The first in a series of dragon guide books that goes deeper into the know information about the dragons of Calluncia. Published in the year 1958 D.E. (Dragonotic Era) this book is considerably old, however is the only guide about dragons.
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The Black Sword dragon is referred to as a Shadowblade. Reason for such a title has yet to be discovered, however it is theorize that the "Shadow" part originates from it's dark colored body that enables it to hide in the shadows of its mountainous home. It is a relative of the Ridgeback, and has much of the same proportions as it's cousin. However it has larger forelegs than that of the Ridgeback, they lack a ridge of spines and instead have a single row of flat spines that resemble the end of a longsword running down their back, they have smaller, straighter horns, and they have a sharper, spike-like tallon on their inner hind feet which is fairly large compared to the Ridgeback's spurs. Also, they have real horns on their snouts which point forwards, but are only as long as the dragon's fangs. Shadowblades have adapted to the dark, night time mountain landscape so well that they are barely patches in the sky covering the light of the stars. So few people take notice of such an insignificant change, and many sightings tend to be dying dragons or the more common Falseblade dragon. These dragons tend to move from cave to cave, never staying in one cave too long nor going back to the same one... supposedly.
There are very little differences in the different dragon colorations of this breed. Shadowblades tend to be an ashy color to a dark grey or even jet black. This helps them hide in caves and the shadowy nights in their mountain habitat. Their claws, fangs, and small spines (tiny little hedgehog quills under the sides of their large "blades") are a white color that "smudges" with age. Their eggs are a smudged dark grey with black speckles.
AShadowblade can live as long, maybe even longer than, its cousins. Discarded egg shells within abandoned cave nests show that the eggs incubate for three months as well, and fallen baby teeth show that they leave the caves around two years of age. The raising capabilities and habits are guessed upon and assumed to be like that of the Iceblades. And like many of its cousins, are fully grown at the age of two. One thing is for certain though, Shadowblades live in pairs.
As mysterious as its nature, the Shadowblade rut has been documented to occur around summer, but the brooding season in early winter. Many dragon mages hypothesize that the "rut" is more of a time when the opposite gender comes together to find mates, not to actually reproduce yet. Mass sightings have only occurred deep in the mountains and only documented by lost travelers. One such traveler, a famous migratory dragon mage, came across one of these "rutting" spots and created a poem about what he saw.
-"As the sun kissed the mountain's lips, and the pale moon rose full and bright, the stars sweeping the purple-black canopy illuminating it with the twinkling lights of the night, The dragons fell. From hidden grottos on frosted peaks, barely kissed by summer's breeze, they fell in rippling seas, to their deaths in the crypts down below.
but to their deaths they not fall, for those who held their wings the longest, skyrocketed the farthest, High into the starry night. They blanketed the darkening sky in a cloud of grey and black, much like a dark thunderhead, and flashes of blue flames they send, Dancing, enchanting, sapphire flames. They plunged again in the clouds of blue and black, soaring back up, no longer in a spreaded mass, but twain in two flying fast. And the ritual continued, the dance of fire, death, and love. Only as the moon slid behind the mountain's hips, and the rising sun's bright curtain covered the star's glows, dimming their lights, did the dragons flew down from their heights,
To hidden chambers with their lovers, to forever share one and another." -The Wandering Wing
Shadowblades, as stated in the poem, are able to shoot blue flames from their maws and are able to brew their flames even in the cold mountain nights. Other than being great subjects for poetry, they are highly secretive creatures who rarely share any part of their lives. And such their scarcity and uniqueness, many dragon mages make it their life's goals just to discover more of their habits.
Other tips for this breed is... few. It has been noted however that the majority of the prey that's taken to their caves are the mountain goats the roam the slopes. Bone evidence shows the majority being kids. (goat babies.) If you discover this creature, please report it to the nearest dragon mage possible and in full detail.
