Silver dragons

Description

Silver dragons, also referred to as shield dragons, are a breed of metallic dragon.

A silver dragon enjoys the company of humans and elves so much that they commonly walk amongst humankind in their human form. Besides flying, spending time with mankind is their favourite activity.

At first glance, a silver dragon appears very similar to a white dragon. The wings are more curved than a white's, however, and a 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 its 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.

They are very intelligent, more so than most humans, extremely powerful, breathtakingly beautiful, and have lifespans that can reach 4,200 years.

Personality

Unlike the gold and bronze dragons, the silver dragon does not usually go out of its way to bring justice to the world. Instead, it waits for others to ask them for help. They will attempt to right an injustice if they see one, but they have no inclination to intentionally seek evil out and destroy it. Silver dragons are more interested in protecting the humans or elves it comes to care for than in looking for evil. One unusual trait they have is the love of human dining, and they will use their alternate form ability to take part in large feasts.

Combat

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. Silver dragons have two separate breath weapons. The first is a cone of freezing cold, similar to that of white dragons. The second is a cone of paralyzing gas.

Society

Lair

A silver dragon's lair is typically found within an icy mountain, with the main entrance only accessible by air. The lair itself is similar to the gold dragon's in its sophistication and design, although the silver dragon's lair tends to be far less intricate. A typical lair will contain a main entertaining area, a storage room, a vault, a sleeping chamber, study, library, shrine, and two clinic rooms where the dragon can offer help and protection to those who need it. The lair also has a concealed back entrance for use in emergencies.

Habitat

Due to their interest in society, silver dragons often have a special house to live in when they spend time in their human form. These houses are often quite the stronghold, with special attention paid to the kitchen and dining hall. 

Reproduction

Silver dragons lay  their eggs in a bed of snow. A newly hatched silver wyrmling has scales of a bluish gray, which change to silver over time. Silver wyrmlings are intelligent, kind, extremely curious, and adorable.

As they mature, many silver dragons leave their clans for long periods of time to live among non-dragons. They tend to live for many years with the same group of humans or elves, having grown attached to them. As members of the family die, the silver dragon, grieved by the loss, often chooses to stay with the family, remaining a true and loyal friend and champion through many generations. If the dragon feels comfortable enough around these non-dragons, it may even decide to reveal its true self.

Relationships

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 preferre their company over other races, but because they try to learn from the shorter-lived humans.

Most silvers group together in "clans", a loose organization of dragons who chose to live together as a family. Clans take communal responsibility for protecting and raising their wyrmlings. A senior member of the clan might act as a leader, but no true leader actually exists. Silver dragons do not feel the need for a strict social structure, since they are most content to live as honestly as possible.

Silver dragons' favoured enemy is the red dragons because these chromatic dragons have a talent for destruction. Additionally, silvers and reds favour the same sort of terrain for lairs, which leads to territorial disputes on top of having attitudes and philosophies at odds with the others.

Dragons can live for millennia, while humans only lived a few decades. This vast difference in time leads to inherent psychological differences concerning time. Dragons tend to think things through for years at a time, using their razor-sharp intellects to hone a plan to perfection, solve incalculable puzzles, or other such things. Silver dragons, however, note that humans are able to accomplish much in their short lifespans because of their ambitious drive for success. When a silver dragon can combine its own long-term perspective with a quick and ambitious attitude, the benefit is undeniable.

Notable Silver Dragons

Argynvost

Argynvost was the leader of The Silver Dragon, a strong legion of humans, elves, and the dragon Argynvost that disappeared years ago.

Compared to other silver dragons, everyone that had heard of Argynvost was familiar with his human and draconic form. He was a good commander as well as a good friend to his allies. Some draconic-lineaged humanoids wear a necklace of The Silver Dragon in order to show their support of the humanoid-dragon society.

Havarlan

Havarlan was a silver dragon paladin who devoted herself to Xymor and led the Talons of Justice until her death in 1373 DR.

In her silver dragon form, she had several scars from her many crusades. Interestingly enough, Havarlan never had a proper lair, as she preferred the open world and travelling. While wandering, she usually took on the form of a humanoid female warrior with silver-blonde hair.

Eventually, she stood up against Sammaster, the original founder of the Cult of the Dragon. Unfortunately this final battle turned into a fatal experience when she faced Sammaster head on in order to secure the safety of her children.