Medicine for dragon arena dragons - Alternative medicine

## Early medicine and the development of understanding

In the early days of dragon arenas, people would often use common medicines in the attempt to heal and treat the dragons they used in combat in the arenas... health potions, mana potions, blood transfusions and even direct amputation and limb replacement. This led to a lot of casualties as the dragons had different biological tolerances compared to normal dragons and other beings... with ingredients found within these substances often being something that was toxic to the arena dragon.

With high casualty rates, the fate of the arena battles became grim because they could not breed the dragons fast enough. A scholar by the name of Dr Hiro Gimel decided to develop a sanctioned forest where the dragons could live, breed and die in the wild on their own terms... with the main goal being to see how the dragons survived in the wild and find out what they could and could not consume to survive. His findings leaded to a revolution not only in the medical field but became a widespread guide for people taking to the medical arts, sharing knowledge of plants that were perfectly safe, poisonous or even fatally toxic both to dragon-kind and mortal races alike. Dr Hiro's life came to a end however when in his old age, he entered the forest unguarded and never returned... all that anyone found of him was his grimoire and lucky sash next to a hatched dragon egg. To this day, 'Memory Forest' is kept as a sanctioned area where no person can go in to capture dragons nor go in to kill, purposefully having any and all weapons confiscated and all forms of magic sealed during their visit inside with the consequences of causing harm to any of the wild dragons being death by dragon execution.

## Current procedure for the raising and caring of arena dragons

Only select members of the TDA and TDC, known as dragon nursers, are allowed to take a dragon's egg from the memory forest. These dragon nursers raise the child and help foster them ready to try to live outside of the forest, thus keeping the different dragon species not restricted to one location in Tierra. Outside of the memory forest, there are strict laws and regulations that dragonsages have to follow in order to obtain a dragon of their own... it must be documented fully as they must raise them from egg to late adulthood and responsibly look after their dragon until either it dies in a arena fight or grows too old, in which it must be released into the memory forest to breed. Failure to care for the dragon correctly that leads to it's death outside of the arena or failure to bring it to the memory forest can result in heavy fines, imprisonment and revoking of the right to raise dragons.

It is mandatory by law that any person who seeks to raise and use dragons in dragon arenas reads the published guide made using Dr Hiro's notes: The dragonsage's handbook. This book contains the important information on how to raise and look after each of the kinds of dragons that are used in the arenas. Any dragon type that is not in the published list is not allowed in the TDA (Tierra Dragon Association) official tournaments but can be used in the TDC (Tierra Dragon Coliseum) official tournaments.

## Species of dragon arena dragons that these medicines apply to

**Saurian** (A non-winged dragon that comes in several variants, usually with just one breath element of fire, ice or lightning (there are exceptions, such as Sigrun who can breathe many kinds of breaths). These saurians often have the most drastic changes in their body as they evolve and scholars to this day cannot fathom how... and nobody has dared to try staying close enough to their dragon while they cuccoon themselves to evolve out of understandable fear they may be transformed into a saurian themselves.)

**Winged Saurian** (A winged dragon usually with a mix of bird-like features such as a beak. These also come normally with one breath element of fire, ice or lightning (there are exceptions, such as Sheiko who can breathe mana and blight breaths). Some varieties have a tail that resembles a banana and while the tail's outer skin can be peeled back a bit, this is not recommended as it is used by the parent to punish their children for doing something bad and may upset your dragon.)

**Scarboria** (A dragon that more resembles a beetle than a dragon, but is distinct in that they breathe fire or lightning. They are often found in tropical climates and during their mating season they shed their shells and grow much more colourful and vivid. Once mating season ends, they shed again and grow their normal colour shells. Mating season is late winter to early spring)

**Vespula** (A dragon that resembles a wasp with two humanoid fore-arms that can breathe ice or lightning. These dragons often have a blue or green colouration with white stripes and are either loved or hated by farmers due to their habit to make hives in trees that bare fruit and become somewhat protective of the tree. Those that Vespula imprint on will often find the dragon taking them to rest or live in their built hive and will actively try to make medicinal honey if their imprinted get sick, to try and help them get better)

**Natura** (A dragon that resembles a golem more than a dragon... quite how these odd dragons came into existance is unclear but they always breathe lightning. They often build their own ruins to reside in which can vary depending on the climate that they live in but they are often illegally poached as their metallic shells can be made into incredibly durable armor or shields. Some speculate that they were a creation made by early experimentation by humans during the Black Dragon's era.)

**Crustacean** (A dragon that resembles a crab or lobster which always breathes ice. These dragons are often kept around areas where people publicly use beaches as they instinctively will rescue someone who is in danger of drowning or being stuck in quicksand and have been known to create pearls or coral in any shape. Some have even been trained to make weapons or armor from coral or pearl that are a exotic yet durable commodity)

**Mithakara** (The mithakara are dragons that resemble either a mix of lions and mermaids or sphinxes that can breathe fire, ice or lightning. Playful and creative, these dragons often make great caretakers or playmates for children as they can appreciate the innocence of youth. Care must be taken however as they can become extremely protective and loyal to those they imprint onto which can lead to them becoming hostile should they sense bad intentions from those interacting with their chosen. Strangely, those who are chosen often develop potential magical capabilities even if normally they would have grown to have no magical ability otherwise.)

**Darklovia** (The Darklovia are dragons that were genetically created by the black dragon's cults out of curiousity of how dragons could evolve much like roos could become galba and with a express interest in what laid beyond life. They can breathe fire, ice or lightning and are quite odd in nature in that normally, they resemble a ghostly beast with a mask (often being mistaken for Hollows by those spiritually aware) that have a tendancy to possess things and stick with them. For this reason, Darklovia can often be found playing pranks by possessing things that act as gateways of some kind (such as doors, cages or even coffins and sarcophaguses). When they possess something, it becomes animated and grows limbs like a construct while if they open up, they often create a portal into their own inner 'soul world' that can be entered... which will be themed however the dragon wishes and anything within can be played with as the dragon desires. A Darklovia can even possess a living being which can lead to the possessed taking appearance traits based on how the Darklovia wishes them to look while possessed, though this possession is usually a form of mutual bond allowing equal sharing of the body. Spiritually aware people can often see the Darklovia's mask on the face of those possessed often leading to accidental persecution by religious and spiritualist groups for fear of a hollow possessing a mortal's body to consume souls.)

**Relalut** (The Relalut are a species of dragon that is incredibly diverse but often gets mistaken for mutants such as rat-ogres or lycanthropes by the general public... this is because they have a very unusual breeding habit in that they purposefully leave their eggs with other animals. The eggs produce a form of chemical that tricks the animal into looking after it until it nears hatching time and then produces a different chemical that causes the animal to leave the egg and attracts back the real parents. During the time it is being looked after, the egg will absorb some of the animal's traits and mix them with a dragon's traits... often leading to hybrid-like dragons with animal-like qualities. Some Relalut families will always go with certain animals but a Relalut always has exotic colouring that you do not find in the native animal (for instance, a tiger-based Relalut will have golden fur with distinct brown/red stripes). The Relalut can breathe fire, ice or lightning but the favoring of element comes down to the animal species they are connected to and they will often prefer to live in conditions like the animal they gained traits from (so a Relalut that is derived from a sewer rat may prefer living in a sewer itself in similar conditions to the sewer rat). Relalut children are quite intelligent and can learn to read, write and talk languages at a early age and can even pick up behaviors, traits or even magic from their respective friends or guardians... so it is entirely possible that they may emulate things such as lycanthropic aspects or even be able to transmit lycanthropy to others if raised by a werewolf.)

**Bukakkō** (Perhaps the most unusual kind of dragon, the Bukakko are a species of dragon that evolved from a galba mating with a saurian. This created a species that is distinctly capable of changing it's shape and properties via materials such as Emelas or items infused with a certain essence such as mana or blight. While some would mistake them for a saurian mutant with small wings on the back, what makes them stand out is their resilience, potential for change and that their bodies naturally grow materials based on the essences they attribute themselves with. This means that for example, one could very much resemble a spriggan dragon with mana crystals visibly growing as armored plates on it's body like a galba... or equally, could become something that could be mistaken for a galba if around ash emelas. They are a abnormality in that they naturally can breathe more elements than just fire, ice or lightning so dragonsages often use elemental stones to 'train' a Bukakko into using that element primarily at a very young age. Just because they take one appearance and trait doesn't mean they stay with it either... their forms will constantly adapt and change through their entire life. They also share the galba's level of intellect so great care must be taken to look after them correctly... unfortunately Bukakko did not get the near immortality galba have, instead evolving a adaptive resilience that changes as their form does.)

## The dragonsage's handbook - Flora and Fauna of the dragon arena

### WIsh Whisper herb

The Wish Whisper herb is a herb that can be grown on any common farm and with proper due care and diligence anywhere from spring to autumn that has four big leaves and two to three stems that bloom in the late summer to early autumn. When given to a dragon variant in this book, this herb creates a chain reaction that speeds up the dragon's internal metabolism which in turn speeds up recovery from injuries at a rate similar to ingesting a healing potion for most mortal races. The herb has a distinct scent like a mix of peppermint and lavender which becomes very potent in the blooming period. For other beings not listed in the handbook, the herb is perfectly edible with sweet leaves yet sour tasting roots... ingesting it has a effect similar to caffine and will help stave off the need to sleep. The buds of the Wish Whisper have special properties however...

### Wish Whisper bud

The bud of a wish whisper herb has a similarity to stone before it blooms, giving the impression that the plant is growing a rock. These are given to dragons who are incredibly young and don't have a mother to raise them as they contain all the minerals and nutrients that you would find inside of a dragon's egg, helping a baby dragon grow healthily. In other beings however if it is prepared correctly, it brings out their primal battle instincts for a time making all of their senses keener, their attacks harder, their magic more potent... and is even rumored in large doses to give someone a dragon's endurance in battle, able to keep fighting for days on end without requiring rest.

If not prepared correctly however, it can cause extreme nausea, fatigue and can even lead to a effect where the body shuts down like as if it has died, only to wake up once the toxins wear off... which can be from a hour to a entire day.

Preparing a Wish Whisper bud requires chilling the bud until a light frost forms on the petals. Once this is done, it should be preserved using honey that is left to crystallize on the bud while being kept cool, a process that can take most of a day to do. The bud itself often tastes heavily like aniseed laced licorice which makes many complain about the medicine-like taste.

### Fast weed

Properly called Aquilia Rosaria, these plants are often seen growing where a river opens out to the sea and was first called their nickname of 'fast weed' when a dwarf foolishly tried to eat some and ran faster than anyone had ever seen a dwarf run to go spit it out due to it's terrible taste. Ironicly, if the plant is brewed then it creates a very potent alcohol that can be used either for disinfecting injuries or for drinking (a word of warning that blooming varieties of this plant create alcohol that would definitely not be suitable for those who cannot handle their ale). For the dragon species you will find in this book, consumption of this plant creates a stimulant effect where their adrenaline flow increases and a effect similar to time slowing down from their perspective is induced... as such, this allows them to act faster than they normally would. This effect appears to be both permanent and cumulative meaning that dragons that have a lot of this herb can react potentially faster than most living beings to situations. Fast weed blooms mid-spring and has distinctly vivid white and blue flowers.

### Dragontree seeds

There are special trees that can grow a crystalline golden fruit that when consumed acts like the elixir of life, restoring the vitality, spiritual essence and magical energies of the consumer... these 'dragon crystals' even have a active reaction towards if their bearer is about to die, breaking to dust and restoring their bearer to prevent them dying from mortal injury.

There are variants of these golden yellow trees however that have a more crystalline, prismatic sheen. These archdragon trees grow not only the dragon crystals but also a special kind of seed that is blue-green in hue once it is ready to come off the tree, that grows another archdragon tree. However, if one was to pluck the seed before it is ready, when it has a hue mixing from gold to light blue, the seed acts as a panacea for the dragons in this book that cures illnesses of all kinds and aid in recovering from extreme fatigue. It is also rumored that these seeds can reverse a dragon's age, giving them a extended lifespan and so these trees and their seeds command a king's ransom in price and it is considered a crime to cut down a dragon tree or archdragon tree. Because of the rarity of these seeds, nobody has tried to consume these seeds other than the arena dragons.

### Iron weed

Iron weed as the name implies is a extremely tough, thug-like plant that grows on battlefields where weapons have been left to rust. When brewed, they produce a form of tea that helps calm the nerves of those that drink it and once brewed, the ordinarily too hard to bite through leaves become soft and can be eaten with a sharp metallic tang. A dragon species found in this handbook that consumes this herb will become healthier, more durable and able to take a notably larger beating than normal. This effect is permanent and cumulative so make sure that if you want your dragon to survive in the arenas that they get plenty of iron weed in their diet. Iron weeds when they bloom produce a scent similar to spilled blood so you may find wild predators near blooming iron weed attracted by the scent. This makes the plant a good means of trapping predatorial animals if grown and used wisely. The iron weed blooms during late autumn time and will continue to grow even through winter but if you want to grow it, it is suggested to fertilize the ground using small flakes of iron on the surface that are left to rust on purpose.

### Vigor herb

Vigor herbs or otherwise known as Novallius Arborum are herbs that actively can be used to clean stains off of things or even clean your teeth when used in warm water so they work wonders in baths. Eaten by the dragon species that are found within this book, this plant causes the brain to recognise a need to grow the muscles and increase blood flow, prompting a process in which the dragon will inevitably get stronger muscles, a effect that is both permanent and cumulative. In other uses, the plant can be used for cleaning or can be brewed with different fruits to create fragrant yet flavorful teas. It can even be brewed with wish whisper buds to produce a drink that purges toxins from the body.

It is often found growing near active hot springs, geysers or volcanos but care must be taken as when it blooms, the plant's cleansing effect becomes so potent that it acts as a irritant to exposed skin. They bloom during mid-summer during hot days but can wilt if it gets too cold.

## Important things for a Dragonsage to know

### The importance of dragon arena equipment and of training your dragon

A dragonsage is expected to provide for their dragon in their care so that they are kept healthy and that means that they must regularly train so that when they must be let go, they will be able to fend for themselves out in the wild and breed future generations... a dragon that is not trained will grow lazy, unmotivated and will gain much more weight, resulting in them becoming easy prey in their later life. Equally, a dragonsage must take care not to overwork their dragon as this will cause long lasting damage that hinders their chances of survival. A dragonsage is expected to provide the following equipment:

1. A TDA approved weapon (these weapons will be set into size categories to fit the stages of a dragon's life so that they can always train with the appropriate weights for combat. Use of weapons too heavy for a dragon can cause long term harm by muscle tearing and it is frowned upon to keep a larger dragon using smaller weapons as this hinders their training development. Care must be taken not to be swindled or tricked by 'bargain' cheap weapons as these may be fake and dangerous to you and to your dragon).
2. A TDA approved reflector (Similarly to the weapons, these will be set into size categories appropriate for stages of a dragon's life. One key thing to remember so as to avoid being tricked by swindlers is that a reflector is made to reflect magic or a dragon's breath a certain amount of times and then outright nullify magic or a dragon's breath until the energy safely discharges. If the shield is too lightweight and/or shows damage from a spell or dragon's breath then it is a fake. A additional note is that you should never try to forcefully discharge the energy from a reflector as it will expose you to a sudden burst of all magic still stored in the reflector that will most certainly cause critical harm to you or your dragon).
3. A TDA approved collar and/or braces. These are NOT for slavery usage but instead are made to denote the dragon's sage and/or protective guardian so that should they be stolen (which sadly due to the popularity of illegal dragon tournaments is a potential risk to any dragonsage) or become lost, any TDA or TDC official may help in returning the dragon to it's rightful owner or if the dragon's sage and/or guardian is killed, who is next of kin to look after the dragon. It is common for the collar to have marks added to the collar and/or braces to show which arenas they have taken part in.

It is advised that a dragonsage trains with their dragon for at a minimum 3 hours each day and no greater than 15. The TDA will be able to provide further training equipment, medical care and facilities should it be required for any dragonsage.

### Common dragon training practices

There are multiple ways to effectively train your dragon but you will find most training regimes that are out there copy many kinds of training a adventurer would undertake at any guild... but which training is right for your dragon? A dragon will need to practice multiple aspects but they do not need to all be done in one day and one of the most effective ways is a sparring practice. The TDA provide a special 'shadow battle' arena where a magical illusion of your dragon is conjured to fight your dragon as if it was a real battle but with no danger of lasting harm to your dragon and it is possible to buy a mirage gem for the same training in your own home area if you have enough space (but I cannot stress this enough, buy it only from a OFFICIAL at the TDA otherwise you may run the risk of something that can hurt your dragon). You can also help your dragon by doing physical or mental exercises with it, or helping it practice it's breath attack by means like target shooting. The most important part of this however is you should keep it fun for your dragon so try to make it more of a thing you both do and can enjoy together, rather than just something it has to do because you want it to.

## A final important rule for Dragonsages

A dragon is not just a slave or a common pet, it will be a lifelong companion for you and likely many generations of your family so please do remember to take good care of them... they are sentient like you or I so give them the respect and kindness they deserve. If they do something good or make a accomplishment, you should reward them! If they've been bad, don't just brutally beat them but rather explain to them what they did wrong and try to help them learn so they know better for next time... and if your dragon is hurting, sick or sad, don't abandon them or leave them to suffer... you should show them that they are loved and their value is as a part of your family, not just the value of what money they earn.

These dragons are part of your legacy now as much as any son or daughter you may have in the future... and likely part of their legacy and their children's legacy too. Perhaps one day, when your dragon has children out in the wild, they will tell their stories of the great dragonsages who helped them grow to be who they are today and set a example for the next generation.