Dragon, Ferrous, Tungsten

Tungsten Dragon Of all the ferrous dragons, only the tungsten dragons remain good-natured. Not only are they good, but they violently oppose all evil that they come across. Trespassers must prove good intentions, or risk the wrath of the dragon.
A tungsten dragon has numerous small horns dotting its face and trailing down its neck and back, with two long black horns curving from the back of its head. A large sail rises from its back. Its wings are mottled green and brown, but the trailing edge fades into deep forest green.
As a wyrmling, a tungsten dragon's scales are dark green with brown flecks. As the dragon ages, the flecks gradually disappear and its scales take on a more metallic sheen. By the time the dragon is an adult, the scales start to grey and lose their shine, and by the time the dragon is ancient, its scales are so dark green that they are almost black.
Ponderous and Humble. Of all the dragons that exist, tungsten dragons are the most humble. At least by dragon standards. They still have the egotistical mindset that permeates the hearts of all dragonkind, but they have a sense of humility that at least makes them teachable. They view their alliance with Gruaghlothor and the subsequent rebellion against Bahamut as their two greatest mistakes, and it is this mindset that gifts them with meekness. They realize their past follies and are aware of their imperfections, but rather than dwell on them and become domineering bullies like nickel dragons, they look forward with hope that they can be something more.
Perhaps it is their fear of making mistakes, but tungsten dragons take their time making even the smallest of decisions. They carefully ponder each option for days, weeks, or even years before coming to a conclusion, much to the frustration of everyone else that the decision involves. After it eventually reaches a verdict, the dragon holds to that verdict with a conviction that can't be matched by even the most faithful cleric. During its internal debate, the dragon happily hears any side of the argument and performs as much research as it can in order to make the best decision, but after the decision is made, changing the dragon's mind is like trying to change the tides.
Vindicators of Good. The only decisions that tungsten dragons have no trouble making are those that involve evildoers. In such cases, a tungsten dragon always swiftly and vehemently opposes evil until either it or the evil is destroyed. This often brings them into conflict with blue and brown dragons, with whom they share a favored habitat. Tungsten dragons don't hesitate to gather in large groups so that they can swiftly annihilate these and other evils.
Tungsten dragons use whatever means necessary in order to destroy evil, while operating within the bounds of law. After all, if evil will stop at nothing to achieve its evil ends, then they should stop at nothing to destroy evil. Any and all resources and methods are fair game, as long as no innocents are harmed in the process. They relentlessly pursue evil opponents who flee, seeing it as their place to cleanse such creatures from the world.
Perhaps their zealotry in this regard can be attributed to each tungsten dragon's desire to put behind the faults of its ancestors and show its true nature. Some even hope to win back Bahamut's favor by acting as his champions; on occasion it appears as though individuals are successful, but it is doubtful Bahamut will ever restore the race to its former glory. Despite this knowledge, each tungsten dragon refuses to give up the crusade against evil.
Desert Families. Tungsten dragons prefer hot, arid climates, competing for territory with blue, brown, and brass dragons. Though they prefer deserts, they occasionally settle in more temperate areas. If they are able, they try to destroy any evil dragons they come across (apart from other ferrous dragons, as per Gruaghlothor's mandate), but they know when they are outmatched and don't pick fights they can't win. They aren't fond of brass dragons, thinking them to be careless and ill-mannered, and sometimes downright annoying. They avoid brass dragons when they can.
Tungsten dragons prefer desert plants such as cacti for food, but they can subsist on virtually anything. They take great care to preserve their habitat's ecology, refraining from eating too much of any one thing, lest it become extinct in that area.
Family is of great importance to these dragons, and they take great care of their young. They can live in family units for several decades, even up to a century; after the young dragons reach the juvenile stage, they can opt to stay with their parents or strike out on their own. However, once the dragon becomes an adult, it is forced out to seek a family of its own. Tungsten dragons mate for life, and after many years apart, the parents will again come together to raise another clutch of young.
Because one parent will be away from its lair for so long, it often brings its hoard to the lair of the other, or simply keeps its treasures there permanently. Though they trust each other deeply, they return often to check on the safety of their belongings.
Metal Treasures. Tungsten dragons collect anything valuable they can get their claws on, but are most fond of dark metals polished to a brilliant sheen. Adamantine and tungsten (naturally) are their favorites, especially because both are exceptionally resilient.
A Tungsten Dragon's Lair
Tungsten dragons typically lair wherever they can in the barren places they call home, finding shelter in canyons, ruins, and caves. If it can't find a suitable location, the dragon digs one, using its fiery breath to crystallize the sand around it into magnificent caverns of glass.
The lair of a tungsten dragon is usually enormous, with exceptionally large halls and chambers. This is for when the dragon raises a family, as the family could potentially stay together well past the young dragons' juvenile stage. In the lairs of well-established dragons, there might be as many as six or seven rooms that each function as bedrooms and treasure hoards, so that each young dragon can have a place to call its own within the lair of its parents. Would-be dragonslayers and treasure hunters are always surprised when they find not one, not two, but up to seven dragons occupying the same lair (two parents and five children).
The lair's layout is well-organized, usually with an antechamber leading to an entrance hall of sorts, which in turn leads to each of the separate dragon's rooms.
Regional Effects
The region containing a legendary tungsten dragon's lair is warped by the dragon's magic, which creates one or more of the following effects.
* Natural flora and fauna thrives within 6 miles of the lair, more so than seems possible. * Evil creatures within 1 mile of the lair have an unnatural feeling of foreboding. The dragon senses the presence of such creatures, but doesn't learn their exact location. * The dragon can magically alter the land within 6 miles of the lair, to either help or hinder travelers. It takes the dragon 10 minutes to create this effect, but the effects last until it uses this ability again. If it desires to help, creatures move through the area twice as fast as they normally would. If it desires to hinder, the area takes twice as long to traverse. The dragon can also change the land so that it neither helps nor hinders.
If the dragon dies, these effects fade over the course of 1d10 days.
Preferred Spells
Tungsten dragons tend to prefer the following spells: plant growth, protection from evil and good, wall of sand, zone of truth, banishment, polymorph, dispel evil and good, immolation, true polymorph.
Ferrous Dragons
Few know that the ferrous dragons exist, let along their tragic origins. The chromium, cobalt, nickel, steel, and tungsten dragons are each members of this mostly forgotten category of true dragons. Each is vain and greedy, as dragons are wont to be, and each type sees the circumstance of their species in a different light. All, however, no matter their viewpoints, want only to regain their race's former glory, and depose the metallics from their throne of nobility.
Gruaghlothor's Rebellion. The title of "ferrous" often confuses those who first learn about the dragon type; or at least, those that know anything about ferrous metals. Few of the dragons within this category take after ferrous metals, so why call them ferrous dragons at all? The reasoning is linked to their original place, which was as metallic dragons under the watchful and good-natured deity Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon.
Gruaghlothor the Supreme Dragon was a powerful demigod and one of Bahamut's most powerful and trusted advisors. He chafed under the rulership of the Platinum Dragon, despite having gained his power as a result of Bahamut's trust, and planned to overthrow him and take his place as the sovereign lord of metallic dragons. He sowed the seeds of rebellion in the minds of all metallic dragons, but those seeds only took root in the chromium, cobalt, nickel, steel, and tungsten dragons. The others proved too resolute in their reverence of their deity. He told them the power they would gain with him at their head, tempted them with promises of godhood and lordship that weren't his to give.
Eventually, after many centuries of preparation, Gruaghlothor launched his assault with his army. Bahamut and his faithful dragons retaliated in kind, but the Platinum Dragon attempted to approach his beloved advisor with diplomacy. Gruaghlothor refused all attempts at a peaceful resolution, insisting that Bahamut must be destroyed, and so Bahamut ordered the eradication of those who dared rebel against him. He wounded Gruaghlothor, but the rebellious demigod escaped. His army was destroyed and the survivors fled into the dark corners of the world.
Thusly, the title "ferrous" comes from the metaphorical rusting of the honor and beliefs of the once-metallic dragons, and represents their fall from nobility and honor into bitterness and betrayal. Those that survive insist that Gruaghlothor, the new lord of the fallen ferrous dragons, lives on, waiting for the imaginary moment in which he can exact his revenge.
Creatures of Law. Gruaghlothor's arguements appealed to the dragons that have a strong sense of law. Their plots are well thought-out and methodical, and they rarely act impulsively. Most have lost their good nature as a result of their fall, becoming neutral or evil. Over the millenia and eons since their great defeat, each type has come to hate the other ferrous dragons out of spite, blaming their fall on anyone but themselves. Despite their loathing, they never attack each other because of a decree supposedly from Gruaghlothor himself, stating that they are to preserve their numbers. Infighting is not tolerated. As dragons of law, they obey, albeit begrudgingly.
Within their society, the ferrous dragons follow the vague outline of a hierarchy. Though they hate one another, they respect the hierarchy set forth by Gruaghlothor. Several dragons of the same type and in the same region are organized into clans. Each clan is led by its most powerful member, and each clan leader answers to a sovereign great wyrm. Each species of ferrous dragon is led in this way, and the sovereigns of each type are said to be able to commune with Gruaghlothor himself. No one species has any measure of authority over another, but ferrous dragons always defer to a dragon that is older or of higher rank.
Bitter and Resentful. Each ferrous dragon harbors bitterness within; bitterness toward Bahamut, toward Gruaghlothor, toward the other ferrous dragons, toward the metallic dragons who defeated them, and most importantly toward their own species. Despite this bitterness, some ferrous dragons look forward with hope, determined to regain their place at Bahamut's side through a show of good nature and penitence. Others look forward with violence, desiring to destroy those who saw fit to destroy them.
Relations with Other Dragons. To chromatic dragons, ferrous dragons are still metallic dragons, and the two do not tolerate each other. In general, ferrous dragons get along with (or at least tolerate) gem dragons, but especially with amethyst and emerald dragons.
When it comes to metallic dragons, the ferrous dragon's attitude depends on its type. Tungsten dragons, for example, are noble, and recognize the fault of their ancestors in following Gruaghlothor. They view metallic dragons with the highest respect, but with an air of jealousy, admiring their devotion while wishing that their ancestors had it as well. Steel dragons regard them as metallic only in name, but otherwise ignore them unless confronted with them. Chromium dragons look upon metallic dragons with spite, believing that the ferrous dragons are the true rulers of dragonkind and that the metallics stole that privilege away from them.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Dragon, Ferrous