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(As a precaution, it is recommended that this report be read with an open mind. Please do not let emotions interfere with understanding.)

Prologue: A Brief Overview of History

A long time ago, the world was predominantly magic in nature. It may seem to be a strange concept to modern folks, but at the time, the magical community was very widespread among humans. Instead of going to another dimension or acting in secrecy, inhabitants of the community could conduct their business within view of humans and be regarded as normal. Humans respected them and tried not to get involved in their affairs, using their own tools to advance their own society. In short, magic and technology were like two sides of the same coin, coexisting peacefully and barely disturbing each other. At some point, however, that changed. Certain nameless individuals from both the magic and human worlds did things that would forever upset the balance and force the magical community into a secret existence.

On the human side, there were people who grew paranoid of all the creatures and their abilities. As the planet changed, they began viewing them as unnatural and even monstrous. To their credit, there are some magical entities that require an irreplaceable component or two from the body of a human, so this view is not unwarranted. All humans are capable of using magic and are important to the growth of some magical beings, but few possess the aptitude needed to do so, and even so, their magic is often inferior and underwhelming without a medium. This knowledge fueled envy in several humans and inspired a desire to change the world around them without the help of magic. As a result, technology advanced in a bid to do the same things a simple spell could. Over time, humankind came to rely on the machines and vehicles they built rather than the creatures and miracles that surrounded them, crippling their relationship with magic for generations to come.

The feeling of the magical world being seen as unnatural continued to grow as they distanced themselves from anything that did not come from them or contained significant magic properties. Part of what fueled this came from certain denizens of the magical world getting a bit too carried away with their talents, believing themselves able to do whatever they wanted to whomever, and humankind was their primary target due to being an opponent that could not easily fight back. In an attempt to further this sudden xenophobia, a group of humans pooled together their resources and began systematically wiping out as much magic as they could get their hands on, whether it was alive or not. They became known as the Huntsclan. Exploiting as many weaknesses as they could, using their advancing technology, and working in secret, their actions went largely unopposed, with dragons being one of the few things able to stop them at nearly every turn.

On the magical side, there were people who began to see humankind as nothing more than dead weight at worst and a nuisance at best. To them, humans were either a good meal or a bad toy. These people took great advantage of the fact that humans were effectively powerless against them. This started to grow beyond necessary predation and was only slowed down as humankind crafted tools to do what it could not. While this advancement inspired curiosity and uncertainty in most magical creatures, the few that saw their prey take steps to protect themselves were, of course, none too pleased.

The malicious magical entities, knowing they would have to try harder to get to their targets, raised public outcry against the structures that began showing up all over the world. They referred to the humans' creations as attempts to take over the world. In a sense, they would turn out to be correct, but at the time, this had the desired effect of slightly increasing their numbers. Few suspected that their true intention was not suppression of humankind but outright enslavement. Having an idea as to what was really going on, dragons stepped in to stop them whenever possible.

The conflict between magic and technology continued to the point where, eventually, few members could remember why they were fighting. The magical community held a summit and concluded it would be best to exist in secret, for better or worse. Older generations' stories about close encounters of the other kind were disregarded by the newer generations and faded into history. Though many of these stories were later logged in tomes, they were regarded with emphasis on them not being real, and the new world learned to survive purely on technology.

Chapter 1: Basic Dragon Duties

Dragons, being among the strongest magical creatures in existence, are widely regarded as guardians of the magical world. They have many abilities that enable them to take on almost any threat, are nearly invincible, and, with the right training, will be ready for any fight. As such, anyone fighting a dragon would be seen as brave or foolish, if not suicidal, making them ideal for keeping the peace. Dragons can inhabit both worlds, and cannot allow the two to meet in order to maintain balance. In these modern times, a meeting of the two worlds will likely lead to pandemonium, but this is not a certainty due to most of humankind refusing to trust their first glance at all things magic.

All dragons are assigned a territory. This territory is their place of birth. The first dragon born in the territory is typically deemed the leader of all other dragons that will be born there and has authority over them. Exceptions can be made if there is a lack of sufficiently skilled dragons within it, and a dragon from another territory can be brought in as a mentor to get things started.

Along with territory, every upcoming dragon will be assigned a mentor. This mentor is always a dragon (of course) and is usually not directly related to their student. The mentor's role is to train their student such that they can perform their duties with minimal failures. Mentors will be evaluated by the Dragon Council from time to time, and if the performance of their student does not meet their expectations, the student may be assigned a new mentor.

All dragons answer to the Dragon Council, located on the Isle of Draco. This elite group consisting of approximately five members oversees all things dragon along with the magical community. As the overseers, they have the ability to remove dragon chi from a dragon, locking them in human form and preventing their powers from being used. If said dragon was the leader of a territory, their role will be passed to whoever is next in line. This form of suspension is dealt to individuals deemed unfit for duty. How long this penalty lasts depends on the severity of the infraction.

The previously mentioned Isle of Draco is, as the name indicates, a place made by dragons, for dragons. While there are other magical creatures here, the population primarily consists of dragons from around the world (and perhaps beyond). There are many ways to get to the island, all of them subtle. Fortunately, the magical world is excellent at being quiet and not having a crisis on a daily basis. Most of the time, several dragons can afford to be on the island and socialize with each other. Given that many of them may be young and inexperienced, the island provides an opportunity to become more familiar with their draconic traits, especially during puberty.

Chapter 2: Puberty

For most organisms, puberty is an awkward stage of life in which the body rapidly matures and gets ready for adulthood. This leads to such things as voice changes and an increase in hormones that cause more changes. Even dragons are not safe from the awkwardness of puberty, and females simply go through it faster than males. Several things will happen to a dragon's body, and while they won't do any social favors, they all mean good physical things for the dragon that endures them. Keep in mind that not everyone will go through the same phases, but it is still important to be aware of the unavoidable ones.

One of the first things to happen involves breath. A dragon's breath will become extremely unpleasant, if not dangerous, to anyone nearby. They can corrode metal with naught but a sigh. On the positive side, this means the elemental breath abilities are maturing, and the dragon will be able to sustain their element much longer and manipulate it however they see fit. Unfortunately, this condition is difficult to suppress, and a certain breath freshener is needed if the dragon wants to keep up social connections. The freshener must match whatever element the dragon breathes, or nothing will change.

Beginning at some point during puberty, dragons will occasionally shed their scales. This process is known as molting, and is effectively an extreme breakout of acne. Not only will they take on a dull appearance, their scales will become loose. Their human form is not spared, developing wrinkly and saggy skin that resembles lumpy soup. Fortunately, this grotesque appearance has a very short duration of approximately 24 hours. The bad news is that this will continue to happen after puberty stops. On the plus side, the scales and claws left behind are still valuable alchemy ingredients, and the new scales and claws are stronger than before.

The changes brought on by dragon puberty are not purely physical. Mood swings will occur as well. Given the amount of power a dragon has, mood swings can be very volatile or a welcome change for everyone involved. What happens generally varies between dragons, though there are some things that most will experience. For example, they may develop a sudden craving for junk food, and may try to hoard objects they deem valuable, playing to the stereotype seen in several stories. Dragons are not territorial or reclusive by nature, but may become so during puberty, especially when romance is involved.

Thanks to several important parties, some of the more serious threats to the magical world have been neutralized, making venting the results of puberty safer. However, care still must be taken to avoid exposure, as there are several people interested in bringing the worlds together and will search for any and all traces. Any messes that are made must be removed before the wrong party comes across it.

Chapter 3: Basic Physiology of a Dragon

All dragons share a basic physiology. Naturally, their size will increase with age. They are all capable of flight, whether they have wings or not, and know few aerial rivals. Winged varieties can still stall if they ascend too quickly, but are typically faster than their non-winged counterparts. Their claws and high strength work in tandem to overpower nearly all obstacles in their way, and their scales and/or fur can absorb a decent amount of physical trauma. Resourcefulness comes naturally to them. Their teeth are incredibly sharp and possess vast magic power. Lastly, their thick tail can extend in length and, with enough practice, grab anything.

Dragons also share similar traits when it comes to magic. They bear several abilities that can make them much more dangerous, and two examples will be described here. By focusing their chi, they can shapeshift into another person, taking on their physical identity. This can be used for reconnaissance or as a distraction. Dragons can also make clones of themselves to be in multiple places at once. This process takes a portion of their overall power, and too many clones will lead to exhaustion.

A maturing dragon can use amplifiers and potions to use these abilities. These items are like training wheels. While these are in effect, a dragon may not be able to use their other powers, but the full potential of the selected ability will be theirs until the item wears off. With enough experience, a dragon will be able to shapeshift, create clones, and use other techniques without needing a boost. Creative use of might and magic can win many battles.

Even dragons, for all their physical strength and magical properties, are not invincible. As hard as it may be to believe, they have weaknesses just like everything else. For starters, they tend to be brash and arrogant. Most foes will be underestimated by them, and while they can certainly prove it, there will always be that one enemy who exploits this arrogance and surprises them. While it is always nice to be sure of oneself, overconfidence will complicate an otherwise simple fight.

There is a small area on the left side of a dragon's head that is especially tender. Anything that hits this area will have its damage magnified tenfold. Dragons must take care to not allow a foe to attack them from behind, as it could cost them their life. It may be small, but it should not be ignored, lest one suddenly finds themselves floored. This knowledge is rather obscure to the rest of the magical community.

Some smart opponents, knowing a close-range fight against a dragon is not one many would survive unaided, bring a substance known as sphinx hair to the battle. Sphinx hair is hard to obtain, but even the slightest amount can decrease a dragon's overall effectiveness in battle. In the presence of enough sphinx hair, dragons may be forced to take human form to minimize the damage taken, as ineffective as it would be. In high concentrations, or in its purest form, sphinx hair will bring a dragon to their knees and sap them of all their strength, leaving them at the mercy of their enemy. The Huntsclan were known for using sphinx hair to trap dragons, their main prey, in nets.

Chapter 4: Dragon Presence

It is unknown whether the dragon form or the human form is the true one, but one thing that is true is their ability to exist in both worlds. Dragon powers can skip a generation, so it is suggested the human form is the true one. However, the skipped generations are still carriers, and are still identified as dragons, even if they are locked out of duty. The next generation will be dragons should they decide to promote their appearance. The dragons of today come from the unisons of humans and dragons in ancient times, so it is possible that both forms are true.

This begs the question of how usable dragon chi can be in terms of empowering a dragon. It is possible that it can be activated in dragons without powers, just as it can be confiscated from dragons with their powers. Perhaps dragon powers skip a generation to ensure secrecy?

Bearing all of this in mind, dragons have the potential to be just about anywhere. Their duty is to guard the magical world and prevent it from being rediscovered by the human world, and they have several ways to do so. Of course, they are not without foes, and they have fallen in battle before. They are not allowed to disclose their double life to anyone, but just as there are people out there who seek to expose them, there are people who can keep a secret. If you can keep secrets, you just may earn a powerful friend and ally one day.