[I might want to go back and edit it since its been awhile and i might have stuff to add or clean up, but here's the original]
Let me get a few false misconceptions out of the way before I start hitting at the heart of my expose:
First off, dragons are not mindless, shiny obsessed monsters. They actually have something called taste, preferring things for their value. It just so happens that a lot of valuable things are shiny, especially gold and silver in the medieval era which the most common type of dragons are depicted in.
It doesn’t matter how much shinier a cubic zirconia looks; a dragon is going to want the diamond. Just like a Lionel train collector would pass over a newer and prettier train made in Taiwan for an original Lionel train in good condition any day of the week. It’s the value, not the look.
Secondly, not all dragons are pyromaniacs. Some don’t even breathe fire in the first place. This notion of people thinking dragons run around burning anything that crosses their path is far different from the fact that a breath weapon is a tool for self defence and practical tasks.
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The draconic soul is now as it always was and for that reason, a dragon has always been a dragon throughout existence. A dragon simply cannot be otherwise. However, a dragon can be anything it wants to be. Thus, to an extent, it can imitate the abilities and powers of almost any other being. These can range from shape and appearance (there are several myths where Dragons went among man or other beasts in disguise), spell casting and a plethora of other habits and specialties that dragons may come across and find interesting or useful. This can make it rather difficult to actually identify draconic souls; however there are some traits which can be recognized in them.
Draconic souls have a very uniquely distinctive aura. Therefore the aura of a dragon otherkin can appear as an abnormally large mass of energy, filling or sometimes exceeding the room size. Concerning the profile, the aura may appear shaped vaguely as a dragon of myth or have no discernable shape at all. Also, the naturally high amount of energy dragons emit can make them a magnet for supernatural and paranormal activity. As a result, unusual activities tend to plague dragons wherever they go, making it rarely dull with one about.
If myths and legends are to be believed to an extent, a draconic soul is usually an old one which may carry secrets of time and space. This allows for the potential of having, not only the ability to use great power, but an age old wisdom and knowledge of it. It can be further theorized that this is why most who claim draconic souls also claim an innate ability or attraction to magick and the occult. Thus giving them to use and understand magickal and other metaphysical subjects. For example, dragons can be considered telepathic and/or empathetic as well as possess several other natural psionic talents.
As with all Otherkin, there is no guarantee that one who may bear draconic past lives will awaken. Those who do are further not guaranteed to accept this possibility and may reject it still. Meanwhile, the few that do awaken and accept, will most likely not recall very much of their powers and wisdom from ages past.
So within a human body and having the abilities of the human brain, most dragons that ‘awaken’ often have or already had a strong interest in or are magick practitioners, occult members, psychics, and or witches. According to my own experiences and the opinions of others I have conversed with, many dragons often find typical magickal methods trapping or cumbersome and within a short time may develop their own way of practicing it. Their newly developed methods are as idiosyncratic as the person and the task at hand. For dragons, understanding and exploring another way to accomplish a goal can be just as important to their practice even if these methods are not as effective as time honoured traditions. This is very common of dragons that pride wisdom and knowledge which is most often dragons of Eastern mythology.
Draconic otherkin may be likely to enjoy learning and associating with people, and may have a tendency to seem childish at times, yet rather wise during others. In regards to age, young dragons are often flighty and given to suspicion, mistrust, obsessions, flights of fancy, spontaneity and foolishness. Older dragons meanwhile, come across as being wiser, quieter, much more sure of themselves, and content (keep in mind that these are extremes and at very opposite ends of the spectrum).
Bear in mind, some of these characteristics can be affected based on the body they were born into and the gene line that it came from (so this is very generic). Also, not all dragons are on the same level, so power, specialties, attributes, psychic abilities, magickal potency, and, of chores, knowledge levels will vary. Thus making it difficult to find universal traits which all draconic kindred share.