Dragon Clans of Aelta Terra
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Aelta Terran dragons are divided into a number separate groups called "clans." It is probable that they could be termed "races," for they do seem to all be members of only one species-- members from different clans can interbreed and produce viable offspring, though such inter-clan mating happens only occasionally. There are 16 clans, each headed by a single King-- who can be either male or female-- with the dragons as a whole ruled by a council of the clan Kings and advisors.

The chromatic dragon clans of Aelta Terra are Red, Green, Blue, Purple, Brown, Black and White;
the metallic clans are Silver, Gold, Copper, Iron and Bronze; the water clans are Storm, River, Sea, and Ice.

Chromatic Clans

Chromatics are the most numerous clans, both in number of clans and in numbers of individuals. Their colors, like the metallics, are based on metals in their scales, but they are usually used in the oxidized form rather than the metallic one. Red's and Brown's color comes from iron; Green's and Blue's and Purple's from copper, Black's from carbon, and White's from calcium.

The clan Red are, of course, red in color, ranging from deep crimson and rusty red to pinkish or almost orange. The Reds are best known for their ability to breathe fire, far and away the best of all the clans, both chromatic and metallic; the only other clans who can approach their ability are the metallics Iron and Bronze. The Reds are also fair hands at spell craft, though they tend to be forgetful.

Clan Green are a race of some limited chromatomorphic ability, and gave up much of the strength of their natural armor to make this possible. Their scales are translucent green, and in the epidermis below are specialized cells containing pigments, which expand and contract to produce a variety of shades of green, greenish blues and golds, and browns. This enables Greens to blend into their environment very well indeed, as they must, for it is in their care that Gaea long ago placed much of the care of the Natural world. They also have the ability to change their size, another aspect that enables them to watch without being seen. Greens can breathe fire, but generally have small flames and a limited range.

Blues are the dragons of the sky, ranging from the deepest blue of midnight to the color of the sky at noon on a clear day. Blues spend much of their time on wing, and are smaller in body than many of the other clans. The dragons of clan Blue often work with those of clan Green, alerting their color-shifting cousins to incidents that might need attention. Blues cannot breathe flame, but produce a gas which causes dizziness and light-headedness.

The clan Purple are the archivists of the dragons, the main story-tellers at the celebrations of Year's Long Day and Year's Long Night, and the clan to whom the young of other clans go to for instruction in the old ways. They are generally a rich mid-range violet, but shift darker or paler as their moods change. Purples have almost completely lost the ability to breathe fire, but are able to produce short flames on occasion.

Browns are primarily dragons of the mountains, more comfortable on the rocky peaks than other clans. They also have limited chromatomorphic ability, with a range from almost black to the paler sheen of the chalk cliffs some Browns call home. In areas devoid of much greenery, they typically keep watch over their demesne much as the Greens do in lower elevations, still calling on their cousins when a matter beyond their lesser control crops up. Browns are excellent flamers, surpassed in ability only the Reds and the metallic clans.

Black dragons are creatures of the night, and of shadows. It is said that they are the rulers of the stars and the moon, making sure they move and wax and wane as they ought, and pulling the comets and falling stars on their paths. They serve special positions at the celebration of Year's Long Night, and are usually absent at the Year's long Day. Blacks are usually longer and more sinuous than the other clans, and breathe a gas that leaves the victim feeling chilled and uncertain of the creature he thought he just witnessed.

Clan White are creatures of the day, serving the opposite roles from their ebon-hided cousins. Whites are the dragons of the sun, and also serve as healers. They are on the small side, the largest of them being no bigger than a quarter horse, their average size around that of a small pony. White dragons can breathe either a small flame or a gas that puts those who breathe it asleep.

Metallic Clans

Dragons of the metallic clans were most sought for their hides by humans-- for truly, their coloration was due to a concentration of the appropriate metal in their scales-- but they were also a bit harder to catch. All are excellent fire-breathers, and most are highly secretive and very good at concealing magic. Metallic dragons, unlike others, shed their scales regularly (as more and more metal builds up in the scales, they grow heavier and eventually they are shed, to be replaced by new scales with less weight, and the cycle begins anew), most of the molt usually occurring within a limited time, during which they are very vulnerable and seldom seen. They often keep shed scales in their lairs, reingesting some of them to build up the metal in the new scales to an appropriate level. This is what led humans to believe that the dragons hoarded treasure.

Silver dragons are the consummate spell crafters of their kind. They are only very seldom seen
outside their lairs, and often live alone. Many never take mates, and so Silvers are among the rarest of dragons.

Gold dragons are often the councilors and "priests" of the dragon clans, officiating whenever
arguments break out between dragons, tending matings, births, and deaths, and presiding over inter-clan events. They are legendary for their wisdom, patience, and even temper. Golds often work with Purples, especially at the solstices.

Copper dragons are the compliment to the Purples, taking up with humor and good nature where their archivist cousins are serious and more down-to-earth. They are also the most musical of the dragon clans, and are well known and loved for their voices and songs.

Clan Iron are, as a whole, the strongest and most laborious dragons. They work metal, earth, and stone when required, forging and hewing ceremonial objects and even whole lairs as needed. They shed their scales more frequently than other metallics, as the iron in them tends to rust, giving them reddish-orange tinges.

Bronzes are an exception among the metallics, taking not one metal into their scales, but two. They usually work closely with the dragons of clan Iron, and have more endurance and resistance to heat than their cousins.

Water Clans

The dragons grouped as "Water clans" all have in common an association with that element, in
different forms. Only the Sea and River dragons actually live in water; the Storm and Ice dragons deal with it in the sky and on land. None breathe either fire or gas, save Ice.

The clan Sea live in the oceans and salt lakes of the world, and are the caretakers of those realms and their inhabitants. The wings of Sea dragons differ from their land-bound cousins; they are shorter, and tougher, and tapered to their ends, used to "fly" through the water. Their legs and necks are shorter than land dragons, and their tails are laterally compressed and thickly muscled for propulsion. They do still breathe air, but are able to hold their breath for long periods of time. They usually match the color of the water where they dwell, and can adapt to its changes by darkening or lightening the hides.

River dragons live in fresh water, and in appearance are much like the Sea dragons, though usually smaller (except in the largest of lakes). Their job, too, is to attend the underwater world of their habitats as the Sea dragons do theirs.

The Ice dragons are the "Lords of the North," dwellers among the ice and snow and rock of the
polar regions and extending into other territories in the winter. Where ever there is cold to be found, there will also be found the dragons of the clan Ice. These dragons are white, and some of their scales have been modified so that they resemble fur and feathers to provide insulation against the cold. The shafts of these scales, as the normal ones, are hollow, gathering in the warmth of the sun and trapping it beneath. They are good swimmers, as well, with the flattened tails of their aquatic and marine cousins. They have thick, strong horns on their heads, which they use to break through ice, and the pads of their feet are furred to give them purchase in the snow. They do not fly much, though they can, but use their fur-covered wings as more insulation or as heat regulators when the need arises. Ice dragons breathe a column of cold and ice crystals.

Storm dragons are the controllers of the winds and rains, the lightning, and the hail. They often prefer to do their work while darting among the streaks of lightning accompanying strong electrical storms, while dragons of other clans look on somewhat apprehensively. Storm dragons also work with Greens, and to a limited extent with Sea and River dragons. They are usually dark in color, often with lighter markings of clouded gray and the white of lightning.