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might lay their eggs in places where animate spiritsare bound to the area. Such spirits might touch growingwyrmlings with their Shadowfell-derived necroticresonances.Purple dragons grow into youth after about nineyears. They become adults at about age 190 andelders after about 1,100 years. They become ancientsat about 2,200 years. Reports of purple dragons nearthe world’s core tell of some that reach 3,000 years ormore.When a purple dragon dies, any creature thatsleeps within the vicinity ever afterward has fiercenightmares. When a deceased purple dragon experiencesenvironmental diffusion, the result is an areawhere small mushrooms spring up and the dreamsof sleepers are troubled. Creatures attempting to restin such an area are afflicted with nightmares, and ona failed saving throw, fail to gain the benefits of anextended rest.Physical CharacteristicsThe long body of a purple dragon is particularlylithe—catlike and serpentine. The swept-back wingstructure and sleek, tapered head allow it to worm itsway through narrow subterranean tunnels.Purple dragons have an odor reminiscent of themusky smell of ophidians.Red DragonsWhen legends, fairy tales, and fables speak of dragonswithout specifying a color—when they tell ofkingdoms laid waste, virtuous maidens sacrificed,and valiant heroes sent home as charred corpses—odds are that they speak of the mighty red dragons.Also called flame dragons, fire wyrms, and mountaindragons, these horrific beasts epitomize the iconicdragon traits. All dragons are predators, but redsare the most voracious, consuming far more thanthey require. All dragons are greedy, but reds areavaricious beyond any point of reason, for they fullybelieve that all wealth belongs to those strong enoughto take it (and no amount of wealth is ever enough).All dragons are prideful, but reds are arrogant in theOPTIONAL RULESA purple dragon ignores cover bonuses granted bystalagmites, stalactites, and other naturally occurringsubterranean features.A purple dragon can hear noises in caverns miles awayby resting its head on a cavern floor, partially digging theprotrusions of its lower jaw into the stone or earth. Itdetects minute vibrations traveling through the groundand correctly interprets those vibrations for what they are(such as movements of creatures far distant from it)—atleast when it actively attempts to sense them.extreme. They see themselves as the pinnacle of draconicperfection.Red dragons never forgive even the smallestslights. They kill over territorial intrusion, over thetiniest theft from their hoard, over an insult, orbecause they want to. These great beasts take satisfactionwherever and however they can get it. A reddragon unable to slay a person who offends it will goon a rampage, wreaking havoc and destruction uponany nearby communities. Only enormous monetarytributes can sate the legendary rage of a red dragon;only blood can cool and drown that rage.Red dragons are not mindlessly violent, however.Accomplished strategists, they spend their timedeveloping vast arrays of tactics for use in every conceivablecombat scenario. They recognize the hazardsin attacking more potent foes—rare though such foesmight be. They back down from fights they do notbelieve they can win, though doing so wounds theirpride to the bone.A humanoid community that borders on a reddragon’s territory can sometimes forestall the beast’swrath by offering frequent tribute in the form of treasureand tasty young adults. Some red dragons enjoythe power in ruling communities of lesser creatures,but unlike green dragons, who do so by subtlety andintrigue, reds demand obedience and slaughter allwho fail to comply. Red dragons take interest in newsof the world beyond their territories, in part so theyknow how their status compares to that of other reds.They might threaten homes and families in order toforce humanoids to travel into the wild and obtainnews. Most such unwilling messengers do not surviveto return, but red dragons have no qualms about thatturn of events. Humanoids are a renewable resource.Like most dragons, reds can survive on almostanything but prefer meat. More than any othervariety of dragon, though, red dragons hate to eat anythingelse. Some starve themselves nearly to deathrather than consume plants or inorganic matter. Theyeat any animals: humanoids, wild beasts, and evenother dragons—the younger, the better. Their preferencefor tender meats gave rise to legends of dragonskidnapping young people.Reds fight equally well on land or in the air. Theyrelish melee combat as an opportunity to showcasetheir superior strength. A red dragon never hesitatesto use its breath weapon, though, when the needpresents itself. It would rather reduce any possibletreasure or magic items to ash than allow the bearersof those items to best it in combat: The dragon’s prideoverpowers its avarice.Although red dragons might refrain from attackingenemies that seem too strong, reds never retreatfrom combat once any combatant sheds blood. Due totheir hubris, red dragons fight to the death more thanany other kind of chromatic dragon, even when theyhave the option to escape.40CHAPTER 1 | Dragon Lore