Using Magic to explain (certain) evolution of creatures

I have two stories I'm writing, one military science fiction and the other science fantasy. I have a lot of mythical creatures (some conventional "cliche") and others I'm sure are fairly "original" (as far as they can be at least)

I want the world to make as much sense as possible, so would it be possible to use magic to explain the thousands of creatures and how different they are from each other? Dragons don't make much evolutionary sense IRL obviously, but could we add "magic" as a sort of Hand Wave?

What could this do? What limitations should I set? What other things would I be missing? Potential Fridge Logic do I need to explain throughly?

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Do the two stories take place in the same setting? If so, you've said that one is science-fantasy and the other science-fiction—is magic particularly limited in your setting that a non-science-fantasy story works?

If they don't take place in the same setting, then do I take it that the setting for which you're asking is the science fantasy setting?

If magic is already present in your setting, then I think that the answer depends heavily on how your magic works, perhaps especially on what determines who or what can use it. For example, if your magic requires language or a conscious mind for the creation of magical effects, then it might not make much sense for it to develop in animals without these traits.

On the other hand, if magic is available to animals, plants, etc., then I could easily see it taking a part in the processes of their development—indeed, depending on the magic system, it could be a significant advantage for a species to have access to magic.

In short: it depends on how your magic works.

It can be done, I do believe; the webcomic Unsounded has its "vliegengs", which I believe use specialised appendages to catch on to lines in that setting's spectral, underlying reality (and source of magic), allowing the creatures to effectively fly.

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Harry Potter has magic that requires thought and language. Yet there are still animals that evolved to use magic. Though I think the explanation is these animals can pretty much just do one thing, while human wizards have the intelligence to do whatever.

At the risk of giving a non-answer, the best answer is simply to do what you want for your setting. If you want nigh undefeatable godlike dragons in your story, go for it. If you want challenging yet killable dragons, go for it. It's magic.

Making them creations of some wizard long dead works fine for me.

Not really that obvious.

Depending on the type of Dragon you are going by.

If by Dragon, you mean a creature can breath fire and fly (despite of its supposed size), yeah, it hardly make sense but for everything else (Don't forget, not all Dragon breath fire and fly), the closest we got are dinosaur.

So technically speaking...Dragons can exist under certain "right" condition however, they are probably not the variety that we are familiar with.

Edit: Yes, you could probably use Magic to explain why Dragons can fly and breath fire.

edited 9th Apr '15 3:46:01 AM by idiot

The Flight Of Dragons has dragons that have detailed information as to how they work.

edited 9th Apr '15 7:45:05 AM by EchoingSilence

Was it Guards Guards that did too?

At any rate, yeah, a magical explanation for the fantasy setting is fine. I have a couple of idea on how to get a dragon to fly in a sci-fi setting, but they require non-Earth or a far-future setting to justify it. (Either low gravity and an enormous wingspan, or the atmospheric version of a Mantis shrimp's claws to provide thrust, just off the top of my head.)

My preferred solution is to have these two worlds in parallel, and have creatures from the sci-fantasy world bleed over into the mil-sci one. (Have you ever seen Aura Battler Dunbine or - sigh - Escaflowne? Like that.)

As someone with a similar issue (assortment of fantasy creatures, most of them humanoid though). I'd like some suggestions as well.

Of course since magic is involved, I'd say have an old sorcerer from whatever prehistoric era (think Vandal Savage expy) cast a spell that affects evolution somehow (maybe sentient magic that games Natural Selection and the effect of Mutations)

Actually. I think I should use that for my story, but If you want you can use the idea as ell (I;m not placing a One-of-a-kind idea, it would be hypocritical considering that its on a site for documenting recurring patterns in fiction and because I see using your suggestions you made for other people's stories and claiming it as exclusive mine for use for my stories alone would be tantamount to stealing ideas)

In my world dragons are inherently magical, they were born of lizards (something akin to monitor lizards), but then mages found them and modified them, changing them so they walked erect, increasing their size so they stood as tall as elephants, hardening their scales until they were immune to arrows and blades, and making them more (but not humanly) intelligent and biddable. They then used them as war mounts, and managed to conquer a good part of the continent. Eventually this reign of terror was undone when a rebel mage managed to capture one by killing its rider, then further modified the beast with wings (albeit flying relied more on magic than muscles) and genuine intelligence, and taught it magic, including how to 'uplift' others of its kind. What followed was a war more devastating than the initial conquest, after which dragons went into self exile, well, except for the ones that became Tengu, and odd individuals who hung around near human villages in remote areas. Even then they didn't remain stable, now modifying themselves to be yet bigger and tougher, and much longer-lived. The whole breathing-fire thing is a misunderstanding, they don't do this, but do have a penchant for casting fireballs, which is likely the origin of this.

If magic exists as something usable by non-sentients, then I think dragons can evolve without outside interference. Begin with a smaller lizard, have its kids gain a small amount of magic, and its grandkids a little bit more, repeat. Over time they would gain enough magic to make fire out of nothing, and ignore gravity/aerodynamics enough to fly.

Extra thoughts: if magic is a mutagen (or just transmutative) that would speed things up.

Also if magic is guided by the user's thoughts/desires you can have some Lamarck Was Right in that the lizards use magic to change themselves and pass that onto their kids. And depending how magical they are, the changes could be quite extreme.

You must agree, my plan is sheer elegance in its simplicity! My Tumblr

The Fridge Logic is: why stop with Dragons? Why not modify a blue whale into a skyship and drop it onto enemy nations?