Venandi: Dragons

## Dragons

Dragons, thought extinct for a long time (though there are those who still believe that true Dragons don't exist anymore), are intelligent and fearsome creatures who are more than a little bit territorial (some a lot more than others). Once feared and admired, Dragons are large, scaled reptiles with six limbs (four legs and two wings) and are often considered to have a rather volatile temperament (though this certainly cannot be said for all Dragons).

In Human form, a Dragon still retains two physical traits that carry over from their Draconic form:

* Scales: All Dragons have scales in the same colour as their Dragon form. These scales appear on the backs of their hands, behind their ears, on their eyelids, on the tops of their feet, or on the backs of their necks and are incredibly sensitive to the touch.
* Eyes: A Dragon's eyes glow supernaturally and are extremely bright when the Dragon is experiencing extreme emotion (such as lust, anger, or fear). All Dragon have eyes that are either blue, green, silver, or gold though it has been reported that an extremely angry Dragon's eyes may go completely black.

Dragons are relatively solitary creatures when it comes to other Dragons, preferring to remain away from those of their own species lest something they consider theirs be taken, though some are less solitary than others, and some far more concerned with their shiny goods. Though they might dislike the company of other Dragons, however, most Dragons do not mind the company of those of other races, and those Dragons who like beautiful things will often surround themselves with beautiful people too.

Dragons, like most reptiles, lay eggs and must procreate in their Draconic form. Read up on Reproduction for more information.

## Species Breakdown

There are four different species of Dragon all characterised by different physical features (species may have different options in their powers). The species of Dragon consist of the following.

### Black Dragons

In their Human form, Black Dragons are often dark haired (black or brown hair) with gold or blue eyes. They are relatively short in comparison to other Dragons and a little stockier (though most of their stockiness is often due to muscle). In their Draconic form, they are a large, black, quadrupedal Dragon.

Black Dragons have the worst reputation of the Dragons due to the fact that they are often associated with death. However, a Black Dragon is, perhaps, the most loyal and trustworthy Dragon you could ever befriend, assuming that you can convince them you actually want to be their friend and you're not just saying that. While they are trustworthy, they don't trust easily.

### Red Dragons

In their Human form, Red Dragons possess red or brown hair, gold or green eyes, and moderately tanned skin. While they vary in height, they are more muscular than other Dragons and often look incredibly fit. They tend to look a little more rugged than the other Dragon types. In their Draconic form, they are a large, red, quadrupedal Dragon.

Red Dragons are known for being passionate about anything and everything they do, from making love to art to reading, they throw their heart and soul into everything. Despite the fact that they can be hotheads some of the time, Red Dragons are some of the most in control of their emotions, if only because they know they can be temperamental.

### Green Dragons

In their Human form, Green Dragons have tanned skin, brown or blonde hair, and blue or green eyes. They are shorter than White Dragons, though they could not be considered too short by any standards. In their Draconic form, Green Dragons are large, green, quadrupedal Dragons.

Green Dragons are considered some of the most approachable of all Dragons, and the most down to Earth. Of course, don't cross a Green Dragon because it will be the last thing that you ever do. They are often said to have a very caustic tongue when it comes to those who betray them.

### White Dragons

In their Human form, White Dragons are often fair haired (blonde, white, or grey hair) with light eyes (blue or silver eyes). They are often tall, slender, and pale with their scales glistening against their skin. In their Draconic form, they are a large, white, quadrupedal Dragon.

White Dragons can often be considered somewhat frosty in temperament, a trait often attributed to their icy breath, but once they warm up to a person they are fiercely loyal unless that person betrays them in a way that they cannot forgive.

## Dragon Powers

All Dragons possess the enhancements and primary power listed below. In addition, they may take three additional powers from the list below (or a combination of the powers below and those from the Universal Power Pool if they are a variant) in any combination provided that they meet the requirements.

*Powers marked as suggested are what we recommend you take for this Dragon.*

### Dragon Enhancements

Dragons are approximately twice as strong as a human of equivalent build, and their skin is about as tough as leather. They can extend and sharpen their fingernails into claws at will, and they can see in low light as well as an owl. In addition, Dragons are immune to damage that matches the type of breath weapon (see Dragon Breath) they have.

### Dragon Breath (Primary)

A Dragon's primary ability is the power to transform into the mythical beast of their namesake. A Dragon's dragon form is a four-legged winged lizard (capable of clumsy flight) ranging in size from a large dog to an elephant, depending on the person. While in dragon form, they are twice as strong as they were in human form, have a prehensile tail, and they possess a breath weapon. The exact nature of the weapon depends on the colour of the dragon, but in all cases it is projected as either a ten-metre line or a five-metre cone (Dragon's choice) and the Dragon has a large enough reserve to sustain a minute of using it before they need to recharge. Red Dragons have fire breath, White Dragons have cold, Green Dragons have acid, and Black Dragons spew a poisonous gas that slowly rots away all it touches. Unless otherwise noted in the power, all Dragon abilities can be used in either human or dragon form.

#### Upgrade: Chromatic Power

A Dragon with this upgrade gains a new ability based on its colour. Unlike Dragon Breath, which can only be used in dragon form, this new ability can be used in human form too.

* Red Dragons get Dragon Heart; the ability to magically cleave their heart in two to share with another person. The heart piece is grafted permanently onto the recipient's heart (by placing it on their chest) and creates a bond between the two. The creation of this bond fully heals both parties involved even if they are an inch from death. A person bonded to a Dragon shares the Dragon's lifespan, and will not die of old age until the Dragon dies (though if one is killed, the other dies too). In addition, the bonded pair feel each other's pain and thus always have a general sense of the other's well-being. A person can only ever receive one Dragon Heart, a Dragon can only ever share their heart once, and two Dragons cannot share a heart. A Dragon must be in dragon form to use this power.
* Green Dragons get Hydran Ancestry; the ability to regrow lost body parts. If the Dragon loses any limb except their head, they can regrow it in a matter of hours. Smaller extremities, such as fingers, can be regrown in minutes. In addition, if an extremity is damaged, the Dragon can cause it to drop off and start the re-growing process. A Dragon can only re-grow one body part at a time. Wounds on the Dragon's torso and head heal at a normal rate and cannot be regrown.
* White Dragons get Tranquil State; the ability to enter a state of heightened calmness. By meditating for an hour, a White Dragon enters a state of serenity that lasts until they sleep. While in this state, they function perfectly normally, with the exception that they cannot be made to have an emotional reaction. A Dragon in tranquil mode is a stalwart of mental stability and completely immune to emotional manipulation. This state also allows them to ignore pain or fatigue, though it does not provide any actual relief from whatever is causing the discomfort.
* Black Dragons get Undeath; the ability to temporarily transform into an undead monster. When this ability is activated, the Dragon's skin rots away and their body hollows, turning them into a zombie-like creature. The Dragon retains their mental faculties, but loses the ability to speak beyond simple phrases and cannot use any other powers. While undead, the Dragon has no need for food, water, or sleep. They feel no pain and are resistant to all damage. If they remain still, they are indistinguishable from a corpse. The effects of this power last up to a day unless the Dragon chooses to revert early. Their body reverts to the state it was in before the transformation, ignoring any effects that happened to the zombie form unless it was destroyed. Once the power wears off, it cannot be activated again until the next sundown.

### Appraisal (Suggested)

A Dragon with this ability is an uncanny judge of the worth of things. They know by looking at an object how precious it is (and what it might be worth), and whenever they are in negotiations, they instinctively know if a price they are being offered is fair or not. In addition, a Dragon can spot a counterfeit immediately upon sight, even if they are not very familiar with the genuine article.

### Flight (Suggested)

All Dragons can fly in Dragon form; Dragon with this ability can retain their wings even in human form and use them to fly. The wings are strong enough to support one-and-a-half times the Dragon's weight. They can fly at roughly the same speed they could previously run, and can sustain flight for about the same length of time they could jog. They have the same flight manoeuvrability as they do in dragon form (equivalent to a very large bird), and cannot fly in adverse conditions, such as heavy wind, rain, or snow.

#### Upgrade: Advanced Flight

A Dragon with this ability becomes an adept flier, both in dragon and human form. They can fly at twice the speed they could previously, and they have the agility of a flying insect (though not the reflexes), including the ability to hover in place. In addition, while on the ground, they can beat their wings powerfully enough to cause a gust of wind capable of knocking people over, and they can carry up to their own weight while flying.

### Magical Resistance (Suggested)

A Dragon with this ability is resistant to supernatural effects. They are not immune to magic or powers, but they take less damage than normal from spells or abilities and they have an easier time seeing through illusions, resisting influence, and so on. A White Dragon with this ability becomes completely immune to Learn and Influence powers (and magic that does similar things) while in their tranquil state.

### Fear Aura

A Dragon with this ability projects an aura of fear. Anyone within fifty metres who can see the Dragon becomes instinctively frightened of it without knowing why (though their brain will most likely make up a reason to justify it). A Dragon has no control over the intensity of the fear reaction, but they can exclude people from being affected (or turn the aura off altogether) if they wish. A person affected by this aura remains affected until they are more than a hundred metres away from the Dragon and can no longer see it. This ability does not function on other Dragons. Anyone burned by the acid breath of a Green Dragon with this ability is automatically subjected to it, and the fear will persist until the burn heals.

#### Upgrade: Audible Inundation

This power inflicts a horrible psychological trauma on a target the Dragon can see, filling their head with the sound of thousands of voices, deafening out their thoughts and any sensory input. The voices could be generic white noise, or could be more targeted (a Dragon who knows its victim is afraid of their parents, for example, could make all the comments angry ones in their parents' voices). No physical harm is inflicted by the power, but it lasts as long as the Dragon is focusing on it and the after-sounds may echo for hours beyond that. It has been known to drive people completely mad. This ability works on anyone, but is most effective on someone currently being affected by the Fear Aura.

### Sweet Talker

A Dragon with this ability sounds more reasonable and truthful than a normal person. Anyone within earshot instinctively wants to believe everything the Dragon says, even if they know it to be factually untrue. In addition, suggestions made by Dragons sound more like good ideas than they would otherwise, but this ability is not strong enough to compel someone to do harm to themselves or someone they do not wish harm to. A Black Dragon with this ability and Chromatic Power can still talk as normal in their undead state (and this ability still applies while undead)

### Wound Transferal

A Dragon with this ability can heal injuries, but at a terrible cost. At their touch, a wound on another person fully heals, but the same wound appears on the Dragon themselves (or someone else they are touching). This ability can be used offensively to transfer the Dragon's own wounds to other people, and the Dragon can transfer only part of a wound if they wish, perhaps allowing two people to have survivable injuries instead of one person having a deadly one. This ability works on any living creature (not plants) and if the Dragon has the Dragon Heart version of Chromatic Power, they can use this ability across any distance if they are using it on the person to whom they are bonded.

## Dragon Weaknesses

All Dragons must possess two of the following weaknesses (three if they are a variant Dragon). You may choose any combination of two that you wish but their weaknesses must come from this list.

### Metal Consumption

Dragons with this flaw gain no sustenance from eating normal food. They can only survive by eating metals, and the more precious the better. Fortunately, their stomachs and throats are equipped to handle the eating of most anything. Dragons with both this flaw and Shiny Objects tend to ravenously devour shiny things, even if they are not strictly metal, rather than hoard them.

### Shiny Objects

Dragons are easily distracted by things that glitter and sparkle. They compulsively hoard anything shiny that they get their hands on and their personal value of things is weighted heavily by this bias (this does not affect their objective assessment using their Appraisal power, only their own personal interest). Above all else, though, Dragons value precious metals like silver and gold.

### Territorial

Dragons are extremely protective of their personal space. Once a Dragon has decided on a place it calls home, it becomes fiercely defensive of that space and the area around it (its hunting grounds if you will). Dragons are also inherently suspicious of and hostile toward other Dragons, especially those of their same gender.