "can't" by way of strong moral objection, and the fact that it involves undead mana/magic, which they also morally object to.

 

"Dying of old age" isn't a medical condition. There's an actual medical reason for such occurrences. Once thing that current behavior of revive shows is that it's independent of what was the actual cause of death--reviving a sick hatchling does not cure if of sickness. Reviving something that died of kidney failure due to old age would similarly not solve that problem. Other healing magic might.

 

I've been told that some other universes (MMOs, for example) use a "destiny" systems for reviving. If it "wasn't your time to die," then you can be revived, otherwise it fails. I don't think there's any mechanic in Valkemare that would enforce such a thing, but culturally it's probably true--it seems disrespectful to forcibly bring someone back to life if they were at peace with its ending. Despite the ridiculous power of magic, "playing god" is usually frowned upon.

[TJ09]

I hope so. That would be amazing.

 

Do Paper dragons vary in size? Could you have one as big as a tree or as small as an ant depending upon the size of the enchanted parchment?

There's certainly some variation, but not to the range you described.

 

Have you ever tried dealing with a large sheet of paper without damaging it? It gets unwieldy pretty fast.

[TJ09]

Do Cheese Dragons look like the sort of cheese they're made out of?

 

Like one made of mature cheddar would be yellowish-white, a sage derby cheese would be marbled green, a red leicester type cheese would be orange, etc?

Well they're made of cheese, so yes they look like what they're made out of.

[Dewdropmon]

Is alchemy a thing in Valkemare?

 

If so, would dragons be capable of performing alchemy?

[RecycledHeart]

Well they're made of cheese, so yes they look like what they're made out of.

Then would it be too much trouble to make cheese sprites to look like that?

 

And would it be possible to have dragons named after our solar system planets? Like the name would just be something like the Pyralspites? Like it wouldn't really affect the dragon that much.