“Ancient texts and tablets, dusty scrolls from long ago, tell of a dragon incomparable to any known today. The echo of their song has fallen out of the memory of those souls today that wander without so great a love and respect of music, of mystical vibrations that course through the earth, through the vast empyrean. Those sounds are but whispers telling secrets to those who have a spirit that resonates from their aria, resonates from the song of the Resonance Dragon.”

– Telór Cáey’cáo, Aellenrhim Scholar of Ancient Civilization, Ximax (920-1662)

The Resonance Dragon has long been a creature of unspoken myth. It is said to have disappeared long ago, and those texts that still speak of it are tucked away in various libraries across Caelereth. Some were lost, others destroyed. It is believed that many extremely important Resonance Dragon scriptures contained in the Aellenrhim Library were burnt in the orc raid of 207 b.S. There are many who believe that some of the most important texts are still hidden away in the great libraries of Ximax, though these have yet to be revealed.

Limited resources have yielded very little information on what these dragons were like. It is still unsure if they had even existed on the plains of Caelereth, or if they were merely some extraordinary creation of a dream or fleeting vision. In the passing centuries, they were rather unknown, and it wasn’t really until the Age of Discoveries (1249-) that a few scholars began to take some interest in this forgotten legend. Since then, old texts have been re-read and different theories have been formed on what these creatures were like, or if they even existed.

Appearance. Different scriptures have revealed different accounts on the appearance of this creature. Various writings, however, reveal some undeniable features of this dragon: Its size is rather large, though not so large as other dragons; It is described as being about 8 peds from head to tail, and being anywhere from 4 to 5 peds wide. No accounts state their weight, but scholars have estimated that they weigh at least a few hundred pygges. One ancient and unknown scholar theorized these dragons could vanish, were evanescent in the sense that they were there one minute and gone the next.

Their corporeal form, in any case, is without horns or spikes. Instead, clear webbing protrudes from the back of their jaw, along their back, and on the back of their legs. This webbing seems inclined to shimmer in the light, perhaps in the semblance of clear silk. These extensions are very sensitive to sound and the echo of sounds in the air. Many have theorized them to be extremely acute in their ability to pick up noises.

Texts lead to the conjecture that the figures of these dragons are surprisingly lean and elegant. They don’t have many of their brethren’s sharp angles. The head is elongated slightly, but lacks a pointed mouth opening. One account stated the dragon “seemed to have no mouth, as though it spoke through some entirely different medium, or as though it was not a being to speak, but to listen, like the embodiment of the Principle of Ahm. Everything it needed to say glistened in its large, ebony eyes. Such eyes could not have been more innocent, or wise!” (Vaiaél Aeli’pherán, “Avenní’valía”) Many authors describe the eyes as round, almond shaped, and being completely black. Many write also of the expression of both innocence and wisdom shining through them, and being truly unable to explain the paradox of the Resonance Dragon’s eyes.

The elegant neck of the Resonance Dragon broadens out into the body, upon which the wings and legs are connected. The wings are attached near the shoulder blades and sweep up. The material pulled over the bones that allows flight is very thin, but tends to be of the same hues as the dragon's body, not clear like the webbing of its back and jaw, though it allows some light through. The legs are proportional to the body, though one ancient text declares the claws of the front legs have “amazing versatility, with an ease in grabbing objects as small as a human’s ring” (Geldian Rupel, notes printed in “Dragon Research”). Gentleness imbues the dragon claws, one of its few sharp body parts.

The tail is rather unspectacular, as it were, coming to a simple tip, without the spines and horns that equip other dragons.

Records reveal an interesting growth that seemed to form from the Resonance Dragon’s scales. These growths, known today as Resonance Jewels, are theorized as marks of age. They are small, relative to the dragon, being about a nailsbreadth in diameter. One scripture reads, “They shimmered as though filled with perennial light, even in the caverns where only shadows dwelled, or in a sky of pure darkness” (author unknown). Ancient writings allude to these gems. A poem written in the Age of Myth spoke of “Resonance Gems”. For centuries it had been believed to be a misspelling, but was eventually revealed to be an allusion to the jewels growing on these dragons. Often these gems appear around the eyes, and sometimes on the back, usually spread a good distance away from each other.

Scales cover the body of the dragon from head to tail. Those on the head and back tend to be rounded, while long, plate-like scales run down the inner-neck and on the inside of the belly. The scales have the appearance softness, almost as though they were thin as cloth, though the true texture of them is yet unknown.

The color of the Resonance Dragon is still undetermined. All the accounts and scriptures describe the dragon being of different colors. Some stated the scales of the dragon “shone in a haunting bluish glow, touched by a deep purple like that of the night sky” while others said that they “shone a wise and frightening turquoise, alluding to the glimmer in the eyes of the Sea Goddess”. One account even stated that the dragon “blazed like fire, each scale a smoldering star left in Foiros’s wake!”

The true color of the scales is unknown; though a new theory assumes that vibrations and sound determine the color of the scales; that lower, deeper sounds produce one color while higher sound produce another. Whispers drive the dragon to transparency, if not clarity. It is predicted that when the world loses all sound and song, the dragon will vanish into the air and be gone. Otherwise, it is believed to be immortal. None are sure if these theories are correct, but they currently reign in the realm of dragon studies.

Despite the dragon's inclination to sounds, it is apparent by the texts available that the creature has no ears. Most scholars agree that the webbing on the dragon's body picks up these vibrations, and resonate from the sounds heard, thus causing the coloration of the scales.

Special Abilities. The Resonance Dragon, in all its strange and haunting mysticism, carries so much mystery. What it is and how it functions, where and how it lives, and what powers it possesses is vastly unknown, and thus people must make informed conjectures as to what abilities it has. Most scholars agree on at least one ability: the Resonance Dragon is powerfully affected by sound.

Though it seems not to possess any ears or any holes that would imply ears, the webbing on various parts of its body are said to pick up the slightest vibrations. One human philosopher stated that the dragon could probably “hear the gentle sob of an elven maiden high upon the Prominent Mountains in the north while feeling the sleepy whisper of a dwarven child deep within the Mithral. So extraordinary was the being that I felt it could sense even the beats of my heart, even the sound of a softened thought floating through my mind.” (Dylian Embelyer, "The Music", an Autobiography)

Because accounts either do not mention a mouth or state the mouth’s apparent absence, the assertion that the dragon does not eat reigns in many scholars’ mind. Most of the researchers believe that the dragon does indeed have a mouth, and must eat to sustain itself, claiming that the accounts stating otherwise contain flaws. Many who claim the beast had no mouth also beheld the dragon in rather dark settings, typically at night, and a few times in the twilight hours. Very few who witnessed the Resonance Dragon actually saw it during day.

Though the dragon has wings, it seems to float, as though it were a feather left to fly on the current of the wind. Thus, the wings may act more as resonant material rather than being an appendage used for flight. In either case, the dragon must have amazing versatility with its body. It does not seem weight down as its cousins. “The control the creature had over its own form must be spectacular, as it was able to move with such elegance, all of its movements done with so perfect a precision as to tough nothing but what ground it had planned to touch.” (Geldian Rupel, notes printed in “Dragon Research”)

Territory. One of the great enigmas of this dragon concerns its location, its general territory. Ancient writers and researchers hail from all across Caelereth. Some stumble upon these creatures while way up in the mountains, sometimes in dark caverns and caves, but there are also quite a few stories of confrontations within forests, especially in glades and small clearings. Prairies and heaths seem less written of as Resonance Dragon-witnessing grounds.

Most people run into these beasts in a time of great emotional crisis, though many don’t write of them but in tranquil recollection. Their presence, in nearly all cases, seems to pacify and relax. Their careful, listening manner and their wise yet innocent eyes are said to have comforted many who were lucky enough to see them.

The scholars and researchers since the Age of Discoveries propose that the dragon lives in dark places close to the ground. As previously stated, these dragons are believed to vanish if they cannot hear sound, and thus it is said that they spend most of their time close to the ground, which carries to them vibrations of sound, of screams and whispers, and of music. One scholarly artist portrayed the Resonance Dragon lying close to the earth amidst tall, wild trees, dripping with vines and showered with mushrooms and unknown birds with bright plumage, under a dark, star-speckle sky, its eyes closed as though to listen, as one observer interpreted, “to the beating of Caelereth’s heart.”

Habitat/Behaviour. None have beheld the dragon for extended periods of time or witnessed it more than once, so very little is known concerning its behavior but within a short time period. How they approach other dragons of their kind is unknown, though most scholars agree these are creatures that live alone, not traveling in flocks and avoiding contact with other dragons, both Resonance and otherwise. It is also believed that, when coming across another dragon, they probably maintain calm and cool composure, given none of the accounts told of these dragons in fits of anger. Never did the witnesses feel threatened.

The spirit of the Resonance Dragon certainly seems to be a gentle one. They have never been known to stack or even touch one who witnessed them, but moved with very fluid, very careful gestures. Recordings say that the animal moved slowly, though it is unsure whether the dragon was being careful to not frighten the onlooker or if the dragon was just slow. Most scholars believe that, because of the sensitivity of the Resonance Dragon, these slow movements were to clam and sooth.

The innocence held in the ebony eyes of the dragon suggests a timid manner. Upon first reinitiating research on the dragon, scholars believed these creatures to be extremely shy beasts, which they supported through the various descriptions of people, influenced by the almond-shaped eyes, expressed of the dragon and through the lack of any confrontations with the dragon for so many years. Surely, they believed, it was this shyness that kept the dragon away.

Since then, though, scholars have seriously questioned the manner of the dragon. It’s versatility and ease seems to imply that perhaps the dragon isn’t as timid at first thought. “The eyes may have skewed the perceived behavior of the Resonance Dragon. All accounts refer to the eyes as holding a ‘wise innocence’ that few can explain. Past scholars have taken too much of how the dragon was portrayed in the writer’s mind into consideration to make an accurate conjecture as to the true nature of the dragon. If one looks deeper, past the way the account is written and delve deeper into the actual content, the shyness of the dragon seems to melt away.” (Treviil Merilan, Helcrani Scholar of Ancient Beasts, Ximax 1347)

Dated entries have revealed that this creature is active during all times of the year, and does not hibernate like some animals do. People have encountered them even within the most frigid months of the year, as well as in the most scorching. The plethora of confrontations made during the night and twilight hours has paved way to the belief these dragons are nocturnal creatures, hiding within their shadowy homes during the day and awakening at night.

Diet. The Resonance Dragon’s diet is perhaps one of the most argued over factors of this dragon's lifestyle, because it is the most unknown. How and what the animal eats has not been confirmed by anything close to a majority of scholars. Since research of the dragon began, there were widely differing views on what that dragon eats, or if it eats at all.

Some scholars propose that the dragon does not eat; that this is a being that is probably immortal and does not need to sustain itself through any sort of food. Some good evidence supports the proposal. For one, it would explain the lack of any fecal matter. It would also agree with the mouth, which some contend is absent all together. Many assume that the dragon does have a mouth, but the narrowness and almost fragile appearance of the snout would seem to assume that, if there were teeth within, they would be too small to eat much.

Opposing views say that this theory is the “default theory”, that so little analyzing has actually gone into it and that is really doesn’t take into consideration that all animals must eat to survive. Most scholars believe the animals are omnivorous. No scholars currently believe that the dragon could eat the meat of something else, both because this would make traces of the dragon far more identifiable (through rotting carcasses in its wake, or through fecal matter containing the parts of animals) and because the nature of the dragon leads many to believe the beast would never hurt another creature.

Most scholars believing in the omnivorous nature of the dragon assume that grasses and the leaves of small trees and shrugs probably make up most of the diet. Many of the plants eaten are probably rich in vitamins and minerals, some of which pass through the dragon and are released in extremely fertile fecal matter on which plants quickly grow, thus soon hiding any trace that dragon was ever there.

All of these are merely theories. No Resonance Dragon has ever been seen eating, nor has the skull of a Resonance Dragon been found.

Mating. Mating, due to insufficient knowledge on the process, is, for the most part, not discussed among researchers. The dragon, from the rather uniform descriptions of its appearance, save the color of the scales, seems to assume that the beast has no male or female genders at the least! The sizes, when noted, were very close to being the same measurements, nor any physical feature that would distinguish a dragon as male or female. This includes the genitals, which are absent in all accounts. It is unsure whether the genitals were simply not mentioned, or if the dragon was completely absent of them.

When questioned, most scholars admitted to not really believing the animals mated at all. “The evidence suggests that the Resonance Dragon may have never reproduced at all. Not only do the accounts suggest this, given none even mention any reproductive organs anywhere on the beast, but also the dragon has not been seen or heard of for thousands of years. We may conclude that the dragon's failure to reproduce may have indeed caused its extinction.” (Treviil Merilan, Helcrani Scholar of Ancient Beasts, Ximax 1347)

Many scholars also mention that there is no record of Resonance Dragons meeting to mate. Most animals must seek out a mate, but these dragons have maintained a mystery and have remained unseen and unheard of for scores of centuries.

Some still contend they may have reproduced, and lived and died just like any animal. Scholars have used the Resonance gems as proof, saying that from birth, assuming the creature mates and gives birth, these gems appear and become more numerous as the dragon grows older.

Not all the reproduction theories include two dragons and intercourse. Some conjectures seem far-fetched, but in many cases there is just as much evidence to support it as any other of the pro-reproduction theories. A small group believed that the dragon could bud: that is, split apart into two separate entities. This would require only one dragon. Others believed that the dragon would periodically lose a body part, which would then grow into a new dragon.

The reigning theory among the pro-reproduction scholars is that the dragon is hermaphroditic, and its reproductive organs may all be kept inside the body. In this way, the dragon may be able to regulate how many offspring it creates. The rarity of the dragon may suggest that they haven’t chosen to create offspring for a long time. Still, the lack of any Resonance Dragon remains, the lack of any bones or fossils, works against any theory again anti-reproduction.

Myth/Lore. The Resonance Dragon is considered to some to be myth all together. No real scientific records lead to the assumption that these dragons were perhaps merely a work of imagination. This is supported by the lack of any bones or fossils. The Resonance Dragon is a puzzling creature, though, because it seems that people from throughout Caelereth, without any contact or connection to one another, beheld the dragon and wrote of it with similar descriptions in appearance.

The reigning theory of how so many so far apart yielded similar accounts of the dragon deals with what may have once been a popular or semi-popular myth concerning these dragons. Perhaps a story spoke of them, and this story set the seed for the dragon to appear in visions. To this day, however, there is no sign that any myth ever existed. Of course, many of the records on this dragon and on the stories and myths of the ancient times have been lost or destroyed.

The great mystery surrounding the Resonance Dragon has made it a small flit of inspiration for bards and storytellers, some of whom delve into the mysticism headfirst. Since the re-initiating of research, hundred of talented bards have made stories about these dragons, or have made references to them in their works. Some have even created their own myths on how the dragon came into being, or where the legend of the Resonance Dragon began. The following tale is one of the more popular ones:

Many Santharian bards play on the idea that Nehtor and Eyasha created the dragon together. Nehtor, often being associated with sound and music, is obviously tied to the brilliant hues it is said to don when music resonates from its clear webbing. This perhaps most prominent features of the dragon's appearance is also sometimes associated with the hobbit deity, Dalireen, who is said to wear wonderfully bright colors and to greatly enjoy music, often being called Bardess Dalireen. Because Dalireen is such a small and less-known deity, most relate the dragon's colors to Nehtor.

Eyasha’s relevance stems from the accounts of the dragon's ability to sooth and comfort. All those who witnessed it seemed to be in crisis, and the sight of the dragon helped to seemingly untangle the black web that hid the person’s path. There is something undeniably peaceful about the Resonance Dragon, and thus Eyasha also comes up when the question of engenderment arises.

The works of Aeruillin bards seem to imply that none other than Nakashi herself, the Aeoliran High Goddess of Light, could have ever created so wondrous a beast. They say that she, seeing the troubled creatures of her land, created the Resonance Dragon to help bring light and hope to those who needed it, to be a guiding star to those plunged into darkness. She endowed it with all the colors her imagination could think of, brought to the surface through sound and song.

All these stories are ones recently created, and because the Resonance Dragon hasn’t been studied for so long, many cultures haven’t yet learned of the dragon, or don’t yet believe in its existence. The accounts available are rare and antiquated. There are some ancient writings that come from this time. Long had a poem mentioning “Resonance Gems” been thought of as a mistake until the dragon came to the light:

One of the most popular Resonance Dragon poems was found in the notes of Ýph’lonía Sphergís, most of which are too faded and messy to read. Her poem, however, has withstood the test of time. It was published in a small collection of poems long ago, but with growing popularity and interest in the Resonance Dragon, the poem has been republished several times, both in Tharian and the original Styrásh:

Researchers. All of the researchers of this extraordinary creature lived during the Age of Discoveries, during which past writings and old, forgotten knowledge were explored once more. The study of the Resonance Dragon really started with Cýr’kará Quaeronía (500-1293), an elf of the Aellenrhim tribe who stumbled across the Resonance Dragon during her studies at Ximax Academy. It is said that, having first come to the library at Ximax, she grew lost in the various floors and towers, for while, she later admitted, she was well-aquanted with the layout of the Great Library in Bolder, the layout of Ximax greatly confused her. She came across Geldian Rupel’s “Dragon Research”, which was considered too out of date to be in the bestiary tower. It is here that she learned about the Resonance Dragon, and began collecting research.

Cýr’kará Quaeronía collected a lot of data while at Ximax, though many of the accounts were vague and a bit mysterious, but had to give up her research for the sake of her school work. It wasn’t until near the end of her life that she picked up the study again and published “Resonance Dragon, Accounts of Song” in 1290, three years before her death. The book was merely a collection of various accounts and vague ideas, but it helped to pave the way to greater interest in the dragon.

Telór Cáey’cáo (920-1662), an Aellenrhim who later became a scholar of Ancient Civilization at Ximax, took up the torch. It is said that he read Cýr’kará Quaeronía’s book and began research of his own, first in the Great Libraries at the Bolder, then at the Ximax Academy. His research was extremely thorough, and he uncovered some accounts and mentionings that had been skipped. Soon after his graduation, he published “The Color of Sound, Theories on the Resonance Dragon” (1322) which outlined and explained many of his philosophies and theories on the life of the dragon.

The book inspired Treviil Merilan (1282-1354), a Helcrani who later became a scholar of Ancient Beasts at Ximax. He studied the Resonancace Dragon along with other mystical creatures, shedding new light on their existence. He published a few works in his time, two of which spoke briefly on the Resonance Dragon.

Without the ancient accounts of the Resonance Dragon, none of the current research would have ever been possible. Little is known about the writers, but one of the most influential was Vaiaél Aeli’pheran’s “Avenní’valía,” which gave eloquent details of the dragon's appearance and movements. Vaiaél Aeli’pherán is said to have been of the Ylfferhim tribe, having lived around that area and having made a mention of very light-colored haired.

Geldian Rupel is believed to be the oldest of the ancient witnesses. His tribe is unknown, though most suspect him to be either a Kyranian or a Helcrani. His notes printed in “Dragon Research”, but are believed to be far older than that book. His notes are extremely important both in appearance and in outlining many of the notions of the dragon that are still held today.

Dylian Embelyer is known as an Erpheronian. He was an adventurer and magician of sorts, who catalogued his adventures in his published work, “The Music, an Autobiography”. He played a plethora of instruments and wanted to bring music to the people of the north, but turned back when he could not pass through the Tandala. It was here, in the mountainous highlands, where he said he saw the lovely dragon, and played for it, watching its scales turn to brilliant shades. Though his description was brief in comparison to the others’, the dragon's changing of colours has helped to lead to a better idea of the dragon's abilities.

Usages. There is no trace that the Resonance Dragon ever existed: no bones, no fossils, not even a footprint left on the ground. Thus, many of the usages other dragons lend are lost on the Resonance Dragon. Its scales are not used to make any kind of armor. Its teeth are not used to make weapons. Though its meat may be edible, none have ever tasted it, and thus the taste or texture is unknown.

This does not mean that the Resonance Dragon does no good. All of those who witnessed the dragon were suffering from great emotional crisis, and in the color and light of the dragon, many of them found comfort, relief, and were able to relax. The aura of the dragon seems to have a calming effect.