#dragonsandwolves

[arataandthegarden]

Griffon

(dragonica lore)

Griffons are intelligent lion/eagle creatures that live most commonly in mountain ranges. They live easily alongside wolves, and have been doing so since before anyone could remember. However, griffons still consider themselves separate from wolf pack society, and follow their own leaders and traditions.

Traditionally, griffons served as mercenaries for different groups (usually wolves) during times of both war and peace. griffons usually begin training as mercenaries at a young age, therefore making them extremely skilled fighters as adults. Then they are hired and paid lots of money or gold to protect or fight people. Griffons live in small clans traditionally independent from nearby canine communities (however, today plenty of them live in cosmopolitan cities). They are also culturally separate from wolves in many ways. but they are still heavily connected due to that mercenary activity.

Sky Pack hires the most griffon mercenaries out of any group (today, army is 40% griffon). The practice of griffon families training young griffons to be mercenaries/soldiers continues today, however, choosing other career paths has become easier and much more practical.

[arataandthegarden]

Harpies

(Dragonica lore)

After humans arrived in Dragonica, the dragonicans were amazed at how smart/innovative the humans were. One dragon who lived in the Kratecknn mountains (Sky Pack territory) was obsessed with humans. He went crazy and used magic to create an army of “angels” (name/concept based off of human mythology). The goal of this army was to combine the intelligence of humans with the power and flying ability of eagles. The creatures that were produced had the legs and wings of a bird (wings have small, finger-like claws on them), as well as the face of a human. The creatures were fairly short as well, and only reached the height of 3-4 feet. They resembled harpies from human myths, so he called them that. He tried to teach them how to fight, however, he soon discovered that most of the harpies were completely unintelligent (as well as quite annoying). He left them out in the cold, hoping that they would all die. However, they survived and the species became a part of the ecosystem, eventually breeding and increasing in number.

Some harpies are actually intelligent, but it’s super duper rare. In order to prove their intelligence, they have to be able to submit a request to the government for citizenship and get it approved. However, even then there’s a ton of racism against them because usually harpies are just annoying and dumb. Living in sky pack territory doesn’t help with anything either.

Harpies have a super good memory, even the unintelligent ones. They can memorize entire books word for word, and be able to recite the book properly for years. They can also memorize faces, just like how crows can.

[arataandthegarden]

Dragonican Battle Walkers

(dragonican lore)

Dragonican Battle Walkers were first manufactured in Scalro after the Great Separation War. They represent a syncretism between human and Dragonican technology, since the design contains human innovation, as well as a few enchanted parts and aspects that are purely Dragonican. Scalro manufactures TONS of similar machines (most are used for mining and transportation, while others are used for war), all of which are designed to be piloted solely by creatures around Dragonican wolf size. Humans can technically pilot walkers too, though humans are banned from Scalro so the piloting systems aren’t exactly designed for them, so they would have to use a model from Dragonrio that’s more versatile.

This particular walker is armed by a machine gun and two cannons (the cannons are made for shooting dragons and armored vehicles). Spikes line the bottom entry point to prevent enemies from somehow entering during battle. Legs move using hydraulics and feature sensors on the feet. the sensors connect to a computer system that can help the legs adjust to different inclines, as well as tell the pilot to adjust if needed. The motor powering the walker is electric and can be recharged easily. Large barred window covered in enchanted and bulletproof glass allows the pilot to see relatively easily. the viewport can be made larger or smaller if needed. Two bright lights are situated under the window. Blades can be added to the walker’s legs to prevent attacks at the legs, and paint can be added for camouflage or other reasons (both paint and blades are dependent on what use the walker has.) The walker can have up to 3-4 operators/soldiers inside, though it requires only 1 pilot (this is not recommended).

There ARE just normal military type stuff in Dragonica (cars, tanks, etc.) although walkers have their uses in war. Walkers have a wide stride, so they can step over trenches and ditches with ease. Walkers of this particular size/model are also pretty common in military parades. In general, both Scalro and Dragonrio have walkers in their armies (Scalro has more), though they are very expensive.

[arataandthegarden]

Gods and Soul Pawns

(dragonica lore)

Gods are extremely powerful entities that exist across many dimensions. They are capable of creating entire planets and lifeforms at will. They can also bend space and time to warp space, which is sometimes what creates dimensions (although dimensions can occur naturally as well, and they normally do). Most can also see into various futures in order to better manipulate variables to change the future as they wish. They all work for varying motives, but usually they want to expand their power and influence.

However, most of the gods are EXTREMELY LAZY and yes, their power is limited (which is kinda why they like to expand it in the first place). The planets and lifeforms they make are usually modeled after the ones found on Earth (Earth is godless and was created by no one). They also don’t really have enough power to control every little aspect of their creations, so they make soul pawns.

Soul pawns are reusable souls that can be reincarnated into any shell needed by the god. The gods can focus their attention/actions around the soul pawn in order to manipulate things within the timeline. They can sometimes even control the actions of the soul pawn, though they don’t do this all the time. Soul pawns also store memories from past lives, though they don’t necessarily have to give the memories to their current form. Basically they can seemingly start off their new lives as clean slates, but deep down in some locked vault in their minds, their memories still exist. The metaphorical “vault” can be locked or unlocked at any time by the god.

Gods can also infuse information into soul pawns before sending them off. because of their ability to store memories and information, soul pawns can serve as undo buttons somewhat. they can be put into any shell, including previous ones (ex: the soul pawn Dumah was turned from Marlon and into Dragon in the endgame arc). They can be made aware or unaware of the gods if needed.So in short, soul pawns have the most connection to the god they are serving, though they don’t always know the god exists.

Soul pawns are rarely ever aware whenever they are being controlled. they just kinda feel a pull towards something, like a location that they have to be at or something. Sometimes they just kinda disassociate entirely and forget whatever happened. Sometimes it’s not even anything big, like it could just be that they smack a fly or say a word or something and they don’t really care to notice. It is also important to understand that soul pawns typically have their destinies chosen for them.

A god usually just starts out by creating a few soul pawns in the beginning, when they’re just starting out. However, they can create new soul pawns and add them to their world whenever they want to. Because of this, some soul pawns can technically be very very “old”, while others can be “young.” Gods tend to prefer older soul pawns because they have more memories. For this reason, they usually just ignore the normal souls they don’t create or tend to. But sometimes they’re like “This mortal had some serious skills/memories when they were alive. It could come in handy in the future!!” so they can take the normal soul and turn it into a soul pawn. Gods don’t care so much about what happens to normal souls when the body dies. They don’t care where they go, or if they go anywhere at all.

Soul pawns can also be traded around by gods.

Gods usually also create two, maybe three dimensions: one for their world (which typically takes place on a physical plane), and one for themselves (non-physical).

The non-physical dimensions are a form of self defense. They are protected by powerful magic and are usually empty. Basically, these “spare room” dimensions are just places where the god watches things from a safe distance. Some gods have an extra spare room dimension for meeting with other gods. However, gods never tell anyone on how to access the safe spare room, out of fear that the gods will come over and kill them when they least expect it. Gods can be killed. When they die, their energy and power is absorbed by the other gods.

[arataandthegarden]

Mechanical Hounds

Design influences- Mechanical Hound (F451), those good boys from boston dynamics

Features- made of mostly titanium, powered by a rechargeable electric motor located inside chest cavity, powerful hydraulic jaws that can crush bone, needle tongue, infrared cameras that serve as eyes, yellow stripes made of reflective material, tail that raises/lowers as a power indicator, radio antenna on head, nose tube lined with sensors, sensors on feet, “smile,” Dragonrio’s flag + number + dragonican word for dog (??? i think that's what it is) on left shoulder.

Reasoning- titanium shields from bullets, hydraulic jaws can be used to hold or kill a criminal, the needle can inject lethal doses of sedatives into victim, “eyes” can sense hidden targets, yellow stripes prevent the hound from getting hit by a car or something (though the stripes can be covered easily as needed), electric engine reduces emissions and makes the Hound more quiet, radio antenna is used just in case the Hound needed to be controlled remotely, nose tube is for tracking things, sensors on feet sense inclines and ground texture so the Hound can adjust accordingly (it can also use its eyes to sense barriers and drop-offs), the “smile” is so the hound appears more friendly. 

During the New Dragonica Revolution, a thousands of deadly robots called Mechanical Hounds were manufactured to help punish/capture rebels/criminals, as well as be the subject of pro-government propaganda. they were invented by a wolf named Mech Rutherford, who based them off of the Mechanical Hounds from Fahrenheit 451. 

 Usually, the Hounds can use complex AI systems to determine targets instead of being controlled remotely. The Hound can also be given missions and can be reprogrammed to do other tasks. But perhaps the most important system on the hound is its ability to track down wanted targets using a powerful sense of “smell”. The nose tube is lined with millions of tiny sensors. Small amounts of air is pumped through the nose tube and out the back of the head. 

Part of the Hounds’ purpose is to show the mightiness of the government, as well as strike fear into the hearts of the rebels. The Hounds are soulless and unintelligent, yet are deadly. as a result. the hounds are depicted in quite a few propaganda posters from both sides of the rebellion. At the same time, the government also wanted to portray the Hounds as friendly towards their supporters, which is why the Hounds were designed with a slightly smiling face.

However, the Hounds do have weaknesses. The Hounds can’t turn their heads and are very very heavy, though their weight can be used to their advantage at times. They also aren’t completely fireproof or waterproof. Sometimes, the Hounds would be immobilized by the rebels and their computer chips would be reprogrammed so they would attack government soldiers instead. This actually caused later versions of the hounds to be manufactured so when the legs completely lose mobility, the computer chip fries itself.

Mech Rutherford was assassinated because he created the Hounds and the rebels found out. The rebels had his throat cut like a pig because that’s how they viewed all government supporters: as pigs. There were actually a ton of assassinations during the month Mech was killed. The month became known as the Great Slaughter.

posted by Dragon :)

[arataandthegarden]

Were there any major conflicts in Dragonica?

Dragonica went through three major wars in its history. The following are the wars in order:

Freedom Feather Revolution- The oldest known recorded conflict in Dragonica history. Long ago, a dragon named Velchran Val rose to power after kidnapping and executing much of the original royal family during a period known as the Tyranny Attack. Shortly after, the new King Val ruled over Dragonica with absolute tyranny, killing all who objected him. Eventually, a group of rebels called the Freedom Feathers fought back. A full blown war broke out and ended when King Val was assassinated. The surviving members of the original royal family regained power.

The Wolf War (early 1940s)- For a long time, Sky Pack had complete control over a huge swath of territory. They even ruled over Delta and River Pack! This “Sky Pack Empire” had Mountain Pack on their list as their next target. However, Mountain Pack (allied with Forest Pack) fought the Empire and eventually won. They beat back Sky Pack into their original territory in the cold Kratecknn mountains. Much of the history of the Wolf War was erased and this era is almost never taught in school, simply because the loss was a huge embarrassment to Sky Pack.

The Great Separation War (1960s-70s)- While humans were generally accepted into society, some groups didn’t support them or want them around. The primary argument for these “anti-human” organizations was that humans had a history of ruining things in their home dimension (Earth). Tensions grew between the pro-humans and anti-humans, until war broke out between the two sides. The war ended after the wolf packs had enough of all the fighting, and forced the sides to sign a peace treaty known as the Wolves’ Treaty. The treaty split Dragonica into the two countries we know now: Scalro and Dragonrio.

written by Dragon :)

[arataandthegarden]

Dragonican Wolf face shapes

I really only made this so I would have a visual reference when drawing different wolf species. Not all of the breeds/species are drawn here. These are just the ones I use the most.

Also, there is still variation between the individuals within a species/breed, so keep that in mind.

1) Avian Dragonican Wolf- Both avian breeds overall have the same facial features. Please note that avians can also have a beak and/or bird eyes so this picture really only has to do with the all wolf face. Short nose, small eyes, round head, and small round eyebrows. Based loosely off of how cats and Rottweilers look.

2) Woodland, Taiga, or Dwarf Alpha Dragonican Wolf- Really basic form. Long nose, somewhat curly fur, large eyes, and triangular eyebrows. 

3) Arid Alpha Dragonican Wolf- Big ears and a long/narrow face with small eyes and large round eyebrows. The large ears are for cooling down by utilizing their larger surface area. Based loosely off of jackals or coyotes or wolves that live in  desert regions.  4) Alpine Alpha Dragonican Wolf- Heavy head, small/rounded ears, and smallish eyes with little round eyebrows. 5) and 6) the two variants of the Aquatic Alpha Dragonican Wolf- I decided to create two variants of the aquatic alpha so there was some more variety because a lot of packs have aquatic wolves. 5 is known as either the "northern", "upstream", or "river pack" variant. Muzzle slopes down. Sometimes can look a lot like a bull terrier. Ears have extra fur. Angular and small eyes with triangular eyebrows. 6 is known as the "southern", "downstream" or "delta pack" variant. Low forehead with a straight muzzle. Larger eyes with triangle eyebrows. Ears have tufts on tips. 7) Taiga Clouddancer Dragonican Wolf- Very similar to woodland, but with narrower muzzle. Large eyes with oval eyebrows. 8) Alpine Clouddancer Dragonican Wolf- Low forehead. Medium sized eyes. Long nose

Written by Dragon :)

[arataandthegarden]

How have humans changed Dragonica?

When humans from Earth dimension arrived in Dragonica, they provided major technological advances to the Dragonicans. However, the relationship between humans and Dragonicans hasn't always been smooth sailing. Humans in Old Dragonica (era before human advancement)- Up until the 1940s humans were not recognized as an intelligent species. They had no rights in society, and were often seen as outsiders or even pests by many. As a result, humans were often killed and eaten. Humans also did not speak the same language as Dragonicans. They also only ever came in as very small groups or alone. They could not control when or where they crossed from Earth to Dragonica. So therefore, humans were often defenseless and without aid in the wilderness. Occasionally, a dragon or wolf pack will accept a human, but this was extremely rare. Humans in New Dragonica (era after extreme human advancement)- Eventually, humans became a more notable species in Dragonica. Dragons were becoming companions with them, wolves were learning about about new technology, larger towns were being built, etc. After awhile, humans were officially recognized in the 1940s as an intelligent species (illegal to kill/eat them, had rights, etc). Of course, some groups believed humans were a bad influence on dragonica. They had seen the damage humans had cause in their own dimension and thought humans would bring war. Tensions grew between the pro-human and anti-human sides, until a full blown war broke out, splitting Dragonica into Dragonrio (a pro-human country) and Scalro (an anti-human country). From then on out, development increased dramatically on both sides, turning Dragonica into a modern society. Now technology in Dragonica is similar to Earth's. They even have cellphones! Written by Dragon :)