Dragite
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any dragon lair
FREQUENCY: Very Rare
ORGANIZATION: Tribal
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Night
DIET: Omnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Low to average (5-9)
TREASURE: incidental (see below)
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
NO. APPEARING: 40-160
ARMOR CLASS: 8
MOVEMENT: 6 (12)
HIT DICE: 1-2 hp
THAC0: 20
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-2
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: T (1' tall)
MORALE: Unsteady (5-7)
XP VALUE: 5
Dragites are tiny, vaguely mole-like humanoids. Sometimes called "dragon mites," they make their homes in the lairs of any dragons who will tolerate them. A dragite's torso is covered with coarse brown fur. Most dragites, however, dye their fur to match the color of their dragon host. The skin on a dragite's face, hands, and arms is rough, scaly, and light gray. Dragites have large, protruding ears and long snouts, giving them keen senses of hearing and smell. Although must dragites are nearsighted, they can see well in darkness and have infravision to 30 feet.
Most dragites speak only their own language, However, about 10% of them (those with average intelligence) also speak their host dragon's tongue.
Combat: Dragites are shy, peaceful, and usually inoffensive. They bear no malice toward any particular race or species. When possible, they flee from any potentially dangerous encounter, seeking safety in small tunnels (which they dig themselves) or in any other cramped space they can fit into. The only time a dragite will fight willingly is to defend its mate or offspring.
Habitat/Society: Dragites are fair miners, and live in small tunnels they dig in the walls and floor of the dragon lair where they live. They avoid any locale where they cannot make their homes by tunneling through rock.
The entire life of a tribe of dragites revolves around their dragon host-the dragon is both provider and protector. Dragites eat by scavenging the leavings of a dragon's meals (which helps keep the dragon's lair clean). They supplement their diet with whatever food they can gather on their own. The dragites care for the host dragon, keeping it clean and tending its wounds. A dragon who allows dragites into its lair is generally healthier than one that does not. A wounded dragon sleeping in its lair regains six hit points a day if tended by dragites.
Dragites can be hard to locate when they don't want to be seen, as they can hide behind almost any small object. This makes them excellent scouts. They normally range as much as a mile from the lair, willingly bringing back news to their host dragons. They even have been known to wake sleeping dragons when hostile creatures come too close. Some dragons use their dragites as spies, allowing the dragon to survey the countryside without revealing its own presence.
Though dragites have no interest in wealth, they love shiny objects, particularly brightly colored gems and jewelry. They frequently filch these items from the dragon's hoard, along with the occasional gold or platinum coin or small magic item. If this thievery goes unchecked, a tribe of dragites can remove up to 10% of a dragon's hoard and hide it away in their minuscule tunnels, where the dragon cannot reach. For this reason, only about 20% of all dragons will have dragites in their lairs. Very patient and kind dragons can, occasionally, persuade their dragites to return an important item -- particularly if they have access to charm magics. Most dragite tribes have equal numbers of male and female adults, plus young of both sexes equal to 20% of the adult population. Venerable or great wyrm host dragons often have dragite tribes two or three times normal size.
Most tribes also will have a dozen or so leaders of average intelligence, these leaders can speak the host's tongue and are the only dragites that communicate directly with the dragon. Nevertheless, all orders and tasks the dragon assigns are shared, and there is no single, dominant chieftain. The tribe's only lord is the host dragon. Each dragite reveres the dragon and will do almost anything the dragon commands, short of charging directly into combat. However, dragites are aggressive enough to set traps for unwary invaders, steal from them, or harry them.
Ecology: Dragites are timid scavengers that are easy prey for other creatures. Kobolds, goblins, and orcs are fond of killing or enslaving them. Without their dragon protectors, dragites soon would be extinct. Sometimes a host dragon will trade a few of its dragites to another dragon of the same species in exchange for a bit of treasure.
Dragites reproduce the same way humans do, and an adult female can give birth once every three years. Young dragites mature in two years and most live to be about 40. A tribe of dragites leaves a dragon's lair only when driven out.
Originally appeared in Polyhedron #67 (1992).
