Age Of Dragons: Reproduction and the Birthing Sickness
Age Of Dragons: Main Page -> Legacies -> Reproduction and the Birthing Sickness
Contents
Background
Draconic Coupling
For dragons, the act of sex is one that has the usual animal qualities of physical gratification and mental elation, but is also tinged with a certain sadness from the curse of the Birthing Sickness.
Male dragons do not have mammalian style external genitalia, instead loosing their sperm from an orifice just in front and below to their tails. Females receive this sperm onto a sponge-like area that is similarly located. This sponge-area will absorb the sperm, and within the female conception will occur. Intercourse occurs front-to-front, and most dragons will have sex while airborne, with grounded intercourse considered tawdry and perverse by most draconic cultures.
During a thirty six month gestationary period the sponge-area will change into an egg-laying tube, and at the time of delivery a small number of eggs will be laid.
Draconic eggs vary in colour, but are always hard-shelled and with the appearance of polished stone. An egg, once laid, contains a neonate hatchling.
The egg will not hatch immediately, but rather will remain closed until exposed to intense heat. Draconic firebreath certainly suffices, though a bonfire or proximity to a strong natural heat source works just as well. Without this heat source, the egg will remain closed indefinitely. It has been known for eggs of over two millennia in age to hatch normally when finally exposed to flame.
The other limiting factor is pneuma - the eggs will not hatch until a sacrifice of pneuma has been made, via the Birthing Sickness.
Fertility
In one sense, it could be considered that Dragons are blessed with great fertility. When two dragons engage in sexual intercourse, conception almost always occurs, and likely a small number of eggs will result from that encounter. Furthermore, for most breeds every egg laid will result in a healthy hatchling.
There is a reason though, why dragons are rare...
The Birthing Sickness
From the moment eggs are laid, both parents will feel a drain on their pneuma, as if their very breath is being pulled from them.
Over a period of time they will begin to sicken, and will grow progressively more short of breath. Physical and mental exertion will grow harder.
Eventually, their bodies will fail, and their remaining pneuma will be invisibly transferred to their as yet unhatched offspring.
As they die, life stirs, and the eggs will be ready to be hatched.
Because of this curse a dragon may only ever reproduce once, and can only ever sire or bear offspring if life is given for life. A dragon will never see his own children, and must rely on appointed guardians to raise his hatchlings.
Rules
The Fertility Check
At the moment of conception, both parents must make a Pneuma check. The lower result of the two rolls is taken, then divided by 6 and rounded down - this is how many eggs will be laid.
If a result of 6 or less is rolled on either side, then conception does not occur. No eggs will be laid, no hatchlings will be born, and neither parent will suffer the birthing sickness.
Birthing Sickness
When the eggs are laid, the birthing sickness begins.
At this stage, each parent will immediately enter senescence, regardless of their age. For each D6 years that pass, they will lose 1 point of pneuma, soma and sophis.
When any sphere rating reaches zero, the dragon will die.
Note that the parents make their D6 rolls separately, so one dragon may outlive the other.
When both parents have died from the birthing sickness, the eggs will be ready to hatch, though they must still be exposed to intense heat.
The birthing sickness cannot be halted. Destroying the eggs does not spare the parents from birthing sickness.
If one or both parents are killed by any other cause than the birthing sickness, then the eggs themselves will be tainted. All the eggs will immediately hatch, but the offspring will not be dragons - instead, foul wyverns will be born. These soulless and evil creatures are examined in more detail in the bestiary chapter.
