Nonhuman Sentient Beings

@theducktator yep your ducks would fit into this category!

@linus-smallprint It depends on the story. I use them throughout several different story universes and their roles are different in each one. Often I use just one species for each story. I do have some set rules for each though:

• Ailurids often have clan-based societies, because I first created them basing off the warrior cats books.
• No matter the story, there are always several species of dragons, and each has their own way of life. Many have cultures based off the country/continent I got the idea for them from (the Patriot Dragon is American, the Bushviper Australian, the Sunstar is African, the Realmtrotter Asian, etc.) Actually, I could rant for hours on the dragons alone. I’ll do that in another post.
• I haven’t actually done much on the subject of the raptaurs’ and ornithiforms’ cultures tbh. I should work on that.

@linus-smallprint Raptaurs have one set of arms. I really want to show you a picture, but I can’t…..😥

Not really! They can be all types of birds. Although most of my established characters lean more towards songbirds and birds of prey, I could see a flamingo ornithiform, or a penguin, or a peacock.

Also, there isn’t really different “species,” each character is their own individual bird, although they’re usually at least of a similar type to their parents (two songbirds will always have songbird children, two raptors will have raptor children, if a songbird and a raptor are together there’s a 50-50 chance of either, etc.), and there’s a low chance of a child being the exact same kind as their parent. For example, I have a character whose bird features are based off a blue jay, but her twin brother’s are based off a cardinal, her father’s a raven, and her husband’s an owl.

Yes indeed! The Hypersense (named for its hyper-enhanced senses even compared to other dragons) would live in Canada. There are several breeds, but the forest-dwelling Fallenleaf and icy Blizzard varieties would be the kind you’d most likely see.

@linus-smallprint I haven’t drawn a Hypersense yet! I should though. Once pictures are working, if they ever work, I WILL spam this chat with drawing of the different dragon species lol

@linus-smallprint they’re not ALL servants, but usually in societies where dragons and humans are together, dragons are kinda “right underneath” humans on the species ladder–they have rights, but are also treated sort of as beasts of burden/pets–humans ride dragons, put them in place of cattle/horses in work, etc. “Wild” dragons have something of societies, but they’re so solitary, if you’re a dragon and you want to join civilization, you might as well cast your lot in with humans. They kinda have an agreement–“treat us well and we’ll do whatever you want.”

Humans and dragons have had quite an interesting history:

• Folk stories in this universe say that the serpent in the Garden of Eden was a dragon (although I don’t think that’s true, it’s just a theory someone had).
• There were eight dragons on the Ark, matching the number of humans (unlike my previous statement, that’s actually a confirmed thing in this universe). They obeyed God’s command to spread out before their humans did, and that’s why they kept a single language. There were three ancestral dragon species that diversified into the fifty-odd types we have today.
• In Bible times, dragons kept far away from humans, as many cultures tended to exploit them. It’s believed that the animal-human hybrid gods of Egypt, as well as several other myths, were inspired by dragons. Biblical authors would have been familiar with the Sunstar, Imperialwing, Pym Wyrm, Hypersense, Rebelwhip, and Arrowspitter species.
• After the fall of the Roman Empire and the beginning of the Middle Ages, humans and dragons hit a low point in their history. There’s no wonder most of the dragon-killing tales come from this time period, although many “dragons” killed were actually non-sentient dinosaurs. However, the dragons aren’t completely innocent–many terrorized humans as revenge for their ancestors being neglected and used.
• In the modern age, studies on dragons were conducted, and for the first time, civilized countries realized that they weren’t just animals, but were capable of thought. This led to a lot of reforms and the “we’ll work for you if you’re nice” agreement.
• Dragons feature prominently in several cultures, even today. The Icewraith or tarakona of New Zealand and the Ceithir of Scotland are considered national treasures in their respective countries, and the Patriot Dragon in America was almost considered as the national symbol before the dragons themselves protested this arrangement, preferring a nonsentient animal to take the spot.

so……I could easily write a book on the History of the World Through the Eyes of Dragons….lol

@linus-smallprint I haven’t figured out exactly how, but yes, a dragon can lose it and go completely animalistic, although this is rare. Even normal, they still have some instincts, they can walk on all fours and often will hold things in their mouths when doing so, etc.

I think many of my ideas came from the How to Train Your Dragon book series, where the dragons are ordinary dragons and are used by humans, but still have a language and the ability to think and all that. Mine are similar but just happen to be humanoid (simply because I liked drawing wings and tails on characters from fandoms I enjoy, and it turned into my own fantasy race)

(The HTTYD books are nothing like the movies but are just as good btw. I’ve read all of them.)

@linus-smallprint certainly, thanks for listening to my rant!