Common Flying Drake

The somewhat unimaginatively named common flying drake is the most common example of the flying drakes. These drakes have their front legs repurposed into a pair of large, bat-like wings that allow them to fly and grant them significant agility in the air. They have a slighter, more fragile build than the ground drakes, but are more robust than birds. Their flight is magical in nature, as they would otherwise be too heavy to take off the ground, even with their large wings.

Biology and Habitat

The common flying drake has a dark brown coloration, and very good eyesight that works both during the day and the night. They have a fire breath weapon, and are highly reliant on it – if it doesn’t work on their target, they won’t bother trying to attack it with anything else and will simply break off the attack and run. They do have a powerful bite that they use to defend themselves if cornered on the ground, but this is a weapon of last resort.

The common flying drake is the most widespread species of flying drake, and lives on all known continents. They are fairly solitary by drake standards, living in bonded male-female pairs that defend their territory from all rivals. They don’t like to be around other members of their kind, and will fight constantly if multiple of them are placed close together.

Interaction with Humans

They are pure meat-eaters, and are often at odds with humans due to their fondness for targeting livestock. Due to the magical nature of their flight, they can pick up loads that most birds would struggle with, allowing them to carry off things like young cows and goats. They are smart enough to realize that lighting a house on fire will distract humans, and they like to force animals to flee out of their shelters into the open where they can be picked off.

Despite their abysmal reputation among humans, flying drakes are not endangered. Their keen eyesight and intelligence allow them to spot dangers from afar. They usually nest in the mountains, hard to approach by human hunting parties, and are fairly prolific breeders.

Flying drakes can be forced into servitude with magic, but have never been effectively domesticated. Ulquaan Ibasa has been known to employ dominated flying drakes in their armies. They are not raised in captivity; instead, they are captured in the wild while young and subdued into obedience through magic and beatings. They are used in a relatively suicidal fashion, as older drakes become progressively unmanageable and expensive to feed.