Metal Dragon

* Juvenile
* Baby
* Egg
* Elder

*For years explorers were afraid to enter the Tull Caverns because of the loud noises that could be heard coming from deep below. It's only thanks to the brave Dickinson Osborne that we now know that these sounds come from the **metal dragon's** unique behavior of "drumming" precious metals with their heavy tails.*
    —Nogard's description of the **metal dragon** in The Book of Dragons
The **Metal Dragon** is a primary dragon of the Metal element.

### Subvariants

* Surface Metal Dragon
* Subterranean Metal Dragon
* Carrier Metal Dragon
* Burrowing Metal Dragon

The surface variant of the **metal dragon** is named so because it lives near the surface, much closer to the mouths of caves. This allows them to leave the cave at times and eat the meat of other animals. They are the ones commonly sold to parks. They are more aggressive than the other variants and have larger and sharper spikes to battle other creatures.

Subterranean **metal dragons** live many layers lower than the surface **metal dragons**. They have very strong jaws in order to eat the rocks (dragons of this variant being petrivores).

Carrier **metal dragons** are known for carrying heavy objects on their back. From their eggs to their food, these dragons are always carrying their belongings around with them. They sleep standing up, and have strong legs to show for it.

Burrowing **metal dragons** make an effort trying to expand tunnels throughout caves. They are very territorial, and each burrowing **metal dragon** will keep their own stone chamber.

## Abilities

### Weapons

The large block of metal at the end of a **metal dragon's** tail is used to scare off predators and fight rivals (in addition to making music, that is.) In adult **metal dragons**, it can weigh up to 100 pounds. It has fearsome metal horns and terrifying strength, and its claws are razor sharp.

### Other Abilities

**Metal dragons** make noise by drumming precious metals with their tails. This is believed to be a form of communication called "clangtalk", but it is too complex for wizards to learn.

### Breath Weapon

**Metal dragons** breathe a stream of shrapnel produced in the same way as their metal spikes--by eating metal and ore. These sharp metal shards can cause serious injury at close range.

### Weaknesses

**Metal dragons** can easily be located with a metal detection spell. They are heavy, so they move slowly and sink very quickly in water. If they cannot access ore to eat, they cannot grow their dangerous spikes.

## Habitat

### Regions

**Metal dragons** live in and near the Tull Caverns, and other places with lots of metal and ore.

### Preferred Home

**Metal dragons** once lived underground almost always, but when wizards began mining metal and building things from it, some moved above ground as metal was easier to find.

### Sheltering/Nesting

Not much is known about the underground **metal dragon** societies.

## Lifestyle

### Behavior and Personality

**Metal dragons** can be gruff and stubborn, but are also loyal and helpful. They are among the only dragons to have an appreciation for music and can be often be found dancing to a genre of rock wizards invented of music called heavy metal.

### Social Order

**Metal dragons** are quite social. They do not have leaders, but the oldest **metal dragons** are the strongest and wisest, and usually give the orders. They like to make noise by banging on metal with their tails, which is how they talk to other **metal dragons**. They can relay messages like this very quickly.

### Relationship to Wizards

**Metal dragons** were the last primary dragon discovered (besides Light and Dark), mostly because of their secretive ways. They tend to be suspicious of humans and stayed deep underground for a long time, but now they are less shy.

### Breeding

**Metal dragons** can be bred from two metal dragons or a **metal dragon** or a plant dragon to a malachite, ironwood, thorn, spore, dartwing, or iron blossom dragon.

### Habitats

**Metal dragons** can be placed in either Metal habitats or Omnitats.

## Notable Metal Dragons

* Slameg the Singer [[File:Slameg.png|thumb|Slameg the Singer, depicted in the Metal Shrine
* Edurad
* Eddie (Sage Kyury)
* Shard (Xander Aironon)

**Primary**
***Metal Dragon***

**Hybrids**
*Malachite Dragon* - *Ironwood Dragon* - *Brass Dragon* - *Forge Dragon* - *Iron Dragon* - *Scoria Dragon* - *Mine Dragon* - *Steel Dragon* - *Magnetic Dragon* - *Copper Dragon* - *Rust Dragon* - *Quicksilver Dragon* - *Chrome Dragon* - *Meteor Dragon* - *Palladium Dragon* - *Radiant Dragon* - *Promethium Dragon* - *Acid Dragon*

 **Golden Hybrids**
*Thorn Dragon* - *Molten Dragon* - *Sulfur Dragon* - *Lodestone Dragon* - *Conch Dragon* - *Verdigris Dragon* - *Mirror Dragon*