Dragomander
A Dragomander is a winged draconic salamander with the size and temperament of a small housecat. They spend most of their days feeding on volcanic sediment, fumes, and water and can often be found in volcanoes or hotsprings. They can also eat Fire Termites, a kind of explosive bug found in West Garadel that is very carefully curated in specialty hives by those who seek to breed dragomanders away from volcanic areas.
Dragomanders are capable of launching jets of flame at targets as well as rudimentary arcane spellcasting. if given sentience they can become skilled dragon sorcerers in their own right, but most are content to lounge in magma or hot springs. The dragomander's complete immunity to heat makes self-defense unnecessary most times, as their ability to duck into scalding fumes or burning magma makes them effectively immune to predation.
Dragomanders are ageless but anti-social and slow to breed. This is probably a good thing, as they ambiently produce poisonous smoke that, if nearby other common volcanic fumes, will bind with them to produce a horrible thick toxic smog that kills almost all forms of life. This smog can be dispelled with intense wind, but more wind is necessary for larger quantities of smog. This choking smog is a significant problem in the dragomander-rich mountains of Ekraht but has led to several dragomander-culls in the mountains of Garadel (as Garadel lacks the same smog-protection measures as Ekraht).
Perhaps the most important thing about dragomanders (outside of their death-smog) is the power they can unlock. Those who spend large amounts of time around dragomanders unlock powers of Dragon Sorcery and can even bind that dragomander to them as a familiar. Binding with sorcerers both feeds the dragomander through that magical bond and provides it with a host that can resurrect it if it dies for any reason.
Additional Information
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Dragomanders are found in volcanic areas and along the plains of Tolzel in Garadel. The most population-dense area is easily the supervolcano of Akrea in Ekraht and surrounding mountains, followed by the mountains and plains of Garadel. They can also be found in mountainous areas in Western Samvara, Southwest Suneka, and central Nafena.
Controlled imported Fire Termite colonies have allowed for controlled Dragomander breeding away from volcanic areas, but these are expensive and often dangerous.
Average Intelligence
Dragomander intelligence is cat-like on average, though some have been magically uplifted.
Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms
The unique Dracoplasmosis symbiote is a microscopic magical organism only found inside dragomanders. Dracoplasmosis microbes magically clean and protect the dragomander's internal systems like an extra layer of immune protection. Each strain of Dracoplasmosis is unique to that particular dragomander. Dracoplasmosis is what allows for dragomanders to be bound as familiars, as it forms a unique connection between the infected humanoid and the original dragomander.
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments