Ratan

From WFU Wiki

The Ratan are a species of Lesser Dragon commonly found in the southern Dún, and less commonly found throughout the north and the Kvurian Isles.

Physiology

Not much is known about how the Ratan function biologically. What is know is that individuals are usually around 6 feet high, and have a wing span of 20 feet. Tail to nose, they can be 20 feet long. They have beautiful black overlapping scales.

Contrary to popular belief, Ratan are virtually flightless, unlike many of their dragon cousins. It is believed that the Ratan's wings are used to enable gliding in their mountain habitats. For this reason, wings have become significantly smaller in the Khorrum subspecies.

Myths and Legends

In Dramer legends, Kutsal was the original Ratan. He was an ancient, immortal, shapeshifting dragon, who fell in love with Dray, a beautiful elven woman. Kutsal took on the form of the original Dramer, and taught Dray, the most beautiful of any elf who had ever lived, how to change her form. But as hard as she tried, she could not turn into a dragon. Kutsal, taking pity on her, granted her immortality in the hopes that she would eventually learn how to, and left. Dray, grieve-stricken, burned herself alive, and from her ashes emerged the first Dramer.

The Ratan are therefore believed to be extremely intelligent, benevolent, and powerful beings, capable of changing shape at will, and granting immortality to those who they deem worthy. Whether or not such a thing is true is speculation, but it is known that when a Dramer Dragon Warrior shapeshifts, he transforms into the form of a Ratan.

Habitat

The Ratan are commonly found in the rocky mountains and foothills of the southern Dún. Their habitat extends to the Kvurian Isles, where they are most often found in the volcanic mountain ranges. Several subspecies of Ratan have taken to living in the plains of Khorrum and Usareik, where they spend the majority of their time in the open, as opposed to their mountain dwelling relatives, who make their homes in caves and other such areas.

Society

Ratan tend to live in close-knit prides, occupying territories covering hundreds of square miles. Ratan prides typically consist of one adult male and 5-10 females. Young Ratan males live a solitary lifestyle in the mountains, where they wait to challenge others for ownership of a pride. Ratan are known to live in caves, but in truth, this is not the case. Ratan typically live in the area around the cave mouth, but are known to create small tunnel networks beneath the earth, normally where eggs are layed.