Dragons

**Dragons** are one of the many races that proliferate Halintar, far more commonly so than in a typical Dungeons and Dragons setting. As direct descendants of the six Dragon-Gods, they are powerful beings that often live in broods in or near their deity's capitol.

Do note that although this page denotes the general appearance and demeanor of each subspecies/bloodline, variations are sure to exist, and no dragon is created the same. The sky is the limit! Consult your DM if you have any questions or concerns.

## Subspecies/Bloodlines

There are six subspecies or bloodlines of dragons, each descending from one of the Dragon-Gods.

### **Miscellaneous Biological Information**

* All dragons are naturally omnivorous, as humanoids are, but may choose to have certain dietary restrictions due to personal values, allergies, etcetera.
* Wyrmlings and other young dragons may have different color patterns than their adult form, detailed in each individual subspecies section.
* Particularly old dragons (other than the Gods themselves) may experience fading in the saturation of their coloration, as well as flaking, shedding, or molting in patches along stress areas like their joints and along their wings.

### **Silver Dragons**

#### Physical Features

Silvers are the most stereotypically "dragon" shaped dragons of the six subspecies. They are almost canine-like in shape, bulky and straight-postured, similar to a pit bull except for their tummies being tucked in more at the bottom of the ribs. Their jaw is squared off and their head is largely rectangular, with a convex curve to their snout. The sharp teeth on their upper jaw protrude out from their mouth when it is closed. A silver dragon's neck extends about the same length as their head, displaying a slight curvature but not one as long as a typical bronze or purple dragon. They have one large frill that extends proudly from the center of their forehead and trails down their spine to the tip of their tail, as well as two ornate fins that sprout on either side of their head.

##### *Skin*

Following the trend of being the most traditionally designed of the dragons, silvers have tough scales that give off a metallic silver shimmer. At birth, their scales are a grayish-blue, much less shiny as to avoid being spotted by predators if they were to get lost from their home. However, as they grow their scales slowly become more and more glossy, shining even through any dirt, grime, or blood that may stain them in battles or general life. Their underbelly, starting from their chin and descending to mid-tail, is coated in a particularly dense plane of scales so as to protect their innards from attacks from below.

##### *Wings, Limbs, and Tail*

Silvers have two bat-like wings, with "spines" of scale and bone at the top that extend into a thick leathery wing on either side. They join at the base of the shoulder, sharing a joint with the dragon's front arms.

They also have four legs, two thinner ones at the front and two bulkier ones in the back. Their short toes and claws are dense, great for breaking through rough mountain terrain when climbing makes more sense than flight. They have three toes on the end of each stubby foot, each accompanied by their own clawed dewclaw.

These dragons are primarily stiff-tailed, having little flexibility in their movements aside from a back and forth motion. Its primary use is for defense and as a counterbalance when flying or climbing.

##### *Eyes*

The eyes of a silver dragon are deep, with inky black or rich brown sclera surrounding an iris of gold or orange. Their pupils are vertical slits the same color as their sclera. Their eyes typically have more of a diamond-like shape to them.

#### Culture/ Demeanor

Born from the most lawful deity of the six, most silvers hold a strong desire for things to be organized in their lives. Whether that be through a system of laws, organizational structures in the hoard, or coordinating the efforts of a community, it often reflects in their personality regardless of their true alignment. They also tend to have a noble or chivalrous air about them, always wanting to defend the weak and promote what they believe is right, though this frequently may come off as snooty or self-righteous if they aren't careful with their words or given reasons.

Silver dragons grow to be quite large and physically powerful, and value training their physical strengths and abilities moreso than training in the arcane, making mages of this subspecies rather rare. However, they are also the most pious of the subspecies as well, speaking very highly of their goddess and spreading her faith however they can.

Unique to silver dragons is the aversion to ferrying passengers on their back- it is only ever done for ritual/religious purposes, and even then such is only done as the highest honor. Instead, these children of Pyx prefer using "dragon carriages", which are custom-built for those who wish to ferry people to and fro. It takes training to ferry a carriage without making the passengers immensely flight sick or otherwise discombobulated, so most of the time they are reserved for fully grown adults who focus on training in the skill as a career path.

### **Bronze Dragons**

#### Physical Features

The sleek body of a bronze dragon is adapted for travel through both the sea and the skies. Their general body shape is almost weasel-like in shape, with a long neck transitioning seamlessly into a slender body and tail. Unique to bronze dragons is the ability to occasionally have more than four limbs, though all are more on the short side and end in short dark green or blue hooves. Their head is triangular in shape, with patina plates covering the center of their snout up to their forehead and 3-4 nubby "crests" on either side of their face.

##### *Skin*

Scales coating a bronze dragon are cycloid, minuscule to the point of near invisibility. This gives them a smooth-textured body excellent for maneuvering the seas. Infantile bronze dragons have much more of a reddish-orange coloration to them, almost brownish, but they grow into their more vibrant yellow coloration within the first five years of their life, leaving only the tips of their horns and facial crests the original tawny hue.

The plates that grow on their face, neck, and belly look dense, but are actually quite light and hollow inside, grown from "shed" layers of their main scales that have darkened to a minty- or forest-green shade thanks to the patina that grows on them. As they fly through the sky or dive into the sea, the sound of water and wind rushing through their plates makes a whistling, melodic tune.

##### *Wings, Limbs, and Tail*

Bronze dragons have the most variation in the number of wings and limbs that they may naturally have. Typically, they have six wings (three on each side), two front legs, four legs, and two large wing-like fins on the tip of their tail. However, it's not unnatural for the number of these wings and limbs to vary from dragon to dragon.

Wings on a bronze dragon are delicate and insect-like, with a paper-thin membrane connected through tiny interwoven veins. Each one is lemon-like in shape, round and tapered to a point at either end. They match the patina green color of their belly plates, being lightly coated in similar shed scales. Each wing is connected to a separate joint, which can act and move independently of each other. In the sky, the wings are more insect-like, vibrating rapidly to keep them in the air- but in the sea, the move slower and alternate wide motions, like the paddles of a rowboat.

Their legs are short in comparison with the wide length of their body, hardly longer the the length of their head. They are feline-like in general anatomy, but end instead in cute, small hooves. The hooves themselves are often dark in color, ranging from a sea green to a deep blue.

The long, narrow tail of a bronze dragon is the same length as the rest of their body combined, tapering thinner and thinner until ending with a pair of caudal fins. These fins consist of the same material as the dragon's wings, though have more of a tear drop shape that clings to the ends of the tail. The size of the caudal fins varies, but seeing as it's not as functionally useful as the wings for flight and swimming it's often a popular spot for various piercings. A bronze dragon's tail is prehensile, able to easily grasp people or objects.

##### *Eyes*

Bronze dragons have the unique advantage of having white sclera, unlike all other dragons, which makes it quite easy for them to disguise themselves. Their iris ranges from magenta to a deep purple, with an ovaline pupil that is a lighter shade of the color that contains it.

#### Culture/ Demeanor

Most bronze dragons are playful and caring individuals, stemming from a highly social society that holds great value on helping others in need. Many are also very curious, becoming explorers or researchers of all manner of locations and subjects. Despite their lust for adventure and knowledge, many are also fairly averse to confrontation, preferring to avoid combat or arguments if at all possible.

When pressed to fight, most bronze dragons rely moreso on magical prowess than their physical capabilities. Their inherent understanding of magic makes them excellent mages, which is a boon considering their typically slender, weaker physical bodies. Paradoxie, their progenitor, has mastered all schools of magic in her vast lifetime, and many bronze dragons fantasize about the idea of being able to train under her careful guidance.

### **Brass Dragons**

#### Physical Features

Bulky and broad, the sturdy brass dragon lives amongst the polarizing desert temperatures with ease. They are very front-heavy, with a massive barrel-shaped chest and wide shoulders. Their body grows much significantly thinner at their lower half. Their head and mouth are very canine-like, with a significant divot beneath their brow and a bovine-shaped nose. Long wing-like ears sit on either side of their head. Many brass dragons have "beards" of longer fur on their caw, often only sprouting at the tip of the chin. Their neck is fused into the bulk of their body. Two large, moose-like horns crest their forehead, made of a gleaming brass material, which are sturdy and used for fighting or burrowing in the sandy landscape they come from.

##### *Skin*

The "scales" of a brass dragon are in fact slender, flexible "quills", forming a coat of coarse fur that covers their entire body. At birth, their coat is shorter, softer, and a matte light yellow, allowing them to better blend into the sandy dunes of the Northeastern Badlands. They shed their fur in patches a few times a year until they reach about ten years of age, when their typical brassy sheen begins growing in instead. The fur on the tips of their ears, chest, and spine, as well as a "fan" at the end of their tail and on their wings is made of a different composition than what coats the rest of their body. The hairs are much more fine, lightweight and able to reflect light to make the dragon difficult to see in the blazing heat of the desert sun.

##### *Wings, Limbs, and Tail*

The wings of a brass dragon are sail-like in nature, extending out wide on either side of their large bodies and connecting all the way down to the tip of their tail. A fan-like extension at said tip allows them to more easily veer left and right, though they have a bit more trouble getting off the ground or going as fast as other subspecies can. They most easily fly in the desert landscape, where they can launch themselves off tall dunes and ride the gusts that billow through them.

Brass dragons have four legs, as most other dragons of Halintar do. They are more canine-like in build. Their front arms are far more buff than their back ones, used to support their very front-heavy bodies. Camel-like paws with two toes sit at the end of each leg, wide for walking on desert surfaces, with sharp claws shrouded by their fur.

A brass dragon's tail is long and narrow compared to the rest of their body, but is also surprisingly inflexible. As mentioned previously, it has a fan-like extension at it's end for maneuvering as they glide through the air. Though slender, it is all stiff muscle, and can deliver a powerful stinging wound if hit by it.

##### *Eyes*

Most brass dragons have very vibrant, saturated eyes. Their sclera can be any shade of blue imaginable, matching that of their bright blue blood. Their irises, similarly, are any bright shade of green. The pupil is ovaline, a darker shade of green or blue relative to the rest of their eye.

#### Culture/ Demeanor

Chaotic energy radiates from their deity, and so the brass dragons of the Badlands often emulate this chaos in their personalities. However, Dinante also considers himself a force of good, and so this chaos often results in battling each other in the open desert over their individual ideals or saving endangered travelers from the elements. Similar to their bronze cousins, they're also immensely curious creatures, with a penchant for seeking out obscure information or mysterious people/locations.

When it's time to battle, brass dragons can be very versatile. While they are clearly pretty brawny in appearance, and can utilize their strength and their natural weapons to their advantage, they also have a surprising knack for magic. This only makes sense for utility as well as combat, as both arcane and physical capabilities are useful tools for desert survival.

### **Purple Dragons**

#### Physical Features

Lithe and stealthy, purple dragons have a largely feline-like body. Their snout is convex and shorter than most other bloodlines, with long sensitive whiskers emerging from their brow. Their neck can vary widely in length, but often doesn't extend any longer than their limbs do at longest. When healthy their tummy is not tucked like other subspecies, but has a healthy roundness to it. Two large wing-shaped crests emerge from either side of their face, which can be maneuvered similar to wings as well.

##### *Skin*

Feathered and soft, purple dragons have fluffy plumage coating every inch of their body. These feathers are not too varied in color, with the primary hue being a shade of purple and additional colors accenting them in a darker/lighter shade of purple, black, or white. Most purple dragons are mostly one color, with accents on the tips of their head crests, wings, and tail feathers.

Young purple dragons have extremely soft down, white or light purple in coloration, allowing them to stay warm in the cold mountain peaks. However, until they shed their downy feathers completely they may have trouble maintaining flight or sneaking up on prey, causing them to rely heavily on parents to tend to their needs until they are ready to care for themselves.

##### *Wings, Limbs, and Tail*

These feathered wings are built for speed and stealth, allowing the dragon attached to them to glide about with great accuracy. They're very bird-like in composition, with hollow bones and layers of feathers that allow them to adjust their movements easily.

Four flexible cat-like legs sit beneath their body, with 3-4 toed paws and pads beneath each toe and center of the paw itself. They have a small "thumb" toe hidden within their feathers. Each toe has a small retractable claw within it, matching the color of their sclera. They also have small carpal pads, often covered in a cropping of small dark feathers like that on the tip of their tail.

Also rather feline in nature is their tail. Long and flexible, it waves to and fro to give purple dragons an anchor while flying or climbing. It ends in a set of symmetrical ornamental tail feathers, which may originate anywhere from 3/4 down the tail or at its very tip.

##### *Eyes*

Sclera on a purple dragon's eyes can range from completely black to a very deep shade of blue or purple. In contrast, their iris is a much lighter shade of the sclera. Their pupil, ovaline and in the same shade as their sclera, can expand and contract between normal and slit to adapt to different levels of light.

#### Culture/ Demeanor

Karomatzu cares little for interacting with the "mortals" of his country, instead largely staying away from them in favor of living in his own secret den deep within the mountains. His visits to civilization are largely for collecting "taxes" or to perform talent scouting, after which he claims the most talented of the performers to live with his brood. Purple dragons feel a similar arrogance, growing up around others who often hold non-dragons in disdain and preferring to live amongst themselves. However, they are also cunning, and have a heavy leaning into learning the arcane arts, and so often many can't resist the temptation to "infiltrate" humanoid societies in order to learn. They also have intense love for the arts in any format, spending much of their lifetime training themselves in performing music, creating sculptures, painting, etcetera.

Fearing getting their feathers dirty, purple dragons prefer to fight at range as much as possible. They do so through their breath weapon as well as through the use of magic, which they are immensely adept at using. Given their light bones and body structure, there's always a risk of getting injured in ways that would be difficult to heal properly even through intense magics.

### **Orange Dragons**

#### Physical Features

Boasting themselves to be amongst the strongest of the descendants of deities, orange dragons are long, low to the ground, and give off an intimidating presence. Their body is the most reptilian, with a crocodile-like posture and tail, and four short muscle-y legs with two wide front fingers and a shorter thumb balancing them. Their head is similar, with a sharp brow, long snout (often ending in a pronounced bump at the tip of the snout) and a plethora of dark horns smattering their entire face. A crest of large, wide horns also covers the top and sides of their head. These spikes continue down their spine, and may also appear on their limbs or on the "shoulders" of their wings.

##### *Skin*

Dense, rock-like scales cover the body of an orange dragon, almost rock-like in composition. In some adult dragons magma even flows through them like blood, giving them an earthy, ethereal glow. The front part of their limbs are coated in a darker, denser layer of scales, armor-like and heavy to protect against injury. Their underbelly and the skin on their wings is the most vulnerable, not covered in scales but instead in a heavy leathery skin.

Young orange dragons require intense heat to be maintained in their environment at all times, as their body is not used to keeping the magma within at a blazing temperature and cooling down could cause the magma in their bodies to harden and kill them. This is addressed by laying nests and rearing young within lava pools, where wyrmlings reside with the assistance of the community. The babies are born completely brown and leathery, and are able to leave the nest after their first hide of orange scales grows in fully.

##### *Wings, Limbs, and Tail*

Orange dragons are notoriously bad at flying, with short knife-shaped "shark fin" wings better suited to swiping at foes on the ground rather than flying through the air. Flying with these wings takes a lot of effort, and it is generally easier for orange dragons to just glide from higher areas to lower areas in this way. The wings themselves have a spine of orange scale on their top and leathery skin on the inside, with any number of small horns dappling it all the way from shoulder to tip.

Their four legs are short and muscle-bound, able to lift the weight of the dragon and dig through solid pools of lava with ease. They have two main "fingers" on each foot, long and bony, with black claws stained by dirt and ash. Behind them is a stouter thumb, which serves as a counterbalance and grip for picking things up or perching.

An orange dragon tail is long and largely inflexible, requiring the dragon to move their entire body to wield it like a weapon. It is the widest tail of the six subspecies, as well as the flattest. Like the rest of the dragon's body, it has a leathery underbelly and orange top with plenty of horned spikes littered across it.

##### *Eyes*

The sharp eyes of an orange dragon are intimidating to look into. They have a pitch black sclera with bright orange or red irises that glow with a dim light. Most interesting is their pupil, which is unique in that it is goat-like in shape, a horizontal jagged rectangle that matches the darkness of their sclera.

#### Culture/ Demeanor

Unexpected of their brutal displays of physical might, orange dragons seem to mesh very well with the humanoid communities. This is due to their magma breath, which can be used to treat farmland, restoring fertility to barren landscapes. The individual dragon may or may not choose to socialize with the people it shares its home with depending on its personality, but this coexistence has been an understood social norm for centuries. Orange dragons are also headstrong and prefer to do things their own way, heavily disliking ever being told what to do or, even worse, being told they aren't the head authority in the area themselves.

As long as combat stays on the ground, orange dragons are a force of nature, using their explosive breath and powerful bodies to lay siege to anything that gets in their way. They tend to rely massively on these physical and natural skills, disliking the complexities of the arcane and also having difficulties around paper due to how flammable it can be. An orange dragon has a lot more difficulty in the air, where they are slow-moving and their tender underbelly is exposed to attacks.

### **Yellow Dragons**

#### Physical Features

Alien looking amongst their cousins, yellow dragons are long and eel-like in body shape. They have a sharp divot in their snout, at the end of which is a long horn that can either match their iris color or the color of their back frill. Above their brow is a small cropping of "eyebrow" scales, denser than the scales on the rest of their body. They have a hairy fish-like frill on the top of their head that trails to their tail. Three large gills sit on either side of their "neck" past their head, which they can also expel salt from. Their jagged mouth is hard and beak-like, though they also have retractable teeth they can summon for a sickeningly sharp bite.

##### *Skin*

Despite their reputation of being slimy, yellow dragons are actually rather rough-textured. Their scales are small and coarse, easily shed and regrown, and coated in small outcroppings of salt that appear to look like spots from a distance. Their actual scale color can range from shades of sickly yellow-green to a barely yellow-tinged gray. Documentation of young yellow dragons is rare, but it's understood that they need intense water pressure while in the egg and shortly after hatching to survive. Older yellow dragons or those who don't expel their salt breath often enough to stay healthy are so coated in layers of salt that their actual scales or eyes may be difficult to see.

##### *Wings, Limbs, and Tail*

Unlike any other subspecies, yellow dragons have no wings or tail to speak of, propelling themselves through sea and sky through purely magical means. Their aerodynamic shape makes them immensely fast, far faster than any other dragon in the air or in the ocean, though they inch along rather slowly on land.

Being limbless, their body transitions seamlessly into their tail, which is long and prehensile. They use their body to constrict foes or objects, carrying them with their lower half while moving about with their forward one.

##### *Eyes*

Yellow dragons have scary neon-colored eyes, visible even from far distances. The sclera is a vibrant magenta or purple shade, with their iris being a slightly lighter color. Their pupil, a thin vertical slit, can be in any color of the rainbow, though it is always incredibly saturated in shade.

#### Culture/ Demeanor

The rest of the continent has an intense hatred for Balktan. Between being the unwanted, ugly child of the six deities and his tendency to violently attack people with extreme prejudice, it's difficult to not \*not\* like the god or his descendants, who follow his actions and wreak chaos wherever they are whenever they're hungry or just feel like it. Due to their bad rep, it's hard to find a yellow dragon anywhere other than around the Sea of Salt. Even kind yellow dragons have extreme trouble not being attacked on sight unless they have a friend in high authority.

In combat, yellow dragons react instinctively, going into a frenzy whether they're being attacked or attacking something themselves. Their salt is largely acidic and painful, but when given proper training they can also use it for more strategic purposes such as targeting open wounds or empowering allies. When given the opportunity, they do appreciate studying the arcane, but isn't often accessible where they live. Finally, though they have no such limbs or wings to attack with they can deliver a heavy headbutt and constrict opponents with just as much ferocity as any of their non-yellow relatives.

## Humanoid Form

Halintar dragons all have the ability to shift into humanoid form, allowing them to interface more easily with humanoid people and structures. This form is singular and unchangeable, reflecting the personality and age of the individual who has shifted. Younger dragons may have trouble fully disguising themselves in this form, and may have their tails, patches of scales/feathers/fur, or horns/facial features visible in humanoid form.

Shifting between true and humanoid form is a full-round action, though a dragon can move at half speed before or after doing so. They may choose or roll for one of the forms on the table below, though after it is shown it does not change again. The only way to truly tell a shifted dragon from a humanoid is through their eyes, which remain fully draconic in appearance even if they are a master at shifting between forms.

## Societal Standards

Being a dragon in a continent with six Dragon-Gods provides one with immense privilege (or scorn, if you're a yellow dragon). You're expected to learn and control your power, to be a leader and yet also not overwhelm humanoid civilization, get along with others while also satiating your inherent desires. It is a difficult balance to maintain, one that frustrates dragons that are faint-of-heart. Many dragons choose to live amongst their progenitor's home brood, but others seek a greater purpose to their life, becoming adventurers or even antagonists to the places they visit.

Though read as largely condescending, many dragons refer to humanoids as "mortals". Dragons themselves do not live forever, but their natural lifespan reaches around 3,000 years, far longer than that of even the healthiest merfolk.

## Playing a Dragon

There is currently homebrew in development for playing as a dragon in the Halintar setting; you can find resources connected to this project here. Any feedback or ideas for abilities for them would be greatly appreciated!

Original stat blocks:

* Silver Dragon monster stat block
* Bronze Dragon monster stat block
* Brass Dragon monster stat block
* Purple Dragon monster stat block
* Orange Dragon monster stat block
* Yellow Dragon monster stat block