Fiction:The Firmament/Sand Drake

Sand drakes are one of the many species of drake, found across the Sea of Sand of Dryadala. These predators prefer to hide within the sands and attack from below, but are equally able to fight head-on when needed.

Appearance
Sand drakes, like others of their degenerate kind, are four-limbed lesser dragons. They have yellow and brown-coloured scales, often similar to the sand and soil of whatever region they live in order to aid in their camouflage. Two pairs of curved horns grow from the sides of their heads, and their wing joints possess noticeable curved claws which allow them to dig and burrow. The average adult sand drake is five meters long from snout the tail tip and weight two hundred kilograms.

Ecology
Sand drakes are ambush predators, spending much of their time hidden under the sands waiting for unsuspected prey to accidentally get in range of their powerful bite. When not feeding, these creatures take flight in order to look for better hunting grounds or merely rest in the sands, exposed to the heat of the sun.

Society
Sand drakes are solitary creatures, only coming together during the fall season to mate. When two of their kind meet outside of the mating season, they generally ignore one another. They consider other races beneath their notice, seeing them as little more than food. The crocodilians of the Snake's River in Merovaren are particularly fond of sand drake scales for the purposes of craftsmanship, and they also consider their meat a delicacy.

Abilities
Adapted to living in arid deserts, sand drakes are extremely resistant to hot temperatures and can spend months without drinking anything; a well-fed sand drake can gain all their sustenance from their food and does not even require water. If confronted in melee, they make deadly use of their powerful bite and claws which allow them to effortlessly dig through sand in order to attack their enemies from below. Their breath weapon takes the form of a jet of sand which lacerates flesh. They are not particularly tough-scaled for drakes, but poor quality weapons will generally bounce off harmlessly from their hides.