Adult Red Dragon

Red dragons, referred to by sages as **draco *conflagratio horribilis***, were covetous, evil creatures, interested only in their own well-being, vanity and the extension of their treasure hoards. They were supremely confident of their own abilities and were prone to making snap decisions without any forethought.

The largest and most powerful of the chromatic dragons, red dragons were also the most fearsome and cruel. These dragons delighted in ruin, death and destruction. They breathed a cone of fire.

Red dragons were physically distinguished by their enormous size and wingspan. They had two large horns upon their heads, which pointed backwards toward their wings. They smelled of smoke and sulfur.

Like all chromatic dragons, reds lived their lives in cycles of activity and hibernation. While these cyclical rhythms weren't as extreme as other dragons, red dragons sealed themselves within their lairs for upwards of ten years at a time. During their active periods they were known as voracious over-hunters, whose hunger ensured that the populations of any nearby creatures did not grow beyond ecological stability.

> *“To have is nothing, to keep is all.”* — Red dragon saying
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Red Dragons believed that they were the pinnacle of draconic nature and that all other species were impure. They valued vengefulness, rapaciousness, avarice, and ferocity above other traits and recognized these traits in themselves with pride. They were solitary creatures and cared little for news of other types of dragons. However, they did look for news of other red dragons in their area.

If they believed their own achievements and possessions to be greater than these other red dragons then they stayed in their caves, smugly congratulating themselves. However, if they learned that the achievements or possessions of the other red dragons were greater than their own they would fly into a vengeful rage, decimating the surrounding area until they believed that they had outdone their rivals. The dragon became much less cautious during this time and much more likely to underestimate their foes.

A red dragon would go to extreme lengths to ensure that they were superior to every other red dragon in the area. They would often burn down only half a village or let a single adventurer flee from a battle so that word of their power spread throughout the region. Not only would this anger other red dragons but it was also like a shining beacon to adventurers and treasure hunters.

Red dragons despised weakness among their own kind. If one ever found out that another of their kin demonstrated any signs of fragility, either by getting badly wounded or if they were becoming senile in old age, then local red dragons would descend on the lair, stripping it clean and usually killing the owner. They believed that if a red dragon could not protect what it had, then it did not deserve it to begin with.

Reds were also highly territorial. Entering an area a red considered its domain was just asking to be attacked, especially if it was another dragon entering the area (even more so if it was a red dragon). Conflict was inevitable if this were the case and it was almost always to the death as neither would dare show weakness to the other. Thankfully, most other species were smart enough to flee if they realized the area belonged to a red dragon. Red dragons could get so territorial that in rare occasions they would adopt a protective yet patronizing attitude towards creatures they considered inferior that lived within their self-imposed borders.

Heimat-Sphäre: Grimmiges Etharis