Changes: Dragon

Latest revision as of 07:43, 18 March 2024

“Dragons are not monsters. They are creatures of wonder and magic.”
— Gaius to Merlin^[src]

Dragons are powerful creatures of magic that inhabit the land of Albion. They were hunted nearly to extinction during the Great Purge alongside their spiritual brothers the Dragonlords.

History

Daobeth 4 — The citadel of Daobeth was destroyed by dragons.

At some point in their history, dragons became spiritually connected to the Dragonlords, men who possessed the ability to talk to and command them, eventually becoming so closely bonded that dragons were unable to hatch from their eggs until a Dragonlord summoned them into the world (The Last Dragonlord, Aithusa).

Dragons were also closely allied with trolls (Beauty and the Beast).

Dragons were responsible for destroying the kingdom of Daobeth, which had been the powerful realm in the Five Kingdoms for hundreds of years (The Darkest Hour).

The dragons were hunted nearly to extinction by Uther Pendragon during the Great Purge. When only the Great Dragon remained, Uther convinced the Dragonlord Balinor to call him to Camelot so that he could make peace with him. However, Uther betrayed Balinor and imprisoned Kilgharrah in a cavern beneath the citadel. He then had Dragonlords rounded up and slaughtered, as he considered their abilities to be too close to magic (The Last Dragonlord).

Kilgharrah was imprisoned for roughly twenty years before he was finally freed by Balinor's son Merlin. Seeking revenge for the wrong done to him and his kind, Kilgharrah attempted to raze Camelot to the ground, but was eventually stopped by Merlin, who had inherited his father's powers and used them to order Kilgharrah away from Camelot (The Last Dragonlord).

Aithus-0 — Aithusa, newly hatched from its egg.

Roughly three years later, Merlin rescued the last remaining dragon egg from the Tomb of Ashkanar, where it had been hidden four hundred years previous. He used his Dragonlord powers to summon the dragon from its egg by naming the hatchling Aithusa (Aithusa).

Though Kilgharrah and Aithusa are the only remaining dragons in Albion, Wyverns, distant relatives of dragons, are still in existence. They differ from dragons in that they are only slightly larger than humans, and also appear to be more animalistic in nature. They are known to live in the Perilous Lands and the Isle of the Blessed (The Eye of the Phoenix, The Darkest Hour).

Appearance

Merlin213 1635 — Dragons were significantly larger than humans.

Dragons are reptilian in appearance with scales, four legs, long tails, and large, leathery wings. Their scales and eyes came in a variety of colors, as Kilgharrah had brown scales and gold eyes while Aithusa had white scales and pale blue eyes (The Dragon's Call, Aithusa).

Adult dragons were significantly larger than humans with dense bones and powerful builds. Newborns had thinner bone structures and were about the same size as a cat. They seemed to grow relatively quickly, however, and by their third year are roughly the same size as a Wyvern (The Dragon's Call, Aithusa, Arthur's Bane).

Known Dragons

Dragon	Status	Trivia	Photo
Kilgharrah	Alive	The Great Dragon Ally of Merlin Former enemy of Camelot
Aithusa	Alive	The Light of the Sun Kilgharrah's ward Ally of Morgana Pendragon

Abilities

“Do not imagine that your petty magic can harm me!”
— Kilgharrah to Merlin^[src]

Kilgharrah-6 — Kilgharrah flies over Camelot.

Dragons possessed considerable knowledge and powerful magic. They were impervious to most weapons, including enchanted ones. Merlin's enchanted spear, for example, was unable to wound Kilgharrah (The Last Dragonlord).

Their main abilities included the power to breathe fire and fly. Though massive in size, dragons were much faster and more graceful than they appeared, and were able to avoid numerous projectiles such as arrows even when they were fired at the same time (The Last Dragonlord).

They also possessed great strength and could easily defeat an army of human Knights with minimal injuries. A single dragon was capable of ravaging a city in a matter of weeks (The Last Dragonlord, The Darkest Hour).

A strike to the heart was capable of killing a dragon, but because few people were aware that their hearts were located on the right side of their chests, this tactic rarely proved effective. Arthur, for example, attempted to thrust a spear into Kilgahrrah's heart, but because he aimed for the left side of the dragon's chest he only succeeded in wounding him (The Last Dragonlord).

In addition to being near-invincible, dragons also had the ability to perform magic. Kilgharrah, for example, was able to use enchantments to heal Merlin of a Serket sting and release him from Morgause's magical chains. They could also telepathically transmit spells into another person's mind (The Tears of Uther Pendragon, The Curse of Cornelius Sigan, The Crystal Cave).

Morgana aithusa — Aithusa healed Morgana's injuries.

Their fiery breath had the power to infuse weapons with magic and give them great power (Excalibur, The Diamond of the Day).

Their breath could also heal someone from injury. Aithusa, for example, healed a dying Morgana, and Kilgharrah helped Merlin heal Morgana of her fatal skull fracture (The Crystal Cave, The Sword in the Stone).

List of Appearances

Series 1: The Dragon's Call; Valiant; The Mark of Nimueh; A Remedy to Cure All Ills; The Beginning of the End; Excalibur; To Kill the King; Le Morte d'Arthur

Series 2: The Curse of Cornelius Sigan; The Nightmare Begins; Beauty and the Beast: Part Two; Sweet Dreams; The Witch's Quickening; The Fires of Idirsholas; The Last Dragonlord

Series 3: The Tears of Uther Pendragon; The Crystal Cave; The Eye of the Phoenix (Mentioned only); Love in the Time of Dragons (Mentioned only); The Sorcerer's Shadow; The Coming of Arthur: Part Two

Series 4: The Darkest Hour: Part One (Mentioned only); The Darkest Hour: Part Two; Aithusa; The Sword in the Stone: Part Two

Series 5: Arthur's Bane; The Kindness of Strangers; The Diamond of the Day

Etymology

Dragon is derived from the Greek word "Drakon", which means "huge serpent".

Trivia

A dragon's heart is located on the right side of its chest (The Last Dragonlord).
According to Kilgharrah, the birth of a white dragon was a very rare occurrence (Aithusa).
Dragons could live for over a thousand years before succumbing to old age (The Kindness of Strangers).

Mythology

Mythical dragon — A Dragon in European folklore.

Dragons are legendary creatures that appear in mythology around the world. In European folklore, they are usually depicted as massive, fire-breathing, reptilian creatures with four legs, large, bat-like wings, and a long prehensile tail. Some have also been depicted with feathered wings, crests, ear frills, manes, spikes running down their spines, or various exotic decorations.

European Dragons can live for hundreds or even thousand of years and come in a variety of colors. They are often portrayed as monsters or villains that a hero must slay, and as such are usually depicted guarding castles or caverns filled with gold and other treasures. However, they have also been portrayed as supportive guides that give the hero wise advice, similar to how Kilgharrah advises Merlin.

Gallery

To view the Dragon gallery, click here.