Darangen

Darangen: the underground giant mock-dragons

Below nearly every surface is the Darangen, a race of mock-dragons that consume minerals for sustenance. The shortest of these beasts stand at 9 feet, the tallest having been 15 feet, and most everyone in between but cenetered towards 11. The lack of sunlight often means they are either boind or extremely sensitive to light, and most rely purely on hearing and vibration to understand their surroundings. Natural, slightly rocky scales coat most of their back and likbs, creating a natural camouflage that they use simply by hugging the wall. The insides of their thighs and the chest are relatively clean, much like the underside of a snake
They also have extremely sharp and hard teeth, designed to chew through stone, much treasured by the Valdera
Darangen are rather amiable in that they dont attack other species, but major lack of interaction (due to the solitary nature of their beings) makes them either extremely quiet, in desperate need of contact, or both.
in fact, its often noted that should they meet a male they like (due to some genetic deficiencies, male Darangen currently die at birth, meaning Darangen have resorted to either parthenogenesis or activate a virus that changes their children to female in vitro), they scoop him up and put him into their lap
now, the natural darangen diet of rocks and metals often lead to their synapses on or near their skin to be highly polarized, and their breathing is always a soft rumble that vibrates their bodies
this leads to the male experiencing a soft, warm, vibrating, and mildly stimulating cushion, referred to by many as the "King's Throne"- cause after you experience it once, you feel like a King and never want to leave
some may end up turning up on the surface for the sake of searching for a male, but end up hurt by the sunlight
as a result, a special section of many subways lead to natural caverns for the Darangen and other underdwelling species to utilize. Darangen keep gems cause theyre shiny and often end up making relatively large amounts of money purely on accident
proper Dragons look on Darangens with disdain, saying they aren't actually draconic but rather an advanced lizard, but the name stuck anyways



Life Cycle:
Darangens are lizards first and foremost, and as such lay eggs in clutches of 5-10. Of these, relatively 3-6 will survive, depending on various events that occur. just birn Darangen are relatively 2 feet in height and can weigh approximately 20-30 lbs. The reason for their size and weight is to ensure they can survive living underground where falls and cave-ins occur early and often.
By approximately 7 human years Darangens are at half maturity, and stand in at 4-5 feet and weigh close to 200 lbs due to the natural weightiness of their scales and muscles. At this point they should start entering the relative equivalent of puberty, and will gain an even more voracious appetite for specialized minerals, particularly salts. Gemstones are often eaten by them if they arent too hard to chew. It is by this point that (should the two not have been integrated into normal society) the mother leaves the darengen daughter so that she may fend for herself.
It will take about ten more years to reach full maturity and begin parthenogenesis. By this point they are 11 feet tall, ripped, and weigh in at a quarter ton. These walking armored tanks will lay clutches every 20 years till their death at the age of ~200.

Social Interaction:
Darangens, being a mostly solitary species, had and still have many adjustments to make when it comes to human interaction. Sunlight bothers them especially, so they rarely leave whatever abode they might dwell in until nighttime. While it is less with the younger ones, older Darangen often speak in two word sentences, having trouble with basic human grammar. Many are eager to learn and correct their mistakes, but a few are stubborn. Darangen also seem to take greater amounts of comfort with physical contact, having not been able to touch anyone for a long time. Expect to be smothered should you offer them a hug, and they will try to hold your hand when scared of some kind of new experience (going to a party, new job, et cetera). When it comes to interacting with other Darangens, however, they tend to be extremely territorial, to the point of duking it out in the middle of the street for something petty like a flower they both wish to buy. Thousands of dollars of damage have come from duels by Darangens with anyone over some male love. Most tend to enjoy softer things, having gone without soft things for most of their life.