True dragons were some of the most legendary mortal creatures of the world. They were beasts of great power that could live for multiple millennia and often wreak great power. Draconic magic was also widely hailed as one of the most powerful forms.

Physiology

The main difference between true dragons and draconoids was their mind. Dragons were very intelligent and had distinct personalities that developed over time. They were also able wielders of magic, notably of the dragonlink.

The most obvious physical difference was the stature of (most) true dragons. They were huge, often up to 22 meters long from head to tail with a similar wingspan. They were very muscular, wielding much more strength than a scaled-up wyvern or other creature would have. All dragons had four limbs, using their front two both for walking and manipulating objects. Their good legs gave them mobility on land, in some cases allowed them to be excellent climbers or swimmers, and made them less dependent on high isolated nests and the sky.

All dragons also had draconic breaths. The vast majority, the most common types, could spew great gusts of fire nearly ever half a minute. These jets could reach up to 40 meters and were incredibly hot, though only lasted for very short periods of time. Others had more rare breaths, including lighting, poisonous clouds, jets of ice shards, and rays of light. All dragons had to build up their breath before releasing it, usually collecting power from the weave near their mouth before releasing it.

Culture

Cults

True dragons past their youngest age were so powerful that they were naturally used to having more or less large flocks of minions, often called cults. Some wilderness specimens, often younger ones, were petty lords of uninhabited stretches of land. Some gained kobold or other savage followers, or even decided to rule small communities of farmers. However, most dragons lived in prestigious lairs that fully displayed their wealth. The most famous draconic lands were Dragonia and Dragonloss in the Archaen, but various other ones existed - notably, during the earlier Draconic Order years, half of Oshmondu lied under draconic sovereignty.

These wealthier dragons had cults, often constituted of what were called "civilized" races. While they could have large groups of kobold thralls, they like to have educated and / or martially capable servants by their side. A draconic lair's center were the house lord's chambers and treasury, but around that was often considerable infrastructure adapted to humanoids. There were guards, entertainers, house-servants and various partisans. People could visit a lair much like a castle, pay tribute to the resident lord, and make deals and partnerships with them.

Most dragon cults also had considerable military resources. Foot soldiers were of little use to dragons when they flew off, so many had whole wings of wyverns or other lesser flying beasts with which some elite soldiers and advisors could accompany the master. Those with access to the sea could have trade ports, small merchant fleets, and even full warships. Specially built battleships usually followed their master when it crossed larger stretches of ocean so the dragon could fall back to the ship's large deck instead of sinking into the water when wounded or otherwise in difficulty.