Dragon-Koopa Biology Part 2

Greetings once more. Again against my will, I am here to continue discussing the most important part of all Dragon-Koopas, as mentioned before. I’ve decided to save this for its own section because of how imperative it is to everything concerning a Dragon-Koopa.

Now, before I begin, I do have a note to make, regarding the X and Y chromosomes I mentioned previously. In doing more research, I see that I was incorrect as regards to these influencing whether Koopa appearance and attitude are more feminine or masculine. It is the other chromosomes that influence this, but these themselves are influenced by gender in multiple ways. I aspire not to make such a foolish mistake again.

Shell

The shells are the largest different between Dragon and regular Koopas. The main difference being, Dragon-Koopas cannot detach from their shells. Regardless of any claims to prove this as false, it is an indisputable fact. The shells are there at birth, and are permanently fused to the individual. Any attempts at removal would most certainly be disastrous. It’s presumed that the shell is attached to the spine of the Dragon-Koopa, which allows for more flexibility in movement and makes it seem that no shell is even there.

Dragon-Koopa shells vary greatly in colour, and are covered in off-white spikes, which grow with the shell. These spikes are surrounded by ringlets of a single colour, which, again, vary for each individual, and are, on occasion, not there at birth, but as the spikes grow, the ringlets form around the base.

Around the base of the shell, and attaching to the back, there is an encasing, which is almost always white, and on occasion, other colours, such as gold. They can be dyed, but the base colour doesn’t usually change. Morton is a large exception, going from gold to white.

It is more possible for the shell colours to change over time if they are pink or green at birth. Roy’s used to be pink, and the rest of us, minus Wendy and Morton, used to have green shells. I admittedly forget how it happened, whether it was gradual or immediate, and I wish I could provide a more detailed response. I believe it was the former.

The shell is a Dragon-Koopa’s main line of defense, and, on occasion, offense as well. Not only that, but it contains a very special attribute, known as Hammerspace.

Hammerspace allows us to store an indefinite amount of items for an indefinite period of time, and to call them out at will. However, an individual’s Hammerspace is a very personal thing. Much like a precious heirloom or an organ (physical, bodily organ, not the instrument), it is not something to be tampered with by other individuals. It can be summed up as a very personal, bottomless backpack, if we were to get down to the bare essentials. Invading a person’s Hammerspace is essentially the largest invasion of privacy known to Koopa-kind. Those who know not of Hammerspace just cannot fathom what I am speaking of… I suppose it was as if you were germaphobic, and someone was to drink from the same glass as you, or use the same fork that you were using, to make it simpler on your smaller minds. Not small, per se, but smaller than mine, for certain.

Now, during the period of growth, the shells can do one of two things: they can grow with the individual, or they can stay the same size. It is all up to chance, really. I will discuss this more under the Age section, to clarify what I mean.

There is also the ability to fully retract into the shell, courtesy of the Hammerspace, and this has led to misconceptions that shells are removable, which, again, they are not. We would not survive long without a shell, and, considering that they should be fused to our spines, it would most likely mean imminent destruction.

Shells are incredibly durable, and are nearly indestructible, surviving the most imposing of circumstances. Any cracked shell would most likely be fatal if not taken care of quickly.

Age

Obviously, you have all been waiting for this section, as I have referenced it earlier multiple times.

I’ve already mentioned the fundamental appearances concerning the shell from hatching to adolescence, and the body itself does not grow much during the first years of life.

The period of physical growth begins at the age of 18, and can continue until the age of 25. Internal Dragon-Koopa development is much more prolonged than human development during the first 17 years after birth, and therefore full internal development is reached before the size begins to increase.

During growth, Dragon-Koopas have two different possible forms. First, the Koopa form, that of my father, which entails that the legs and arms remain short and stubby, while the body takes up the majority of the space. The shell encompasses the entire back, and grows very much. Almost half of the body is therefore the shell. This form is typically more powerful and sturdy. Also, it is possible to curl up into a spiked ball in this form, which is nearly impossible in the second form.

The second form is the humanoid form. In this form, the legs and arms are elongated, and the shell remains the same size as childhood. The Dragon-Koopa appears as if it is a human wearing a Koopa shell, or a backpack. While this form is more uncommon, it does have its uses, such as greater speed and agility compared to the Dragon-Koopa form; plus, they can jump much higher. However, the ability to shell retreat is greatly restricted, being fairly difficult to perform due to the shell’s smaller size and distance from the limbs, therefore depending on the attack style of the Dragon-Koopa, this may not be the best for them. Not that this can be controlled, mind you; it’s just a statement.

The main differences between these two are height and limb size. The humanoid Dragon-Koopas are typically taller due to the longer, more slender legs, but have less muscle unless developed.

Heads usually only grow slightly during the growth period, and will no longer be disproportionate with the bodies at full size.

During the aging process, many abilities that were weaker are empowered, due to the size-development of internal organs.

The pads on the stomach increase in number; as mentioned before, around seven is the most common number of stomach pads. They increase in size before they divide.

Once again, thank you for reading and making my suffering somewhat worthwhile. I hope this clarifies any misconceptions about the Dragon-Koopa. Next time, I shall pass the parole over to my younger brother, Ignatius Koopa, who will speak about the abilities and internal details of Chrysemys Dragonous.