True Dragon - NEEDS EDIT

Dragons are an ancient race of intelligent reptilian creatures who often possess a variety of magical and unusual abilities, including winged or magical flight.12 Due to their power, they are counted among the most legendary creatures in all the Inner Sea region.3 They are sometimes referred to as wyrms and wyrmlings.4

Physiology

Mengkare, draconic overlord of Hermea.

Dragons are scaled, reptilian creatures with large wings capable of flight. A dragon has a long tail that can be used as a weapon, and typically has multiple horns on its head and a ridge or horns along its spine. While size depends on the dragon's type, very young dragons are about the size of an adult humanoid, whereas adult dragons rival the largest giants in size, and the oldest dragons can tower over buildings.5citation needed

Abilities

A dragon emits its powerful, magical breath.

Most dragons grow more powerful as they age, both in raw physical might, and in mental and magical ability. While a newly hatched wyrmling might be defeated by a small party of modestly-experienced adventures, an ancient dragon can pose a threat to a small army. Dragons are fierce fighters, and those attempting to battle them can expect to be bitten, raked with their fearsome claws, buffeted by the wings, and smacked by the long tail—not to mention the various breath weapons, ranging from fire, ice, acid, or even electricity. Many also learn to be formidable spellcasters, in addition to the various other supernatural abilities they possess.5citation needed

Dragons have keen senses, able to see clearly in low light or complete darkness, and can even sense creatures that they cannot see. Each type of dragon has additional abilities usually including magical spells, often specialized to their chosen habitat and fighting style. For example, the swamp-dwelling black dragon can influence and control reptiles, whereas the coastal bronze dragons exhibit some control over water.6citation needed Most dragons are immune to the effects of paralysis and magic-induced sleep.12

Draconic anatomy

Main article: Draconic anatomy

The anatomy of dragons is particularly well understood, and it is clear that dragons have many elements within their anatomy that are unique.78

Draconic families

Luong Phung, a sea dragon.

Dragons are divided into various "families", or septs, of related species.✝ The most common and best detailed are the traditional dragons, also known as magical dragons, but several others exist as well.910 Good dragons appear to exist in smaller numbers than evil ones, but that may only be a matter of perception, as good dragons have less of a need to mix with "lesser races" such as humans. The biggest exception to this is the island of Hermea in the Steaming Sea.3

Known draconic septs include:1112139

• Traditional dragons: arcane, divine, occult, primal9
• Esoteric dragons: astral, dream, etheric, nightmare, occult14
• Imperial dragons: forest, sea, sky, sovereign, underworld15
• Outer dragons: lunar, solar, time, void, vortex16
• Planar dragons: crypt, edict, havoc, infernal, paradise, rift17
• The primal dragon family: brine, cloud, crystal, magma, umbral18

Age categories

Most dragons continuously grow in physical and magical power as they age. Dragon researchers have divided a dragon's lifespan into twelve age categories. From youngest to oldest they are: wyrmling (0–5 years),19 very young (6–15 years),citation needed young (16–25 years),19 juvenile (26–50 years), young adult (51–100 years),citation needed adult (101–200 years),19 mature adult (201–400 years),citation needed old (401–600 years),19 very old (601–800 years), ancient (801–1,000 years), wyrm (1,001–1,200 years),citation needed and great wyrm (1,201+ years).1920 Great wyrms are also referred to as archdragons.21

History

One draconic creation myth claims that when Dahak shattered his siblings and created the first dragons from their remnants, some saw him as their creator and were devoted to him while others remained faithful to Apsu. The first group became the chromatic dragons, while the second became the metallics. Some dragons, however, chose to flee the conflict between the two gods altogether, scattering throughout the multiverse and becoming the ancestors of the other draconic families.2223

During the Age of Serpents, dragons wielded considerable power and were closely allied with the reptilian civilization of the period. As history progressed, however, the dragons found themselves steadily outpaced by the weaker but fast-breeding humanoid species as these spread across the world. Unable or unwilling to compete with the rising civilizations, the dragons were eventually pushed into the wildernesses and largely faded from the active politics of the world. Recent events such as the death of Aroden and the opening of the Worldwound have, however, convinced many dragons that this reclusive lifestyle may not be a viable option anymore, and many are giving thought to taking a more direct hand in geopolitics once again.22

Habitat and ecology

Dragons battle.

Dragons live in a wide variety of habitats depending on their type, but most prefer to live solitary lives.3 Generally carnivorous in nature, dragons are known to eat unfortunate adventurers who happen upon them unprepared. They tend to have large hoards of treasure within their lairs. See the individual dragon entries for details on habitat. Dragons can live for over 1,000 years, although dragons of this age (referred to as "great wyrms") are very rare.5citation needed

Hoards

Most dragons enjoy collecting large amounts of treasure, known as a hoard. These hoards vary by dragon species, but often consist of coins and other objects of great value, upon which a dragon sleeps.24

Society

Religion

The matter of faith among dragons is a complicated, and little-understood subject. Benevolent dragons tend to worship Apsu. Some evil dragons serve and worship Dahak due to his immense power, although most dragons view Dahak with hatred. Due to the incredible length of time that dragons have roamed Golarion, there are countless myths and fables told about them and their gods.2526

Languages

Dragons speak Draconic, one of the oldest languages in all of the Great Beyond, which is often spoken by wizards.27 As they grow older, they learn more languages, including Common tongues such as Taldane,28 Chthonian,29 Empyrean,30 or other languages befitting their nature and environment.citation needed

Dragons as allies

Some young dragons allow knights of identical philosophical orientation to adopt them as mounts.31

True Dragons

The term "true dragon" referred to dragons that became more powerful as they aged.9

Chromatic dragons

Chromatic dragons were inherently evil. With the advent of the Cult of the Dragon many chromatic dragons were tempted to become dracoliches.

Metallic dragons

Metallic dragons were inherently good. They often were found helping others.

Ferrous dragon

Ferrous dragons were a mix of good, neutral, and evil, the majority had an evil alignment. Despite them being the same type of dragon, many hated each other.

Planar dragons

Sometimes dragons lived and bred in otherworldly environments. Those that remained in another plane long enough were radically altered by its nature or its denizens.

Gem dragons

Gem dragons were aloof and self-centered, keeping to themselves and remaining neutral. They spent most of their time on the Inner Planes.

Lung dragons

Dragons of the land of Kara-Tur, most of whom were charged with carrying out tasks for the Celestial Bureaucracy.101112

Miscellaneous Dragons

These dragon types didn't fit into a single category.

• Air dragons: extremely rare dragons native to the planet Coliar.13
• Brainstealer dragons: underground-dwelling mixes of dragons and mind flayers.14
• Cobra dragons: greedy, evil dragons known to live in Kara-Tur.15
• Deep dragons: actually purple dragons, a variety of chromatic dragons.
• Dzalmus: three-headed dragons native to the Hordelands.1617
• Fang dragons: actually gray dragons, a variety of chromatic dragons.
• Force dragons: powerful, aloof, and arrogant transparent dragons.18
• Mist dragons
• Moon dragons: evil color-changing dragons that inhabited moons.19
• Prismatic dragons: powerful, charismatic and flamboyant multicolored dragons.18
• Radiant dragons: large, iridescent dragons capable of flying through wildspace as natural spelljammers.20
• Rattelyr dragon: a wingless species of dragon-like creatures native to warm, sandy deserts with snakelike features.21
• Song dragons: mysterious dragons who lived throughout the Realms in the guise of humans.
• Sun dragons: Benevolent dragons that lived on the surface of suns.22
• Stellar dragons: Enormous intellectual dragons that inhabited the phlogiston.23
• Time dragons: Aloof and solitary neutral dragons with power of time.
• Vishaps: cowardly, flightless dragons native to Zakhara.

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.9

• Dragon turtles: massive, dangerous creatures that lived in the oceans.
• Dragonnels
• Drakes: there were actually a number of different subgroups and varieties of drakes.
• Hellfire wyrms: diabolic descendants of dragons who made pacts with devils.
• Landwyrms
• Pseudodragons: tiny, playful creatures that were highly valued as familiars.
• Sea wyrms: legless, wingless creatures that lived in the seas around Zakhara.
• Scalamagdrions: underground creatures that possessed antimagic properties
• Sunwyrms: large, yellow dragons that lived on plains and could take a form of pure energy.
• Wyverns: large, winged lizards with two legs and a barbed, venomous tail.

• Undead dragons:
• Dracolich: a lich created from a dragon.27
• Draconic shard: the lingering mental projection of a dead gem dragon.28
• Ghost dragon: the restless spirit of a slain dragon whose treasure was looted.29
• Skeletal dragons: skeletons created by animate dead spells that retained some of their draconic abilities.30
• Vampiric dragons: extremely rare dragons turned undead by negative energy.31
• Zombie dragons: undead dragons created by vampiric dragons or by necromantic spells.32

Dragons were 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 with an eye composition similar to felines, although far more complex. A good example of this was the placement of the legs: dragons also tended to place their rear foot where their front foot was previously, much like most stalking feline predators.33

Diet

All dragons were omnivorous and could eat almost anything,34 thanks to their innate elemental nature that allowed them to consume and digest all sorts of food, including substances that wouldn't qualify as food to other living creatures.35 Most dragons preferred a carnivorous diet, but a few of them had developing unique dietary habits. Metallic dragons, for instance, preferred to eat primarily inorganic fare.34 Although they were true apex predators, dragons were not above scavenging for food if necessary.36

The great "spellwyrm" Helgaldegar believed that each dragon had its own "unique body chemistry" so that their specific, individualized diet would effect their longevity, vigor natural proficiency for casting magic and proclivity for other activities.37

Most dragons usually consumed half their own weight in meat every day. Dragons seldom got fat, as their bodies converted all the eaten food into elemental energy, storing it for later use. Much of this stored energy was expended using their breath weapons and when their bodies changed because of them advancing in age.34 When eating inorganic materials, dragons needed to eat as much as its own body weight per day to maintain healthy bodies.35

In some instances, dragons also ate magic items. These instances were rare however. While dragons could "inherit" the magical properties of some magic items for a day or so, and as such this would have had some tactical value, few dragons would resort to do such a thing unless they were starving to the point of death.38

Reproduction

The number of eggs a dragon laid each brood depended on its race, but was usually low, between one and ten.39 Evil dragons of adult age often laid and abandoned clutches of eggs, leaving the wyrmlings to work together to raise themselves until they were old enough to go their separate ways. Good dragons of adult age, and some more intelligent evil dragons, would form families consisting of the mated pair and their offspring. The children generally left the family by the time they reached young adulthood. As dragon couples got older, they became increasingly likely to split apart as the desire for treasure began to outweigh interests in families. Older dragons would continue to mate, but would assign a single parent to the duty of raising the offspring.36

Thanks to their shape-shifting, dragons could also cross-breed with virtually any other creature, creating a half-dragon. The most commonly heard of were in the humanoid races, particularly with humans and elves. Any combination was possible, however, even with devils or angels.40 Most of the time when dragons of different types crossbred it resulted in no offspring. Whenever offspring did occur between different types, the offspring's biology would almost always favor one of the parent's "type" over the other and might display characteristic that varied from its norm. In very rare instances of crossbreeding yielding offspring, the resulting child's biology might favor neither parent. This might result in them being born as a new type or with albinism.41

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Senses

As for their senses, which varied slightly depending on the species, dragons were superior in most ways to other creatures - like any predator, they had exceptionally acute senses, which only increased with age.33 Dragons had excellent depth perception and comparably good peripheral vision, able to see twice as well as a human in daylight; they had great night vision, and were able to see even when conditions had no light to offer, though not in color.33 Dragons could also pick up scents very well, utilizing both their sensitive nose and forked tongue, much like a snake.33 Their hearing was on par with human hearing, although their minds could filter what noise it hears.33 Dragon taste was also refined, although they did not respond well to sweet flavors, and most dragons didn't discuss why.33 They were 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.33 Of all its senses, a dragon's sense of touch is the only one to decrease with age, due mostly to the development of thick, hard scales.33

Dragons were capable of blindsense, the sense in which eyes, ears, and other senses were used to detect invisible persons or objects.33

Abilities

Dragons became stronger as they grew older; they also became larger, more resistant to damages and magic, had a more dangerous breath, and a great deal of other enhanced aspects. Older dragons could cast draconic magic, such as spells with just a few words, and oftentimes they didn't need long and complex ritual involving words, gestures and components like other wizards, and they radiated a mystical fear aura around themselves. After a millennium or two, a dragon reached his maximum development.1

All dragons had some innate magical abilities, but they varied from race to race. Metallic dragons were often able to shapechange into small animals or human forms, and used this ability to secretly help or watch over humans. Dragons also had some innate powers upon the element they are linked to. For example a red dragon, who breathed fire, had some control over other flame.1

All dragons also had a frightful presence, a supernatural ability to strike fear in those who saw them. Usually, dragons developed this ability after reaching the young adult age.42

Society

Hoards

All dragons were inherently territorial and covetous. They hoarded wealth—although "wealth" could mean different things to different dragons—and jealously protected their hoards. For most dragons, there was no such thing as enough treasure. They enjoyed collecting mountains of gold, gems, coins, and magic items. They found these treasures radiant and enticing, and would make nooks and beds for themselves in their money piles. The habit of sleeping on their wealth meant that most great wyrms had hundreds of coins and gems embedded in their hides.36

Evil dragons are quick to attack anyone they perceive as a threat to their hoard, even other dragons. Good dragons are more likely to attempt diplomacy, but their desire to protect their hoard is no less intense.36

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Religion

Main article: Draconic pantheon

Dragons worshiped Astilabor, Bahamut, Garyx, Hlal, Kereska, Lendys, Null, Sardior, Tamara, Task, Tiamat, and Zorquan. The pantheon once included many other deities, forgotten after millennia of time, countless holy wars, and the deaths of all their living worshipers. Some dragons had even taken to worshiping human deities under different aspects.43

There were other, ancient gods of dragons, including Asgorath (also known as Io44), although the nature of their being was not fully understood.43

Wyrm

The term "wyrm" was used to mean "dragon", but might also refer to a dragon within specific age criteria; see dragon aging. "Wyrm" was believed to have originated from Jotun, the ancient language of the giants.5 The words "wyrm" and "worm" were pronounced similarly. Great care should be taken to avoid this as "worm" was the most insulting thing that one could call a dragon.45