Dragon Code

Dragon Code is a string of characters similar in structure to the Furry code. It is used in the dragon community to convert a long description into a more compact format. While mainly developed for dragons, the code provides for other types of characters as well, such as amphibians, spirits, undead, mammals, reptiles, plants, legends, and many other creatures. The code provides for the description of a great breadth of character features, from species to "huggability", and often allows for the description of many smaller parts of the character under each category.

The Code
The most recent version (2.6) begins with the characters "DC2.", representing that the code is a dragon code, version #2. After that all tags are optional, and a space separates tags from each other.

Species
Immediately after "DC2.", without a space, is a tag that represents the character's species. There are 18 possible characters that can be placed here, each representing a different category. This character is always capitalized, and can be followed by a second, lower-case character to describe a more specific selection from the preceding category. For example, "DC2.Dw" represents a character in the dragon category, specifically a western dragon, whereas "DC2.Ht" represents a humanoid troll.

Gender
Following the species tag is a gender tag. This is fairly self-explanatory. There are 7 possible values, not including modifiers, including the generic male and female types, as well as hermaphrodite, variable, and "Unknown". This tag appears with a G in front of it, for example, "Gf" would represent a female.

Length
The length tag allows a character's length to be specified in several ways. There is a general length system with lengths ranging from +++! (Celestial length) to ---! (Microscopic), as well as ^ ("One-dragon-sized") and ~ (variable). This tag appears with an L in front of it, for example, "L+++!" would represent a celestial-length dragon. There is also a quantitative length system, allowing length to be specified as a number in various measurements. In addition, the tag is granular, allowing the size of separate limbs to specified independent of the others. The system currently allows for arms, legs, wingspan, head and neck, and tail lengths to be specified. For example, "L6f2a" indicates "I am 6 foot tall with arms that are 2 feet long each."

Width
This tag is described as being "less serious" than the other tags, and does not support the same granularity that the length tag does. It consists solely of the general length system (+++! to ---!), but only contains phrases describing each measurement, such as "I move by rolling. Flying has always been an effort for me." This tag appears with a W in front of it, for example, "W-" represents a character with a width described as, "I'm slightly on the slim side!"

Weight
Also listed as "Tonnage", this tag is also said to be "less serious" than the others. Weight has the same general measurement system of pluses and minuses that length and width do, with similar descriptions for each level. Unlike width, weight provides a similar quantitative system to the length tag, but is adapted for mass measurements instead of distance measurements. This tag appears with a "T" in front of it, such that "T++" represents an obese character. With the quantitative system, "T100l" would represent a character weighing 100 pounds.

Appendages
This tag allows one to list what appendages, as well as how many of them, a character has. Arms, "fore-limbs", heads, legs, paddles, and several other limbs can be specified for a total of 10 possible different limbs. In addition, several modifiers can be specified to show webbing, variable numbers of a limb, and other numbers of limbs. This tag appears with a "P" in front of it, such that "Phwllt" represents a character with a head, a pair of wings, two pairs of legs, and a tail.

Skin-Type
This tag allows a character's type of skin to be specified. There are 13 possible skin types for this tag, ranging from bark to crystals to no skin. This tag also allows the skin of each limb to be specified separately from the others. This tag appears with the characters "Sk" in front of it, such that "Sks" represents a character with scales.

Colouration
This tag allows the specification of a character's colouration, either as a whole or on per-limb basis. There are 36 individual colors that can be specified, with 7 modifiers that can be applied to each color to produce certain effects. There are also modifiers to specify stripes, spots, bands, stars, and other patterns of the color. This tag appears with the character "C" before it, such that "Cbl" represents a character that is blue.

Breath-Weapon
This tag specifies a character's breath weapon. There are 19 possible breath weapons, and each can have a modifier specifying whether it is a beam- or cloud-type weapon. This tag appears with a "B" in front of it, such that "Bfl" represents a fire breath weapon. It is also possible to specify something more specific by placing it in quotes after any type of weapon, for example, "Bac'Sulphur'" represents an acid weapon, more specifically sulphur.

Age
This tag specifies age, and can specify a character's age or their player's age. This tag uses the plus and minus system available for the length and other tags, but does not provide for a quantitative measurement. This tag appears with an "A" before it, and the letters "r" and "v" represent real-life age and character age, respectively. For example, "Av+Ar++" (Also "A(v+r++)") represents someone who is somewhere around 35-45 years old in real life and a character who is around 45-60 years old (Scaled to the creature's average lifespan).

Fruitiness
What this tag specifies is somewhat nebulous, representing a person's contributions as well as length of time spent in a newsgroup. The idea of "fruitiness" came up as a joke in the alt.fan.dragons newsgroup, as people who seem to have been there forever, or have visible contributions to the group were jokingly called "fruits." As such, the "fruitiness" tag specifies this. This follows the same plus and minus scale as many other tags. This tag appears with the characters "Fr" in front of it, such that "Fr+" represents someone who has "been here just over a year now."

Native-Land
This tag specifies the general type of area a character is native to. This tag provides for 15 possible "native lands", and has no modifiers. This tag appears with the character "N" in front of it, such that "Na" represents a character whose native land is in the air.

Mating-Status
This tag allows the specification of one's marital/mating status, for both the character and the player. It follows the same plus and minus scale as most of the other tags, and includes a "/" to represent someone not willing to divulge the information to the point of being violent. There are several modifiers, allowing the specification of distance, separation, children, and other things. Real life and character mating status are specified in the same manner as age. This tag appears with the character "M" in front of it, such that "M++" represents a married character/person.

Offspring
This tag allows elaboration on any children specified in the Mating-Status tag, and runs on the same plus/minus scale as most other tags. Specifically, this tags allows the specification of general age and number of children one has, both in real life and in terms of the character. This tag appears with the character "O" in front of it, such that "O++" represents a character or person who has a couple children that have not left home yet.

Hoard-Size
This tag allows the specification of the size of a character's "hoard", be it jewels or otherwise. It runs on the same plus/minus scale as most of the other tags. This tag appears with the character "H" before it, such that "H+++" represents a hoard big enough that one can't really tell if something is stolen.