Prasinax Worm
The great Worms of Prasinae are the largest known species of Draconidae drakes. These massive four-legged wingless dragons typically grow to lengths that exceed 80' and can reach lengths in excess of 120'. They are apex ambush predators that have the ability to expel a stream of fire from their mouths that can melt iron and consume all flesh to ash in mere minutes. This fire breath is expelled in a cone that usually extends about 30' from the creature's mouth, but as the beasts age and grow, the stream of fire becomes noticeably longer and the fire itself measurably hotter. The largest worms known have managed to expel a stream of fire hot enough to melt the surface of large stones at a distance of nearly 60'.
The Prasinax Worms are not considered innately evil, but they are so totally self-absorbed and self-serving that no known example or instance exists where a non-dragon was spared death and consumption by a worm that had determined it was best served by eating the victim.
Basic Information
Anatomy
The Worms of Prasinae are the largest breed of drakes known, averaging more than 80' in length and weighing as much as 18,000 lbs. They have proportionally large heads on long necks, thick muscular bodies, short legs and tails that make up as much as 30% of their overall length. Their hides are thick and heavily armored along their flanks and back, with more pallid-colored scales along their bellies. They have incredibly strong and powerful jaws that can crush prey to pulp with a single bite.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Apex ambush predators that hunt primarily near dawn and dusk, when their eyesight offers its fullest advantage. Known to hunt and consume any available flesh, living or dead. They seem particularly fond of intelligent prey, however, and have been known on more than one occasion to hunt along the coast of Prasinae looking for shipwreck survivors after violent storms.
Biological Cycle
Like all Draconidae, Prasinax Worms continue to grow for as long as they live. They first shed their skins at about three years of age, and again every two-three years after that, adding as much as a yard to their length with each molt. The oldest known creature was estimated to have been 340 years old and exceeded 29,000 lbs in weight when it was killed.
Behaviour
Like all other Dragons, the Worms collect and keep hordes. For the Prasinax Worms, these hordes are of diamonds. From stones smaller than a grain of sand to gems as large as a human fist, these dragons find and horde as many as they can over their entire lifetimes. If the diamond is set in a ring or pendant, the entire piece is considered part of the horde, but the majority of a horde is raw, uncut diamonds found within the many volcanic fields of the continent or in the streams and riverbeds that wash them towards the seas.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Typically, a solitary ambush predator that looks for other Worms only during the mating season. It has been noted that on certain rare occasions, these beasts will cooperate during hunts for intelligent living prey, if enough prey is available.
An interesting feature of the creature's social habits is that they will fight each other over territorial disputes and to protect their hordes, but they do not seem inclined to kill each other. Conflicts and encounters between worms will end when one or the other submits, and the two dragons will go their separate ways. Outside of the metallic species, this is a very uncommon habit amongst chromatics and drakes. Experts suspect this is to ensure that the population is not significantly reduced or affected by internecine encounters.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
Worm hide is a much-prized material for armor and shield construction, as it is both incredibly tough and nearly totally fireproof. Teeth, claws, bones, sinews, gut and blood are all highly valued as weapon, tool and magical components and every ounce of the beast's meat is not only edible but considered a rare and fine delicacy. The real treasure of a Prasinax Worm, however, is its oil. Expressed from glands found on the face, neck and tail of the creatures, this oil can increase the energy and alertness of anyone that consumes even the smallest amount for as much as three full days. Some experts have expressed concern that frequent use of the understandably expensive oil can result in serious side effects, including an overall addiction to the oil.
Facial characteristics
Eyes are a bright yellow gold that glows slightly in dark places or when the dragon is especially angry.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Average Intelligence
Incredibly intelligent, with an innate (perhaps magical) ability to communicate with other intelligent creatures in their own native tongue. They are known to be very expressive when speaking to humanoids, especially those that are the object of their hunts.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
The Prasinax Worms have exceptional eyesight. Their eyes are universally a softly glowing yellow gold in color and give the beasts particularly effective night vision. Their sense of smell is extraordinary and is closely linked to their memory. Hearing is poor at best.
Unique among dragons, the Worms seem to have an innate ability to understand the speech of any intelligent creature they choose to communicate with. It is not fully understood why this is, but it makes these dragons particularly loquacious when encountered by intelligent beings.
Civilization and Culture
Historical Figures
Currently, the largest and most powerful worm on Prasinae is Kargamys the Terrible. He is a massive centuries-old beast that rules the northernmost coast of Prasinae, known as the Black Coast. As old and as large as Kargamys is, he is still an active and very dangerous predator capable of fast attacks and surprisingly long journeys his vast domain.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Utterly self-serving and supremely confident in their own physical and intellectual superiority over all other creatures they encounter. They fear no other creatures that they regularly encounter within their domains.
A rather stylized painting of the Prasinax Worm
A Worm in its lair
A painting long thought to be of a worm in winter, but is now known to depict a worm surrounded by ash
The famous Black Coast Worm, known as Kargamys the Terrible
