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have more to gain through exchange and mutualdefense than they do through combat.Interaction withMetallic DragonsTake everything described above about chromaticdragons’ interactions with other chromatics, andremove any hint of their working together or respectingcommon boundaries. That is how chromaticdragons interact with their metallic cousins.By and large, chromatic dragons see metallic dragonsas born rivals, an inferior species of dragon whoseexistence is an insult that cannot be tolerated. Devoutworshipers of Tiamat particularly think this way,desiring to purge metallic dragons, the children ofBahamut, from the face of the world. Any interactionbetween such chromatics and metallics ends, if not incombat, at least in threats and promises of violence tocome. Cooperation and collaboration do not exist.As with all things, exceptions do exist. Some chromaticdragons have better things to do than engagein battle after battle with other dragons. Chromaticsmight be cowed into cooperation, or at least peacefulcoexistence, by the greater power of a neighboringmetallic dragon. In such cases, metallic and chromaticdragons can both occupy territories in a givenregion. Tales even tell of forbidden love between chromaticand metallic dragons, or of the two kinds ofdragons finding common ground in a religious sect—but even if true, such tales are so rare as to be legend.Interaction withOther DragonsChromatic dragons feel uncertainty about the natureof the powerful and deadly catastrophic and scourgedragons. Greed and ambition drive the rages, violence,and destruction of chromatic dragons. With afew exceptions, even the most rapacious red or blackdragons do not understand the mind-sets of creaturesthat cause death and devastation without a care forwhat they gain in the process—yet that’s exactly whatthey believe catastrophic and scourge dragons to do.Thus, chromatic dragons engage these other wyrmsin battle only when necessary, due to territorial disputesor conflicts over treasure, and otherwise preferto ignore their existence.Chromatic dragons regard planar dragons as partof the extended family, at least those descended fromchromatics. Thus, planar dragons and chromaticdragons get along as well or as poorly as any twokinds of chromatics.Societal TraitsThe previous section contained a number of generalizations:Most dragons prefer isolation. For the most part,dragons don’t form or join societies. Nevertheless, a fewchromatics make efforts to join or establish extendednetworks or societies. When draconic societies doarise, they normally take one of the following forms.Family and ClanThe least rare of the chromatic dragon societies ismore of an extended family than a society. Althoughmost mated pairs separate when wyrmlings departthe nest, a few families stay together, either becausethe region is particularly dangerous and they wish toprotect their offspring, or because they seek to establisha power base for a religious or political purpose.As these families expand, they occasionally growinto full-fledged clans. Each member, or at least eachimmediate family, claims its own domain, and thecombined territories can exceed the size of nations.These clans might engage in internecine squabblesfor power, but the clan leader is almost always theeldest—and thus, strongest—of the bloodline.Few humanoids hear of these extended clans, atleast by name, since the clan members interact withhumanoids in the same manner that lone dragonsdo—as raiders and predators. One name that hasappeared in humanoid records, however, is that ofIrril-Indriss, an ancient blue dragon known to localsas the Thunder King. Irril-Indriss and his extendedfamily, numbering roughly a dozen dragons, dwell inthe peaks of the cloud-wrapped Achlan Mountainsand use the region’s frequent storms as cover for raidsagainst both the coastal highland communities andthe merchant ships that ply nearby waters.Mixed SocietiesIf the familial clan is the most common draconicsociety, the mixed community is the least common.In a mixed society, dragons and members of anotherkind or race—often a race associated with dragons—work together for the common good, with both racesparticipating fully in the government. Even if dragonshold all the highest positions, the other native racesare full citizens: not slaves or subjects, but partners.Dragons’ superiority makes these mixed societiesnot only rare to begin with, but also difficult to maintain.In order for such a community to last, eitherthe dragons must have a strong sense of purpose anddevotion to the society (one that allows them to overcometheir distaste for long-term cooperation with“lesser” beings) or the other race or races must provethemselves on a regular basis to convince even themost arrogant wyrm that they are worthy of the dragons’cooperation.The dragonborn empire of Arkhosia is the iconicexample of this sort of society. Although metallicdragons made up the primary dragon populationof the empire, a significant minority of enlightenedchromatic dragons were citizens as well. Alternatively,for those familiar with the DRAGONLANCE ®SOCIETYCHAPTER 1 | Dragon Lore23