History of Dragons

[Vox Silentii]

Is there somewhere i can read the entire history of dragons?
Just everything they did and happened within the D&D history?

It's a lot to ask for but maybe there is somewhere i can brush up on my dragon lore.

[Unoriginal]

Is there somewhere i can read the entire history of dragons?
Just everything they did and happened within the D&D history?

It's a lot to ask for but maybe there is somewhere i can brush up on my dragon lore.

There is no entire history of dragons, nor much on dragon lore for this edition.

Books like the Draconomicon of earlier editions are not relevant here.

Beside, the details are rather setting-specific.

Anything in particular you'd want to know?

[Xihirli]

If you’re the DM you can write one.

[Davrix]

The Dracanomicon from 3rd and 4th are good books to read through for dragon lore but each one is based on that editions lore and its different in 5th. They still havn't released one yet for this one, which makes me sad :(

I think the 2nd or Ad&d it was the council of wyrms books or something.

[Asmotherion]

Having this question answeared, even partially by a Dragon, is going to cost you a huge amound of loot to add to said Dragon's Hoard, as Tax. Then, if said Dragon is Metalic, he or she let you leave with the information, and not enslave you, or otherwise use you as kattle, dinner or any other form of entertrainment.

Dragon's don't generally like to share for free, even the best of them.

Now the History depends heavily on the world you're playing in. If you're playing in one of the common published worlds (Faerun-Related Mythos), google the Dragonic Pantheon, and you'll get a good picture, starting with Asgorath, Bahamut and Tiamat, and working your way from there.

[Tetrasodium]

Is there somewhere i can read the entire history of dragons?
Just everything they did and happened within the D&D history?

It's a lot to ask for but maybe there is somewhere i can brush up on my dragon lore.

No there is no history of dragons. It will be very different in any setting you look at making any kind of grand unified history of dragons. Eberron has a lot of draconic influences through it's timeline (http://eberron.wikia.com/wiki/Eberron_Timeline) (some obvious, some not). If you want to dig into it, a netbook called the grand history of eberron compiles a lot of eberron's history from various sources (sourcebooks/dragon magazine/etc), dragons have been very active there since the setting's own creation myth. Bear in mind, eberron's dragons (https://manifest.zone/10-dragons/) are on a different powerscale than those of some other settings

[Naanomi]

In the main Cosmology, ancient Dragons predated the Gods and were likely one of the first beings in the current existence, but they were not yet chromatic/metallic/etc. Some versions of history have them functionally creating the Great Wheel in their battles with the Draeden; but accounts vary of history that far back.

When Gods came Io was one of the first Gods to come into existence, and he created a pantheon of Dragon Gods that later shapes (most, but not all) dragons into the chromatic/metallic spread we are used to (a process dominated by Tiamat and Bahamut). All of this was... very early in planar cosmology, among the earliest of commonly known events.

The memory of dragons and their influence on shaping the early planar structure runs deep in the Cosmology, so it isn’t uncommon for powerful magic or beings to sort of spontaneously echo the shapes and abilities of dragons even if completely separate... this is proposed to be the explanation why athasian dragons metamorphose the way they do.

Of course, in Cosmologies outside of the Great Wheel, none of this may apply at all

[Unoriginal]

In the main Cosmology, ancient Dragons predated the Gods and were likely one of the first beings in the current existence, but they were not yet chromatic/metallic/etc. Some versions of history have them functionally creating the Great Wheel in their battles with the Draeden; but accounts vary of history that far back.

When Gods came Io was one of the first Gods to come into existence, and he created a pantheon of Dragon Gods that later shapes (most, but not all) dragons into the chromatic/metallic spread we are used to (a process dominated by Tiamat and Bahamut). All of this was... very early in planar cosmology, among the earliest of commonly known events.

The memory of dragons and their influence on shaping the early planar structure runs deep in the Cosmology, so it isn’t uncommon for powerful magic or beings to sort of spontaneously echo the shapes and abilities of dragons even if completely separate... this is proposed to be the explanation why athasian dragons metamorphose the way they do.

Of course, in Cosmologies outside of the Great Wheel, none of this may apply at all

That's not the main cosmology, it's Faerun's. And from a different edition, too.


In 5e, what we know is that the dragons were created by Bahamut and Tiamat, and at some point they (or at least the Chromatic ones) had a war with the Giants , which left the Dragons' side pretty damaged, possibly due to Tiamat getting stuck in Avernus.

[Tetrasodium]

That's not the main cosmology, it's Faerun's. And from a different edition, too.


In 5e, what we know is that the dragons were created by Bahamut and Tiamat, and at some point they (or at least the Chromatic ones) had a war with the Giants , which left the Dragons' side pretty damaged, possibly due to Tiamat getting stuck in Avernus.

that does not apply to every setting, some settings are wildly different. When you present cosmology & history from a setting like faerun, greyhawk, netnir vale, darksun, eberron, ravenloft, etc... you should at least what setting you are talking about instead of pretending that it it is the only cosmology/history.

[Naanomi]

That's not the main cosmology, it's Faerun's. And from a different edition, too.
That is the Great Wheels’ History, mostly defined as 2e Planescape history and supporting documents from other settings, which broadly encompassed every setting except Ebberon and maybe Mystara (at least at the time it was made and supported)... 4e made big steps to shatter all of it, and 5e is pretty ambiguous where it lies in the greater Cosmology... but given the ‘return to its roots’ nature of 5e (and explicit return to the Great Wheel) I’m comfortable at least referencing it

[Envyus]

that does not apply to every setting, some settings are wildly different. When you present cosmology & history from a setting like faerun, greyhawk, netnir vale, darksun, eberron, ravenloft, etc... you should at least what setting you are talking about instead of pretending that it it is the only cosmology/history.

Yes he knows that. He was just giving what was known of the default 5e Lore.

He even said earlier the details are mostly setting specific.

[Asmotherion]

That's not the main cosmology, it's Faerun's. And from a different edition, too.


In 5e, what we know is that the dragons were created by Bahamut and Tiamat, and at some point they (or at least the Chromatic ones) had a war with the Giants , which left the Dragons' side pretty damaged, possibly due to Tiamat getting stuck in Avernus.

Well, it's safe to assume that at least most things faerun related will stay cannon in 5e. The Lore will probably expand though, like Asmodeus Deification. Some events in the Rise of Tiamat campain might be considered canon from some point on in the Ferunian lore (I won't include spoilers).

[Willie the Duck]

Is there somewhere i can read the entire history of ______?
Just everything they did and happened within the D&D history?

Universalizing that statement, the answer is pretty much no. There are a few works that are histories of either D&D the game (such as Playing at the World (https://www.amazon.com/Playing-at-World-Jon-Peterson/dp/0615642047)) or TSR and WotC the companies (such as Of Dice and Men (https://www.amazon.com/Dice-Men-Dungeons-Dragons-People/dp/145164051X/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0/131-6018106-1488155?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=SZ015AQ6SCK6BQA33APF)). Otherwise, there are very few things that map any part of the game across editions. Even specific game worlds such as Forgotten Realms, most material will just restate how things are now in the new edition (although FR in particular sometimes does reference now dead gods or civilizations from before the latest world-upheaval).

Can you reference what you are looking for? I have the original LBBs and most of the core parts of each edition, if you're looking for an answer to a 'when did ______ show up?' or 'were/did dragons always ______?' -type question.