Dragon

Dragons (龍, Ryū) are immensely large and powerful beings made up of enormous amounts of mana; distinct from them are lesser dragons (竜, ryū), made up of a few different subtypes.^{[Note 1]}

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Dragons

Dragons (龍, Ryū) are lifeforms that contain great power and are made up of enormous masses of mana,^[1] similar to spirits. They were capable of speech and were rather intelligent beings, with there being instances of individual Dragons forming pacts and vows with humans in order to create a world where both Dragons and men could coexist. The majority of Dragons to have been shown take the shape of typical western dragons depicted in Earthen myths and stories, bearing a large lizard-like body, a pair of enormous wings, a tail, powerful claws and fangs, and dense scales. Each Dragon can, however, bear a unique appearance that is different from others of their kind; there was a tribe of Dragons known as Silver Dragons known for the color of their bodies, and the Three-Headed Dragon Valgren bore three heads. In the world, Dragons are a symbol of both awe and fear, and they are unanimously recognized as the strongest living lifeforms in the world.

Dragons have access to various abilities to accompany their immense strength. One such ability shared amongst all Dragons is the ability of flight. However, this is not connected to their wings. According to Emilia’s observations of the Divine Dragon Volcanica, Dragons actually use their mana to lift their enormous bodies and fly. Their wings are instead used to assist them in maintain balance and control of their bodies. Dragons also typically have access to a breath attack which is simply known as Dragon's breath. Despite its similarities to magic, their breath is actually an exceedingly powerful torrent of mana that destroys anything that comes into contact with it.^[2] Of course, their breaths can also have different effects: for Mezoreia and Volcanica, their breaths were closer to being powerful lasers, while Valgren's breath was closer to being a cascade of green fire. Volcanica could even change its breath to suit its needs, such as creating a watery mist that could be used to freeze its opponents or obscure their vision,^[3] or generate both fire and water to create a devastatingly destructive shockwave. This said, different Dragons can bear different abilities. Volcanica alone has mana that can purify flames and heal life-threatening injuries, rupture space, and even unleash powerful blade-like winds with its wings. Meanwhile, Mezoreia can influence the heavens with its mana and manipulate the weather in its favor.

Traits that are shared among Dragonkind is that the density of their dragon scales, is influenced by the mana each individual Dragon possesses, and those scales provide them a powerful physical defense. On top of this, the longer a Dragon lives, the greater their capacity for mana becomes, which in turn increases the density of their scales.^[4] In Mezoreia's case, although it was tough enough to withstand most attacks, it still received damage from a warrior of Garfiel Tinzel's strength. By comparison, Volcanica, who is recognized as the currently longest-known-lived Dragon in the world at over 1000 years, bears scales that are even denser than diamonds,^[5] and even a warrior the caliber of the Sword Demon cannot pierce them. Dragons also bear a dragon halo which can be seen atop their heads. This halo provides them with a dense magical defense, and like the scales, its defense also grows with time.^[6] Volcanica's halo is strong enough to easily repel magic the strength of Roswaal's fivefold magic using five Al level spells combined and emerge entirely unscathed. This being said, it is hard to compare to other Dragons' halos, as there has yet to be another proper example of a Dragon's halo in use. It is only when these two ultimate defenses are both pierced through that one can reach a Dragon's weak point: the Heart Stone (心核, Kokoro Kaku).^[7] The Heart Stone is the very core of a Dragon's being, and it could be stated reaching the core is perhaps one of the only ways to defeat or kill a Dragon. The only weapon capable of easily bypassing or ignoring these defenses and reaching the Heart Stone, according to Clind, is the Dragon Sword Reid and its ability to cut through anything.^[8]

Dragons also have very potent blood. According to "Aldebaran" while within Volcanica's body, if one were to attempt to strengthen oneself by taking in a Dragon's blood without somehow diluting it, then the person would likely die. In the Kingdom of Lugunica, their government carries Dragon's blood which is said to be able to heal and cure any ailment, and it can even restore an entire land to life. However, according to Beatrice, this blood only retains such powerful effects because it was siphoned from the final heartbeat of a dying Dragon. Of course, while Dragon's blood could still have powerful effects even without it being siphoned in such a way, it does not compare to what is stored in the Kingdom's castle. It is unknown whether the strength of the Dragon the blood is taken from influences the restorative effects, but regardless, retrieving such powerful blood is still difficult achieve.

In the era of the Witches, Dragons freely roamed the world in numbers. They lived in flocks everywhere around the world, and formed smaller communities or factions, which were led by their chosen Dragon representatives, who were renowned around the world. They acted very similarly to Spirits and Evil Spirits. However, unlike them, Dragons freely expanded their territory rather often. Additionally, some Dragons hunted and killed people for various reasons, oftentimes to secure new territory. In turn, humans came up with a title, referring to them as Blight Dragons (邪龍, Jyaryū). It is mentioned by Beatrice that this term is nothing more than a viewpoint of humans wronged by dragons, rather than a designated species name.^[9] According to legend, Blight Dragons were all but exterminated by the first Sword Saint, Reid Astrea, four centuries ago. In the present, the only known Blight Dragon was the three-headed black Dragon Valgren, who was slain during the Subjugation of the Blight Dragon.

Dragons were also very prideful due to their positions as the strongest species in the world. However, their take on their pride is also unique: during the era of the first-generation Sword Saint Reid Astrea, when a large number of them were slain by him,^[10] pushing their species to the brink of extinction, in order to maintain their pride as the strongest beings, the Dragons decided to fly beyond the Great Waterfall where nobody could reach or challenge them. By doing this, they could remain known as the strongest of species and prevent anyone from stealing their spot on the top, effectively allowing them to maintain their pride. Those that remained behind, like Volcanica, were considered eccentrics who abandoned their pride.

Dragons also did not care about their body's shape, and they had no issue with taking whichever form they believed represented the strongest being. In this belief, some Dragons displayed the ability to create a specific form of life known as the dragonkin. In the process of creating this special race, however, the Dragon loses most of its personality and capability of speech, and it enters a hibernation-like state of being where merely its consciousness and a certain amount of their power remains. This state is referred to as being a dragonhusk (竜殻, ryū kara), and as of yet, the only dragonhusks to be revealed are Valgren, Volcanica, and Mezoreia. In the case of the latter two, their speech was limited to a mere two sentences. It is possible for outside beings to take control of these dragonhusks, such as each Dragon's respective dragonkin, which occurs usually by said dragonkin touching the husk.^[11] However, Aldebaran showed to be able to possess a dragonhusk by using a Book of the Dead, while it has also been claimed that the method used by spirits such as Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti could also be used to control this husk.^[12] While other such methods exist, they are unknown.^[13] Despite this, it is possible for a dragonkin to overcome a usurper by striking at a Dragon's Heart Stone.^[14]

Dragonkin

Dragonkin (竜人, Ryūto) were a powerful but rare race that were born as a result of a shift in the view of a Dragon's perspective on which shape the strongest of beings can take, leading to them creating a brand new race. The dragonkin differed from other races related to humans at a basic level, meaning that they were not demi-humans.^[15] Dragonkin often shared traits with their Dragon counterparts, including horns, claw-like nails, enhanced senses, and tougher bodies, and on a basic level, they were much stronger than the majority of humans or humanoid species, but otherwise, they were essentially human in shape. However, they were significantly smaller and much weaker than Dragons, and their basic abilities were much different from the Dragon who birthed them. That said, their strength was a fact. In the times that they existed, they drove ten other races to extinction, and as a result of this and their extreme pride, they were hunted down and nearly led to extinction themselves, leaving Madelyn Eschart as the only recognized survivor of the race.^[16] However, it is possible that other dragonkin could be in hiding like Madelyn originally was, or, as in the case of Clind, are concealing themselves amongst humanity.

Dragonkin were unique in that they possessed the ability to make emotional connections with the three kinds of lesser dragons.^[17] In the case of Madelyn, a dragonkin born from the Cloud Dragon Mezoreia, she even displayed the ability to command such dragons like subordinates, and if any of them were slain, she was very visibly angered by not only the fact that they died but that their deaths came by a coward. That said, it is unknown if her command of the dragons is unique to her or is inherent in all dragonkin.

Dragons tend to be connected emotionally to their respective dragonkin like parents to children. In one case, Valgren showed a connection to its own deceased dragonkin after blood was poured on its skull, and it instinctively found its way towards its dragonkin's remains. In another case, Mezoreia treated strangers with wariness, and following the appearance of Balleroy Temeglyph, once he made a connection with Madelyn, it treated him as a guest for teaching Madelyn. However, it became extremely protective of her when she was tempted to leave her home. Mezoreia would even follow her around while hiding above the clouds as if watching over her.

Dragonkin are usually deeply connected to their respective Dragons, inheriting memories, experiences, and emotions from the respective Dragon which made them. While dragonkin are distinct beings, because of what a dragonkin inherits from a Dragon, a mixture of sorts is formed in a dragonkin's mind, and as such, they are not exactly beings completely separate from one another.^[18] Because of their connections to their Dragons, dragonkin tend to bear abilities reminiscent to their Dragon. One common ability shared among dragonkin is the ability to possess their respective Dragon.^[19] Madelyn has shown multiple times to be able to possess Mezoreia's body, while Clind has shown to be able to possess Volcanica many times in the past in order to act on Volcanica's covenant with the Kingdom.^[20] Though, they cannot take control of the Dragon's body if its husk has been taken over by another outside force without first striking at the Dragon's Heart Stone.^[21][14] It should also be noted, however, that the connection between the dragonkin and Dragon can be both advantageous and detrimental. When a dragonkin grows, so too does their Dragon. On the contrary, if a dragonkin was to die, it would ultimately kill the spirit of its respective Dragon,^[19] such as in the case of Valgren, whose dragonkin died and in turn made Valgren less of an individual being and more of an instinctive presence.^[22]

Earth Dragons

At some point in the past, in the city of Flanders, which in the present is recognized as the Earth Dragon Capital, Volcanica, using an unknown type of blessing, created a lesser species of dragons called earth dragons (地竜, Chiryū).^[23] Earth dragons, instead of having wings for flight, have strong legs that allow them to run along the ground much easier, and they are all born with the Divine Protection of Wind Evasion which allows them to ignore wind resistance while they run, further increasing their speed. Likewise, each species is suited for different types of terrains, making them suitable for transport nearly anywhere. Because of these factors, much like horses on earth, earth dragons are often domesticated to be used in menial labor such as transport or in warfare. That said, earth dragons are most commonly used in Lugunica compared to the rest of the world.

The first among the species of earth dragons is the species that the others were derived from, the Diana species (ダイアナ種, Daiana-shu). Though they are prideful, somewhat rare, and are typically feisty to the point that they will not let people ride them, they are capable of handling all types of terrain, meaning that they practically have no limits to where they can roam. Meanwhile, the Flanna species (フランナ種, Furan'na-shu) is both the most numerous and the most versatile species. The Eliq species (エイリーク種, Eirīku-shu) and the Aires species (アイレス種, Airesu-shu) are species suitable for living in cold environments. Finally, the Agaress species (アガレス種, Agaresu-shu) and the Gyrus species (ガイラス種, Gairasu-shu) are species suitable for living in desert environments.

Flying Dragons

Among the lesser species of dragons are flying dragons (飛竜, Hiryū), a type of dragon that are born with wings that grant them the ability to fly, and their speeds are said to be able to surpass the speed of sound. Though, it is unknown if their ability to fly is similar to Dragons or not, and it is unknown if they were born with Divine Protections. They can ordinarily be found flying around mountains, living on their own and away from humans. They are nearly impossible to domesticate by normal standards, but people in the Vollachia Empire have found a way to do so. This resulted in the creation of the Flying Dragon Squadron, led by the Dracroy family, and presently, by Serena Dracroy.

Water Dragons

The final lesser species of dragons are water dragons (水竜, Suiryū). Water dragons are aquatic creatures with long serpentine bodies, short stubby limbs, blue, slippery skin, and a draconic head. Their mouths are crowded by sharp fangs, and catfish-like whiskers extend from their snouts. They are harder to domesticate than earth dragons, as one must be trained from the very day they hatch from their eggs in order to recognize someone as their master. All water dragons are said to be born with a Divine Protection which protects them from the effects of the water.

List of Dragons

Dragons

• Volcanica
• Mezoreia
• Valgren (deceased)
• Amangam (deceased)
• Fargall

Dragonkin

• Madelyn Eschart
• Valgren's unnamed dragonkin (deceased)
• Clind

Earth Dragons

Diana Species

• Patrasche
• Romy

Flanna Species

• Shaknar

Agaress Species

• Joseph

Unclassified Species

• Frufoo
• Peter
• Rascal
• Diana

Flying Dragons

• Carillon (deceased)
• Gaius (deceased)
• Feyron (deceased)

Trivia

• With her Authority of Lust, Capella Emerada Lugunica can transform herself and others into a black dragon form that does not appear to fall under any of the lesser dragon breeds.
  • According to Capella, she also has Dragon’s blood running through her veins. Said blood contains a powerful curse which she has shown to use on two individuals to incapacitate them. Whether this is synthetic or legitimate Dragon’s blood is unknown.
    • After having adapted to the blood, Subaru felt that the cursed Dragon's blood conveyed to him a message: to prove the Dragon Kingdom of Lugunica's dignity.^[24]
• The English loan word "dragon" (ドラゴン, doragon) is commonly used to refer to dragons by characters in the present. As loan words are foreign to the world of Re:Zero, it is not known how this word became a commonplace term or who spread it.
• There are incidents in Vollachia called Flying Dragon Cataclysms (not to be confused with the incident in Guaral) in which flying dragons completely destroy a settlement during their breeding season.
• Due to the covenant between Volcanica and Farsale Lugunica, a past Lion King of the Kingdom of Lugunica, the Kingdom decided to change their national symbol from a lion to a Dragon, and they became known as the Dragon Kingdom of Lugunica as a result.
  • The throne in the Royal Castle is shaped like a Dragon.
• Uniquely, Valgren has been stated to have three souls, one for each of its three heads.
• Presently, the only known location where water dragons have been shown to reside is the Watergate City of Priestella.
• It is possible to summon certain Dragons. The Sin Archbishop of Pride, Stride Vollachia, used the skull of Valgren’s deceased dragonkin and soaked it in the blood of numerous sacrifices, alerting the Dragon of the location of its dragonkin's remains through its survival instincts.
  • In the Comic Alive version of Sword Demon Battle Ballad, however, a dagger called the Dragon’s Fang was used rather than the skull. According to Stride, it could summon a blood-crazed dragon by allowing it to absorb the blood of heaven-sent children.
• The names of the earth dragon species seem to bear the same name as those of flowers within the world, such as the Diana or Agaress flowers.
• The Mining City of Ganacks is rumored to once have been a Dragon's nest.
• In the past, the Kingdom of Lugunica held a position and title called the Dragon Maiden (竜の巫女), and they served as intermediaries between previous kings and Volcanica. In the present, those with the qualifications to become Dragon Maidens were allowed to become candidates in the Royal Selection, meaning that candidate who wins will become both the country's monarch and the new Dragon Maiden.

References

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