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I am adding dragons to my current world. However my world currently uses a sympathetic style of 'magic' and qualifies to the laws of thermodynamics (much to 'The Kingkiller Chronicles'). In this case, I'm stumped on what could be used for the dragons to attain flight? This is an entire Terra-Formed world, with our style land/sea ratios.

I did view this How could dragons be explained without magic? question. Using a sympathetic link (as quoted from the question) this could work:

hydrogen gas trapped in large pockets within its body to the point that it could fly despite its apparent large size

The dragons would range from babies (several kilos) to large venerable ones (several tonnes). This would mean that following the laws, it would take around 400 litres of hydrogen to lift one pound. But where would they get this from, what sort of area would produce enough hydrogen gas to allow them to create a sympathetic link with it? And would it be possible to do so with the amount they could need?

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  • $\begingroup$ If you make Hydrogen filled Dragons, they will be far lighter than their size suggests; did you keep this in mind when you said "several tonnes"? What kind of size can they grow to? $\endgroup$
    – Erik
    Jan 23, 2015 at 11:02
  • $\begingroup$ Well the size of some of them could be around blue whale on our planet. This could mean they do not fly at all, due to the amount needed to create the lift. They wouldn't be hydrogen 'filled', but creating a sympathetic link of "lift". I.e. using a lock of hair on a voodoo doll would create a link to a person, using hydrogen would create lift for a dragon. But where would they get this from? $\endgroup$
    – FirstCape
    Jan 23, 2015 at 11:07

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Algae and Bacteria can already produce hydrogen through organic processes; your Dragons could effectively do the same thing. Hydrogen is the most common atom type in the universe and available in abundance in every organic material as well as in water.

Check out this Wiki article for info regarding hydrogen creation in lifeforms:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biohydrogen

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  • $\begingroup$ Biohydrogen, brilliant. Did not know about this and this creates further opportunity for WB. $\endgroup$
    – FirstCape
    Jan 23, 2015 at 11:22
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    $\begingroup$ Hydrogen, in its ion form (like found in water) is just a proton. Mitochondria use sort of "hydrogen pump" proteins to create a gradient of hydrogen that, coming back into the organelle, allows for the creation of Adenosine Triphosphate (the energy "currency" used in cells). Mitochondria are found in great numbers in almost every cell of almost every pluri-cellular organisms. $\endgroup$
    – Sheraff
    Jan 23, 2015 at 12:19

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