Alldritt's Guide to Estragon (Patreon)

 Here is the transcript, if the text is hard to read:

Prescript: This journal was donated posthumously by a wanderer named Derek Alldritt. It can be treated as a firsthand account, but should still be treated as a personal journal, not a full scholarly report.

-        Alvaro Perez

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Estragon take on properties of the environment that they originate from... And with that basic information out of the way, I'll begin with a type of estragon that have only began to emerge within the past couple of centuries: the urban estragon. They're also called city estragon, town estragon, trash estragon, and many other names. Much like the choruk, estragon have adapted to the changes that humankind has brought to the world. Urban estragon largely feed on rats, bugs, and trash, and their mana composite is remarkably similar to that of the molds that dumps use - to the point they can often be found living at the dump. Despite their sad look, they're actually fairly healthy, as far as any veterinarian mage can tell.

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The desert estragon is one that has helped save my life more than once while I've been traveling in the desert. Like most estragon, they tend to be friendly, and they will occasionally lead those lost in the desert to water sources. Their fins allow them to surf through the sand dunes almost as if they were moving through water a truly beautiful sight! Like with all draconic creatures, their mana blend uses all fourteen of the base mana types- - even life, which a few people have been surprised to find. But, deserts can foster a variety of strange and complex lifeforms!

The cavern estragon, sometimes also known as the mountain estragon - though I personally argue that they're completely different species, despite some physical similarities- is one of the most common types of draconic creature. My Guild Master is actually a cavern dragon, as is one of the leaders of the Delitone Dragon Sanctuary... Regardless, cavern estragon may be common, but they're still remarkable creatures. They can manipulate pressure to allow them to fly on their fins and vestigial wings, and have developed some echolocation-like abilities!

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The grassland estragon is another that is fairly common, but it should not be discounted. While its sharp spines mimic the appearance of grass, and even change color with the seasons, they're as sharp as any blade, yet do little to inhibit movement. Indeed, the grassland estragon is one of the most mobile members of the species, capable of moving at astonishing speed on the ground, in the air, and even burrowing! I'm personally bonded to a grassland estragon, and so I can attest that they've quite the sweet tooth! Other estragon seem to share this trait as well...

Ah, the forest estragon. So simple, yet so complex. Despite the ubiquitous name and nature of this type of estragon, there are no less than thirty different subvariants, all of which are also called forest estragon... Regardless, the subvariant tends to reflect the territory in which the estragon is found. While a forest estragon in Mossford, and one in Daocheng may both have a plant-spear spell, the Mossford estragon is likely to conjure oak or ash, while the Daocheng estragon is likely to conjure pine or bamboo. This can even lead to differences in mana composition!

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Ah, the glacier estragon, sometimes also called an ice, frost, or artic estragon. While some think of ice as the sole domain of lunar mages, there are multiple ice spells that also use telluric and tempest, and the glacial environment, fosters a vast amount of life, not unlike a desert of sand. They're a bit more guarded than most estragon, likely due to their relative isolation from most human habitation. Galvachren, one of my contemporaries, claims that glacial estragon are quite common at the poles, but I've always been skeptical that anyone could survive the polar conditions long enough to be certain. Still, given the known concentration of magic, and the frigid environment, it seems a logical conclusion to draw.

Yes, the infamous mantle estragon. Some cultures call it the volcano estragon... Sadly, they're on the verge of extinction, in no small part due to the danger and power they represent. For most of history, many aspiring warlords sought out mantle estragon for their power. Magma is a difficult thing to overcome, after all. Villagers would also often attack and kill mantle estragon, under the idea that killing all of them could prevent a volcano from erupting. Alas, I doubt these noble creatures will make it into the next century without the help of powerful people and investors. I'll note that according to legend, most of the species are a bit more draconic in appearance than the specimen I depicted, but, this was the only one I've seen...

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One might expect that ocean estragon are similar to forest estragon one label with many subtypes. But my research indicates that this is quite incorrect. Notably, oceanic environments seem to spawn a massive variety of estragon! Perhaps a better label for this species would be the epipelagic-migratory estragon,but even I can admit that the name, while accurate, is a bit of a mouthful for what is effectively, a broad look at, ocean estragon. Their appearance is remarkably similar to that of river and lake estragon, which I think is likely due to them both being from heavily sunlit waters...

For the perfect example of what I mean, let us look at the coral reef estragon. Despite lingering in the epipelagic zone as well, their non-migratory nature and the complex environment of coral reefs has led them to develop remarkably different magic and physical appearances. The bright, coral on their back is shed every few weeks, and is an excellent ingredient for water potions of all sorts. From my experience, I can attest that coral reef estragon are incredibly curious, and also very playful. They seem to have slightly higher than average intellect, for an estragon, and create games that involve chasing bubbles, chasing one another, and growing coral patterns in elaborate displays. If you have the chance, absolutely spend time with them!

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And this leaves us with perhaps the strangest and most mysterious of the estragon species. Despite being every bit as common as ocean or forest estragon, the sky estragon are notably different from all others.

For one, they seem to come in two main colors – gold and blue. The blue makes sense to me, allowing them to blend into the sky. But the gold does not. Do they blend into the sun? Fly higher than the blue? I've yet to find a satisfactory answer.

But not only do they seem to come in two variants, but their powers also vary by location. This follows the same logic as that of every other species, so it is less confusing, but their color pattern seems to impact them. Golden sky estragon seem to have an increased command over light, while blue seem to have increased command over shadow. The strangest part here is that their mana makeup is virtually identical to all my tests. Perhaps the energies in them are different?

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