The Firedrake(Drakine myyr-draki; Latin name Draco Ignus) is an ancient species of dragon, once common but now believed to be extinct.
Appearance
Firedrakes are long and lean, with large wingspans and tails that make up over half the dragon's total body length. They have brilliant red, orange, or even golden scales, golden bellies, and burning amber eyes. Their heads are vaguely shaped like a long triangular wedge, and they lack the beaklike snout that most of their descendents carry. They have a curved-up crest and long horns, as well as a small horn on their snout. Firedrakes stand on four legs which are tipped with wickedly serrated talons, which are thicker on the hind legs. Sharp triangular spikes, like shark fins, run down the spine. A well-known characteristic of all types of Firedrake is the fact that the tail is always decorated with two or more ringlike plates and usually some sort of arrowhead or blade at the tip. In the case of the Firedrake itself, it holds two rings(as do most, though not all, species) and the classic arrowhead tailtip.
Evolution
The Firedrake is an ancient species that used to be fairly abundant if in the right type of region. However, they are believed to now be extinct. The last remnants of this species can still be seen in their descendents, which are now widespread and can be seen in a variety of habitats.
The Fall of the Firedrake
The sharp decline in the Firedrake population was caused by them being one of several species targeted by humans believing themselves to be dragon slayers. While many dragons escaped to breed with other species and give rise to subspecies such as the Darkwing Firedrake and Plasmascale Firedrake, they were eventually hunted down and slaughtered, driving the species ever closer to the brink of extinction. Reliable reports of sighting a Firedrake have not existed for over a century.
Territory
This breed of dragon was found in warm mountains and even in volcanic regions or active volcanoes themselves due to their incredible resistance to heat. They had fairly small territories that usually only spanned a few mountains, however they were free to enter a neighboring Firedrake's territory for a short amount of time if necessary.
Behavior
Firedrakes, while high-strung and arrogant, were a social breed of dragon, often allowing other dragons to reside in or overlap their territories. They were known to be fairly secretive to other species, but worked with them willingly if the situation required it. Despite this, the hatchlings would fight for dominance of the nest, which the parents did nothing to stop until it became clear that their decline would only be hastened by these miniature deathmatches. Sadly, their decline was neither stopped nor slowed when the Firedrakes began teaching their young to not fight each other, and quickly they became aggressive and territorial in a last desperate attempt to save themselves from death. Not long after, the last remaining individuals were hunted down and destroyed, forever leaving the hybrid offspring as the only representatives of this once proud species.
Abilities
All Firedrake species are well known for their resistance to heat, however the Firedrake was widely considered to be the very embodiment of fire- some cultures even regarded it as a fire spirit. This stems from the fact that Firedrakes were often pyromancers or had some ability heavily connected to fire, as well as their tendency to live in the lava of active volcanos due to their unrivalled tolerance for heat.