Dragon

Dragons are extremely large and powerful reptilian animals that expel dangerous flame breath. The average dragon has an intelligence comparable to that of the common dolphin.

Dragons prefer to settle in old ruins and cave complexes. Through the Steel Age, humans often destroyed such locations to discourage dragons from nesting close to settlements. Such precautions fell out of practice after dragon hunters from Nevarra hunted them to near-extinction. Most people thought that dragons were already extinct for centuries, but a notable rampage by a high dragon during the end of the Blessed Age became the cause for the name of the current age.

Not all humans are hostile to dragons. The "dragon cults" of legend were notorious for their fanatic devotion to their particular high dragon. Although much remains unknown, evidence suggests that high dragons may allow such devoted humans to assist in the care of dragonlings in exchange for dragon blood.

Involvement
In Dragon Age: Origins, there are a total of four mature dragons the party can encounter (excluding the archdemon at the end of the storyline). Two of these are ordinary dragons, and two are high dragons. See the relevant quests below for more details.

During the search for the Urn of Sacred Ashes, the party will come across a high dragon lurking the mountainside of the Frostback Mountains. The player has the choice of fighting the dragon or letting it be. The dragon's lair itself is protected by a number of drakes, dragonlings and cultists from a nearby village.

If the player chooses to fight the legendary Flemeth, she will be compelled to shift into a high dragon that the Warden must kill.

While wandering the elven ruins of the Brecilian Forest, the party will come across a dragon in one of the rooms. The dragon guards the path to the lower depths.

If the player opts to solve an optional puzzle at the Orzammar Royal Palace before a new king is crowned, they will come across an ancient dragon that has been caged for centuries by the throne of Orzammar. Defeating the dragon yields the silverite greatsword Ageless.

Dragonling
Newly-hatched dragons are roughly the size of a deer and voraciously hungry. They live for a short time in their mother's lair before venturing out on their own. The slender, wingless creatures are born in vast numbers, as only a few ever make it to adulthood.

Dragonlings are usually ranked as critters, being newborns. They will attack in groups of at least three. It would only be natural to think there are drakes and high dragons not far behind.

Drake
Male dragons never develop into the winged monsters of myth. Their forelegs grow only vestigial spurs where wing membranes would be in female dragons.

Drakes seek out the lairs of high dragons immediately after reaching maturity. Often several drakes will linger around the home of a high dragon, each hoping to receive approval. Once a drake is selected by a high dragon, he will be monogamous for life. Drakes defend their potential nest aggressively, and many would-be dragon hunters have lost their lives to a drake's fiery breath or a crushing blow from its tail.

Drakes are a step up from dragonlings. Ranked normal or elite, the Warden will encounter usually two or more at once. Drakes have an uncanny resistance to fire, being dragons, so it is recommendable to switch out fire damage with cold or something else.

Dragon
Female dragons take much longer to mature than their male counterparts. They too undergo a metamorphosis of sorts at adulthood; But while males lose the use of their forepaws, females actually grow a third set of limbs specifically to serve as wings.

Young females travel great distances looking for a suitable nesting site. Because of their nomadic habits, these are the dragons most frequently encountered by man.

With a stronger resistance to fire, dragons are mostly elites or boss-level encounters. It is rare to find even one, much less several of them altogether.

High Dragon
High dragons are mature female dragons. They are the great monsters of legend and the rarest of all dragonkind. The high dragon will excavate a massive lair for herself in order to accommodate her harem of drakes, eggs, and dragonlings. High dragons rarely leave their lairs; they prefer to spend their time sleeping, mating, and living off the prey their drakes bring back. However, roughly once every century, the high dragon will prepare for clutching by taking wing. For weeks she will fly far and wide, eating hundreds of animals. Leaving devastation in her wake, she then returns to her lair to lay her eggs.

Queen of the Blackmarsh
The Queen of the Blackmarsh was once a large dragon, that was wreaking havoc on the village of Blackmarsh and killing everyone that attempted to dispose of her. However when the new Orlesian baroness heard of her people's plight, she went alone to the dragon. After a brief amount of time and a loud noise, she returned to the village and the dragon was never seen again.

When the Warden travels to Blackmarsh in Dragon Age: Awakening he/she can find all five missing dragon bones and return them to the skull northwest of the entrance. After doing so the Fade barrier beside the skull will dissipate leading the way to the fight with the Queen of the Blackmarsh which manifests as a spectral dragon. After the dragon is defeated she yields the traditional amount of rare loot as well as an Ancient Dragon Bone which is a powerful material for Wade to make into a weapon.