Dragons

Dragons are intelligent and powerful reptilian creatures which appear in both Britannia and on the Serpent Isle. They appear in Ultima III,  IV,  V,  VI,  VII,  VII (Part Two) and  IX.

Description
Dragons did not appear in the lands of Sosaria until late in the Age of Darkness around the time of Exodus' rise to power, although accounts of such creatures as the fire-breathing dragon turtle indicate that encounters with dragons may have occurred as early as the time of Mondain. Early encounters with dragons often saw them in the company of griffins and wyverns - similar species, which like dragons, possessed wings and the ability to "breathe" bolts of magical fire. Eventually, however, the wyvern and the griffin disappeared from the rapidly changing landscape of what would become modern Britannia, leaving dragons as often solitary predators, occasionally seen in the company of the hydrae, another breed of fire-breathing gargantuan reptiles.

In later eras, observers would increasingly recognize dragons as a highly intelligent species, capable of human speech and skilled in the working magical incantations - rendering themselves invisible or even of summoning servitors to their aid. Towards the time of the gargoyle wars which marked late Age of Enlightenment large colonies of dragons came to settle in the dungeon Destard, and over time numerous drakes (immature dragons) could be encountered in the area. Over time, as Destard grew increasingly synonymous with the species, many questants in search of fame or treasure would often journey there, and even gourmands would come to seek the eggs of such beasts that they might prepare rare and exotic dishes.

Throughout the course of history, most Sosarian and Britannian dragons have exhibited green or red coloration, although the universal green pigmentation of immature drakes may imply that these creatures change color with age. In the last years of the Age of Armageddon, however, blue dragons --similar to the frost dragons of Serpent Isle-- also appeared in the realm.

Ice Dragons
On the cold world of Serpent Isle, the icy northlands were home to frost dragons, blue and white beasts whose magical breath cast bolts of blue ice-fire at their foes. Such creatures became particularly populous on a particular island in the northern seas after the enchantress Drogeni summoned such a beast there which eventually took a mate and sired many hatchlings. These arctic beasts, according to legend, mate for life and sing to one another in the process of courtship.

Amongst the civilized Gwani of the region, ice dragon blood is highly prized as a medicinal remedy, and is said to be capable of curing any illness and hunts for such beasts are often organized in times of need.

Skeletal Dragons
Main Article: Skeletal Dragons

Seen only on the Serpent Isle, skeletal dragons are beasts whose mind and spirit reached such heights that they became capable of animating the creature's body even after its death, in a manner similar to liches.

Hydrae
Main Article: Hydrae

The three-headed hydra is believed to be a sub-species of the common dragon, and these strange beasts appear to be similar to dragons in both power and temperament.

Dragon Turtles
Main Article: Dragon Turtles

In early Sosaria, a race of fiery-breathing aquatic reptiles existed which were said to be a sub-species of dragon kind. These beasts were similar to their flying cousins, but were equipped with flipper like limbs and a hard protective shell to better outfit them for a life at sea.

Lore








Notable Examples

 * Freitag: a dragon mentioned in Ultima VI who was slain by the warrior Gertan; a reference to Dr. Cat's early game Caverns of Frietag.
 * Dracothraxus: a dragon in Ultima VII's Forge of Virtue whose life became inextricably ties to the Trial of Courage upon the Isle of Fire. Rendered invincible and immortal by the powers of the test, she could only meet her demise at the end of the Black Sword
 * Draxinar: a dragon in Ultima VII Part Two's The Silver Seed, who inhabited the lair or the liche, Aram-Dol; a peaceable conversationalist with a passion for riddles.
 * Talornia: a dragon Ultima IX who brokered a deal with the Guardian that she might have uncontested dominion over Destard; savagely destroyed the village of Dawn before she was eventually slain at the hands of the Avatar.

Trivia

 * Dragons and griffins were to be included in the canceled Ultima X. See Planned Monsters for Ultima X: Dragon and Planned Monsters for Ultima X: Griffon for further details.