Dragons

**Dragons** (or **wyrms**) are very powerful and magical creatures. There are several types of dragons, the most common of which are chromatic and metallic. They are an ancient race. Few species that still exist can claim longer lineage.

## **SUBRACES**

The draconic family is vast. It contains numerous types of dragons, as well as lesser creatures related to dragons or descended from them.

### **GREAT DRAGONS**

These dragons are readily accepted as akin to gods and live in Valturi. They are enormous, leaving behind skeletons large enough to create mountain ranges. They have only once visited the Material Plane, hundreds of thousands of years ago. Though they resemble upper-planar dragons as being scaled, serpent-like, winged creatures, they are not closely related due to the amount of distance between them as species.

### **TRUE DRAGONS**

The term "true dragon" referred to dragons that became more powerful as they aged.

#### **CHROMATIC**

Chromatic dragons tend to be evil or neutral. These dragons tend to abandon their young to be raised by minions of some kind, often Kobolds. Their scales are duller in color and have small, tight, circular scales (tubercular, granular, juxtaposed, or rhomboid).

#### **METALLIC**

Metallic dragons tend to be good. They often raise their young alongside volunteers that devote themselves to the egg (also often Kobolds, or Dragonborn). Their scales larger, rougher, and more shimmery and shiny. They are in mucronate, rectangular, polygonal, and cycloid forms

#### **GEM**

Gem dragons tend to be aloof and self-centered, keeping to themselves and remaining neutral. They spent most of their time on the Inner Planes. Their scale patterns can vary across their bodies.

### **LESSER DRAGONS**

The term lesser dragon referred to dragon-type creatures that did not become more powerful with age. It did not necessarily mean that they were less powerful than true dragons.

* Dragon turtles: massive, dangerous creatures that live in the oceans.
* Drakes: there are actually a number of different varieties of drakes.
* Pseudodragons: tiny, playful creatures that are highly valued as familiars.
* Wyverns: large, winged lizards with two legs and a barbed, venomous tail.

## **BIOLOGY**

Dragons are inherently magical beings and in no case should dragons be considered reptiles, despite obvious similarities such as a scaled epidermis and reproduction by laying eggs. In fact, they were more akin to feline creatures than reptiles, particularly in regards to their posture and movements, as well as being inherently warm-blooded and an eye composition similar to felines, although far more complex. A good example of this is the placement of the legs: dragons also tend to place their rear foot where their front foot was previously, much like most stalking feline predators—rather than having a sprawling posture of most lizards.

### **DIET**

All dragons are omnivorous and eat almost anything, thanks to their innate elemental nature that allows them to consume and digest all sorts of food, including substances that wouldn't qualify as food to other living creatures—some dragons MUST consume inorganic materials to fuel their magical breath. Types of stone or metal can be an indication of a dragon nearby. For instance, a red dragon may be drawn to an area with a high concentration of limestone. Most dragons prefer a carnivorous diet.

### **REPRODUCTION**

The number of eggs a dragon laid each brood depended on its race, but was usually low, between one and ten. Thanks to their shape-shifting, dragons can also cross-breed with virtually any other creature, creating a half-dragon. The most commonly heard of were in the humanoid races, particularly with human and elves. Any combination was possible, however, even with devils or angels.

Dragons, when creating another dragon, do so asexually: they are hermaphroditic and choose to align with masculinity, femininity, or neutrality (in a range, not binary) expectations of the culture surrounding their birthplace. The presentation of their "gender" is what pronouns the creatures around them tend to adopt. Dragons, however, tend to find it the most respectful if a lesser creature calls by their full name whenever possible as well as honorary titles such as *lord, lady, noble,* and others.

Any dragon can decide to procreate without a mate, laying the amount of eggs common to their species. It is then up to cultural practice how this egg is tended to; some dragons do not care for their young at all. Dragons that abandon their eggs will normally spend a few years prior gathering the resources to have lesser creatures care for the egg, which usually must incubate for many years.

### **SENSES**

As for their senses, which varied slightly depending on the species, dragons are superior in most ways to other creatures—like any predator, they have exceptionally acute senses, which only increases with age. Dragons have excellent depth perception and comparably good peripheral vision, able to see twice as well as a human in daylight; they have great night vision, and are able to see even when conditions had no light to offer, though not in color.

Dragons can also pick up scents very well, utilizing both their sensitive nose and forked tongue, much like a snake. Their hearing is on par with human hearing, although their minds can filter what noise it hears. Dragon taste is also refined, although they did not respond well to sweet flavors, and most dragons do not discuss why. They are able to eat almost everything, but each race had a preferred diet; some preferred flesh, other to eat precious metals or gems, and so forth. Of all senses, a dragon's sense of touch is the only one to decrease with age, due mostly to the development of thick, hard scales.

Dragons were capable of blindsense, the sense in which eyes, ears, and other senses were used to detect invisible persons or objects.

## **ABILITIES**

Dragons become stronger as they grow older as well as larger and more resistant to damages and magic. They have more dangerous breath and a great deal of other enhanced aspects. Older dragons can cast draconic magic such as spells with just a few words. Oftentimes they do not need long and complex rituals involving words, gestures and components like other wizards, and they radiate a mystical fear aura around themselves. After a millennium or two, a dragon reaches its maximum development.

All dragons have some innate magical abilities, but they vary from race to race. Dragons are often able to shapechange into small animals or human forms, and use this ability to secretly help or watch over humanoids, or infiltrate them. Dragons also have innate powers upon the element they are linked to. For example a red dragon, who breathes fire, has some control over other flame.

## **NOTABLE DRAGONS**

* **Lacidere,** a great dragon that died and fell to the surface of the Material Plane. Their corpse is thought to be the origin of the **Cearrthan Mountains.**
* **Mergandevinasander,** a black dragon wyrmling south of Laragus. He is thought to be around a decade in age.