Ancient Deep Dragon

Dragon

Dragons of Caverns and Secrets Treasure: Arcana

Deep dragons slither through the wet and lightless places of the Underdark. They are stealthy hunters with an affinity for lost lore and fungi that flourish in the depths. As deep dragons age, their smooth, serpentine bodies become riddled with fungal rot, particularly around their faces, to imbue their breath with terror-inducing spores. Deep dragons covet treasure and knowledge. Some deep dragons seek to gain knowledge via experience and travel, slithering through caverns and seas of the Underdark to map hidden passages for dozens of miles. Other deep dragons enjoy cultivating groves of molds and fungi, including colossal varieties sufficient to conceal the dragons sinuous forms. Many deep dragons collect forgotten tomes or works of art and bully, cajole, or steal collections from drow or duergar sages. Deep dragons are excellent swimmers. They often clash with aquatic Underdark societies, such as kuotoa. Many deep dragons demand tribute from these groups in the form of food or treasure. Underdark explorers have many reasons to brave deep dragon lairs beyond treasure hunting; they might contain the only surviving copies of forgotten lore, fungal ingredients for cures or plagues, or maps to lost Underdark locales.

Ancient Deep Dragon: Ancient deep dragons often spend years sequestered among individualized libraries, fungal gardens, or collections of esoterica. When these venerable terrors venture forth to hunt, they can remake Underdark trade routes or coastal communities with their voracious appetites and love of destruction.

Deep dragons, also called purple dragons, drakes of the depths, and silent hunters, are a type of chromatic dragon that lives in the Underdark.

Description: Despite their large size, deep dragons are slender and agile, and their snakelike bodies, narrow wings, and thin limbs allow them to crawl through the tunnels of the Underdark. Their scales are smooth, and in the light, an adult dragon's scales are the color of amethyst, while in the dark, they appear nearly black. In general, older specimens have much darker scales, while younger ones have more purple or maroon coloration. Older deep dragons are known to develop fungal growths around their heads and necks. A dragon egg can be identified as that of a deep dragon by the purple tinge seen when held in front of an intense white light, though it shares this trait with shadow dragon and amethyst dragon eggs.

Personality: Deep dragons are patient and cunning. They prioritize their own survival above all else, yet are known to relish the opportunity to hunt or even fight if the situation demands it. They prefer to manipulate and negotiate rather than to risk combat, and are crafty dealmakers. They are quick to disregard any creature that isn't useful to them. Deep dragons collect trivia, insights, tricks, and knowledge from far flung places, and delight in acquiring new information. They are known to collect magic items, not simply to hoard but also to use for themselves. Some deep dragons enjoy assuming the form of drow and infiltrating the dark elves' cities in disguise.

Abilities: In order to better allow them to navigate the narrow underground tunnels which they call home, deep dragons develop potent innate magical powers, including the ability to transmute rock to mud, and to cast spells like passwall, freedom of movement, and stone shape. Perhaps their most distinctive ability is their unique shapechanging power which develops as they age. The first form they learn to adopt is that of a winged snake, which does not reduce their overall size but allows them to slither and fly unimpeded by extra limbs. The second form they learn to adopt is that of a normal humanoid, and they can alter this form's appearance as with a polymorph self spell. Deep dragons are incapable of becoming intoxicated.

Combat: The claws of a deep dragon are intended to dig through solid rock, and as such, are devastating in combat even against heavily armored enemies. They prefer to pick off their enemies strategically, stalking them in the dark before pouncing or triggering a rockfall to bury them. A deep dragon's breath weapon attacks creatures' minds, and causes the target to be dazed or dominated, depending on the strength of the wyrm. These effects are attributed to fungal spores that the dragon exhales. They are also known to be able to breathe a cone of gas that is caustic to flesh. Deep dragons are harmed by direct sunlight.

Ecology: Purple dragons inhabit the Underdark, and are rarely known on the surface. However, younger specimens are known to occasionally venture upward, generally with some mission to claim a treasure or exact revenge on a foe, but sometimes just for the sake of exploration. Young deep dragons rarely leave the lairs of their parents until they have mastered both their serpentine and humanoid alternative forms. Lairs are located in the Upperdark and Middledark, usually no deeper than 7 miles (11 kilometers), and are highly idiosyncratic: some are built within ancient ruins, others on the shores of underground lakes, and others are carved out of masses of living fungus. Regardless, most of these lairs are full of secret passages to allow the dragon to make quick escapes and to prepare surprise ambushes. Lairs are often difficult to access, even for the dragon itself without using its serpentine or humanoid form, and are filled with traps and servants to protect the dragon's hoard, especially for times when the dragon ventures out to seek new information or treasures. They are known to transplant dangerous specimens of fungi into their lairs to serve as traps, and in general, underground varietals of fungi often abound around deep dragons' lairs and even on their bodies. Their magic, and this somewhat symbiotic relationship with underground fungus, is said to be a result of their species' exposure to the pervading magic of the Underdark.

Diet: Deep dragons prefer "seafood" including clams, fish, kuo-toa, and even aboleths. That said, they are known to eat nearly anything, and it is not uncommon for Underdark societies to trade with a deep dragon by offering them food in the form of humanoid prisoners.

Uses: The claw of a deep dragon can be used as a special component in the casting of the dragon blight spell. Their scales are also highly-prized by drow wizards, used in the formation of their everdark ink.

Society: Deep dragons value and hoard knowledge, and prefer to collect unique treasures with interesting backstories. They meticulously organize their hoards, even framing or displaying their favorite pieces, and they delight in giving long tours to guests, particularly other deep dragons. While some actively avoid revealing themselves to other types of dragons, most enjoy their company. Deep dragons tend to look down on "inferior" creatures, but can be encountered near drow cities working as guardians for the drow, expecting to be paid for their services with a steady supply of food in the form of captives and criminals. However, other drow cities are highly distrustful and fearful of deep dragons. The drow of Menzoberranzan actively hunt down any deep dragon they learn of, and this in turn leads a group of four nearby deep dragons to plot against the city. They regularly visit the city under shapeshifted disguise, noting the weaknesses of the drow and opportune prey among the visitors of the city Bazaar. They are not above working with non-dragons, but treat them either as servants or subordinates. They are enemies to mind flayers and cloakers, and hunt them when the opportunity presents itself.

Deep Dragon, Ancient