howandwhy99
Adventurer
Blacks
These read like they are bitter collectors of decayed past times. Malicious, sadistic, bottom-feeders who despise those in the light, hating yet envying other dragons. Aged watchers, they outlast those alive to collect the remains of glorious civilizations once they've fallen. They lair in submerged tunnels beneath swamps, environmental manifesting allows control over these areas. Vermin, evil Druids, and other scaly creatures serve them, often as pseudo-deities.
My own reading of black dragons is similar, though without perhaps the environmental manifestation. Higher level ones can cast spells, but they are not necessarily chaotic, just evil. Evil in the way senescence may appear evil to any living creature. Rot and decay, "miasmal swamps" are a good context for what kind of personality and lifestyles these creatures hold.
I imagine encountering a fetid black bog where one may be sleeping under the surface. Bullfrogs and dragonflies may take up their song and dance as this massive creature can hold its breath for days, like a hippo can for hours. Disturbing the waters would be catastrophic indeed.
Black dragons are definitely outside society by any stretch of the imagination. Swamps are one of the deadlier terrain types and a pain to move through with any speed. I imagine these dragons mate only rarely, have very small territories, submerged hidden lairs, are nocturnal in nature, and lazy, mean bullies accustomed owning whatever swampland they wander into next. I see them as highly solitary and rarely in their self-dug lairs, but rarely far from them either. They stink, almost never fly except in battle and perhaps mating? They are likely far less involved in the politics of others, but terrorize other intelligent swamp dwellers to their will, like lizardmen.
I don't see these guys as tied into much else going in the world, but rather callous defenders of the deepest, nastiest portions of swampland. Areas frightening in their appearance, hot, wet, loud with the drone of insects in an endless soul sapping environment. Then a blood curdling surprise attack as these monstrosities rise out of the mire, wings wide and jaws agape to strew acid at you. Not a pleasant vacation for boat hikers at all.
These read like they are bitter collectors of decayed past times. Malicious, sadistic, bottom-feeders who despise those in the light, hating yet envying other dragons. Aged watchers, they outlast those alive to collect the remains of glorious civilizations once they've fallen. They lair in submerged tunnels beneath swamps, environmental manifesting allows control over these areas. Vermin, evil Druids, and other scaly creatures serve them, often as pseudo-deities.
My own reading of black dragons is similar, though without perhaps the environmental manifestation. Higher level ones can cast spells, but they are not necessarily chaotic, just evil. Evil in the way senescence may appear evil to any living creature. Rot and decay, "miasmal swamps" are a good context for what kind of personality and lifestyles these creatures hold.
I imagine encountering a fetid black bog where one may be sleeping under the surface. Bullfrogs and dragonflies may take up their song and dance as this massive creature can hold its breath for days, like a hippo can for hours. Disturbing the waters would be catastrophic indeed.
Black dragons are definitely outside society by any stretch of the imagination. Swamps are one of the deadlier terrain types and a pain to move through with any speed. I imagine these dragons mate only rarely, have very small territories, submerged hidden lairs, are nocturnal in nature, and lazy, mean bullies accustomed owning whatever swampland they wander into next. I see them as highly solitary and rarely in their self-dug lairs, but rarely far from them either. They stink, almost never fly except in battle and perhaps mating? They are likely far less involved in the politics of others, but terrorize other intelligent swamp dwellers to their will, like lizardmen.
I don't see these guys as tied into much else going in the world, but rather callous defenders of the deepest, nastiest portions of swampland. Areas frightening in their appearance, hot, wet, loud with the drone of insects in an endless soul sapping environment. Then a blood curdling surprise attack as these monstrosities rise out of the mire, wings wide and jaws agape to strew acid at you. Not a pleasant vacation for boat hikers at all.
