BelanosStormchaser Magic
(It is recommended that Fourth Age dragons conform to this.)
Morgoth 'created' the dragons. As no one but Eru may actually create life, he cannot have created them from nothing.
In a similar manner in which he created Orcs ("In the account published in The Silmarillion, Melkor had captured a number of Elves before the Valar attacked him, and he tortured and corrupted them, breeding the first Orcs.") he also created dragons (although probably not from elves).
"Seeing the strength of the Noldor in battle, Melkor realized that orcs alone were not sufficient to defeat his enemies. He therefore began to breed a new race of monsters: the dragons."
( http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Dragons )
The assumption is that he created them originally by torturing and twisting Maiar - this accounts also for some of their somewhat mystical abilities.
The dragons were created by Morgoth during the First Age, when Glaurung, the first dragon, appears. Tolkien's dragons are capable of breeding on their own, and in later ages the Withered Heath is purportedly their spawning ground.
Tolkien designed his own classification system for dragons, based on locomotion and fire-breathing.
Some dragons (Glaurung) walk on four legs, like Komodo dragons or other lizards. Other dragons (Ancalagon, Smaug) can both walk on four legs and fly using wings. Winged dragons are first witnessed during the War of Wrath, the battle that ended the First Age.
Dragons who can breathe fire were called Urulóki (singular Urulokë), "Fire-drakes". It is not entirely clear whether the term "Urulóki" referred only to the first dragons such as Glaurung that could breathe fire but were wingless, or to any dragon that could breathe fire, and thus include Smaug. In Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings Tolkien mentions a "Cold-drake". It is commonly assumed, though not directly stated, that this term indicates a dragon which cannot breathe fire, rather than one who breathes ice or snow. Further, Tolkien calls a fire-breathing dragon in the non-Middle-earth story Farmer Giles of Ham a "hot" one.
Tolkien calls the dragon Scatha a "long-worm" but does not explicitly explain the term.
The dragons also shared a love of treasure (especially gold), subtle intelligence, immense cunning, great physical strength, and a hypnotic power called "dragon-spell". The best way to talk to a dragon under the circumstances of this spell (when it was questioning you) was to not directly give it the information it wanted, as this would compromise you and your friends, but not to flat out deny it an answer, because this would anger it to violence. Therefore, the best way to talk to the dragon is to be vague and speak in riddles- apparently dragons find it hard to resist wasting time with riddles.
Dragon-fire (of the Urulóki) was hot enough to melt Rings of Power: four of the Seven Rings of the Dwarves were consumed by Dragon-fire, although it was not powerful enough to destroy the One Ring itself.
( http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Dragons )
THE HISTORY OF DRAGONS IN THE TOLKIEN ROLE PLAY
I established the possiblity of 'good' dragons in the role play originally with Ithilia. Her character was a daughter of Ancalagon the Black. She was originally to be used for breeding purposes by Morgoth, but she, her mother, and 'several' other dragons rebelled and secretly escaped from Morgoth going into excile in far lands.
Our story did not specify how many accompanied Ithilia into exile. It did mention them scattering until finally Ithilia returned to Arda, being drawn back to her homelands.
This premise allows for other dragons to build their own back history. If they are 'good' dragons then they can easily be either one of the original rebels or a descendant thereof. Having travelled to 'distant lands' their history can be quite diverse.
However, unless they have crossbred with other beings, their abilities would still be rather constant with that which Tolkien specified as not enough time has passed for them to evolve into something else, nor could increasing their abilities be easily justified.
OUTSIDE INFLUENCES:
It is quite common in Second Life for folks to want to be or have dragon riders. This was not a common thing in Tolkien but would not be impossible. It is not improbable that a trust may form between a dragon and another, whereby the dragon would concede to carry a person as a rider. However, their relationship would not be the same as described in books such as the Eragon series or D&D (if they have dragon riders in that?)
It is doubtful they would have weapons such as lightning breath or other breath weapons other than fire.
It's possible they may be in biped form, especially if they can explain this by cross breeding with a biped species.
Although originating from Maiar, once they are descended dragon from dragon, it is doubtful they would be able to change from their dragon form to another. The ONLY ones who might be able to do this would be one of the original dragons who escaped from Morgoth. Even Ithilia herself cannot because both her parents were dragons.
In a similar manner in which he created Orcs ("In the account published in The Silmarillion, Melkor had captured a number of Elves before the Valar attacked him, and he tortured and corrupted them, breeding the first Orcs.") he also created dragons (although probably not from elves).
"Seeing the strength of the Noldor in battle, Melkor realized that orcs alone were not sufficient to defeat his enemies. He therefore began to breed a new race of monsters: the dragons."
( http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Dragons )
The assumption is that he created them originally by torturing and twisting Maiar - this accounts also for some of their somewhat mystical abilities.
The dragons were created by Morgoth during the First Age, when Glaurung, the first dragon, appears. Tolkien's dragons are capable of breeding on their own, and in later ages the Withered Heath is purportedly their spawning ground.
Tolkien designed his own classification system for dragons, based on locomotion and fire-breathing.
Some dragons (Glaurung) walk on four legs, like Komodo dragons or other lizards. Other dragons (Ancalagon, Smaug) can both walk on four legs and fly using wings. Winged dragons are first witnessed during the War of Wrath, the battle that ended the First Age.
Dragons who can breathe fire were called Urulóki (singular Urulokë), "Fire-drakes". It is not entirely clear whether the term "Urulóki" referred only to the first dragons such as Glaurung that could breathe fire but were wingless, or to any dragon that could breathe fire, and thus include Smaug. In Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings Tolkien mentions a "Cold-drake". It is commonly assumed, though not directly stated, that this term indicates a dragon which cannot breathe fire, rather than one who breathes ice or snow. Further, Tolkien calls a fire-breathing dragon in the non-Middle-earth story Farmer Giles of Ham a "hot" one.
Tolkien calls the dragon Scatha a "long-worm" but does not explicitly explain the term.
The dragons also shared a love of treasure (especially gold), subtle intelligence, immense cunning, great physical strength, and a hypnotic power called "dragon-spell". The best way to talk to a dragon under the circumstances of this spell (when it was questioning you) was to not directly give it the information it wanted, as this would compromise you and your friends, but not to flat out deny it an answer, because this would anger it to violence. Therefore, the best way to talk to the dragon is to be vague and speak in riddles- apparently dragons find it hard to resist wasting time with riddles.
Dragon-fire (of the Urulóki) was hot enough to melt Rings of Power: four of the Seven Rings of the Dwarves were consumed by Dragon-fire, although it was not powerful enough to destroy the One Ring itself.
( http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Dragons )
THE HISTORY OF DRAGONS IN THE TOLKIEN ROLE PLAY
I established the possiblity of 'good' dragons in the role play originally with Ithilia. Her character was a daughter of Ancalagon the Black. She was originally to be used for breeding purposes by Morgoth, but she, her mother, and 'several' other dragons rebelled and secretly escaped from Morgoth going into excile in far lands.
Our story did not specify how many accompanied Ithilia into exile. It did mention them scattering until finally Ithilia returned to Arda, being drawn back to her homelands.
This premise allows for other dragons to build their own back history. If they are 'good' dragons then they can easily be either one of the original rebels or a descendant thereof. Having travelled to 'distant lands' their history can be quite diverse.
However, unless they have crossbred with other beings, their abilities would still be rather constant with that which Tolkien specified as not enough time has passed for them to evolve into something else, nor could increasing their abilities be easily justified.
OUTSIDE INFLUENCES:
It is quite common in Second Life for folks to want to be or have dragon riders. This was not a common thing in Tolkien but would not be impossible. It is not improbable that a trust may form between a dragon and another, whereby the dragon would concede to carry a person as a rider. However, their relationship would not be the same as described in books such as the Eragon series or D&D (if they have dragon riders in that?)
It is doubtful they would have weapons such as lightning breath or other breath weapons other than fire.
It's possible they may be in biped form, especially if they can explain this by cross breeding with a biped species.
Although originating from Maiar, once they are descended dragon from dragon, it is doubtful they would be able to change from their dragon form to another. The ONLY ones who might be able to do this would be one of the original dragons who escaped from Morgoth. Even Ithilia herself cannot because both her parents were dragons.