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Gaia Xenowyrms were released on June 27, 2015, alongside the Astrapi, Chrono, Mageia, Pyro and Thalassa Xenowyrms.

This release was the first to introduce wyrms into Dragon Cave.

Official descriptions[]

Egg[]

Mana courses throughout this glassy egg.

Hatchling[]

Aww... It’s a cute baby dragon. But... where are its legs?

Mature hatchling[]

Aww... It’s a cute baby dragon. But... where are its legs?

And look! It has gotten bigger and is now able to use magic. It must be close to maturing.

Adult[]

Originating from a single species that thrived in ancient times, Xenowyrms have become an incredibly diverse breed whose appearances vary depending on their habitats. Each Xenowyrm subspecies is heavily reliant on the power of different types of mana, making them powerful magic users. Gaia, despite their large size, are the lightest of all Xenowyrm subspecies. They possess the ability to use incredibly powerful life magic, though most of their efforts are concentrated; to them, nothing is more important than letting plant life thrive. Adult Gaia will use their magic to grow vegetation around themselves so they can spread it wherever they travel.

Sprite artists[]

Sprites[]

Series Egg Hatchling Mature hatchling Adult
Gaia Xenowyrm Gaia egg Gaia hatchling Gaia mature hatchling Gaia adult

Egg sequence[]

Stage 0 Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5 Dead
Gaia Xenowyrm egg Gaia Xenowyrm crack 1 Gaia Xenowyrm crack 2 Gaia Xenowyrm crack 3 Gaia Xenowyrm crack 4 Gaia Xenowyrm crack 5 Gaia Xenowyrm dead egg

Retired sprites[]

Temporary event sprites
Series Egg Hatchling Mature hatchling Adult
April Fools' Day 2018 Gaia adult AF 2018
April Fools' Day 2020 Gaia adult AF 2020
April Fools' Day 2022 Gaia adult AF 2022

Breeding[]

Xenowyrms are capable of producing any Xenowyrm variety when bred. Which variety will be produced is influenced by the Xenowyrm parent's variety and the biome of a non-Xenowyrm partner.[1]

Gaia Xenowyrm x non-Xenowyrm (from biome) may produce:

  • Gaia Xenowyrm
  • Non-Xenowyrm parent's breed
  • One of the Xenowyrm varieties found in the non-Xenowyrm parent's biome

Gaia Xenowyrm x non-Xenowyrm (bred, Market, or Cave biome) may produce:

  • Gaia Xenowyrm
  • Non-Xenowyrm parent's breed
  • Any of the other Xenowyrm varieties

Gaia Xenowyrm x Xenowyrm may produce:

  • Gaia Xenowyrm
  • Partner Xenowyrm's variety
  • Any of the other Xenowyrm varieties

Additionally a Staterae Xenowyrm can be produced when breeding any Xenowyrm to another Xenowyrm or to a non-Xenowyrm dragon.

Encyclopedia entry[]

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Encyclo title bar

There are no notes available for this breed. Check back later; new information will be added periodically.

Trivia[]

  • Under the legacy breed sort, these dragons sort as "Xenowyrm 4" ("4" indicative of the Jungle habitat).

Additional information[]

Xenowyrms concept art

XENOWYRMS

Yeaaahhh, Wyrms! And not just one, but six. Well, I guess they count as one, kind of, since they're all Xenowyrms-- ehh whatever, they're all wildly different enough from each other. SIX.

Astrapi Xenowyrms are aligned with Lightning. They're...spiky. And pointy. And kind of mean.
But they mean well, really, they don't generally be mean just for the sake of it (usually).
Thalassa Xenowyrms are aligned with Water. They have thick frills and are squishy like sponges.
They also have gills, as can probably be seen in the sprite!
Mageia Xenowyrms are aligned with Magi (shocking, right?). They're super smooth and reflective.
Incredibly wise, don't like dealing with too much stupidity, but do like to teach those that are willing to learn.
Chrono Xenowyrms are aligned with Time. They're... also spiky. And they glow. A lot. Seriously their underbellies are super glowy.
They also have flowers that grow on their bodies that bloom and perish with their Time magic.
Gaia Xenowyrms are aligned with Life. They're more matte and smooth in a way more like wood that's been stripped of bark.
They have frills that are made of something akin to the wings of a bug, but they are not wings.
Pyro Xenowyrms are aligned with t3h ph1r3 Fire. They have a temper. But they're also super toasty and probably make great night lights,
since they have lots of little glowing spots all over them.

Each of their adult descriptions vary, so be sure to read those if you wanna know some neat info on each different Xenowyrm subspecies!
birdzgoboom (Forum Post)
  • Birdzgoboom did Q&A replies on the forum's release thread after the adults were revealed, with the following information to offer:
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What's the reason behind the name "Xenowyrm"?
The reason behind the name [Xeno] is because of how old the species itself is. The Xenos are from a realllyyy freaking long time ago, which, if you look at say, a map of today compared to a map of what probably was the earth millions of years ago, it looks like a pretty foreign planet, no?
Anyway, that was the main reason behind the name.
ALSO THEY'RE NAMED THAT BECAUSE I WAS JUST REALLY FEELING THE SOUND OF XENOWYRM.

Are the names you listed in your post all the singular form?
Yep. Well, you can call them "Thalassa Xenowyrm(s)" or also shorten it to "Thalassas," "Gaias," "Chronos," etc.

--Edited to further clarify now that I am no longer tired:
Singular: Astrapi/Thalassa/Mageia/Chrono/Gaia/Pyro [Xenowyrm]
Plural: Astrapi/Thalassa/Mageia/Chrono/Gaia/Pyro [Xenowyrms]
Shorter Plural: Astrapis/Thalassas/Mageia/Chronos/Gaia/Pyros

How did you come up with each individual name? O:
Names that fit the elements as close as possible, save for Gaia, which means more of "earth" than it does "life." I didn't like the actual name for Life, so I went with Gaia. It fits enough because they have plants all over them, too... They follow a Greek theme.

Birdz, how large are these babs? What do they eat?
They're pretty gigantic. Seeing as though they stem from what I'd like to think of a more prehistoric species, I would bet they're pretty darn large compared to a lot of other dragons (another reason why they have some pretty big sprites). EDIT: Oh, they all have different diets.

So Chrono's can create lag?
Yes. THE LAGMONSTER IS REAL. Hide your scrolls.

After getting over the shock of the knock-out punch you delivered with these guys, I was wondering. Were they inspired after the Chirstmas and Valentine's events with the mana stones? I can't help but see a resemblance. Especially with the whole mana theme.
Ahaha, not really, but helping head the Christmas event was a great way to gain more knowledge on how mana works in DC. The mana theme just came from me liking the mana theme. If the material to build off of is there (i.e: the mana lore), why not take advantage of it? 8D

So Birdz...how do they breed...even though I just want to love them and stuff them together in pairs xD
IT'S A SECRET TO EVERYBODY.

Yes, is it possible you sprited 12 varieties, one for each type of mana, and that we'd be able to breed the other 6?
I would be dead if there were 12 of them. (Really, TJ might have killed me. nahjk)

The mageia are already stated to be 'incredibly wise', but how about the others? Do they all vary?
Yeah, they all vary, though none of them are inherently "stupid." You've just got varying degrees of intelligence.
Some of them are stronger (i.e: Pyros) and some of them are smarter (i.e: Mageia).
On a scale of intelligence, I'd probably put them at this:
Mageia > Chrono/Gaia > Thalassa > Astrapi/Pyro.

If you put one of each all together in a room would they get along?
Rofl, put an Astrapi in a room with a Pyro alone and see how well that goes.
The Astrapis/Pyros would probably have a harder time getting along with anything than the others would. Especially the Gaias, they're pretty much benevolent sweethearts.

How exactly do you pronounce Xenowyrm?
I personally pronounce it like the 'X' is pronounced like a 'z.' Zee-no wyrm.

Six Xenowyrms, one from each biome, slither into a bar, and they all get drunk and start arguing. Which one would win the "Grumpiest Noodle" award? For the purposes of this question, assume the bar is large enough to accommodate colossal spiky spaghetti monsters.
Definitely the Mageia. It has such a quick wit, really. It could express its grumpiness very eloquently.

What would be the reactions of each of the six xenowyrm types if a desipis came and tried to hypnotise it?
Well, none of them would like it, that's for sure lol. But I imagine it would be especially hard to control the Mageia due to how intelligent it is, same goes for the Chrono and Gaia.

How strong do the Cassies affect each of the Xenos?
Well, since the Cassies suppress the magical energy, it would probably leave the Xenos very disoriented, especially since they're pretty heavily reliant on their magic.

Do you have any info you can share on Xenowyrm breeding and courtship habits? 8D
Nooot yeeettt! I'll share one thing, though: Chronos like to grow more of their glowy flowers whenever they see another dragon they really like. ;D It makes them look even more magnificent to the potential mate, I bet.

How does the strength of their magic compare to the strength of a GoN's magic?
They're not as strong as the GoN. I can't really measure it since there's no clearly defined "POWER METER" for the GoN, but they are still very powerful. Just not as strong as the GoN. GoN is based DC god.

How are their relations with humans (not so much official, just your head cannons.)
Depends for each subspecies. Thalassas and Gaias probably would get along most with humans. Anything further would more than likely be elaborated upon in the Encyclopedia entries.

Do these flowery growths make the Chronos smell better to potential suitors? If so do male Chronos' flowers produce any specific scents, such as super-manly-man Old Spice-like pheromones?
W-well. I'd assume they have a nice fragrance, seeing as though they're flowers, but it's probably how glowy and elegant they look that makes them more appealing.

Does the type of flower vary from Chrono to Chrono, or is it just generic flowers blooming?
They can bloom a variety of flowers, but they'd always be white. The sprite itself actually has two different kinds of flowers-- the tiny flowers all over its body are different from the bell-like flowers that are on the end of its tail.

And beyond that- if the flowers do vary, do they vary based on intensity of emotion, the breed the emotion is directed towards, the specific dragon it's directed towards?
I'd think it more of a "what kind of flower would be most appealing to this mate?" situation. They'd probably do their best to guess what the other dragon likes and impress them that way, but really, growing flowers all over oneself is already probably impressive enough as it is, lmao.

Which Xenowyrm did you come up with first?
YES. I WAS WAITING FOR THIS QUESTION. I made the Gaia first! The Gaia Xenowyrm is the original babbu that started the snowball of creation of all the other babbus. I was so enthralled with how it turned out that I was like, "What would it be like if I just. Made more. Omg." And that's how that train of thought went.

"Their beautiful yellow scutes are reflective and smooth like glass, making them very valuable to collectors." Does this mean Mageia or others might be rarer to hunt down than other Xenowyrms? / There's also this line in the Chrono description: "Chronos are often considered to be the most elusive of all Xenowyrm subspecies: they live in the darkest and densest forests, far from civilization."
Flavor text for species lore building. Nothing more. All Xenowyrm subspecies are the same rarity in-game.

Birdz, do you have a favorite snek babbu?
Yeah, I'm a bad mother and have a favourite babbu. My fav one is the Gaia. It has a special place in my heart.

How did you choose each magic type? Why not ice, or earth?
I went through a few different phases trying to figure out which ones to make, tbh. I wasn't sure if Alpine should be Lightning, Air, or Ice, I wasn't sure if Jungle should be Life or Earth, I wasn't sure if Desert should be Magi or Earth... etc. In the end, I went with the final elements because I just had the most inspiration for them. I started out each sprite like a silhouette, and built off from there design-wise, and each of them just kind of morphed into their own thing. It was a really awesome learning process... //rambling

Birdz, how long did you work on each adult sprite??
Oh man. I'm not sure.
I know the Gaia and the Thalassa took a long time. Those two are probably the ones that took me the most time... the Astrapi/Mageia were the fastest two, but they still took me a while. I stayed up really late a few days in a row to try to get one adult done a day, but I don't remember if I was actually able to do that with more than just a few or not. I had to take a break from the Pyro once because he was making me annoyed, lol.

Did you have any thought related to these time flowers (on the Chrono) from Lucario and the Mystery of Mew or not?
Nah, they're not a reference to the movie (great movie, though). It was more of the symbolism I was going for-- flowers are pretty delicate. We have some incredibly beautiful bearded irises by the side of my house, but their lifespans are so short, that their beauty is pretty much just fleeting. That was my main inspiration for using the flowers as symbolism for Time. That, and they really needed something other than shades of teal, haha. White complements the shades of teal fairly well.
Along the same vein, the Gaia also has symbolism there with the Life element-- when I think of life, one of the things I think of (and I'm sure I'm not the only one) is something coming from a cocoon. That's what inspired the more insect-like design elements on the Gaia (like the frills looking like bug wings and the actual dragon itself being more matte and wood-y). I suppose the Chrono and the Gaia are a bit more obscure with their inspiration when compared to, say, the Pyro, eheh.

Can any of these guys fly? Like via levitation or whatever? Or are they all purely 'land' dragons / swimmers?
They can indeed fly, and yes via levitation. You'd see a Gaia flying much more often than say, a Thalassa, however, seeing as though the Thalassa is more of a water-dwelling variant. (It does give it room to do some pretty cool tricks out of the water though, huh? |D")
Astrapis spend almost all of their time airborne, so I'd say those ones fly the most compared to the others.

Will they be gods and goddesses of the 6 areas?
E-eh, well, I didn't exactly plan anything around that. That would be more of something up to TJ, since he knows the world better than anyone else here! I wouldn't deny it being a possibility though, who knows. If it was a thing, they would probably be more of demigods/minor gods/goddesses, underneath the GoN and the Avatars, that's for sure. The GoN and Avatars are in their own league.

Is any of the six varieties bigger than a Stone dragon? And is the Pyro harder than it?
Just like the GoN is in its own league magic-wise, I think the Stone is pretty much in its own league size-wise. These guys aren't bigger than a Stone, but they're still fairly massive. Pyros are tough, but I'd imagine Stones are still harder.

Hey birdz do any of these like to eat birds xD ?
Rofl, well, they can eat birds as long as they don't eat birdz. (Really tho, more precise info will be in the eventual Encyclopedia entries for these guys!)

Were these ever on the completed list, or somewhere they could've been seen by users?
I did them on my own in private.
I believe TJ has said in his Bossman thread what he looks for in a dragon for release. (Not sure what page it was on, though... I think it was fairly recent?)

birdz which ones of these breeds can fly? Which ones only slither on the ground? Some of them are able to dig tunnels in the ground and live there?
All of them can fly by levitation, but the Thalassas don't do it as much because... well, they're water-dwelling. Astrapis fly around like moody air-godzillas the most. Chronos are almost always airborne as well, but they stay muuuch closer to the ground, like only a few feet away from it most of the time. It's easier than slithering, especially since they have such spiny necks.
If any of them were to dig tunnels, it would probably be the Pyro, Mageia, or Gaia, but none of them really do. Most of them just find places to dwell, like caves, ruins, etc. without any real need to dig around. Hatchies would probably have the tendency to dig more than adults.

birdz how did the water mana decide to give Thalassa Xenowyrms fins? I mean yeah that is a typical evolution progression for many forms of aquatic life, but how does the mana know that?
I guess the real question is have the subspecies evolved mostly from exposure to mana, or has each subspecies evolved first and then consequently come in contact with mana relating to their behaviour?
Good question. C: I think of it more that they evolved naturally, and as they evolved, came in contact with the mana in their habitats, which is what made them more involved with their element over time. After so long, they've become pretty much reliant on that type of mana (like Thalassas with water mana, Pyros with fire mana, and so forth).
As for whether or not mana itself 'knows' to evolve a creature a certain way, that's probably more of a TJ question.

Do you have an approximate measure of their length?
I wiiiiishhh!
My idea of "big" is very different from others' ideas of "big," and since there's no real solid size scale here on DC currently, I'm not sure how big they would be in actual numbers.

Are the Xenowyrms solitary or communal? If the latter, how is the leadership of the group decided, if there's a leader at all? What's the name for a group of Xenowyrms?
They're definitely solitary. The Chronos in general like to be left alone, the Pyros and Astrapis are territorial (Pyros more so than Astrapis), and the Mageia honestly couldn't be bothered. The ones that would be more 'okay' with being in a group (group meaning two or four at the most) would be Thalassas and Gaia, but I would think that would be a pretty rare occurrence.

In the descriptions it states "Originating from a single species that thrived in ancient times" does this mean that at some point in the future these guys will be given a summon feature to allow us a chance to get the ancient dragon??
I have no plans for any sort of "Summon" BSA equivalent, no.

How do you envision these guys tying into the mana shards? do you see them helping wizards collect them by either locating them (like a mana detector) or making them appear (like the dragons focus their energy or the shards are just a byproduct of their existence). Or do you see the shards as being in each dragons horde with the humans stealing the mana from the hordes?
If anything, they coexist with the mana and protect it. They need the mana to survive, and I'm pretty sure a wild Xenowyrm would much rather see the mana stay in its habitat than leave with humans.

Can the Chronos dragons time jump like Doctor Who?? or just slow down/speed up time? and since time is slowed in a Chronos's lair does this effect the aging of the dragons?
Rofl, I think they'd speed up/slow down time, not necessarily time jump. If that were something that was possible (like, if TJ said "yeah totally time magic can send stuff through time"), then maybe, but that feels pretty OP, even more so than just speeding up time/slowing it down.
And yes, from what I've learned/understood of the Time element, if the speed of time is altered for a certain thing (like the flowers for instance), it can make time go way slower for them or way faster, affecting that thing's age.

Birdz, this is a stupid question, but can people ride their Xenowyrms?
Totally! It would probably be hard to find a place to sit though because they're so spiky.
Not related but also completely related: most Gaia Xenowyrms like to let people (or animals/other smaller dragons) sleep or rest in the leaves on their backs.

What do Gaias do about forest fires? Do they try to stop them to avoid damage to existing plants, or do they let them happen to promote the vigorous new growth that occurs afterwards?
Well, since they're Life element, they can't really do much to stop a fire.
So, they would let it happen, and then try to help get that place back on its feet once again after the fire stopped.
birdzgoboom (Forum Post)

References[]

  1. Forum post by artist birdzgoboom; Xenowyrm breeding pattern
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