Draks are the dominant species on Planet Icarus; strong, quick, and very intelligent. At first appearance, they are reptilian beasts, with leathery skin covered in scales. They have two pairs of wings, one over the shoulders and one over the middle of the back, which allow them to fly at great speeds and even to hover. 

Draks have thick, silky fur on their necks and at the end of their tails, and sometimes growing from underneath their scales as well. This fur will keep growing until it is sheared or lost in a fight. The fur can be sheared when a Drak permits it, and has a multitude of uses. Cloth woven from Drak fur is prized beyond all others because it is softer than angora wool. (see Lifestyle)

Most Draks are extremely intelligent and pick up languages very quickly, much to the relief of the first settlers of Icarus. They readily attempt to learn new words and languages, but because of the position of their teeth and the shape of their mouths and tongues almost always speak with a noticeable accent: vowels are accented very lightly and tend to be slightly drawn out. The "s" and soft "c" sounds often end in a hiss, and "r"s often have a slight breath afterward. "Ch" tends to sound more like "sh," and hard "th" sounds are almost always softened. Consonants that involve pressing the tongue to the roof of the mouth, such as "k" and hard "c," "g," and "d", often are punctuated with a hiss or a breath afterwards. Drak voices are resonating; females speak in a very low alto voice and males in a baritone, at the highest.

A Drak's primary weapon when fighting is their ability to spit acid. This is similar to albatrosses on earth, who regurgitate a bad-smelling stomach enzyme when threatened, but the Drak's acid is a far more potent weapon. The acid is so strong that it can eat away stone or metal if left long enough, and can cause even the thick-armored Nex Necii considerable pain. This acid is too strong to be used for digestion as it would damage the Drak's stomach. Instead, it is secreted by two glands along the side of the esophagus, where it can be "spit" by contracting the muscles around the glands. This forces the acid out of the mouth at high speeds, thereby minimizing contact with surrounding tissue. Also, as a protective measure, thick mucus lines the walls of the esophagus, throat, and mouth, preventing damage to the tissue, and secretion of this mucus is triggered by agitation or fear, in preparation for defense using the acid in a dangerous situation. The mucus is harmless to the Drak and is usually barely felt, and is swallowed during the Drak's next meal.

DRAK COLOURS  -  REPRODUCTION, CLUTCHES & MIND PAIRING  -  SQUIRE TRAINING  -  CASTLES