I was in the midst of reading the EarthDawn dragon PDF when I got to the section on dragon development:
If dragon eggs take a century or more to hatch, then what happened to the eggs that gestating during the last century of the 4th World? Were they effectively aborted when the man levels dropped? (if so, really sucks to be the ones that were just about the hatch--I've heard of poorly timed pregnancies, but that's a bit ridiculous). Did they also go into stasis like the adults? (which would win the record for "longest pregnancy"). Or were the dragons aware of the end of the age and just simply stopped reproducing for the last century of the 4th World?

And here's another random thought--Dunklezahn was a Great Dragon, which, according to my reading, are the ones in dragon society that are given the eggs to raise. I wonder if he had any under his care when he bought the big one, and, if so, what happened to them?

Since the ambient mana levels can be artificially controlled using powerful magics, then I would say it's quite possible that dragons set up a sort of rookery that would be in such an artificially high-mana zone to make sure the eggs don't terminate.

I always assumed that the eggs went into stasis, like all dragons. Although Slump has a good theory too.
If Dunkelzahn had any eggs, I'm sure they would've been assigned to another great in the "secret" part of his will.
I would guess Hestaby.

While not cannon, one of the novels had dragon eggs, I forget the name, one with an Ork as the protagonist. If I remeber correctly in it the eggs had simply been in statis all this time and were now getting ready to hatch.

The novels are canon, unless you're talking about one of the ones after FASA.

~J

Could some be found and placed in a museum?

That sure would be interesting... especially when the next cycle starts up. That 'fossil' they found suddenly spouts a newborn dragon.

Hmm.... I have an idea for a one-off run...

I belive it was never trust an elf 6th book in the series. Yes I remeber it saying the eggs were in statis as well.

The ork in question was kham and I belive an elf named yurdli was in it as well as doger and I think one of the tir's princes.

Geodes, man. Geodes.
Just sayin'.

I'm going to defer to the expert on this one: Mason

How often do dragons lay? Can they controll the process? I really have no text-ev, but I would guess that their egg laying cycle is fairly long and they most likely can choose not to lay by using magic. Regardless, they probably have control over whether or not they fertalize any eggs, just as humans do.

If my hypothosis is correct, then only a careless dragon would lay fertalized eggs when she knew the magical downturn was only a century or two away.

That isn't to say that some dragonesses aren't careless.

If you want to know about whether or not the novels are canon, read some of them then re-read the sourcebooks. Read 2XS then read Universal Brotherhood or Bug City...read Never Trust an Elf then Dragons of the Sixth World...

The Abstruse One