Legends and Lore

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Keehnelf
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Legends and Lore

#1 Post by Keehnelf »

This thread will contain links to tales in the tavern and town business that have, as a result of their sharing, become a part of the town's general knowledge base.

0 VC
6 June - Town of Vaul founded, region deeded to Arch-Duke Vaul.

1 VC
1 January - Vaulic Calendar created by Arch-Duke Vaul.
1 March - Herrin Buttonhook expedition to the goblin forest to end the goblin menace departs from Vaul
3 March - Quirin expedition to explore the wilderness departs from Vaul
4 March - Herrin Buttonhook expedition returns to Vaul
5 March - Herrin Buttonhook expedition to explore the ruins to the east of town departs from Vaul
6 March - Quirin expedition returns to Vaul, Herrin's expedition returns to Vaul
8 March - Varas expedition to look for more watchtowers departs from Vaul
11 March - Anwyn expedition to hunt for slopethistle departs from Vaul
12 March - Anwyn expedition returns to Vaul
13 March - Anwyn expedition to explore the ruins east of town departs from Vaul, but does not return
14 March - Bertram expedition to explore the goblin forest departs from Vaul, and returns the same day, Njord expedition to return to the ruins departs Vaul
17 March - Varas expedition returns to Vaul, Lars expedition to the ruins departs Vaul and then returns the same day
18 March - Varas expedition to search for Mr. M departs Vaul, Lars expedition to recover bodies of Anwyn and Thisby departs from Vaul
21 March - Bertram expedition to explore to the east departs from Vaul
24 March - Crivit expedition to convert goblins departs Vaul
27 March - Crivit expedition returns to Vaul
Last edited by Keehnelf on Wed Dec 03, 2014 10:37 pm, edited 9 times in total.

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Re: Legends and Lore

#2 Post by Keehnelf »

4 March, 1 VC: report on the deal with Nine Tongues the goblin and the presence of the giant wolf

viewtopic.php?f=163&t=3349&start=20#p133468

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Re: Legends and Lore

#3 Post by Keehnelf »

7 March, 1 VC: report of the discovery of the watchtower to the northwest

viewtopic.php?f=163&t=3349&start=40#p135004

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Re: Legends and Lore

#4 Post by MonkeyWrench »

Creatures Beyond Sheol's Teeth - An Account By Valorei Derwaynin

Goblins - Chapter 1

It would see quite fortuitous that I was able to procure a group of adventurers to travel with within my first day upon arriving to the city of Vaul, a testament to the cities goals of attracting the brave and hardy people of the south to explore and tame this wild and forgotten land.

Upon traveling with the group we have encountered our first enemies, a horrid twisted race that has plagued the south lands for as long as anyone can remember, becoming more of a nuisance in recent times than any grave threat; Goblins. it would seem that these creatures still hold to their old ways of pillaging and raiding, the variations between the Goblins of the North and South sre subtle, but still there. It would appear that the norther variety of Goblin are a few centimeters taller than their southern brethren and sport a darker, almost reddish in hue, skin tone. The usual Goblin traits are still in effect and they are still taming and riding wolves, our encounter with such a group proved almost effortless thanks to a clever shot sleep spell which put the wolves and a small portion of Goblins into a deep slumber, allowing us to kill their cohorts swiftly and then finish off the sleeping ones.

As I inspected further, it would seem that these northern Goblins are cannibalistic, choosing to feast upon their dead. Whether this is a ritualistic feature of the race or a simply efficient use of their cadavers is still unknown to me. However I did encounter an interesting scene, it would see that there is a leader, while most goblins are leaderless, choosing to instead follow the many other bigger monster that roam the land, such as hobgoblins and orcs, these goblins seem to have formed under the banner of a bigger, meaner, and interestingly enough, smarter Goblin. I have yet to encounter such a creature visually but I have seen the work it's left behind, writings in common, specified at one of our companions I'm afraid to say, but writing all the same.

I am not sure if this goblins intelligence is at work here but another interesting discovery is that these Goblins can be found wielding ancient Dwarven weapons, which not only concludes a Dwarven presence in the northern lands but also that these Goblins are looting abandoned ruins, or perhaps killing the Dwarven inhabitants before looting. Either way, this should be used a word of caution to any adventuring in these lawless lands, if a Goblin can find a sword in a Dwarven ruin, or a bow in an Elven building, what else can it find? The primary races of Elf, Dwarf, and Humans are very good at many things, warfare being among them; One can only hope that these Goblins have not learned how to use the more complex and dangerous devices made.

I will continue my investigation on these creatures once my next expedition runs into them, hopefully I shall continue to find interesting facts about their race and culture.
Life is a roller coaster, if you don't stop to enjoy it then you may as well not even ride.

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Re: Legends and Lore

#5 Post by Keehnelf »

The first drinking contest of the town of Vaul:

viewtopic.php?f=163&t=3573&start=360#p158296

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Re: Legends and Lore

#6 Post by Marullus »

A scroll is elegantly transcribed on April 1st, 1 VC, by Nihilius and added to those on the Adventurer’s Table in the Briarbeard Tavern, after the story is told to him at the Harrowing Festival.

Knowledge of Human History, the Northern Kingdom
Findings of the Burial Mound

Nearby to the east of the town lies the burial site of an human king from the past kingdom. Exploring it uncovered deathless threats and took the lives of several adventurerers. It is unknown to what degree the threats within remain.

The history contained within this tomb reveals three historic figures about whom more information might be sought and collated on future expeditions. More sheaves of parchment can be added to this record as these are uncovered – please share all findings here, and with Nihilius the Sorcerer, if possible. These three individuals are:
* A human king of the north, who’s tomb this was, and who’s symbol is that of a blazing sun.
* An opposed figure who resided in the Iron Castle, who harmed the prosperity of the sun-king and thus is ascribed with metaphors of shadows.
* A wizard named Gervan, who as an ally of the sun-king but resented by the engraver for not going with him to the final battle.

The tomb was found to be the resting place of the sun-king, who fell in battle against the ruler of the Iron Castle, and “transformed by evil powers.” Within the tomb was found his grave goods and risen deathless soldiers who guarded him in the afterlife. When his tomb was opened, a creature of shadow emerged, whispering of its hunger, and possessed the adventurer, Murdoch. His possessed form croaked of “eleven days” and sought to escape the tomb. The other adventurers struck the creature down, whereupon it again departed the body as a creature of roiling shadow, and possessed the adventurer Njord. It then croaked of “twelve days” and escaped the tomb without being able to be stopped. This creature likely wanders the northlands, and news of its whereabouts should be reported if discovered. The loss of both Murdoch and Njord is mourned, along with the adventurer Giji, who was slain within by the tomb guardians.

The king is remembered for his great battles in the northern lands against orcs and hobgoblins, with engravings entering the tomb celebrating these victories. They are depicted as a number of chariot-mounted warriors riding into battle against an army of what appear to be orcs or hobgoblins, pennants flapping in the wind and spears raised in expectant triumph. The carvings are of high quality, lending credit to the artistic skill of the old kingdom and the honor they gave the fallen sun-king. Additional carvings fill a long hallway of running cavalry horses and knights; the engravings were made with an angled chisel and exhibit a great deal of artistry but not a lot of precision, which contributes to the impressionistic style of the images of charging cavalry. The many carvings of horsemen coupled with the practice of burying horses in the tombs with their riders and the prominent lament about the impact of the kingdom’s blight upon the stallions of the land, it is clear that this is a highly equestrian society where horses and horsemen hold great status. It is relevant that the horse is named in the funeral frieze where the king himself is not.

Within the tomb, there is a blank wall dominated by an ornate frieze of a starburst encircled with swords. The ornate sun and the starburst are reoccurring themes of the human sun-king. This particular decoration served both as artistry and a mechanical trap device to dissuade adventurers such as ourselves.

The sarcophagi within the tomb were of solid tan sandstone, hewn of the same material as the fitted walls of the tomb. The top of the lid, rather than depicting a resting warrior, is carved with the image of a rearing horse with bit and bridle but no rider, shown in profile. Variations on the same kind of image show up on all three of the sarcophagi. This further emphasizes the importance of the equestrian symbology, as they contained human remains.

The final chamber had ceremonial use and housed the sealed doors to the tomb of the king himself. Within this chamber were both engravings of words and geography, which are transcribed below.

Along the bottom of the scroll is transcribed the words from the entryway of the ruins:
VHK AVTURK ARDIGH BLI ATHROG MIN GEND VAN BROGHTO BLINTLIGH MIENS CLEALIN TRYPHO
AGHNAR ARDIGH VROTHO BLI GROLHILTH GENVIND ENNTY CLINE XRO WENDHURTHNEG
ISV O DRATHA VROTHO. VROTHO VROTHO DRATHA.

Translation:
"Fallen lies the greatest of all the kings of men
Laid low and transformed by evil powers.
Here he rests, for now--
Do not disturb his sleep eternal. Let his sleep be endless, endless."
…and those of the final chamber:
In the Northern Halls the King did dwell, full of strength and piety;
Until the sun was broken, cloven in half by the spirits of shadow.
Darkness lay upon the land for many moons, crops withered and died
While the spirits stole the people away, slowly.

The King rode out to slay the chief of the spirits in his castle of iron
With a hundred mighty warriors, the bravest of the night-haunts
And their valiant steeds.
Upon Berberous he rode into battle, with his gleaming sword Bandrith,
With his mighty spear Gangnir, with his unbreakable shield Oloth
And his hundred stout companions.

All but ten were slain that day, the saddest day of the northmen
And the Iron Castle with its spirits of shadow claimed dominion
Over lands once filled with sun and bright corn and the fiery dance
Of lightning-bugs and roaming stallions.

We few survivors fled with the mighty ten, and our all-but-fallen King
To fortify ourselves against the dark, to remember and to lay our
Greatest to rest--
the King who faded into shadow and must lay sealed away
Until the Iron Castle's master is broken and his curse ended.

In long shadows do our memories lie after these years of toil and regret,
And long to we curse the name of the foul wizard Gervan whose aid
Could win a victory against the shadow, but who would not stand for light
Hiding instead behind his mystic walls.

O, you descendant of the North, if you seek vengeance against old foes,
Or triumph against our eternal enemy,
Or rest for your long-fallen King,
Seek out the wizard Gervan whose staff of breaking can undo the iron chains
That lie still upon the land.
And a redrafting of the map from the wall, as copied from the sketch made originally by Jem and shared with Nihilius at the Harrowing Festival.
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Re: Legends and Lore

#7 Post by Keehnelf »

Over the next few days or a week, I'll be posting in here a series of "Adventurers' Guide to..." Items laying out what an adventurer who expects to encounter a specific type of monster might already know or be able to find out easily about that creature. They'll be roughly categorized by creature type, so they will look like:

Adventurer's Guide to:

Goblinoids
Undead
Giants
Dragons
Exotic animals

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Re: Legends and Lore

#8 Post by Keehnelf »

An Adventurer's Guide to The Undead

Clerics are the chief experts on the undead, owing to their nature and general origins. These same clerics have divided the undead into three general categories.

True undead are all known by their touch: it is anathema for the living to touch the undead, and a range of maladies can derive from contact with these creatures--

Ghoul - paralysis
Wight - madness
Specter - draining
Ghost - fear
Banshee - death (upon hearing)
Vampire - seduction
Mummy - rot from within
Lich - freezing

Lesser Undead - These creatures have as much in common with Golems as with other varieties of undead, but because of certain key traits and the role of necromantic magic in their creation, they are generally classed among the undead instead. This category of undead are created directly by mortal magic, and result in mindless creatures of essentially no intelligence that operate purely at the direction of the spell caster responsible for creating them. Most necromantic rituals responsible for lesser undead take no more than one round to one minute to complete, and last more or less indefinitely so long as the creatures created remain intact. Lesser undead can survive the death of their creator, often continuing to carry out the same activities with which they busied themselves under the control of the creator. The two most common types of lesser undead are skeletons and zombies, created via the same magics based on whatever raw materials are at hand.

Undead - These creatures have a variety of traits based on their general class: ghouls, wights, and specters. These monsters are created through extraordinary circumstances generally involving divine intervention of some kind or another. Legend says that the first ghouls were created when Pelor grew wrathful at some of his servants who resorted to cannibalism due to hunger, stripping away their humanity until all that remained was their all-important hunger. Similarly, wights are the bound souls of those who commit pre-meditated murder and die unrepentant of their crimes, driven mad with their bloodlust, that hide in dim places and seek out others to draw into their dark holes of misery. Legend says that only the most pure of heart and clean of spirit have nothing to fear from rampaging wights. Otherwise, like with ghouls, those slain by them will rise again as one of them. Specters (wraiths, shadows, etc.) are disembodied spirits of loneliness and fear, and are generally employed to guard places of mystery or where mortal passage is forbidden. They are difficult to destroy, being mostly incorporeal, but their touch can strike fear into the doughtiest warrior or drain the heat and life from the living. These classes of undead are not intelligent, though they require souls to create, unlike lesser undead. They might unconsciously cling to things of importance to them from their former life, but this is a grisly parody of that life and nothing more.

Greater Undead - The classes of greater undead are rare and always intelligent. It should be clear from the origins of the standard undead that certain conditions must pertain in order for an undead creature to come into existence. This is even more the case with the greater undead, all of which require an intentional act to spur the transformation.

The lowest form of greater undead is the Ghost, which refuses the embrace of divinity as a shepherd to the afterlife. Gods and other greater powers are too busy to offer a second chance, and such creatures are left behind, mere shells of their former selves, often powerless even the depart from the place of their death. They retain all of their personality and knowledge from before, but are often angry and vengeful toward the living, who have all the joys of the world that the ghost will never again know.

The Banshee is the consequence of an impious suicide due to grief or frustrated love. This kind of undead always seeks after the companionship of those of like kind to the source of its living frustration, but is endlessly further frustrated by its deadly voice. These creatures inhabit forlorn and remote places of melancholy aspect.

Vampires are the natural result of an unholy dedication to the pleasures of the flesh. Truly decadent souls who spurn the truth of their governing deity can in truly egregious cases find themselves transformed into vampires at death. In these cases, the vampire is often bound by a divine edict or curse to a specific duty to atone for their life of hedonism, but are thereafter freed from the shackles of unlife. However, the vampire possesses tremendous powers of seduction, and can lure other mortals to undertake transformation into the same form via various blood rituals. Such a transformation must be undertaken willingly, though a concept such as will is flimsy where the vampire's powerful coercive abilities are concerned.

Mummies are created via a complex necromantic process that begins on the body of the deceased even before death occurs. The individual begins the process of preservation while alive, and through various alchemical processes is able to cling to life throughout the various rituals. When it is complete, the intact consciousness of the subject is retained within their slowly rotting but undying body. Mummies are often created to enforce an important divine edict or prohibition, due to the expense and difficulty of the process and the number of individuals and complex processes involved.

Finally, the Lich is the rarest and most powerful of all undead. There is no guaranteed or universal process for an individual to become a lich, but scholars agree that only a creature that has decided to fully dedicate its soul to the foulest and most unnatural evil can successfully complete the transformation. Those few liches that have been consulted on the subject have spoken of acts so foul that simply to transcribe them would be sinful for members of most faiths, though it is uncertain whether these are truthful accounts or simply malicious lies. Regardless, powerful magic is necessary as well as an iron will, and by definition the mind of such a creature is an inscrutable fountain of madness.

---

Common misconceptions about the undead:

1. Healing magic harms them.

This is not true, but is very close to being so. Healing magic and healing items operate normally upon the undead, repairing the wounds of their bodies--however, an invocation to a deity for healing power can be channeled instead to damage the connection between an undead creature's body and the soul powering it, at the deity's discretion. Lesser Undead are not affected in this way at all.

2. Certain items or natural features can protect against the undead.

Garlic, holy symbols, running water and the like are no protection against any kind of undead. Holy symbols provide protection when a cleric of faith and sufficient power present them to attempt a Turning of undead, but by themselves are no discouragement to undead of any type. However, many types of undead are specifically limited in their behavior or movement based on their origin and the conditions of their creation. Ghosts, for example, are rarely able to travel far from the site of their deaths, and ghouls created for a purpose will pursue that purpose single-mindedly, regardless of other circumstances.

3. Only humans can be affected by the touch of the undead.

All races can be affected to some extent by the touch of the undead. Elves, because of their specific spiritual nature, are immune to the touch of ghouls and wights, though specters affect them like anyone else. Similarly, elves will not return from the dead as ghouls or wights when slain, unless they are converted by a divine power at the time of death. In addition, it is almost unheard of for an elven or halfling soul to be so damaged as to convert the being to a Vampire, Lich or Mummy, though in theory it is possible.

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Re: Legends and Lore

#9 Post by Keehnelf »

An Adventurer's Guide to Goblinoids

Like the undead, "goblinoids" are a very large and diverse family of creatures, with varied features and cultures, most of which had highly localized and parochial names and identities. For ages, they were treated as diverse species and races even though they are often found in cooperation with one another, and scholars assumed they were a diverse cluster of allied groups like humans, elves, dwarves and halflings are.

However, seven hundred years ago a wizard-scholar by the name of Goblozios successfully identified a common element linking these varied groups to one another--a trace of draconic blood could be found in all of them, in various concentrations depending on the race. This discovery heralded a new era of classification and reclassification of the cluster of races now known as "goblinoids" after the scholar "Goblozios", and the most prolific of those creatures were in fact named after him directly, the Goblins.

There are several sub-families with common characteristics that make up the major branches of the Goblinoid Family of creatures, described below:

Greenskins:

This (largest) category takes in goblins, orcs, hobgoblins and kobolds (though the flesh of hobgoblins is reddish-gray and most kobolds appear black except under strong light, this name holds based on tradition). Greenskins are clannish, violent, and fast-breeding. They are inimical to the civilized races by their nature and have the strongest concentration of draconic blood, which makes them fierce, jealous of beautiful or well-crafted things, and destructive by nature.

Goblins are reckless, gather in very large numbers, and have only the most primitive forms of self-organization and production. They can make simple spears or axes from stone, wood and vines, but on their own they are little better than animals. Because of their reckless and impulsive natures, any social order they have tends to crumble quickly unless maintained by an outside force such as a more powerful group of goblinoids or a larger intelligent monster. They indulge routinely in cannibalism in order for a tribe to survive difficult conditions or a lack of foresight around food planning, and the only useful skill they seem to possess is that of animal husbandry, which they use for the breeding and training of wolves, bats, snakes and other types of dangerous creatures.

Orcs are stronger, more organized and more violent than their smaller cousins the goblins. They tend to arrange themselves into useful social constructs almost instinctively in order to prey upon their neighbors and identified enemies. They are greedy but also actively seek to damage or destroy things of beauty and good craftsmanship that they cannot turn to their own purposes, which are almost invariably ruined in the process. Unlike goblins, orcs rarely require a more powerful creature to lead them, but do possess a strong tendency toward selection of their leaders via borderline-destructive martial contests and infighting. Orcs are capable of constructing passable shelters, tools, and supplies for themselves should the need and the resources appear, but their products are usually vicious and clumsy-seeming, and are never beautiful or especially durable.

Hobgoblins are the most organized and "civilized" of the greenskin races, and possess a strong sense of social order and hierarchy, almost to a fault. They are very rigid in their thinking and approach to the world, which is paranoiac and territorial. They are egalitarian, in that anyone who follows their strict social and political codes can find success in their society, even from among the races that they normally consider enemies. Further, they have mastered a number of specialized trades and their constructs are often sturdy, utilitarian and efficient. Their single-minded focus prevents their architecture and tools from being elegant or attractive, but they are generally well-fashioned and often more effective at their given purpose (if overly specialized) than an equivalent device in use by another race. They are more likely to parlay with outsiders on any occasion than the other greenskins, but remain relentlessly homicidal like all their ilk.

Giant-Born:

The Giant-born are creatures such as ogres, ettins, ogre magi, minotaurs, cyclopes and the like, relatively uncommon and often somewhat stupid (apart from ogre magi). They tend to be solitary or living in small familial groups, often with rudimentary tools even more primitive than those created by goblins (rocks and unmodified lengths of wood) and live in natural structures that provide shelter, or those appropriated from others or which have been abandoned.

Animalia:

The animalia, sometimes called "furry goblinoids", are a selection of creatures of unknown provenance but with clear links to the family of goblinoids. This group encompasses gnolls, bugbears, and beastmen, which are vicious and primitive, usually sadistic toward all living things and more cunning than the other families of goblinoid, preferring stealth, subterfuge or deception to aid them in their purposes.

Giant:

The family of the true giants is related to the other goblinoids, but depending on the specific race can have little in common with them. They are all at least moderately intelligent, massive, and generally solitary or existing in small familial groups, with rarely more than a half-dozen appearing at a time. Giant cultures have evolved distinctly based on location and environment, and the defining common characteristic of this group seems to be its tendency to adapt to and evolve according to environmental conditions over generations, incorporating aspects of their habitat into the nature.

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Re: Legends and Lore

#10 Post by Keehnelf »

An Adventurer's Guide to Dragons:

Dragons are among the most-studied but most mysterious of creatures to be found in the known world, namely because they are so powerful and so intelligent that even when negotiated with, they tend to dissemble.

The origin of the race of dragons can be found in an ancient tale of the beginning of the world: Lagoth, the Seer, was the first consciousness to arise in the primordial chaos. Over time, Lagoth found Fafnir, Merkera, Odion and Ullut: four other primordial identities without shape or even consciousness of their own. Lagoth, in his desire to know anything, spurred these entities into a process of self-identification and action. They were immensely powerful, instinctual beings and it was inevitable that they would come into almost immediate conflict with one another.

Fafnir, whose instinct was to preserve, formed herself into a hard shell entrapping the other three so that their conflict would not spill over into the rest of the void and contaminate or damage it. Lagoth was trapped outside this shell, powerless to intervene, and could only watch as the desperate struggle took place.

This shell surrounding Fafnir, Merkera, Odion and Ullut was the canvas upon which the current world was laid. The four combatants struck themselves against the shell, bloodying themselves and their enemies in their mad struggle, but they could not pierce it. Instead, as their blood flowed and intermingled, it gave rise to all sort of new things that had never been, nor had they ever been imagined. These were the first Dragons, with only rudimentary shape and a legacy of chaos and strife. They fought with one another in their small way, just as their parents fought, until they tired or too many died, and they retreated to the corners of the world to nurse their wounds and tend their injured pride.

All dragons, from the moment of their birth, know some form of this story instinctively, but scholars have been unable to determine exactly how or why this information is passed on. Some dragons speak of a thing called "the awakening" in reference to this story, but will only do so in cryptic terms.

What scholars do know about dragons is this:

Dragons are not born capable of speech or in possession of a significant level of intelligence. From birth (and potentially during their entire lives) they possess the intellect of an animal, cunning but not clever, driven primarily by hunger, fear of pain, and a powerful natural curiosity. If a dragon remains in the wild, surrounded by wild things, it can remain in this state perpetually as it grows and becomes stronger and more dangerous, and its need for larger territory for hunting grows along with it.

However, an uncanny thing happens if a dragon encounters something crafted by the hands of the lesser races--a tool, some coins, a statue, even polished and cut gems. Its natural curiosity becomes a powerful obsession, and it is driven to seek out the source of these manufactured or worked items, and destroy it. As a dragon learns more about the world of artifice, its curiosity, its intelligence, its jealousy and its natural desire for destruction expand almost exponentially until some dragons rampage through the land seeking out habitations to ravage almost single-mindedly.

Scholars suggest that this is related to a dragon's natural inability to create. Even when their form is shifted to that of a being with the physical capacities of craftsmanship (and they love such metamorphoses), they are unable to create anything lasting or functional. They can shape mud into balls or sticks into a rough cone, and that is the extent of it. Even when they conjure or create items through magic, those things seem tinny and two-dimensional, prone to collapse or corrosion even if they should be permanent. As a species, they are almost entirely sterile, requiring precise conditions and a lot of support in order to successfully breed. Extrapolating from this, scholars have concluded that dragons, jealous and proud as they are, are enraged by the prolific creativeness of the "lesser races" more and more as they learn the true extent of their limitation. They hoard the most precious and ornate of creations from those they destroy, seek out those who made them and end them--almost without fail.

These experiences with the things of humanoid creation do not just leave a psychological mark on the dragon--they also influence, over time, the physical qualities of the dragon as much as its environment. In their early years especially, dragons are mutable and impressionable creatures both mentally and physically. Thus, no two adult dragons are ever quite alike, solitary as they are, because each has been shaped by its own experiences.

All dragons remain, fundamentally, creatures of Chaos, bent on ruin and destruction, though there are some among the species who have been considered the allies of the lesser races. Lyzanthus and his brood, for example, were a line of gold-skinned dragons that allied with the Knights of Gryth in an era long past and allowed the greatest of their number to ride them into battle against Gryth's enemies. The Emperor of Gryth paid a heavy toll in gifts of tribute to Lyzanthus and his brood, but they offered him military power unrivaled in that time. Of course, it was Polydox, one of Lyzanthus' own children, who brought this era to an end and was personally responsible for the destruction of the Emperor's palace at Zond, but so it goes when you deal with dragons.

Bestial Dragons possess the following abilities and characteristics:

All but a few possess massive wings allowing flight
Most can breathe underwater
They can speak only a crude cave-man form of Draconic, which they know from birth
They possess a projectile breath weapon of a form suited to their habitat (most common are fire, wind, ice, water, acid, shards of razor-sharp stone or metal, or lightning). Most dragons cannot use this ability more than three times in a day.
Their scales are thick and difficult to pierce, becoming more difficult as the dragon ages.
They are ferocious and tenacious hunters and adversaries.

Intelligent Dragons possess the qualities above with the following modifications and additions:

Their powers of speech (Draconic and most other civilized languages) are significant.
They are highly intelligent and tend to become more intelligent as they age (as a direct result of access to the creations of civilized beings).
They often possess the ability to use magic, and this ability grows as they age.
Their scales are more durable and resilient than those of their bestial kin as gems and coins becomes embedded in their flesh from decades and centuries of contact. This effect also grows with age.
They are extremely manipulative and territorial, and will often use their intelligence in service of the ruin of others, even when they seem to be dealing fairly.
These dragons exhibit an obsessive and paranoid quality of speech and behavior if exposed to any of their distinctive "triggers" (often based on personal history and exposures). Related to this, dragons bear unthinkably long and intense grudges. It is not wise to cross a dragon unless you think you can withstand its wrath (which will likely last longer than you do, unless you're an elf).

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