Dragons
Last updated
Last updated
Dragons are highly intelligent, wise, cunning, and willful. They are the only creatures that generate their own form of elemental mana and have mastered its use in ways that other races find incomprehensible. True dragons hunger for knowledge and power, and their vast lifespans (they can live for many thousands of years) afford them the opportunity to collect vast sums of both. It is rumored that the most ancient of wyrms can deduce how others will feel, think, and react when faced with events or actions, and they use this knowledge to manipulate circumstances to their advantage.
The races of dragons are:
Chromatic dragons include any true dragons whose primary distinguishing characteristics are the color of their scales and their breath weapons. While their appearances vary widely, all have wings capable of flight.
The types of chromatic dragons are:
Distinguished by their horns (which wrap around the sides of their head and point forward), a longer body and thinner tail, and a large frill around the upper part of their neck. Black dragons can reach lengths of over 40 meters (131.2’). As they mature, their scales lighten in color; ancient black wyrms can appear almost purple. They tend to make their lairs in mountainous or underground caverns near swamps and bogs. Their breath weapon is acid.
Distinguished by the single horn that protrudes from their snout; large, frilled ears; and a thick, ridged tail. Blue dragons can reach lengths of over 70 meters (229.7’). Their wings are proportionally larger compared to other dragons. They tend to make their lairs in rock formations in desert terrain and can burrow under the sand to conceal themselves. Their breath weapon is lightning.
Distinguished by several large horns that protrude from the sides of their head, two prominent horns that point backward from atop their head, and tentacle-like whiskers that hang from the top and bottom of their jaw, giving them a bearded appearance. Their wings connect to their body from the shoulders to the tip of their tail; when in flight, these wings ripple rather than flap. Gold dragons can reach lengths of over 80 meters (262.5’) . Most devote immense time and energy into their lairs, which are typically located in massive caverns deep within the mountains or underground. They are usually many-roomed and decorated with priceless artwork, statues, and other treasures. Gold dragons often enlist humanoid vassals to construct and maintain their lair. Their breath weapon is a cone of fire and sometimes a weakening gas.
Distinguished by bony spines joined together by skin in a webbed fashion; these spines protrude from the top of their snout and run the length of their body to about mid-tail. They have blackish green scales that gradually lighten as they age. Green dragons can reach lengths of over 60 meters (196.9’). They tend to make their lairs in cliffside caverns, often near bodies of water. Most are fiercely territorial. Their breath weapon is a cloud of poisonous gas.
Distinguished by their massive size and wingspan relative to other chromatic dragons—an ancient red wyrm can be upwards of 100 meters (328.1’) in length—as well as a pair of swept-back horns atop their head. They tend to make their lairs in mountains, preferring mountains, calderas, and volcanoes. These lairs are often vast and sprawling, with many chambers. Most red dragons are fascinated by treasure, collecting vast hordes of the most valuable coins, precious gemstones, and priceless artifacts. Their breath weapon is a cone of fire.
Distinguished by a streamlined head topped with a swept-back crest made of spines and webbed skin and a dewlap lined with spines under their chin. White dragons can reach lengths of over 30 meters (98.4’). Considered the least intelligent of the chromatic dragons, their intellect and memory still far surpasses those of human-like intelligence. They tend to make many-chambered lairs in arctic habitats, such as atop snowy mountain peaks, glaciers, and icebergs. Most white dragons excel at swimming underwater and are unaffected by freezing temperatures. Their breath weapon is a cone of frost.
Gemstone dragons are distinguished by their unique scales, which are made of various precious gemstones. Of all the dragons, gemstones dragons are the most varied in appearance; they may have horns of various shapes and sizes, spines and frills webbed by skin, and other draconic features... or they may not. However, they all tend to have the appearance of an archetypical dragon but with prevalent ridges along the tops of their heads, necks, bodies, and tails. Because of their physiology, they are usually found in humid climates, which resemble their native habitat. Almost all are fiercely territorial and enlist humanoid vassals to defend their lairs, treasures, and lands.
The types of gemstone dragons are:
Distinguished by their diamond scales, which are a cloudy white but refract light and can appear multicolored. Diamond dragons can reach lengths of over 75 meters (246.1’). They tend to make their lairs deep within tropical rainforests and often enlist humanoid vassals to build and defend massive, open-aired castles for them. Their breath weapon is a cone of blinding light.
Distinguished by their emerald scales, which are scintillating in the light and create the illusion that their hide is in constant motion. As they age, these scales take on darker shades of green. Emerald dragons can reach lengths of over 65 meters (213.3’). They tend to make their lairs in the tropics, either in inactive volcanoes or on islands. Their breath weapon is a powerful burst of wind.
Distinguished by their sapphire scales, which are various shades of blue and sparkle in the light. Sapphire dragons can reach lengths of over 55 meters (180.5’). They tend to make their lairs in tropical subterranean caverns and claim the land for many miles around it as their own, enlisting hundreds or even thousands of humanoid vassals to patrol and protect it. Their breath weapon is a deafening roar that elicits intense fear, often resulting in panic.
Lung dragons are distinguished by their long, serpentine body; mane and other hair that grows in varied places on their body; long whiskers that hang from their upper jaw; a pair of antlers that protrude backward from their brows; and spiny ridges along their backs. They are wingless and fly by innate magical means, and their scales and hair can be of any color. Lung dragons can reach lengths of 25 meters (82’). They tend to make their lairs in caverns near the peaks of remote mountain ranges. Unlike most other true dragons, lung dragons do not have a breath weapon, instead they rely solely on their magical abilities, which vary with each individual wyrm.
Primordial are the largest and most powerful of the true dragons and can be any range of colors. Almost all primordial dragons are able to traverse the planes of existence at will.
The types of primordial dragons are:
Distinguished by a plated, armor-like hide covered in horns and spikes. They can be any range of colors and reach lengths of over 150 meters (492.1’). All chaos dragons are driven by a primal urge to undermine and destabilize the natural order of any realm they inhabit; those that are good do so to induce beneficial change, while those that are evil do so simply to sow destruction. They tend to make their lairs in massive caverns within the highest peaks of the tallest mountain ranges. Their breath weapon varies with each individual wyrm.
Distinguished by their oversized wings, bony plates upon their back, and a pair of swept-back horns atop their head. Even among the primordials, guardian dragons are massive and can reach lengths of over 200 meters (656.2’). They typically serve as custodians of ley lines: the boundaries that separate the realms and planes of existence from one another. When the boundaries of their realm are firm, they will often enter into what is known as the Sleep of Ages—a deep slumber that can last for many millennia—waking only when the ley lines are threatened. Too large for a conventional lair, these gargantuan wyrms often bury themselves deep within the earth or make their homes at the bottom of a body of water large enough to accommodate them (they are able to hold their breath in perpetuity). Their breath weapon can be any form of elemental magic but typically correlates to the color of their scales.
The types of elemental dragons are:
Elemental dragons are composed primarily of mana and a single and technically classifiable as . However, they more closely resemble their saurian-like kin. Their appearance, colors, habitats, and breath weapons vary relative to their or elemental aspect (e.g., fire, lightning, darkness, etc.), and they range in size from as small as a to as large as a .
Death dragons are composed of elemental death, with bodies of shadow and darkness. Their scales are a deep, inky black, fading into translucence at the edges. Their breath weapon is a cone of necrotic energy. They are native to the .
Earth dragons are composed of elemental earth, with bodies of rock and soil. Their scales are rough and jagged, and are typically shades of brown and green. Their breath weapon is a cone of pulverized stone. They are native to the .
Fire dragons are composed of elemental fire, with bodies of living flame and molten magma that radiate intense heat. Their scales are flickering hues of red, orange, and amber. Their breath weapon is a cone of fire capable of melting steel. They are native to the .
Life dragons are composed of elemental life, with bodies of radiant, soft white light. Their white scales are semi-translucent. Their breath weapon is a cone of brilliant, blinding light. They are native to the .
Water dragons are composed of elemental water, with bodies that can be flowing liquid or solid ice. Their scales range from deep blue to crystalline white, depending on their fluid or frozen nature. Their breath weapon is a cone of water, frost, or ice. They are native to the .