Ijsdrakon

In the aftermath of this explosion, or avalanche, as I later confirmed from the observations back at camp, I thought I saw a great beast or monster passing beneath the sky. One might call it a dragon, yet how unlike any of our childhood illustrations! She stepped delicately, in profound silence, surrounded as it seemed by curtains of light.

Some unknown time later I sat up, dislodging a light fall of snow from my face and clothing, and only then realised I had been sleeping.

J____ pronounces me to be in sound health, fortunate indeed to escape frostbite.

--Unnamed Meizur polar explorer

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ijsdrakon, n (Borean), pron. ICE-dra-konn: ice dragon, lit. great lizard of ice, ultimately from dr'-k-n, vigilant
ijsdraken, adj, pron. ice-DRAH-khn: of an ice dragon, from or spoken by an ice dragon

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Ijsdrakons are mythical.

If they were real, they would be gigantic white dinosaurs or dragons, wingless, the largest reptilian (presumably) species on Shade, found at its poles in conditions of more extreme cold than even Boreans and Nordies can tolerate.

But they are not, because there are self-evidently no dragons on Shade.

If they were real, they would be sapient, have magic systems wholly unlike those used by Shaded mammals, and possess a written language resembling what one might call runes or glyphs - among other more esoteric methods of communication and debate.

They aren't real. But you wouldn't have read this far if you believed that.

Appearance

Four-legged, wingless. 1.5 times the size of a fire engine at minimum (maximum size not known). For build and shape, see the pictures linked below.

Head large and blunt. Well-defended eyes with good field of vision. The eyes are reflective and opalescent.

They move fluidly and silently when they choose. Most do not have visible condensation in their breath.

External links

Back and tail spikes similar to armadillo lizard: [curlylizard] [curlylizzy] (not [these])

• [Build ref]
• [Build ref with back-plates and spines very close to what their writer has in mind] (NB ijsdrakons are wingless)
• [Another build ref] (NB ijsdrakons are wingless)
• [Possible head ref]
• [And this is cool.]

Temperament

Some bipeds keep ant and bee swarms to study them. Ijsdrakons do not keep bipeds.