#dracoprescriptivism

[drachenwiki]

Interesting fact for all the dracoprescitivists out there: While in British heraldry, a four-legged dragon is called a dragon and a two-legged dragon is called a wyvern (we all know that one), in German heraldry, the two-legged variety is called "Drache" i.e. "dragon", while the four-legged variant is called "Lindwurm". Regardless of any serpentine form of the body or number of wings.

So we should always keep in mind that any classification system that anybody might use for mythical creatures is highly culturally specific, sometimes even more specific than that, and should only be used in a general sense when your readers are aware what you are talking about.

[a-book-of-creatures]

What words would you have to someone who believes Wyverns aren't dragons?

1) ants are called emmets in heraldry, that doesn’t mean they’re different from ants.

2) also they’re called pismires which is just embarrassing, really.

3) hang on, what was I talking about?

4) wyverns, right. Outside of being a synonym for viper (which is synonymous with snake, which is synonymous with dragon) there is literally no wyvern mythology. And if you want to broaden the search to its linguistic variants, there is no one appearance, and all of them could just be replaced by the word “dragon” with no change.

[drachenwiki]

What an interesting spin on the "that's not a dragon" theme

[drachenwiki]

This interaction is hilarious

The thread can be found here. Also check out the awesome artwork by Rudolf Wolfgang Götze.

[drachenwiki]

Richard Freeman really took his D&D sourcebooks, said every dragon that doesn't match them is stupid and wrong and then proceeded to talk about a lot of stuff that doesn't even resemble his own dragon definition.

[theload]

Every time you use zilant as a body type a dragon loses its wings.

[theload]

[theload]

New Dragon Pet Peeve

People using Zilant as a body-type name for dragons like these:

Forelegs and wings, no hindlegs.

I'm fine enough with it when it's being done in a specific setting with specific rules, but I see people online with absolute certainty say that Zilant is the name for this type of dragon the same way Drakes have no wings and Wyverns* have wings and hindlegs.

The Zilant is a specific dragon from a specific mythology; not a body type. It only became a body type in my living memory (I'm like 90% sure a friend of mine invented it for his own setting, then I guess everyone else just assumed it was general lore).

Also wyverns having only hind legs is a modern thing. Wyverns in heraldry were depicted both ways.