DC Lore AMA

[blockEdragon]

So if Royal Blues have a steam breath and Royal Crimsons have classical fire breath, what sort of breath weapon do the Eminence dragons have?

Edited May 26, 2021 by blockEdragon

[Anglia]

Since Xenowyrm have prime spirit name (or named from prime spirit, whatever), did human believe these wyrm are some kind avatar of prime spirit?

[hazeh]

On 5/26/2021 at 4:19 PM, blockEdragon said:

So if Royal Blues have a steam breath and Royal Crimsons have classical fire breath, what sort of breath weapon do the Eminence dragons have?

They breathe flame like Crimsons do, but the color is a pale silvery-gold similar to their markings

[Spiteful_Crow]

On 5/6/2021 at 10:16 PM, TCA said:

I like to imagine you could teach a red-tailed wyrm basic math if you could get them to care but that's a tall order because they are too busy going 'food?'.

 

"If I have five raw steaks and I give you one and take away two, how many are left?"

 

"Zero fingers."

 

"... Good answer."

 

On 5/8/2021 at 1:18 PM, Mewtie said:

Here is a post by TJ on the matter. :3

 

It's gone, what did it say?

[SomeRandomCorviknight]

Do the forums exist in canon? What are they, then ?

On 6/29/2021 at 5:38 PM, Spiteful_Crow said:

 

"If I have five raw steaks and I give you one and take away two, how many are left?"

 

"Zero fingers."

 

"... Good answer."

 

 

[TJ09]

On 6/11/2021 at 4:31 AM, Anglia said:

Since Xenowyrm have prime spirit name (or named from prime spirit, whatever), did human believe these wyrm are some kind avatar of prime spirit?

 

This seems like an interesting subject to resurrect this thread with, since it came up in the news thread as well...

 

Per the Xenowyrm description, they descend from an ancient species; a species which was later revealed to likely be the Staterae. This is interesting for a few reasons: it's one of the few places where there's some indication of how dragons have evolved over time (Does this mean anything for the genealogy of other dragons? If the most ancient of known dragons is a wyrm, does this imply that wyrms are the original body plan from with the others eventually branched off? There are almost certainly people who believe such things), and it lends even more credence to the possibility that they have a stronger connection to their namesakes than name alone.

 

But that also definitely creates some implicit ties to the creation myth of Valkemare. Xenowyrms are ancient and tied to the elements, the primal spirits who are the supposed progenitors of the known world are ancient and tied to the elements—it absolutely seems plausible to say their shared naming is related. Folklore is going to vary wildly based on who's telling it, though; perhaps in one case the first Xenowyrms were the corporeal forms of the spirits themselves, while others claim they arose from the raw elemental chaos at the beginning of the universe.

 

Nonetheless, it is well-known that the Xenowyrm names are derived from the names of other things that exist in Valkemare; it's unlikely someone would hear the word Mageia and immediately think of the wyrms before they think of the connection to the element of Magi itself.

[Kegluneq]

On 12/31/2021 at 3:20 PM, TJ09 said:

(Does this mean anything for the genealogy of other dragons? If the most ancient of known dragons is a wyrm, does this imply that wyrms are the original body plan from with the others eventually branched off? There are almost certainly people who believe such things)

I'm starting to believe that Xenowyrms, or specifically the Staterae may have a huge connection with many species.

 

Years ago I asked you something about the Avatars, Guardians of Nature and Sinomorphs, here, here, here, here, here, and here are my previous questions and responses.

 

Has any of that info changed or evolved since then?

 

In case that info, or data, is still the same, currently when I look at the map I see four different land masses, or continents. Previously you mentioned that there are "two-to-four other notable land masses that you can't see on the map" which seems there might be up to eight total land masses.  Am I guessing correctly?

 

Speaking of legendary dragons I deduct that the Guardian of Nature and the Sinomorph "rule" one land mass/continent each. But ever since the release of the Staterae I'm wondering if it would be considered at the same level as the GoN and the Sino (because its colors remind me of them very much), if so, is the Staterae the ruler of one continent? Does this mean there might be up to five more legendary dragons out there?

 

If the Staterae is a legendary dragon as well what would its gender be?

 

Do all the legendary dragons descend from a more ancient species?

[Chaos Rider]

2 hours ago, Kegluneq said:

Speaking of legendary dragons I deduct that the Guardian of Nature and the Sinomorph "rule" one land mass/continent each. But ever since the release of the Staterae I'm wondering if it would be considered at the same level as the GoN and the Sino (because its colors remind me of them very much), if so, is the Staterae the ruler of one continent?

I had a thought when you said ruler of one continent. Staterae are an ancient prehistoric breed of dragon and in earth's past there was a single supercontinent - Pangea. Perhaps Staterae were 'rulers' of a continent or supercontinent that existed in Valkemare's past that doesn't exist presently?

[TJ09]

On 1/1/2022 at 10:37 PM, Kegluneq said:

I'm starting to believe that Xenowyrms, or specifically the Staterae may have a huge connection with many species.

 

Years ago I asked you something about the Avatars, Guardians of Nature and Sinomorphs, here, here, here, here, here, and here are my previous questions and responses.

 

Has any of that info changed or evolved since then?

The thing I said in 2018 is definitely very true: "Nothing is actually different from my thoughts last year, but there also hasn't been any need to choose just yet."

 

But overall, things about the GoN and the Sinomorph are about the same.

 

On 1/1/2022 at 10:37 PM, Kegluneq said:

In case that info, or data, is still the same, currently when I look at the map I see four different land masses, or continents. Previously you mentioned that there are "two-to-four other notable land masses that you can't see on the map" which seems there might be up to eight total land masses.  Am I guessing correctly?

The latest world map I have contains about 6 major landmasses. I might've included the lower two ones that you only see the northern end of in my count. Interestingly, though, many of them are larger than Galsreim, but habitability naturally varies.

 

It does raise an interesting question: what makes Galsreim, one of the smaller continents, so important?

 

On 1/1/2022 at 10:37 PM, Kegluneq said:

Speaking of legendary dragons I deduct that the Guardian of Nature and the Sinomorph "rule" one land mass/continent each. But ever since the release of the Staterae I'm wondering if it would be considered at the same level as the GoN and the Sino (because its colors remind me of them very much), if so, is the Staterae the ruler of one continent? Does this mean there might be up to five more legendary dragons out there?

I'm not sure "ruling" is the right verb. The descriptions for both dragons talk more about "protecting," and both also mention that they're only ever seen in dire circumstances. Combined with their summoning mechanics, perhaps they aren't even of this plane/realm, and must be actively called upon in order to avert disaster.

 

As for Staterae, I think the difference is Staterae are indeed a species—there are multiple of them—whereas the GoN and the Sinomorph are singular creatures of legend. They're elusive/rare because they're ancient and don't really care about the affairs of "lesser" beings.

 

On 1/1/2022 at 10:37 PM, Kegluneq said:

Do all the legendary dragons descend from a more ancient species?

Were the GoN and Sinomorph "born?" Or, in a world full of magic, are one or both of their origins slightly more fantastical than that? I've already insinuated they may not be native to the same plane of existence as humans...

[Tsunami_Void]

do special weather conditions exist on valkemere, and if so what are they

[BlitzTheZeraora]

Just a couple questions. For the wilderness, sometimes you see wild hatchings. You can't release hatchlings, you have to abandon them. So would they get "adopted" by another dragon, or fend for themselves? I found one that hatched in 2011, so are they just babies forever?

[Lagie]

1 hour ago, BlitzTheZeraora said:

You can't release hatchlings,

You can if they're frozen.

[TJ09]

On 3/28/2023 at 4:54 PM, BlitzTheZeraora said:

Just a couple questions. For the wilderness, sometimes you see wild hatchings. You can't release hatchlings, you have to abandon them. So would they get "adopted" by another dragon, or fend for themselves? I found one that hatched in 2011, so are they just babies forever?

Well since this is a lore thread, rather than one about game mechanics: the answer is yes, there absolutely are dragons that would take in wayward hatchlings. Many hatchlings will also be at an age where they can survive on their own, though there would also be some survivorship bias.

 

Freezing is a whole 'nother story...

[Anglia]

So Valkemare is indeed a sphere, and Galsreim is in the northern hemisphere. What I'm interested in is that two complete (at least mostly complete) southern continents can be seen on the lunar eclipse diagram on the time page, have they been named? Could we one day explore not just their northernmost tip, but their entirety?

And Toreska (the northern landmass), which is sort of positioned on the eclipse diagram as... a arctic continent? I'm getting more and more curious if we'll see a complete global map of Valkemare someday.

And, since there are lunar eclipses, wouldn't there also be solar eclipses (and more often since we have two moons) and associated dragons?

[TJ09]

On 7/6/2023 at 11:25 PM, Anareta said:

Hey TJ, I had a lore question about the people of Valkemare. Is there seafaring among the human population? And, if yes, how advanced is their technology with nautical travel?

People in Valkemare are definitely seafaring, and have spread out across the several visible continents on the map (and perhaps beyond? 👀). Technology in general is perhaps more "magi-tech" in lieu of  proper technological advancement. So boats may be some combination of wind-powered and magic-powered (and there's likely a few different ways to do that).

 

And of course, since there's floating islands to the east, there also needs to be some form of flying travel to reach them...

[TJ09]

On 5/7/2023 at 6:59 PM, Anglia said:

So Valkemare is indeed a sphere, and Galsreim is in the northern hemisphere. What I'm interested in is that two complete (at least mostly complete) southern continents can be seen on the lunar eclipse diagram on the time page, have they been named? Could we one day explore not just their northernmost tip, but their entirety?

The two southern continents aren't named (yet), but several of the locations that are visible are. On the southwestern continent is Marubi Jungle, for example.

 

On 5/7/2023 at 6:59 PM, Anglia said:

And Toreska (the northern landmass), which is sort of positioned on the eclipse diagram as... a arctic continent? I'm getting more and more curious if we'll see a complete global map of Valkemare someday.

Toreska is indeed fairly far north, and does go all the way to the top of the planet. It's possible we'll see more (some parts are more well-defined than others), but there'd need to be a reason for it to be relevant.

 

On 5/7/2023 at 6:59 PM, Anglia said:

And, since there are lunar eclipses, wouldn't there also be solar eclipses (and more often since we have two moons) and associated dragons?

Well, there haven't been any proposed breeds that would make use of such a mechanics...yet?

[skwerl56767]

   Another question on Valkemare's moons:

   We have precedent set on the site that moon-influenced dragons turn gold if Aurax is dominant, or turn blue if Cirion is dominant. That makes sense, because Aurax is gold and Cirion is blue. What I'm curious about is if Aurax or Cirion actually glow their respective colors, because we have Lunar Heralds, which have silver for when both moons are bright at the same time, and Sonatas, which turn pale only on the eclipse, also when both moons are bright. So precedent says that when both moons are bright, the dragons turn silver-white; but if you mix blue light with yellow light, you have green, so why are they not green? Is the moonlight only barely tinted the respective color, so the dragons hatching under them are actually coloring themselves more dramatically to simply signify which moon was dominant, and when they're both dominant, that color neutralizes into white? Lunar Heralds specifically are described as having reflective, metallic bodies, so I thought their colors were reflecting the moonlight, but then white doesn't make sense because logically the eclipse would look green, on account of a blue moon and yellow moon glowing brightly into the same space... unless I'm misunderstanding the lore or the mechanics of light? Maybe Aurax is actually orange-heavy instead of yellow-heavy?

Edited October 20, 2023 by skwerl56767

[FuecocoBoi09]

did script dragons come first or language

[Melomancer]

In terms of evolutionary history, which Dragons are particularly ancient, or have gone unchanged for huge periods of time? I know that Staterae are the precursors to every Xenowyrm species, and Fell Dragons are described as 'Primitive', but I'm wondering if there are any species who would be ancestors to plenty of other dragons and drakes. 

Considering that Drakes are non-sapient, but can start out at the same physical size as Dragons, would there be any developmental issues in Hatchlings if they're raised closely alongside them? Since it'd sorta like being around feral animals during a crucial formative period. 

Edited November 16, 2023 by Melomancer

[TJ09]

On 10/19/2023 at 6:13 PM, skwerl56767 said:

We have precedent set on the site that moon-influenced dragons turn gold if Aurax is dominant, or turn blue if Cirion is dominant. That makes sense, because Aurax is gold and Cirion is blue. What I'm curious about is if Aurax or Cirion actually glow their respective colors, because we have Lunar Heralds, which have silver for when both moons are bright at the same time, and Sonatas, which turn pale only on the eclipse, also when both moons are bright. So precedent says that when both moons are bright, the dragons turn silver-white; but if you mix blue light with yellow light, you have green, so why are they not green? Is the moonlight only barely tinted the respective color, so the dragons hatching under them are actually coloring themselves more dramatically to simply signify which moon was dominant, and when they're both dominant, that color neutralizes into white? Lunar Heralds specifically are described as having reflective, metallic bodies, so I thought their colors were reflecting the moonlight, but then white doesn't make sense because logically the eclipse would look green, on account of a blue moon and yellow moon glowing brightly into the same space... unless I'm misunderstanding the lore or the mechanics of light? Maybe Aurax is actually orange-heavy instead of yellow-heavy?

 

You seem to be basing a lot of this on the assumption that the mechanism causing these effects is the specific wavelength/color of light that strikes the planet on a given night, and that the coloration displayed by dragons is a direct response to that specific wavelength. Nothing says that if one of the moons suddenly gave off red light, there would be red Lunar Heralds. Even if the color of the light is the trigger, the colors shown by Lunar Heralds and other breeds are likely dependent on biology (and maybe a bit of magic--do the moons radiate trace amounts of mana? a fun thought).

 

Aurax is specifically described as "gold," which could indeed be anywhere between orange and yellow.

 

On 10/21/2023 at 5:16 PM, FuecocoBoi09 said:

did script dragons come first or language

well script dragons have markings that "resemble" language but aren't necessarily language.

 

It's likely dragons in general predate humans, and thus written language, though.

 

On 11/15/2023 at 4:15 AM, Melomancer said:

In terms of evolutionary history, which Dragons are particularly ancient, or have gone unchanged for huge periods of time? I know that Staterae are the precursors to every Xenowyrm species, and Fell Dragons are described as 'Primitive', but I'm wondering if there are any species who would be ancestors to plenty of other dragons and drakes. 

The ones you listed are the only ones officially established, IIRC.

 

On 11/15/2023 at 4:15 AM, Melomancer said:

Considering that Drakes are non-sapient, but can start out at the same physical size as Dragons, would there be any developmental issues in Hatchlings if they're raised closely alongside them? Since it'd sorta like being around feral animals during a crucial formative period. 

Drakes are generally smaller than dragons, even at the hatchling stage. I'm not well-versed enough in developmental science to give a good answer, but I'd guess as long a hatchling isn't solely exposed to feral creatures, they'd still be learning.

[skwerl56767]

   I did consider that the moons having mana (I thought I saw somewhere in the thread that you considered Valkemare's satellites having mana, considering the planet itself has it), and the dragons could be changing based off that, and not the color. My assumption that the dragons' colors being reflections of the moonlight was based mostly off Lunar Heralds and Sonatas, who are described as having metallic and reflective scales respectively, although neither dragon expressly states that their scales match the moons' colors, only that they change based on which moon was most prominent; so the colors could be a biological response, like you said. I was misled into thinking it was reflections because blue dragons coincide with a Cirion-dominant sky, and the gold dragons an Aurax-dominant sky, and bronze for the Lunar Herald makes sense when neither moon is dominant; but in that case, the silver dragons for the eclipse made little sense. It makes more sense that the colors merely represent dominance, so the lack of color is a representation of neutrality rather than of the moons themselves, or how they affect the lighting.

   Considering the dragons don't represent the color of the moonlight, then, what would the color of each night be? Is the light tinted green when neither moon overpowers the other, and does the eclipse change anything? I'm assuming (again) that because the moons have colors, and they are primary colors, that implies that the sunlight is white light, and the moons are reflecting only the blue or gold wavelengths of that light; but because of the "magic" wild card, and whatever Valkemare's atmosphere is like, it could be completely different.

[Demon_Jake]

I tried reading through the entire thread but kinda skimmed through towards the end so I'll just throw a bunch of questions in here and hope they haven't been answered yet

 

(I feel like this might have been answered in an event but) what reasons would a dragon have for integrating into human society?

 

Dragons are capable of reading but are they physically capable of writing on something like paper for instance (for the smaller breeds) or would they use something much bigger?

 

I'm sure I read something about the villages and towns being few and spread out but what does trade look like in Galsreim? Do they rely on some exports from other continents? Speaking of which, how is long/medium distance travel? Airships and floating islands exist but what about land or sea? Did explorers/merchants make the trips more efficient with the use of mana (aside from airships)?

 

Where is Valkemare technologically speaking? Any year comparable to ours that could be pinpointed? Would they have invented things such as printing presses (1436), coffee (15th century) or pianos (1700) at this point, or do they use some sort of mana fueled alternative?

 

Can Paper dragons grow or literally make more eggs with the use of paper and magic, or are they completely man made and can't reproduce on their own.