Board Thread:Off Topic/@comment-11549959-20130708204736

Let's face it, dragons are cool. Dragons have been around for millennia. They've been in songs, stories, artwork, movies, games, books etc. Books of dragonology have been published. Some countries have dragons as their identifying animal (Wales comes to mind). So, I thought it would be fun to create a dragon. The rule is simple. You have to write about the dragon as if you had studied it. This is not a pet dragon, but rather a type of dragon. I'll start.

Dragon Type: Scottish Silvershield

Found in: Fairly temperent mountain regions

Description: The Scottish Silvershield (aka Blackback) derives it's name from the shape of it's scales and the fact that, being nocturnal, it looks silver in moonlight, despite it's scales being black. Male silvershields have crests on their heads that look similar to crowns. They have silver-colored claws, and spade-shaped feet which are used for burrowing into mountainsides. The female has no crest, but has a mace-like tail for defense of the young. Young silvershields are entirely silver and born blind.

Silvershields are a bit smaller than standard dragons, being roughly two city buses in length and roughly twenty feet tall (midriff to ground). Silvershields will not attack unless threatened, then they will warn the attacker away with a loud growl/hiss (similar to a cat) and a blast of sparks from it's nostrils. Silvershields do not breathe fire, they use their teeth which are similar to shark teeth.

Silvershields can be found in the Scottish Highlands (hence it's name), the mountain regions of the eastern U.S., areas of Japan among others.

The diet of a silvershield tends toward game found in it's region. Silvershields tend to shun domestic livestock (sheep, cattle etc) unless wounded or starving.

If the traveler finds himself face to face with a silvershield, he should remain calm, and continue his way, there is no need to fear a silvershield.

Note: Many caves are actually former silvershield dwellings.

Further Reading: "A Year Among the Scottish Blackbacks" by E.M. Chedid PhD 