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Table of Contents
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- Instructor: Professor Madeleine Franklin
Introduction
Welcome Message
Hey Ya'll!
I'm Madeleine Franklin, professor of Health and Awlyn Nutrition at the St. Laudine's campus. I've been asked to come in and teach ya'll some Health and Awlyn Nutrition along with Biology. This will be my first time teaching Biology, but Wes has offered to assist me with any problems I might encounter. Wes is Professor Wesley Vanderzandt if ya'll hadn't heard of him.
The class starts on the 22nd of September and I will approach the class by giving some information about each of our species on a weekly basis. Ya'll will be asked to have open discussions of the myths of the species. The goal of the class is not to just teach you about the Awlyn, but to teach you as an Awlyn how to understand yourself in preparation for life away from home.
I'm giddy as a hog in a mud bath. I really can't wait to get to know all of ya'll. It will be exiting for all of us to learn our physical limitations and prepare for the scary world full of humans just as scared of us.
Schedule for the next 12 weeks
Hey Ya'll!
I wanted to get a head start on things by coming in and giving ya'll my schedule for us over the next 12 weeks.
There are a few of our species which we will discuss for two weeks while a few others only need discussed over a single week. We will start off by discussing the Draconis Sapiens over week one.
Week 1: Draconis Sapiens
Week 2: Lycanicus I
Week 3: Lycanicus II
Week 4: Angelicus I
Week 5: Angelicus II
Week 6: Djinn
Week 7: Homo Sapiens Sapiens (Humans)
Week 8: Vampyrus I
Week 9: Vampyrus II
Week 10: Daimonicus I
Week 11: Daimonicus II
Week 12: Chaniqus
We begin week one with the Draconis Sapiens and then delve into the various subspecies and infraspecies of Homo Sapiens. Tomorrow I will give ya'll the material and your weekly assignment
Week 1: Draconis Sapiens
Information
Draconis is the species commonly referred to as a Dragon. The Draconis could be a subclass of a lizard species as they’re natural appearance is that of a large lizard creature, but it is a warm-blooded creature capable of mating with homo sapiens. The offspring from mating with homo sapiens is typically a very mutated creature (ya’ll might have seen Grendel in the recent animated Beowulf movie, this would be an accurate description of what can happen when humans and dragons cross-breed). This species must mate metaphysically with a homo sapien sapien while between the ages of 400 and 500. The metaphysical mating ritual stimulates the production of an egg which is later laid in another ritual in Glastonbury and then flown to Loch Ness where the water horse care for the eggs until they are ready to hatch. Each Draconis is able to lay only one egg in their nearly 2,000 year lifespan. These eggs are connected to the life of the dragon and will hatch only when the parent dragon’s life has ended.
Draconis Sapiens is the only known species to have traits that appear both lizard and human in the same creature. Not much is currently known publicly about their nutritional needs. I’ve watched Dr. DeGrance eating a meal on only one occasion and I couldn’t identify what she was eating. She does drink bottled water on a regular basis and I have noticed her snacking on chocolate. I hate how she’s got such a perfect body for her age and typical of a woman she won’t tell me her age.
Misconceptions
• They are fire breathers
o This is not true. They are able to stimulate the molecules of objects to cause them to spontaneously erupt into flame as the molecular friction creates extreme temperatures. Dragons are not able to exhale flames.
• Most familiar with dragons feel they are reincarnated in their youth
o This is not correct either. Genetically the hatchling is identical with the dragon parent. They do not retain the memory of their parent, but typically have the personality and emotional traits of their human parent. Current belief is that the memories of the human parent are embedded into the egg at the time of conception. There is no documented evidence of the egg hatching during the lifespan of the human parent so this belief is only theoretical and cannot be confirmed.
Appearance
• Large winged lizard like creature
• Ability to morph into various forms (often human)
Traits
• Ability to morph
o can take on any shape no matter the mass
o can appear as any human ethnicity
o often take a human form and remain as that form/appearance (as is a regulation adopted by the Dragon Council)
• Ability to cause items/people to spontaneously combust
o this is through molecular means - causing friction with atoms producing large amounts of heat
• Can breed with any of the Homo Sapiens species
o physical breeding causes horribly mutated children and has been banned by the Dragon Council
o metaphysical breeding allows to stimulate the creation of the dragon egg
(this egg creation is asexual, but the stimulation of ecstasy and true love brought through bonding with another creature (not physical bonding) is the biggest need for a dragon to lay their egg.
Lifespan
• approximately 2000 years
• note - dragons can only lay 1 egg in their lifespan. The egg will not hatch until the parent dragon has died.
Additionally there are only 6 Dragons known to be alive today. Three of these Dragons serve on the Dragon Council: Cynefrid Eadwald, Osbearn Irminric, and Winifred Mildburh. Osbearn Irminrice is recognized as the oldest living dragon at 1850 years of age and, as you are all aware of, is the head of the Dragon Council.
Two of the other three dragons are instructors at Awlyn institutions: Jane Monsef and our own Dr. Guinevere DeGrance. The location of the final dragon is currently unknown. He has been on trial with the Dragon Council previously for mating with a human woman and disappeared shortly before her execution.
Week 1 assignment:
We’ll keep the assignments easy in my class. No testing only participation to see how much we feel you have learned.
• Discuss myths regarding this species in the online classroom.
• Discuss what you feel you learned about this species or misconceptions you might have had.
More Information:
Ya'll have some good discussion points and I welcome your curiosity.
Jain, dragon babies are raised with the dragon council for their first 30 years of existence. After this time they are free to live their lives as they desire. Generally they'll spend their next couple hundred years roaming various societies and absorbing as much knowledge about the world as they can.
Talimar1, like many of the myths about the Awlyn there is some basis of the myth in fact. When individuals erupt into flame in front of their village, there's room for speculation that the dragon exhaled flames onto the individual. Especially when there was a lack of science or direct knowledge of the dragons.
Vespar, I'm not certain on the ages of all of the dragons. They tell me Osbearn's age to help drive the point home to my students, but they refuse to give us the age of the others. I do know that DeGrance is the youngest, I think Jane Monsef is not much older, at a few hundred years though I can't tell you exactly how old.
Iblees, yes five of the dragons have laid eggs. This is one indicating factor allowing the council to know that the missing dragon has not yet been killed. It was believed he had died a few times, but his egg has yet to hatch. Dr. DeGrance should be nearing the timespan for laying an egg herself.
To expand upon further, should Dr. DeGrance meet an untimely demise we would only have 5 dragons remaining for all of time (this is the reason why the number of dragons dwindled through the wars). There have been tales of dragons laying two eggs at one time, but these are only legend to us today. I believe the birth of the dragon occurs immediately after the death of the parent dragon. The council typically celebrates the birth of a dragon with a grand ceremony and birthing ritual. Some Awlyn may even be fortunate enough to attend the ceremony, but I would hope that none of us would witness one in our lifespan. As for your question regarding studying the gestation of the egg, that would be prohibited. The Dragon Council would look negatively upon any such request, not to mention having to deal with the water horse that is guarding them.
vespar wrote:
Prof. Franklin,
Do we know the name of the rouge dragon that was on trial by the Dragon Council?
I'm not sure I am at liberty to discuss this individual further. As for knowledge of the water horse. I have not seen it, nor do I know anybody who has. I have heard the stories of it devouring entire armies when it felt threatened. I've, also, heard those stories about dragons. I could only dream of having the opportunity to see the water horse in all its splendor.
Dragons are in their natural, lizard like form when they are born. They retain this form for nearly 20 years before they select a male or female sapien appearance. You would be correct if you were assuming the primary reason they stay within the care of the dragon council until this age is because of their dragon form. The dragon council teaches them much of what they need to know to survive in the world during those first 30 years and get them accustomed to hiding their natural appearance from humans.
To answer some of your questions:
No you cannot ride a dragon. I suppose you could if they would allow you but as Jan mentioned that is pretty demeaning.
To the best of my knowledge it is common for the metaphysical mate to be human for the dragons. They can mate with human, dragon, and other Awlyn but typically the mate is human. I know that there has to be affection for one another, but beyond this I'm not too familiar with the guidelines a Dragon uses to choose their mate. I do know that if a dragon chooses a male form, they are able to physically mate with human or awlyn females. There have been reported instances of them impregnating a female and the babies are almost always horribly mutated. Though there have been some instances of a mixed species child being born with perfectly normal appearances, the reports for those are very rare. This is the reason the council has forbidden the physical mating of a Dragon with human or Awlyn. This same law is often seen as controversial as the pregnant human or Awlyn is executed to prevent the birth of the child.
Dragons are very different looking just as any person is. There are dragons of many heritages, but all are one in the same. As humans have various nationalities, heights, weights, and physical traits so do all Awlyn including the dragons.
Currently the Dragon Council is comprised of 3 dragons, and a member from each of the Awlyn species and there is no longer a representative from the humans. I believe Professor Marikov will be addressing the make-up and history of the Council in future lessons. If one of the three dragons were to die today then they would be replaced by Jane Monsef. She is the next highest in seniority that is not currently viewed as a fugitive. Dr. DeGrance would follow her for the next Council opening, followed by the hatchlings of the dragons which have passed away.
Week 2: Lycanicus 1
Information
Lycanicus are also known as Werewolves. The Lycanicus are specifically defined by their ability to morph from a homo sapien, or human, form which is natural for them to the form of a member of the Canidae family (dog/wolf).
This transformation is not a voluntary transformation, but an involuntary transformation due to increased hormone levels. This involuntary transformation occurs on monthly cycles in both the male and female of the species. These cycles are similar in cause and frequency to that of the Homo Sapiens Sapiens adult female. The cycles start at puberty, a time which the creatures of this species are constantly rotating between appearances over a 2 to 4 year period between the ages of 10 and 14. These changes become more predictable after puberty, allowing the individual the ability to better conceal their Awlyn identity.
Misconceptions
● Will only die when shot by a silver bullet
○ Their recovery rates are extremely high, but bullet wounds from any bullet may prove fatal
● Transform into a wolf when they see a full moon
○ They transform monthly which is the biggest reason for this misconception, but similar to the monthly cycle human women go through, this cycle is not perfect and does not necessarily fall when the full moon is out
Appearance
● Human
● Canine or half-human/half-canine
Traits
● Morphing from human to canine
○ this is tied to various hormone states
○ monthly cycle similar to a woman's menstrual cycle (period of 2 days)
○ puberty causes sporadic morphing for a period of 18 months (various ages 10-14)
● Able to breed with homo-sapiens and others of the homo genus
○ cross bred children often take on the genes of the werewolf parent
○ those who do not take on the genes of the werewolf parent often have abnormal hair growth.
● In excellent physical shape
○ high immunity to illness
○ excellent body strength
○ heal quickly
Lifespan
● Approximately 95-165 years
Week 2 assignment
Yet again, nice and simple assignment
● Discuss myths regarding this species in the online classroom.
● Discuss what you feel you learned about this species or misconceptions you might have had
More Information
I believe the myth of lycanthropy spreading through bites is due to lack of understanding of the creatures around them. As you know we hide our identity from humans and have done so for many centuries. I imagine that when they saw a werewolf physically change they were terrified and as some of you know that werewolves can get a little hot headed - if you see a werewolf change and is fighting with another werewolf who appears to be human then suddenly changes you might be inclined to believe that the one turned the other into a werewolf.
Jain, if you were to attend at our campus you would be amazed by the number of students who are werewolves and constantly changing. I've seen some students change as many as three times in between classes while walking down the hallway. It's not as entertaining as watching some of the vampires trading vials of blood like pokemon cards, but it is still somewhat amusing. As for their special schools, St. Laudine's Academy was originally formed as a way to provide safe haven for those of us who have difficulty hiding our identities. They can and do change at any time during the day or night. Werewolves who are not in their human form often travel at night, as such I imagine that humans would have been able to see them more when the moon is full and the night was not as dark as it would be on other nights.
Vespar I loved that movie! Yes there have been a large number of Awlyn half breeds over the years. The problem with mixing the breeds lies in mutations. Chanuques are believed to be the spawn of an angel and a demon. They're very very tiny creatures that can only survive in a symbiotic relationship with a human. We'll discuss them more later in the year. Centaurs, mermaids, and cyclops - just to name a few - are all believed to have been mix bred species that lived for a long time before being annihilated by the humans.
Nikolai, I believe their body simply produces more antibodies than the rest of us. This helps them maintain a healthier lifestyle and promotes longer life spans. I don't know if there would be a way to transfer this immunity to humans, though with todays technologies perhaps there could eventually be a method of gene therapy available to mutate the human genes to produce those antibodies. All Lycanicus children are born appearing human and remain as such until they being puberty. I do not know if anyone has isolated what gene causes this, but I believe the Dragon Council has reached out to the school's corporate sponsor to begin researching this. As for becoming infirm as humans do, yes they do but at a later age.
Sheep, I've always been curious as to how I would have reacted if I would have to live like ya'll live during puberty. There's not much difference between a werewolf and a werewolf-human hybrid. I believe lifespan is an issue and the human possibly learning about the Awlyn. I have seen one hybrid child myself, the father was human and the mother was lycanicus, and the genes of the lycanicus seem to dominate those of the human.
Highwind, I'm horrified that you would think anyone would be capturing werewolves like animals to do this! Humans might be horrible, but could they be that horrible?
Week 3: Lycanicus 2
Information
Nutrition
It is a common misconception that lycanicus have a preference towards meat. In their human forms, they have the same tastes as any other being—some are even vegetarians.
When the lycanicus transforms, however, in some cases they may be more wild, eating any animal that may cross its path. However, even the most wild lycanicus in transformed state can identify a fellow Alwyn or even a human, and usually will stray away from them.
Some transformed lycanicus have been known to not eat at all when transformed, sleeping or playing for the time. This is a rare condition, even among the lycanicus; however, it has generally been accepted that the species of lycanicus affects one's behavior and dietary preferences.
Health
Lycanicus usually have a high metabolism and blend in quite well when in human form. As discussed, the lycanicus doesn't transform only during the full-moon; if they do, it's purely coincidental. Their human forms are similar to those of homo sapiens sapiens except for a slight difference in the sequence of amino acids in the body.
This difference changes the structure of the molecules in the body and, some believe this difference is what allows transformations, though it is disputed by others as well. However, because of even this slight difference, it is near impossible for a lycanicus to pass as human at the biological level and that is one major reason why any Alwyn going to human hospitals or laboratories is not allowed by the Dragon Council.
Week 3 Assignment
discuss the topic of this lesson
Week 4: Angelicus 1
Information
The Angelicus, often shortened to angel, are specifically defined by their ability to control physical objects at will. They at one time had the appearance of a winged mammal as many images of angels have shown throughout history. These wings have fallen off as they evolved into a more friendly appearance though the roots of the wings can often be noticed as they have shoulder blades which are more defined than those seen in normal homo sapiens.
Their ability to control physical objects allows them to heal creatures immediately. They can also move the objects. They are often portrayed as great healers, spiritual guides, and illusionists. Some, however, use their ability to cause great pain in creatures (even death) and to distort biological traits such as virii to be more potent.
Misconceptions
● All angels have wings
○ Angels did have wings at one time, but evolved to a wingless species.
● All angels are spiritual creatures
○ A good many angels have positive ideals and beliefs which feeds this belief. There are some however that work against those ideals causing strife.
Appearance
Variable - quite similar to humans. They have evolved over time from having wings to having knobby shoulder blades.
Traits
Similar to werewolves as they can heal quickly and are typically stronger than average humans
Can mate with all sapiens except Daimonicus (the children of Daimonicus/Angelicus mating often do not survive childbirth and those who do are horribly mutated. Chaneques are thought to be spawned from Angelicus/Daimonicus)
Week 4 Assignment:
Discuss myths regarding this species in the online classroom.
Discuss what you feel you learned about this species or misconceptions you might have had
