Quill and Compass, Entry 10: Blue Dragons
If Gold Dragons are the kings of Dragonkind, then Blues are its queens — vaster, stronger, and infinitely less patient. I've seen a Blue Dragon take wing from a cliff on the southern coast of Angredel; a living storm tearing itself loose from stone. Her wings vast enough to blot out Solis itself. When she leapt, the sea itself bent in reverence, and the air crackled with static. Every hair on my arms and neck stood to attention as if I were some hapless soldier saluting royalty.
Blues are the largest of all Dragonkind, and among the most formidable. Their scales gleam like polished sapphires, their bellies pale as dawn over the sea. A single, massive horn crowns the nose, their ears fan into intricate fins, and their tails taper into sleek, eel-like whips that gleam when wet. Their eyes are… unsettling yet beautiful all the same—pools of black framing piercing yellow irises like a flash of lightning amid a stormy night. They seem to look straight through you, weighing one's worth with a glance, and usually find the result disappointing.
Their society is ruled by its matriarchs, and believe me, dear reader, rule they do. Females claim the choicest seaside cliffs and mountain ridges, hollowing them into vast caverns to host contests of courtship. To earn a Blue Dragoness’ favor, a male must brave whatever trial she deems worthy that season—strength, intellect, artistry, or some eccentric whim. I once heard of a female who demanded her suitors compose operas to praise the sound of crashing waves; another pitted them in duels above a hurricane of her own making. The victors are not granted love—merely the privilege of survival and the right to mate. Unlike their Golden cousins, Blues do not bond for life. Their love is like lightning: dangerous, brief, and unforgettable for those struck by it.
Their eggs are singular, precious undertakings nestled in beds of moss and seaweed to maintain humidity and moisture; Blue eggs are shockingly susceptible to drying out. A mother devotes herself entirely to her lone offspring; teaching it to fly, to fight, and, perhaps most importantly, to endure solitude. Males mature quickly, built for battle and competition, while females take centuries, their growth slower but boundless, mirroring the patient tides that shape their cliffs over millennia.
Blues feast upon the sea as predators of the deep. They soar high, watching for shoals, then dive with lightning flashing from their maws, stunning prey before scooping it up in their claws. They are astonishingly strong swimmers for their heft—webbed toes and colossal wings slice the waves as easily as the sky, allowing them to glide beneath the waves with surprising bursts of speed. I've seen one soar for days without landing, gliding upon the ocean winds as if the sky itself were her kingdom.
Their hoards, unsurprisingly, are blue. Cobalt glass, lapis lazuli, dyed silks, and sapphires—anything that mirrors their own brilliance. Many a ship has vanished beneath a sudden storm because its cargo included a bolt of azure cloth or a captain’s favored cerulean coat. Sailors still whisper an old superstition to this day: carry nothing blue, and the skies will spare you.
Advice I have wholeheartedly followed when crossing their waters. Even my inks on those voyages remain black as pitch, I dared not tempt a queen's eye.
To us mortals, Blues are like the sea itself: distant, capricious, and stunningly beautiful. A trespasser might be warned away… or vaporized, depending on mood and weather. One is far more likely to meet a male patrolling a matriarch's border—weary, territorial, and painfully aware of his place—than one is to glimpse the queen herself. Females are truly rare sights, and should you be so unfortunate as to cross one's path, pray she’s feeling generous; their patience with land walkers is brief, and their wrath legendary. Yet not all encounters end in ruin—some have been known to barter rather than plunder, if presented with offerings that please their vanity.
Of all dragons, they are the most tempestuous, the most free, and the most fierce. To witness one is to behold the storm given flesh: the Realm's pulse laid bare, electric and divine.
Respectfully written (and only slightly singed),
Yours, ever truly,
— Tobias Elanor, Bard, Scholar, Explorer Extraordinaire
© DracTheDrake
Hello hello!
Full honesty, we decided on a whim that Blues should be the largest of the dragons and just went with it. Developing something doesn't have to be complicated, and simply going with something can lead to some of the most interesting stories! We asked ourselves why Blues were... well Blue, and figured they would be partially amphibious, but not fully aquatic.
From there, development kinda flowed naturally (there's a pun in there somewhere). Massive wings to carry them across the seas, lightning breath they're immune to to stun their prey for easier hunting, and an interesting decision to make them sexually dimorphic and matriarchal. Quite the contrast to their Gold cousins, and almost entirely opposed to their Red cousins coming up soon!
Thanks again for reading Entry 10, as well as my blathering on here. I haven't been getting any comments, which is a shame, I'd love to interact with my readers more! Let me know what you think, you can get involved with this project too!