Question about dragons etc.

[HappyHaunt]

Now I know dragons are very long-lived, but are they immortal... as in, won't die until killed?

Also are wyverns (and various other dragon-like creatures) also as long-lived as dragons? There seems to a whole different lot of varying species of scalekin living together; such as wyverns/vouivre.

[Mysterysword]

A dragon's power and vitality is centered in its eyes. As long as those aren't damaged or removed, the dragon can pretty much regenerate from any wound, and they don't die of old age. As seen with Hraesy and Niddy, it seems that they can also live off an eye borrowed from another dragon.

At least this answers the question of why there's a neverending supply of dragon skins to farm, though the idea of knocking out a dragon, skinning it, and then leaving it to regenerate before repeating the process ad infinitum sure brings a whole new level of disturbing to the idea of "farming".

[Kyran-Varlsen]

A dragon's power and vitality is centered in its eyes. As long as those aren't damaged or removed, the dragon can pretty much regenerate from any wound, and they don't die of old age. As seen with Hraesy and Niddy, it seems that they can also live off an eye borrowed from another dragon.

At least this answers the question of why there's a neverending supply of dragon skins to farm, though the idea of knocking out a dragon, skinning it, and then leaving it to regenerate before repeating the process ad infinitum sure brings a whole new level of disturbing to the idea of "farming".

As to the first point, I believe this only applies top the elder dragons sired by midgardsormr and not their own offspring. this is why an advernturer that eat's the eye of a "normal" dragon is unlikely to benefit in the way that the origional KNights 12 under King Thoradin did when they ate Ratatoskr'd eyes. As for the original question, normal dragons do not seem to age - Vidofnir is also quite long-lived and refers to kith races as "mortals."

As for the latter point raised by Mystery, the never-ending supply of wyverns and lesser dragons is 1) Nidhogg's breed a Horde Policy & 2) Transformed Heretics who turn into Lesser Dragons when they are bequeathed dragon's blood. Thus while Nidhogg's brood was simultaneously reproducing, their ranks were being bolstered by lesser dragons that were formerly heretics.

To my mind, they never did explain the Heretics very well. If their motivation was to end the Dragonsong War then why at times side with Nidhogg? What about their cause inspired such devotion or hatred of the Ishgardian Theocracy? They did lay everything out but I always felt there was a final piece to the puzzle they never bothered with.

[Belhi]

Dragons physical form is evolves and drastically changes as it ages depending on its leanings. Wyverns are infact dragons as are Falak (the wingless flying serpents), Vouivre, and even the big Dragon/Turtles we see like the second boss of Stone Vigil HM. They all start of as the little dragons we see but as they age can undergo major change.

I am not sure about age though I do remember them saying that given time to age to the same age as the Firstbrood a dragon born today would be able to reach the same level of power.

[Belhi]

A dragon's Aetheric power is mainly determined by its age. As a Dragon ages, Aether gather's in its eyes, making it more powerful. For young dragons the amount of Aether isn't enough for it to be a big deal. By the time your getting to the older dragons though you have some real power there. Theoretically if they lived long enough a dragon born today could reach the power of the Firstbrood but it would take thousands of years.

Technically the mutated Heretics aren't dragons, even though they share physical traits due to the source of their mutation. I found the Heretics made sense. Ishgard was a very authoritarian theocrasy and it wouldn't be hard for those learning the truth of their history, particularly if they were part of the oppressed or disenfranchised of Ishgard, to see Nidhogg as the good guy. Iceheart even assumed he was. That is why she let the horde in. She though his horde would go straight for the Theocrasy but instead it turned on the poor of the Brume. Of course there seems to have been some heretics which were just interested in power as well. However its worth noting that almost every heretic we fight believes they are fighting on the side of righteousness, calling us out on serving a corrupt and lying institution, even in Leve quests.

[SicariusSeven]

It's not stated but I think it's implied to be the whole 'immortal' until killed. I mean they can apparently get sick or die from their injuries. I don't remember it saying in game that they just die of old age. I honestly think they just keep getting bigger and bigger as they grow older.

[Belhi]

The Lorebook says 'Nigh Immortal' so extremely long lived to the point of being so. They grow more powerful as they age but there size is greatly determined by their evolutionary path. A younger dragon can be physically much larger than an older one but substantially less powerful.

[PArcher]

The Lorebook says 'Nigh Immortal' so extremely long lived to the point of being so. They grow more powerful as they age but there size is greatly determined by their evolutionary path. A younger dragon can be physically much larger than an older one but substantially less powerful.

Wasn't there a quest in Anyx Trine about a dragon going to Mourn to die?

[Grayve]

Wasn't there a quest in Anyx Trine about a dragon going to Mourn to die?

A dragon was wounded in combat, and went to sleep until his wounds healed. His younger brother asked us for help, and we made medicine. It seems they dont really have medical knowledge, perhaps because they don't need it. It's stated that should a dragon live long enough, they could grow as powerful as the big seven, but none have lived that long yet, afaik.

[LineageRazor]

To my mind, they never did explain the Heretics very well. If their motivation was to end the Dragonsong War then why at times side with Nidhogg? What about their cause inspired such devotion or hatred of the Ishgardian Theocracy? They did lay everything out but I always felt there was a final piece to the puzzle they never bothered with.

The way I saw it, the Heretics believed that the only way to ensure a lasting peace was for one side to defeat the other. The question remains, then, as to which side is deserving of victory. Knowing the true history of the war with the dragons, the Heretics would know that Ishgard was DECIDEDLY in the wrong - King Thordan committed a HORRIFIC crime against the dragons, and then his people hid the fact and blamed the dragons for the resulting conflict. So, the Heretics wanted the dragons to win the war, even if it meant wiping out Ishgard.

What the Heretics did not understand is that Nidhogg did not WANT to win the war. He wanted to torture Ishgard indefinitely. This was the awful truth that Ysayle began to discover when the dragons savaged the Brume, and learned decisively during our travels with her.

Wasn't there a quest in Anyx Trine about a dragon going to Mourn to die?

I still don't think that dragons die of old age - but they do die of other causes that may take a long time to complete, such as disease or injury. Dragons that are seriously ill or grievously injured come to Mourn. The lucky among them manage to recover - but for those that do not, they are now conveniently located in what serves as the dragons' graveyard.