Dragons

Overview
In the human world, many stories are told of dragons, creatures of benevolence, kindness and charity who use their divine powers to aid those in need and bring good fortune to those unfortunate and deserving. This is mostly true, but dragons are not there solely for the needs of others and they've often got agendas of their own, although these agendas are frequently intended to do good to the world.

In Soul Society, dragons are only rarely interacted with, for these prideful creatures think of themselves as divine, even if the majority of their time is spent helping others. Their unwillingness to converse with other creatures is a contradiction; because the reason is both their conflated sense of self-worth, but also the fact that they feel as though it'd sully their virtue and grace to communicate with those in need of their help.

If a dragon is encountered, it is oftentimes more likely to ignore the onlookers presence entirely than it is to acknowledge their existence, or even more unlikely, agree to converse. But a dragon is almost never seen unless it wants to be, for these creatures are all, without exception capable of casting spells from their birth. Dragons are natural masters of Kidō, and they wield it instinctively, facing a dragon is therefore very unwise unless one is of exceptional skill. However, any being facing a dragon should be warned, for these creatures have a black and white mentality which compels them to seek revenge against those whom they feel have wronged them in some way. All dragons, even those whom are normally altruistic and benevolent have no problem justifying tracking down and punishing a close family member of the culprit if the original culprit themselves fails to show up, as they believe that guilt is part of the entire picture, most dragons will therefore expect an entire family, clan or even a village to appease it if it has been offended in any way.

Beyond all else however, dragons are honorable to a fault, and any dragon which gives its word will do everything in its power and then some to ensure that its promise is kept. Even if doing so risks its own life, no matter how many years it takes. For this reason however, dragons are extremely reluctant to promise anything and are frequently evasive and manipulative.

As discovered by the Kidō Corps, dragons, while officially being classified as Greater Spirits; are infact not spirits at all in the normal sense of the word, being much more akin to sentient forces of nature than anything else. This is made especially evident that dragons, depending on their particular classification. Such as rain dragons becoming lakes or springs upon their death, and life dragons becoming forests, meadows or plains upon theirs.

Classifications
There are several different types of dragons, and among these only the rain dragon is widely known, because they are the ones who have most frequently appeared before humans in the past. All dragons have duties determined by their classification, and the different dragons vary in appearance.

Rain Dragons: Closely associated with the element of water, Rain Dragons govern over the aspects of weather; having the ability to manipulate the weather to produce a variety of metrological effects. Their role is primarily to aid mankind in their survival. Rain dragons possess the secondary ability of being extremely capable healers. With the most powerful of these dragons being known to even bring back the dead.

Luck Dragons: Associated with the element of air, Luck Dragons are often confused for Rain Dragons; and it might seem natural to assume they also hold dominion over the weather, and in fact they do, although only in regards to wind. They often work alongside Rain Dragons. More note worthily however, Luck Dragons are capable of bestowing good fortune on mortals, allowing them to succeed at almost anything. Likewise, they can punish those whom have wronged them with bad fortune, this ability is often described as the dragon "directing the winds of fate around a person".

Life Dragons: These are the dragons of the earth, and their role is to ensure the survival of all plants, trees, insects and animals. They cultivate the earth so that things can grow, and they possess the ability to command plant life around them. They exist to create harmony in forests and other remote respites of nature around the worlds. They have the secondary ability of awakening unknown potential in others, a talent described as making their subjects very spirit "grow". Unlike anything else, a life dragon can do this with no adverse effects on the subject, which is virtually unheard of.

Wish Dragons: The Wish Dragons symbolize the element of fire, and although it might not seem fitting, the Wish Dragons prime duty is to shape stone, particularily in regards to how mountains rise or fall. They manipulate the landscape around them at will, shaping it to their likeness and personal aesthetics. Of all dragons, wish dragons are without question the kind most rarely encountered by humans and Shinigami alike, for they prefer to remain in hiding at all times, never showing themselves. Instead working behind the scenes, amazing humans with wonders of stone they've never noticed before. The wish dragons however, have a most coveted gift, for they're capable of granting wishes; and infrequently does this for mortals whom have impressed or aided them in some significant way.

Psychology
A typical dragon sees a Shinigami as a potential hindrance at best, and an obstacle at worst. These are creatures who are most comfortable leaving things to their own kind than to anyone else, while dragons understand that Shinigami fulfill a noble duty, they also consider them to be inferior creatures in all respects. Even if only the fewest of dragons would ever admit they thought this way.

While there can never be a question that a dragon almost always has the worlds best interests at heart. This does not deter even the most forgiving and gentlest of dragons from becoming threats to others. Dragons often see lesser creatures as completely defenseless and vulnerable beings, and treat them like children, and they often assume a parental role for such beings. While this might at first seem positive and even sweet, over time it is revealed that the dragon completely rules the lives of their children, speaking to them condescendingly and never allowing them to do anything they disagree with. They will do much to defend their children from outside threats, but they will do even more to defend the children from the threats within themselves - expecting the flawless nobility and emotional perfection that dragons believe themselves to possess. The opinion of their wards is ignored, as the dragon automatically believes that it, with its vastly superior intelligence is infinitely more aware of what their children needs. Such dragons are stifling at their best, and dictatorial at their worst.

It is worthy of note, that although it may seem that way, a dragon isn't primarily interested in the well-being of humans. They offer rain and other forms of aid, but its not based upon care or assistance, its to defend to humanity's place in the world, as opposed to defending the humans themselves. Dragons are staunch defenders of the natural order and the way nature and its inhabitants work, but they do not play favorites, just as a dragon might aid the crop of a starving village, they might also bring a plague of locusts the next day to wipe out their own progress, why? Because that is the order of nature. Only dragons know when its appropriate to summon locusts and when its not. But when they do so, it is with an undeniable certainty, and they feel it is necessary. Dragons never think twice about undoing their own work for the benefit of nature, and this is cited as the prime difference between the psyche of a mortal and the psyche of a dragon.

Dragons are sometimes linked with the deaths of humans and creatures both, for they're known to summon powerful storms and hurricanes at times, for that is also the nature of the world. This is not done with any malicious intent, and most dragons see any victims as merely being fated to die that die, while they see themselves as being the extension of fate. In their own eyes, a dragon is incapable of doing evil things, and they never doubt themselves for that reason. To attempt to convince a dragon of its own guilt is as futile as asking the wind to stop blowing, and the only possible way it can end is with the dragon being offended by the audacity of such a claim.

Despite what many seem to think, dragons are extremely unlikely to fight. They prefer to avoid confrontations if at all possible, and if one does occur the reaction of most dragons is to flee immediately, not out of fear or anything of the sort, but because they believe their time to be much too valuable to waste on something as utterly meaningless as a squabble with a mere mortal.

Abilities
There is no denying it, dragons possess untold powers from the point of their emergence into the world. Possessing abilities which in most cases would outstrip even a Captain of the Gotei 13. As divine creatures, the spiritual power of a dragon cannot be felt by anyone except for creatures who somehow intrude upon their own divinity, or if the dragon itself deliberately lowers its energy for this explicit purpose. Which a dragon does very reluctantly, if at all.

Natural shape shifters, a dragon has the ability to shape shift into any animal in existence, provided that it is aware of it. This includes everything from ants to humans; and by extension, Shinigami. This ability to shape shift is a result of the dragons bond with nature, and dragons whom have forsaken this bond often find that this power is reduced to a single animal form, or vanishes entirely. Its common for dragons to observe humans and Shinigami alike in the form of animals.

As previously noted, all dragons possess an intimate connection with the magical art of Kidō and even the weakest dragons have roughly the same capability as a master within the art. Even if their use of it is almost entirely instinctive and that only the fewest of dragons are aware of exactly which spells they are casting. This is because, as superior spirits, the fragmented wills of deceased souls that is commonly known as Reishi is naturally inclined to follow their will, and thus dragons do not have to train to master magic, because to cast a spell for them, is a process as natural as breathing.

Briefly touched upon above, dragons are also gifted with the power of spiritual supremacy, and most spirits below them are naturally inclined to obey the will of a dragon. Infact, most such spirits simply cannot resist their call. This extends to a Shinigamis bond with their Zanpakutō Spirit, and most dragons can severely impede communication between a Shinigami and their partner, often to the point of preventing a release from occuring, sometimes even outright dispelling the release outright! With the Zanpakutō Spirit refusing to show any kind of hostility towards such a divine creature. The Zanpakutō of old Shinigami, who have grown extremely close to their wielders are the only ones capable of resisting the charms of a dragon, as these spirits often put their adoration and love for their comrade before anything else.

All dragons also possess the ability to control and manipulate all of the four elements for various purposes. They can manipulate elements other than their own with strict ease, and their skill is roughly equal between them all, even the element directly opposed to their own. The elemental powers of a dragon typically surfaces in one or two favorite elements however, which are used especially often, while the element or elements it disfavors are usually used only when necessary. Sometimes the favored element of a dragon can be the exact opposite of its own, whereas it might even disfavor the element it actually belongs to.

Finally, dragons possess a myriad of other powers, most of which they are usually unaware of until they use them instinctively, and not even the dragons themselves are fully aware of the true depths of their powers. Its generally accepted that, if a dragon wants to achieve something, its innate powers will typically find some way to make it happen. Most of these abilities are never consciously useable by any dragon, and they only surface when its necessary that they do - and dragons, as they are, believe that this is the will of fate.