Bogberry Dragon

*"While traversing the dark Flame Swamp, adventurer Weston became stuck waist-deep in the thick mud. After several hours, a weary Weston saw a dragon of unusual size begin to take shape in the mists. A **bogberry dragon** eventually materialized, snagged Weston by the robes, and safely pulled him out of the muck. Most magicfolk still don't believe Weston's talk of being saved by a **bogberry dragon** while bogged down in a bog."*
    —Nogard's description of the **bogberry dragon** in The Book of Dragons
The **Bogberry Dragon** is an epic hybrid of the Seasonal, Plant, Water and Light.

## Appearance

The **Bogberry Dragon** is a plump, dark red dragon with a purple underbelly. Its body seems to be made of several rotund parts, which are joined together. Its wings resemble leaves and are mounted on pink stalks with red stripes. The same leaves appear in the place of spikes all over the dragon's body. Its tail is made of two round berry-like structures which it can detach from its body at will. It has four short and sstubby legs, which it uses to walk around.

## Abilities

### Weapons

The only weapon the **Bogberry Dragon** sports is its breath weapon.

### Defenses

The flesh of the **Bogberry Dragon** is extremely toxic, enough to quickly kill a predatory animal if it tries to take a bite out of it. To counter this, some of its predators have developed an immunity to its toxin and therefore can eat it without any consequences. One such example is the Swamp Dragon, one of its main predators.

### Other Abilities

If a predator has latched onto the **Bogberry Dragon's** tail, it can detach the tail to distract the predator and make its escape. The tail can quickly grow back after a while and this process can be repeated an indefinite amount of times. In rare occasions, **Bogberry Dragons** have been observed consuming their own tails during periods of food shortage.

### Breath Weapon

Elemental breath is the **Bogberry Dragon's** only weapon, other than its toxic flesh. The same toxin is stored in the form of a gas in a pouch in the dragon's throat. The toxin is photoreactive and when the dragon infuses it with just a bit of phytomancy, it explodes into majestic plumes of multicolored smoke that emerge from the dragon's mouth. Inhaling the smoke will cause breathing difficulty and in rare cases, death by asphyxiation.

### Weaknesses

The **Bogberry Dragon's** major weakness is a lack of water. It needs water to maintain all its physical processes as well as its current shape. When left without water for long, its body will "deflate" and its metabolism will slow down. Baby **Bogberry Dragons** also require to be sumberged in water to grow.

## Habitat

### Regions

The **Bogberry Dragon** is native to the Flame Swamp, a region mentioned in the Book of Dragons yet whose exact location is unknown. When an adventurer named Weston returned from the legendary swamp, he brought alongside him some of these dragons that he had bonded with. Soon enough, they escaped and found their way to the Krollsmarsh, where the largest population remains to this day as an invasive species.

### Preferred Home

**Bogberry Dragons** always live in areas with abundant water, since it is the most vital resource for them. They prefer shady and remote places where threats barely go to.

### Sheltering/Nesting

**Bogberry Dragons** make nests out of vines that are curled in a bowl shape. However, they often end up breaking their nests and have to make another one.

## Diet

**Bogberry Dragons** feed on the roots of fruit-bearing plants, which they grind up using their flat teeth, which are on the back of their mouths and therefore not visible. Babies do not feed, but instead take in all their nutrients through the water in which they live in.

## When in a park

### Habitats

**Bogberry Dragons** can be held in Plant and Water habitats without needing any treatment except the occasional supplement of food. They can also be held in Light Habitats but babies require to be regularly doused with water when in a Light Habitat.

## Life Cycle

### Birth

Female **Bogberry Dragons** lay their eggs in the water, where they stay for up to a month before hatching.

### Infancy

Baby **Bogberry Dragons** live submerged underwater and take in all their nutrients through it. A few days after birth they develop front legs to grasp objects.

### Adolescence

After growing arms, they develop hind legs and a tail to walk on the river floor and swim. Finally, like a tadpole growing into a frog, they will crawl onto land and reach their adult stage up there.

### Adulthood

Adult **Bogberry Dragons** live on land but often dive underwater to find marine plants to eat. They live in small groups near rivers, to make use of the water.