| Natural magical beast (dragon) | ||
| ||
| Brass dragon | ||
|---|---|---|
| Type |
Natural magical beast (dragon) | |
| Subtype | ||
| Homeland(s) |
Deserts, plains | |
| Alignment | ||
Brass dragons are the weakest of the metallic dragons, and one of the most benign of all species of dragon. They love to talk, to the exclusion of much else. They love to engage friends and foes alike in hours of long-winded conversation. It is not unusual for a brass dragon to be fluent in several hundred different languages, although they obviously prefer to converse in Draconic whenever possible.
Physical Attributes[]
A review of brass dragon anatomy.
Physically, the brass dragon is highly distinctive. From below, its outstretched wings form a triangular shape, as they are attached to its body all the way to the tip of its tail. The wings are longest at the shoulder, and taper gently as they reach the tail. Their scales seem to radiate heat and light. The shape of the head is quite unusual, as it includes a large, curved plate that extends from the dragon's eyes and cheeks on either side and curves upwards into two points. They have two sharp horns on the chin, which become steadily pointier as the dragon ages. They smell like metal.
Lair[]
The brass dragon prefers to dig its lair inside a desert peak or spire. They also prefer to have the bulk of their lairs face eastwards, so that the rising sun will warm the lair for the bulk of the day. A brass dragon's lair is well-constructed and quite extensive, with many twisting corridors and dead ends to confuse and discourage hostile intruders. The centerpiece of any brass dragon's lair is the Grand Conversation Hall, where it spends the majority of its time entertaining friends and visitors. A typical lair will also contain an elegant foyer, a gallery for the artwork the dragon has collected, a sleeping chamber, and a storage room. All brass dragon lairs have several small entrances, known as bolt holes. These multiple entrances allow a brass dragon to easily escape an attack by a blue dragon or other predator.
Combat[]
Brass dragons very rarely engage in combat, preferring to talk rather than fight. If they consider a creature threatening, they will subdue it with their sleeping gas. In the face of true danger, a brass dragon will most likely fly away and hide in the sand. It will fight and use its fire breath only as an absolute last resort.
Parenting and Development[]
Brass dragon eggs must be incubated in a nest of open flames. Incubation takes approximately 480 days. The eggs are typically tended by both parents, so that they can talk together as they maintain their vigil. A newhatched brass wyrmling is not remarkable in appearance; its scales are a dull brown. The scales become lighter and more brilliant as the dragon matures. Brass wyrmlings probably learn to talk more quickly than the young of any other sentient species. They talk constantly about anything and everything, and they will talk to anybody: friends, family, enemies, small creatures that cannot talk back, or even to itself if nobody else is near. When exposed to a new language, a brass wyrmling will usually become fluent in under an hour.