Lantern Dragonette

This cat-sized drake with a waxy appearance and a glow emanating from its belly can hover in midair, filling a small area with a warm glow.
The lantern drake is named for its belly, which glows with a warm light. The beast's yellow, waxy scales darken with age, though lantern Drakes rarely live more than 50 years or so. They weigh from 5 to 10 pounds and are 18 inches long. Most believe they are the result of an arcane fusion of a radiant spirit with a paper drake.

Basic Information

Genetics and Reproduction

A dragonette lives up to 30 years. A mated pair produces one clutch of two to five eggs every five years, and one parent raises the young dragonettes until they mature after a year. A cloister of lantern dragonettes taxes their lair’s resources, so the other parent often ventures out to retrieve more candles.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The drake devours four ounces of Candle wax per day, plus four more ounces if it uses its belly lantern. A lantern dragonette’s unusual diet leads it to lair in libraries, abbeys, and other places of study. Even though the dragonettes eat candles essential for study during dark hours, they still provide light and protect their adopted homes. Residents and caretakers consider them good luck and enjoy conversing with them.

Additional Information

Domestication

Occasionally, a dragonette wishing to learn more about the world finds a spellcaster or Adventuring party to travel with, purely for the sake of learning or to acquire new sources of knowledge. Most parties enjoy the traveling light source and the Abilities these companions bring to bear. A lantern dragonette avoids Combat and uses its Abilities only to escape or to defend its lair, family, and Friends.

Civilization and Culture

Major Language Groups and Dialects

This gregarious drake prefers to speak with its companions but uses Telepathy if necessary, and the creature hisses when surprised or displeased. It loves nothing more than discussing magic and History with an intelligent and informed individual.

Lifespan

30 years

Average Weight

5 to 10 pounds

Average Length

18 inches