Dazzling Dragon

* Juvenile
* Baby
* Egg

File:Juvenile.png

*One starry eve, astronomancer Noel dePlante was gazing up through his telescope when he saw something in the sky that was so bright, he was temporarily blinded and had to look away. Compelled to discover what space sight could be so bright, Noel magicked up a way to dim dazzle shining through his telescope. And so was the first observation of the **Dazzling Dragon** since Vinturfjordian legend, flying through the sky with it's signature glow as if one with the stars.*
    —Nogard's description of the **dazzling dragon** in The Book of Dragons
The **Dazzling Dragon** is an epic dragon of the Ornamental element.

## Appearance

The Dazzling Dragon is described to be one of the most elegant dragons out there. As an amphithere, it has no legs, but it compensates in its sheer beauty. Its entire body is covered in ornate, elongated scales, a crest adorning its head. Similar to a Paper Dragon, it can compact its wings in flight, this the form it is most often observed in. When fully opened, however, the wings fan out in a display of brilliant golden light, virtually turning the dragon into a star.

## Abilities

### Weapons

From appearance alone, the Dazzling Dragon more often than not summons authority over other species of dragons, and commands great respect from magicfolk. In INE if its famous displays, unfurl its wings to release a brilliant illuminance, able to physically push back and/or permanently blind any beings unfortunate enogh to stand too close.

### Defenses

Despite appearing ornate and delicately beautiful, the Dazzling Dragon has remarkably tough scales that allow it to resist many physical attacks. It can also flare out in a startling intimidation display, and coupled with its glaring brightness, can easily startle away dragons of fainter heart.

### Other Abilities

This dragon lives in very high altitudes (from the upper troposphere to the upper exosphere), and therefore has a high tolerance to cold and low oxygen levels. It occasionally travels outside the exosphere into space on special occasions, especially when it wants to display its brilliance at a safe distance.

### Breath Weapon

Dazzling Dragons unleashes shards of glittering light that can cut and pierce, similar to breathing knives.

### Weaknesses

It can be overwhelmed with too much darkness, and can be severely weakened by beings who possess Dark Magic (Erebomancy). If a dragon has a hard enough bite, it can crush the Dazzling Dragon's 'shell' of scales.

## Habitat

### Regions

Dazzling Dragons lives from the highest mountain peaks to near space, but each year near Christmas, it may choose to descend into Vinturfjord and stay there for a limited period of time, typically until the first leaves start growing back on the trees.

### Preferred Home

Desiring to simulate the winter spirit it is so attracted to year-round, the Ornamental Habitat provides perfect conditions for the Dazzling Dragon.

### Sheltering/Nesting

Dazzling Dragon eggs do not need external incubating, and are buried in the snow. They hatch during the first melting frosts.

## Diet

The Dazzling Dragon consumes light directly through its scales, which increases its brightness and vitality. However, it can also ingest physical foods- star pods being its absolute favourite.

## Lifestyle

### Behavior and Personality

This dragon often spends time looking for new mountains to reside in. It loves the purity of fresh snow and the cold, and seeks the coldest, most aesthetically pleasing places. It does this day-in, day-out for the whole year without another purpose.

### Social Order

By nature, the Dazzling Dragon is solitary. It does enjoy company when it has it, especially around wintertime, but it doesn't have an innate need for socialisation. This is due to the fact that the Dazzling Dragon is scattered far and few, and always being alone would be a detriment to its mental health.

### Relationship to Wizards

Even from history records going back hundreds of years, the Dazzling Dragons have adored magicfolk's holiday festivities. They love displaying for witches and wizards, and aren't shy to approach them. Sometimes, the Dazzling Dragon will bring a gift for a person they particularly like, and in Vinturfjord this is considered a sign of good luck. DDLA has ranked them as 1.

## Life Cycle

### Mating

In winter is when many Dazzling Dragons congregate in Vinturfjord, and in doing so kickstart an instinctive formation. The plurality of dragons, anywhere from eight to a hundred, will form a circle and fan out their wings in unison, creating a condensed core of light magic at the centre of this formation.This then explodes outwards, the light core becoming a plurality of eggs. The Dazzling Dragons then exit this involuntary formation to continue existence.

### Birth

Instincts guide the hatchling into climbing the nearest mountain to develop its magic in safety. Newborns cannot fly, and this first venture asserts the outside world.

### Infancy

As its wings and magic are still developing, the Dazzling Dragon spends the first two or three years of its life burrowing in snow, creating complex networks of tunnels and caverns that, with the individuality of each of these created habitats observed, suggest that it (exclusively to this stage) has sapience.

### Adolescence

Instincts signal to the developing dragon that it is time to start testing its developing wings, and burrows will become increasingly disused. As its light magic develops and it learns to flash a display, constant blinking can be observed from far away. This is the period of a Dazzling's life that it is most likely to be predated on, whether by hungry Snowflake dragons or illicit poachers.

### Adulthood

As an adult, the Dazzling Dragon remains hidden high above the clouds. Occasionally, one may see a beautiful flash of light in the night sky, which is sure to be the Dazzling Dragon.

### Life Span

Vinturfjord legend tells of a dragon with a blue glow instead of a gold one- a tale from 400 years ago. Today, that dragon, nicknamed Clear Sky, still comes around every holiday season. However, the average lifespan of a Dazzling Dragon is anywhere from 100-200 years.

## History

### Discovery

Noel dePlante discovered the Dazzling Dragon during a starry eve when he was gazing up to the skies in his telescope.

### Origin of Name

Due to their blazing light which resembles that of the stars, Noel decided to name them Dazzling Dragons.

## Notable Dragons

* Clear Sky, a Dazzling Dragon with a mutation that makes its scales various shades of blue instead of gold. This dragon proves the longevity of the Dazzling Dragon, as it has been recorded throughout Vinturfjordian history for its notable loyalty in returning.