[Draymond]
Erindor
Master Erindor

Erindor's Anatomical Information
©Nicholas Raymer

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...Muscular System...

--In respect to Draconian physiology, the musculature of Erindor has been dramatically altered in various aspects to increase the efficiency of the motor system. Purebred dragons are flyers, and generally very large; a situation calling for enhanced leverage and decreased muscle fatigue through more complex muscle groups. Most of the muscles (or muscle groups) in Erindor's body have an equal double or a double termed as a minor. Because of this adaptation, Erindor possess nearly 1700 muscles. Extensive use of contractile tendons and their lubricating sheaths allows for alternate insertion points for various muscles. This allows for the alteration of levers in the body.--

Top down, Erindor maintains the same facial musculature as a human with obvious distortions given his elongated snout. Moving downwards, the muscles of Erindor's neck support a flexible structure that is closer in resemblance to a human neck than it is a draconian one. Yes, its a degree longer, but the cervical column still bears a degree of the head's mass. There's a slight curvature to it, facing forward, and its strapped with well developed muscles that comfortably hold the head at rest against gravity. The muscles that have overdeveloped to compensate for this anatomical change include the semispinalis capitis, trapezius, splenius cervicis, splenius capitis, and levator scapulae. Other muscles have been added from draconian physiology, including a pair of (left and right lateral) cervical flexors (long straps of muscle on either side of the neck that originate in the scapulae has multiple insertion points along the cervical vertebrae until ultimately inserting into the posterior of the skull. These muscles serve to support the head, help turn it, and bend the neck left or right. A massive dorsal erector stabilizes the skull against gravity, pulling the head up (as if to look upwards), and straightens the arch of the neck. This dorsal erector's antagonist muscles are those that tuck the chin against the chest.

Draconian inherent muscle additions also include those that locomote his caudal vertebrae (his tail). His tail's side to side movement is governed by lateral caudal flexors that run the length of his tail. These are the powerful swinging muscles that would be used to strike the tail against an object, or provide quick X axis balance corrections. A dorsal and ventral erector caudae work to straighten the tail, as well as raising or lowering it. Fifty-two vertebrae make up Erindor's tail, and each is connected to the next with eight muscles to make for fine balance adjustments along the length of the appendage. Other secondary muscle groups refine the base movements of the lateral flexors and ventral/dorsal erectors. In total, 436 muscles make up Erindor's tail (a quarter of all the skeletal muscles in his body) and make it semi-prehensile. Unless otherwise directed by his motor cortex, the muscles of Erindor's tail operate mostly on reflex to maintain balance for fine adjustments or unexpected bodily movements.

As noted in the overview, Erindor's musculature is one that has many doubled muscles. Most muscle groups are doubled up to reduce muscle stress, fatigue, and improve efficiency. This is mostly achieved by extending the insertion point of a muscle by using an ultra high tensile strength contractile tendon that moves the effective force of a 3rd class lever closer to the load. A good example would be his upper arms with what would be triceps, and biceps brachii. Instead, they become hexaceps, and quadceps brachii. For those muscles that don't have a major and minor address, they take on a major and minor address (the doubled muscle being referred to as the minor). The designation minor for doubled muscles doesn't indicate if the muscle is inferior to its twin. For preexisting muscle pairs with the major and minor designation, the twins would be termed as superior for the twin of the major muscle, and inferior for the twin of the minor. All muscles in his body are doubled aside from aside from the facial muscles, forearm extensors and flexors, gluteus maximus, and rectus abdominis. Doubling sheets of muscle (such as the internal oblique abdominal, external oblique abdominal, latissimus dorsi, erector spinae, spinalis thoracis, rhomboideus major/minor, supraspinatus, simply implies layering the muscles. The trapezius minor (twin of the trapezius) is an important muscle in supporting the head.



It is to be noted at this juncture that Erindor's tendons and ligaments are made of polysaccharides, gossamer (a very high tensile protein), and water. Erindor's entire musculature and attachment hardware is dominated by this ultra strong tissue. An elevated form of elastin performs well in returning body tissues back to their original form after being distended. 

Erindor's muscles visually look very smooth, and are of a deep red colour, like spilled blood on black marble.

How Erindor is able to generate and harness electrical energy will be reviewed in Nervous System. To brush on the topic, enzymatic biofuel cells in conjunction with stacks of electrocytes (voltage producing biological cells) make up the primary power for his motor system. As soon as these organs receive motor impulses from the brain, they amplify the signal and send the charge through the necessary circuits at a rate comparable of electrical energy transfer through a copper wire (think of the speed of light as the upper limit of this).



Through a bit of computing, we find that Erindor's absolute upper limit of strength given the current cross sectional size of his muscle fibers to be about 31,500 pounds (14,288Kg) on the bench press and move 105,000 lbs (47,627Kg) 1.5 feet per second (vertically) with both his legs**. Therefore a comparatively 'scrawny' draconian of about 6 feet in height could actually bench 2,346 pounds...given an equally sized and muscled human who could only achieve 150 pounds.

**With both legs, Erindor only endures 46.2557 MPa of pressure as a whole (as if his femurs were actually one large one). This is well within his skeletal tolerances of up to 2GPa.)**

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[Draymond]
Erindor's Anatomical Information