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In truth, “breath weapon” is a misnomer, sincethe fire, poison, acid, or other substance dischargesnot from the lungs but from the upper stomach. Thestream of energy is more accurately vomited thanexhaled.Traces of this energy might leak from a dragon’supper stomach into the esophagus, mouth, and nostrils,from which they might emerge as puffs of smokeor wisps of poison—another reason people believe thebreath weapon is part of the respiratory system. Thisleaking energy also causes the damage dealt by mostdragons’ bite attacks.After food reaches the gizzard, the hard platesinside the organ, similar in composition to the hornsand teeth, grind it up. The upper stomach bathes theswallowed food in energy from its pool.Muscular SystemThe musculature of a dragon somewhat resemblesthat of a great hunting cat from neck to rump andthat of a constrictor serpent along the neck and tail.The area that defies comparison is the area at thewing-base and along the chest.Wing and chest muscles are dense and largerthan any other muscle group in the wyrm’s anatomy.Despite their great power, however, they could notprovide lift to such a massive beast without magicalassistance. Sages postulate that the elemental energycoursing through a dragon’s cardiovascular systemcontributes to the beast’s ability to fly. Accordingto this theory, magic in the wings grants a dragonstrength beyond that provided by the muscles.The alar pectoral (1) is the main flight muscle,used on the wing’s downstroke. The alar latissimusdorsi (2) draws the wing up and back, and the alardeltoid (3) and alar cleidomastoid (4) draw them upand forward.The muscles of the wings themselves serve primarilyto control the wings’ shape, aiding a dragon’s aerialmaneuverability. The alar tricep (5) and alar bicep (6)fold and unfold the wings, and the alar carpi ulnaris(7) and alar carpi radialus (8) allow the wings to wrapand twist.In addition to being the strongest muscle groupin a dragon’s body, the pectoral muscles are also themost enduring. Enormous quantities of blood flow inand out of the muscles regularly, sweeping away—oreven destroying, thanks to the blood’s innate energy—toxins that cause fatigue. A dragon can fly for manyminutes at full speed, for hours at a reasonable pace,and for days on end if it relies substantially on glidingand updrafts. Dragons maintain their averageoverland flight speeds by switching back and forthbetween true flight and periods of gliding.Skeletal SystemA dragon’s skeletal system consists of more thanfive hundred separate bones. As with the muscularPHYSIOLOGY➃➂➂➂➂➃➃➃➁➀CHAPTER 1 | Dragon Lore11