Dragon Species in Ebbavion | World Anvil
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Dragon

Often claimed to be direct descendants of Gretris the motherdragon - goddess of chaos and magic, even the wisest and oldest of wyrms don't actually know how the first dragons came to be. Though they are know to be incredibly intelligent winged reptiles with a strong affinity to magic and breath weapons of elemantal affinities depending on the colors of their scales. Accordingly there are multiple subspecies of dragons, mostly devided into the more evil aligned chromatic dragons and the metallic dragons with a generally more good alignment.   Depending on their subrace, dragons age at a different speed, yet grow throughout their entire life.  

Age spans in dragons

A freshly hatched dragon is called a wyrmling and already has a full array of abilities, though still weak compared to a young dragon. They learn to run within the first hours and can fly in just a few days. When a dragon reaches 6 years of age it is regarded as a young dragon. It grows at a consistent speed and starts exploring his strengths, building wisdoms and abilities. At this age a dragon might be about the size of a horse. At about 50 to 100 years of age a dragon starts to be fertile and is regarded as an adult dragon. It's the second longest phase in a dragons life and it usually built a formidable hoard by then. They start scheming in order to gain more wealth and are some of the most formidable predators at this age. When a dragon reaches between 801 to 1000 years it finally stops producing eggs and is called an ancient dragon. At this age a dragon is usually at a point of it's life where it reached most of his goals. Many start hibernating or sorting out their hoard whilst others search of enlightenment, more knowledge or travel different planes. Unlike humans dragons only grow wisdom and intelligence as they age, so an ancient dragon, as bored as it might be, essentially reached the height of it's capabilites.  

Subspecies

source I am quoting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_(Dungeons_%26_Dragons)#Chromatic_dragons

Chromatic dragons

Red dragons

"Red dragons are the largest and most powerful of the classic chromatic dragons. They are large with a wide wingspan. They have two swept back horns on their heads. They smell of smoke and sulphur.
The eggs of a red dragon must be kept in open flame at all times while incubating. Incubation takes approximately 660 days. After the eggs are laid, the younger of the two parents remains behind to guard the eggs and keep the nest of flames burning. Once they hatch, the wyrmlings are left to fend for themselves. A red wyrmling is roughly human-sized at hatching and dangerous. They are capable of breathing fire, and revel in wreaking destruction and havoc on almost anything that moves. The latter trait is carried fully into adulthood. They regard all other Chromatic dragons as inferiors, with the amount of disdain proportional to the variety's general power level. "
"The gaining and keeping of treasure is the focus of a red dragon's adult life, and they tend to amass incredible hoards with amazing rapidity. At any given moment, a red dragon will be able to tell the precise monetary value of all the objects in its hoard, down to the last fraction of a coin. Red dragons prefer to make their homes inside active volcanoes. If a volcano is not available, they will reside in any mountain, provided that it has a good ledge from which the dragon can survey its territory."
"Red dragons are very dangerous in combat. Proficient in magic, they are also fast in the air, but clumsy, so prefer to fight on the ground. They spend years designing battle strategies, and wait until the best moment to call upon them."


Blue dragons

"Blue dragons are the second most powerful of the classic chromatic dragons. They have single large horns protruding from their heads and large, frilled ears. The tail is thick and bumpy. The wings are more pronounced than most other species. They smell like ozone or sand.
They are more likely to be mocking and manipulative than outrightly cruel or murderous to 'lesser' creatures, aided by their natural talents for hallucination. They trick desert travelers into drinking sand or going miles out of their way. Blue dragons are mostly carnivorous though they will eat plants on occasion. Camels are the preferred food."
  "Despite their evil nature, they are excellent parents to their young, and rarely leave their eggs unattended. Blue dragon eggs must be buried in warm sand to incubate. Blue wyrmlings are quick to taunt any other creature. They hunt small desert creatures for food.
The typical blue dragon lair is dug into desert rock formations with two entrances: one at ground level, hidden by the sand, and one opening onto a high ledge on which it can perch and survey its territory. Each lair also has a cavern with a pool of water and sandy beach, which its inhabitant will use for drinking and relaxation.
The blue dragon excels at aerial combat. They discharge lightning at aerial foes, or at creatures on the ground. They are powerful at spell craft and adept at burrowing in sand. They often lie in wait just below the surface of the desert for prey. When they are so burrowed, their large horns can be mistaken for pointed desert rocks. "

Green dragons

"Green dragons are the third most powerful of the classic chromatic dragons. They have a large, waving crest or fin that starts at the dragon's nose and runs the length of the dragon's body. They also have long, slender forked tongues and smell like chlorine gas.
They are highly adept at magic. Green dragons are reasonably good parents, with both mother and father typically staying close to their eggs while they are incubating. Females either keep their eggs in a solution of acid or bury them in leaves moistened with rainwater. The green wyrmling may be mistaken for a black, due to their nearly black scales. As the wyrmling matures, its scales lighten in color. The wyrmlings typically stay with both parents until they reach adulthood (approximately 100 years)
A green dragon lair will be a complex of caves and tunnels, with its main entrance hidden behind a waterfall. The dragons prefer caves high up on a cliff. The territories of Green and Black dragons frequently overlap, but as greens are more powerful, they typically hold the upper hand. Greens may allow a Black dragon to remain in their forest, as long as the lesser dragon remains in the swamps. Green dragons revel in combat, and will often attack for no apparent reason. They are territorial, and may view any intrusion into their domain as an affront. They are cunning and duplicitous foes, and love to double-cross. A traveler who stumbles into a green dragon's territory may be able to bribe the dragon for safe passage, but the dragon may pretend to agree and then attack the unsuspecting offender once their guard is down. Though aggressive, green dragons prefer to use magic before attacking physically. "

Black dragons

"Black dragons are the most vile-tempered and cruel of all chromatic dragons, apart from their love of bargaining. Black dragons are distinguished by their horns, which protrude from the sides of their heads and wrap around, projecting forward, a longer body and thinner tail. A large frill adorns the upper part of the neck. They smell like rotting vegetation and foul water, or like the powerful acid they can breathe.
Black dragons are fierce hunters that will normally attack from the water."
"Black dragons are not noted as good parents, relying more upon disguise and hiding to protect their eggs than upon guarding them. Black dragon eggs must be submerged in strong acid while incubating. Their wyrmlings are exceptionally cruel with insatiable appetites for nearly anything organic. As a black dragon matures, its scales gradually grow lighter. The oldest black dragons appear almost purple in color."
"A black dragon typically lairs in a large cave or underground chamber next to a swamp or murky pond. Their lairs always have two entrances: one underwater through the adjacent swamp/pond, and one above-ground, disguised amidst the undergrowth.
In combat, black dragons prefer ambushes to straightforward fighting. They are vicious and ruthless adversaries, and their acidic bile can easily work its way under the heaviest armor."

White dragons

"White dragons are the weakest and the most feral of the classic chromatic dragons. Though dimmer than other dragons, they are still powerful enough to overwhelm most humans and have good long-term memories. Their heads and necks blend seamlessly into one another, and their wings are frayed along the edges. They have a flap of skin lined with spines under their chins. They have a high crest atop a streamlined head and a crisp, vaguely chemical odor.
White dragon eggs must be buried in snow or encased in ice to incubate. The parents do not tend or protect the eggs in any way, although they lay them near their lairs. A newly hatched white wyrmling has clear scales, which become white as the dragon matures. They are expected to survive on their own after hatching, although some white dragon parents will permit their young to live in their lair until they reach adulthood. Adult white dragons have several abilities well suited to their arctic habitat. They can climb ice cliffs with ease, fly high and fast, and are exceptional swimmers. They love to swim in cold water. Much of their diet consists of aquatic creatures. White dragons are always hungry, and tend to become more savage as they mature. Knowing that they are the smallest and weakest of dragons, many whites harbor inferiority complexes."
"White dragons lair in ice caves dug into mountains. Their lairs contain many more tunnels and chambers than those of other chromatic dragons. More powerful white dragons may turn a large iceberg into a floating lair. Such lairs have an underwater entrance as well as one to the open air. White dragons are not strong combatants compared to other dragons. Their icy breath can freeze a foe solid. They avoid fights with more powerful dragons, but will take any opportunity to take their frustrations out on 'lesser' creatures. Whites also have exceptional memories, and will hunt down those who cross them, no matter how long it takes."


Metallic dragons

Brass dragons

"Although weaker than many other varieties of dragonkind, brass dragons are still powerful creatures by any measure. They have a strong mercenary streak and often agree to serve as guardians or battle champions for anyone willing to pay suitably well. Physically, the brass dragon is highly distinctive. From below, its outstretched wings form a triangular shape, as they are attached to its body all the way to the tip of its tail. The wings are longest at the shoulder and taper gently as they reach the tail. Their scales seem to radiate heat and light. The shape of the head is quite unusual, as it includes a large, curved plate that extends from the dragon's eyes and cheeks on either side and curves upwards into two points, much like a plowshare. They have two sharp horns on the chin, which become steadily pointier as the dragon ages. They smell like hot, oiled metal. "
"Brass dragon eggs must be incubated in a nest of open flames. Incubation takes approximately 480 days. The eggs are typically tended by both parents so that they can talk together as they maintain their vigil. A newly hatched brass wyrmling is not remarkable in appearance; its scales are a dull brown. The scales become lighter and more brilliant as the dragon matures. Brass wyrmlings probably learn to talk more quickly than the young of any other sentient species. They talk constantly about anything and everything, and they will talk to anybody: friends, family, enemies, small creatures that cannot talk back, or even to themselves if nobody else is near. When exposed to a new language, a brass wyrmling will usually become fluent in under an hour. Though they have an extremely deadly breath weapon, they are more fragile than other dragons. As a result, they make alliances with small groups of intelligent creatures, such as tribes of nomadic Dragonborn. "
"As it matures, a brass dragon adds a love of fire to its love of speech. They can stare into burning flames for hours, entranced by their beauty. Older brass dragons often become discouraged with the world, believing that others are ruining it. Yet as they mature, they seem to accept the follies of the world, and may even donate some of their treasures to aid a cause they believe to be worthy."
"The brass dragon prefers to dig its lair inside a desert peak or spire. They also prefer to have their lairs face eastwards, so that the rising sun will warm the lair for the bulk of the day. A brass dragon's lair is well-constructed and quite extensive, with many twisting corridors and dead ends to confuse and discourage hostile intruders. The centerpiece of any brass dragon's lair is the Grand Conversation Hall, where it spends the majority of its time entertaining friends and visitors. A typical lair will also contain an elegant foyer, a gallery for the artwork the dragon has collected, a sleeping chamber, and a storage room. All brass dragon lairs have several small entrances, known as bolt holes."

Bronze dragons

"Duty-bound and honorable to a fault, bronze dragons commit themselves to order and are among the greatest and most devout champions of that ideal."
"Physically, the bronze dragon is quite fierce in appearance, despite its good nature. While most of its body is a reflective copper color, the wings are often tipped with green. The eyes of a bronze dragon begin with a green iris and as they age the eye slowly becomes a solid green with no distinct iris. The dragon has three main large horns protruding from each cheek, pointing back towards the tail. It also has a couple of smaller horns. The tips of these points are black and very sharp, and are often used for grooming. The tongue is purple-gray, long and pointed, and not forked. A large frill runs down the upper part of its neck. They smell like sea-spray."
"Bronze dragons mate for life and take their duties as parents with the utmost seriousness. They will protect their eggs and their wyrmlings at any cost. Although bronze dragons always live near water, they lay their eggs in a dry cave. Apart from a dry, relatively warm environment, bronze dragon eggs require no special conditions for incubation like those of most dragons. Upon hatching, the wyrmlings are raised, taught, and protected by their parents. A newly hatched bronze wyrmling appears yellow with a tinge of green, and the scales will gradually shift to bronze as it matures. Bronze wyrmlings hold a strong sense of responsibility from the moment it leaves the egg- one that causes it to seek out purpose as thoroughly as it hunts for sustenance. "
"Given its exceptional abilities as a swimmer, the entrance to a bronze dragon's lair is quite naturally underwater, and often disguised with seaweed and coral. The bulk of the lair is above water level, however, consisting of multiple tunnels and large chambers, some as much as a thousand feet above sea level. They prefer to make their lairs in an island volcano, if possible. "
"While bronze dragons are often fascinated with battles, especially fighting to defeat evil, they have strong moral compunctions against killing living beings unless absolutely necessary. They will often join good-aligned armies to fight the forces of evil, either in human form or their own. In battle, their weapon of choice is to breathe repulsion gas, which is so putrid that it forces absolutely everything away. They also like to relocate a foe to a remote location where it can do no harm when possible. When forced to kill, the bronze dragon is a deadly combatant, roasting enemies with bursts of lightning or ripping them open with its clawed forelegs. "

Copper dragons

"Copper dragons are the second weakest of the metallic dragons. They are born tricksters and jokesters. They are quite devious and clever, but their intent is purely benign. They do not seek to harm 'lesser' creatures, but merely wish to impress them with superior intelligence and wit, and to fool them with clever pranks.
Physically, the copper dragon is very striking, with scales of a warm copper color tinged with blue. Like the brass dragon, the copper dragon's wings connect to its body all the way to the tip of its tail. However, its wings have a pronounced bend to them, giving them the appearance of a "V" from below, rather than the brass dragon's triangular appearance. Copper dragons are powerful jumpers and climbers, with massive thigh and shoulder muscles. Their two horns are broad and flat, pointing backwards towards the tail from the top of their heads. They also have a distinctive frill protruding from either jaw. When the mouth is closed, the teeth are completely hidden. They exude a stony odor.
Copper dragons lay their eggs in a nest of cool sand or clay. Both parents watch over the eggs and raise the wyrmling until it reaches adulthood, whereupon the parents separate. When new hatched, the scales of a copper wyrmling are a muddy brown in color, which gradually shifts to a glowing copper as it matures. Adult copper dragons are quite social, mainly due to the desire to play tricks upon each other. A visitor to a copper dragon's lair can expect to be entertained at length, although the dragon will become angry if the visitor does not appear impressed with their tricks, riddles, and stories.
A typical copper dragon's lair is a cave, whose entrance is concealed by rocks and boulders. Upon entering, visitors find themselves in a huge labyrinth of tunnels. Copper dragons compete amongst themselves to see who can design the most confusing layout. If a friendly visitor becomes hopelessly lost (which is rather common), the copper dragon will rescue them before they are actually endangered."
"When it comes to combat, copper dragons prefer to avoid it. Rather than fighting openly, they prefer to taunt, humiliate, and tease their opponents until they simply give up and run away. Their ability to dramatically slow opponents often gives them ample time to run away. When forced, however, a copper dragon will fight to the very end, and is an incredibly devious antagonist. Their acid breath is not to be taken lightly. "

Silver dragons

"Silver dragons are the second most powerful of the metallic dragons, and are true friends to all. The silver dragon enjoys the company of humans and elves so much that it will often take the form of a human or elf and live among them for the majority of its life. Silvers, like all dragons, believe themselves the most superior creatures in the world. However, apart from the ability to fly, which they enjoy greatly, they tend to prefer the physical forms of humanoids for everyday life.
At first glance, the silver dragon appears very similar to the White dragon. The wings are more curved than a White's though, and the silver has two talons on its wings rather than the single talon of most dragons. The silver dragon also has a beautiful frill that begins at the top of its head and flows all the way down its neck and body to the tip of the tail. The frill is silver towards the body, fading to a purple hue at the edge. They have two long, smooth silver horns with black tips, pointing up and back from the head. They also have a pronounced sharp frill under the chin, which has the rough appearance of a goatee. They smell like rain.
Silver dragons lay their eggs in a bed of snow. A new hatched silver wyrmling has scales of a bluish gray, which change to silver over time. Silver wyrmlings are intelligent, kind, extremely curious, and adorable.
Unlike the gold or bronze dragon, the silver dragon does not usually go out of its way to bring justice to the world. Instead, it waits for others to ask for help. Silver dragons will attempt to right an injustice if they see one, but they have no inclination to intentionally seek evil out and destroy it. They are more interested in protecting the humans or elves they have come to care for than in looking for evil. Like most metallic dragons, silvers do not enjoy combat, and are averse to killing. If forced to fight, however, they are as deadly as any other dragon.
A silver wyrmling's scales are blue-gray with silver highlights. As the dragon approaches adulthood, its color gradually brightens until the individual scales are scarcely visible. The pupils of the oldest silver dragons resemble orbs of molten mercury."
"Silver dragons employ a breath weapon of extreme cold similar to that of white dragons. They also have a second breath weapon, a cone of paralyzing gas. Silver dragons are extremely rare and elusive, preferring to take the guise of kind and elderly humanoids or very attractive and young humanoids. They very much like to associate with elves and humans, not necessarily because they prefer their company over other races, but because they try to learn from the shorter-lived humans."

Golden dragons

"Gold dragons are based on creatures from Chinese mythology. [...] They are the most powerful of the metallic dragons, and the most dedicated to defeating evil. They spend the bulk of their lives in human form, seeking out evil and punishing wrongdoers to the best of its considerable abilities."
"Physically, gold dragons are quite spectacular. Several large horns tipped with umber shoot sideways from their cheeks, and two very prominent horns point backwards along their heads. The most obvious feature is probably the tentacle whiskers that sprout from the top and bottom of the gold dragon's jaw, giving the appearance of a beard of sorts. Their wings, like those of brass and copper dragons, connect to the body all the way to the tip of the tail. From below, the overall shape resembles that of a brass dragon, but the different coloring and dramatic difference in size enables easy differentiation. When in flight, the gold dragon's wings ripple, giving the appearance of swimming rather than flying. They smell of saffron and incense."
"Gold dragon eggs must be incubated in a nest of open flames. A newly hatched gold wyrmling appears similar to an adult, except that it lacks horns or tentacle whiskers. Both parents tend the eggs, and then take intense interest in their wyrmlings' care and education. At some point, however, the biological parents may send the wyrmling to live with foster parents; this allows the parents to undertake their own quests, as well as exposing the wyrmling to new experiences."
"Gold dragons prefer to talk rather than to fight. They will never engage in combat if they believe it is unnecessary. Once they believe it is necessary, however, they are amazingly powerful opponents. Their ability to breathe fire rivals that of the eldest red dragons, and they will pour their entire being into a battle against evil. Gold dragons dislike killing, but they do not hesitate to do so if it is necessary in order to defeat an evil foe. "

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Dragons rarely live in the Realm of the Living and mostly roam the Realm of Chaos.

Average Intelligence

Despite their monsterous appearance most adult dragons are more intelligent than the average human. Nonetheless one would be wise to never underestimate a dragons intellect next to it's raw power.

Civilization and Culture

Historical Figures

Most dragons never show themselves in the Realm of the Living, especially now since they would have to share with a large variety of inhabitants who seek desperatly to claim the lands Ebbavion offers. Though 5 years bC the witch of the North brought together a group of chromatic dragons to aid her spread respect and acceptance for the raw power of chaotic magic throughout the more conservative Valon. Their leader, Bizud eternal fire even killed members of his own kin throughout the war. He was joined by the white dragon Ietulth the hungry, the black dragon Orsyri bringer of death, the blue dragon Ryllaeled the scary and Peomer, lord of the green. Many say after the war Gretris herself forbid her children to return to the Realm of Chaos and they still hide in the depths of Ebbavion.   On the opposing side mainly the golden dragon Cyrdiar the Great helped the wizard of the south to free Valon from the overpowering chromatic dragons before going into hiding in the south. Though his six children sometimes make appearances in mortal conflicts.
Genetic Descendants
Lifespan
varies depending on the color - 2100 to 4400 years
Related Organizations
large parts of this article are inspired by or referencing the DnD 5e dragon concept

Articles under Dragon


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