Dragon Hatchlings

When dragon eggs mature and hatch, the young dragons that emerge are known as dragon hatchlings.
==Newborns==
Dragons do not emerge immediately from their eggs. Instead, they gradually chip away the crystalline shell with their claws, which, like their teeth, are extremely sharp. At birth, they are small, delicate, gangly, and lack the ability to speak. Instead of the deep, gutteral growls of their older counterparts, newborn dragons emit a faint "meep".
==Development==
Being naturally intelligent beings, dragons are very aware of their surroundings right away. They tend to be curious as well, but need to be carefully protected, as their hides are still thin and they lack the self-defense capabilities they will gain as they grow older. Their wings are awkwardly unfurled during early development and it takes some time before they are able to take to the air.
Dragon hatchlings' hides gradually toughen and they learn to speak as they get older. Their fire breath develops around six months, as does their dragon stone. They develop their magical abilities around this time. How large they grow from this point on depends on their species and how much nutrition they get. A poorly-fed hatchling is likely to have stunted growth later in life, even if they're of a species known for their large size.
==Hunting Hatchlings==
After the Dragon Wars, Emperor Vosper sent out orders for people to hunt down remaining dragons and destroy their nests. Because female dragons fiercely guard their nests, it's no easy task finding and raiding the nesting sites. It requires stealth and magic-concealing spells to hide both sight and scent of the hunting parties. The younger the hatchlings are, the easier they are to kill and extract the still-developing dragon stones from within their bodies. However, nests with very young newborns are also much harder to sneak up on, as the mother remains vigilant and will only leave the nest out of an absolute necessity to hunt for herself and her brood.
==Soulstones==
A practice known almost exclusively to female dragons, hatchlings who are killed may have their developing dragon stone taken out of them by their mother and preserved to keep the hatchling's soul close by. This grieving practice causes the female dragon's fertility and health to decline. Soulstones are considered to be truly dreadful and female dragons rarely reveal that they have one; they were once very rare, but more females started making them during and after the Dragon Wars. The exact process that goes into making one is known only to female dragons.
For more information, see Dragon Mating and Dragon Birthing .
Category:Dragons