A Dragon Cave submission that didn't pass. I do not plan to resubmit it next year. Happy Holidays!
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Name: Holiday Dragon (2017)
“Community” nickname: Picea Dragon (scientific latin for spruce)



Sprites

Egg: This egg smells like fresh wood.

Hatchling: Aww… It’s a cute baby dragon. It’s not as festively colored as you expected it to be… yet?

Mature hatchling: Aww… It’s a cute baby dragon. It’s not as festively colored as you expected it to be… yet? And look! It has grown a spiky mane, and you can actually notice the festive patterns now! It must be close to maturing.

Adult: Holiday dragons are a very mysterious breed. They are only seen during winter, and even then it is hard to catch a glimpse of one. They are responsible for the general cheer that spreads during the holidays. In essence, they are the “Spirits of Winter.”



Breed mechanics
Sex: Female only breed
Striped Dragon offspring: green
Lumina/Dark Lumina breeding result: no change in the Lumina’s appearance



Encyclopedia entry
Name: Holiday Dragon (2017)
Type: Dragon (Eastern)
Elemental Affinity: Life
Found in: Unknown

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Appearance/Basic Anatomy

*Only female specimens seem to be found.
*Long and sleek body, covered mostly with a soft hide.
*Possessing a dark green mane consisting of hard, yet elastic quills. The mane begins at the top of the head and ends nearly at the tail tip.
*Three rows of triple-colored, pentagonal scales along the underside of the body, surrounded by silver, stripe-like markings.
*The tail ends with a scaly hook.
*The color pattern on the palm-shaped antlers and the hook is the same as on the underbelly scales.
*Icy blue eyes, the pupil is small and barely visible.

Hatchling Behavior

*The playful hatchlings are almost never silent when awake – they make squeaky sounds similar to singing, and they encourage other hatchlings to join them. The hatchling “choirs” usually don’t take long to assemble.
*They like to hide in the mother’s mane, which provides warmth and safety.
*Morbidly afraid of fire, they will try to run away and hide, even when they’re not directly exposed to it.
*As they mature, their fear of fire fades away. At this age, they discover how to breathe fire on their own.

Adult Behavior

*Move and walk gracefully, in a serpentine, swaying manner. Rarely seen flying, but they will do so if it’s really necessary.
*Can breathe fire which is warm, but doesn’t burn, thanks to the Life mana. They don’t breathe it in their hatchlings’ presence, though.
*They have a habit of decorating their manes with anything they find “pretty”, including objects that clearly belong to someone else. They use their tail hooks to help decorate the harder to reach spots, for example on the neck.
*When an object gets into the mane and it was not intended to become a decoration, it stays there regardless.
*Underbelly scales and mane quills fall off often and are quickly replaced by new ones.
*When happy, they make joyful, howling calls. When threatened, they hiss, shake their manes and puff up their quills. They don’t roar.
*They love rolling in the snow. The deeper it is, the happier the dragon.
*Excellent swimmers, they don’t mind submerging themselves in colder waters.

Diet

*They are omnivores. Berries and fruits are their favorite snack.
*There are occasional fish in their diet, but they aren’t a necessary part for the dragon to survive.
*Hatchlings don’t eat fish at all, as the numerous bones in the meat annoy them.