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Other dragons that survived Io’s death embracedtheir physical link to the Elemental Chaos, allowingthe power within them to manifest externally.They became disasters incarnate, taking the formsof fantastic catastrophes that shook the world andthat continue to wreak havoc millennia later. Whena mountain explodes, a catastrophic dragon mighterupt from it along with sprays of molten rock. Whena cyclone or a hurricane rages, a catastrophic dragonmight lurk at the eye of the storm, reveling in thedestruction. Catastrophic dragons care little forwealth or power. They seek to make their marks onthe world, literally, and to have others fear and propitiatethem.The order of scourge dragons also arose fromamong the survivors of Io’s death. Similar to theway catastrophic dragons embraced their link to theElemental Chaos, scourge dragons (also called linnorms)celebrated their connection to brute reality.They learned to visit afflictions upon living creatures.Almost universally evil, scourge dragons enjoy theraw physicality of melee combat.The remainder of Io’s surviving dragon childrenthrew in their lot with Tiamat, whose hatred of theworld that killed her father colored her every deedand attracted dragons given to rapacity and suspicion:the chromatics. Chromatic dragons have becomethe best-known dragon family thanks to their oftenantagonisticrelationship with humanoids. LikeBahamut, Tiamat matured into a deity appealing tomore than just her dragon kin. Today, as the evil deityof wealth, greed, and envy, she urges her followers totake vengeance for every slight. Most chromatic dragonsfollow this dictate.Planar dragons are categorized as the fifth familyof dragons, but planar dragons did not appear untillong after the other dragon classes matured in theaftermath of Io’s dissolution. Dragons that emigratedto offworld planes were affected by their environment,sometimes radically. Chromatic dragons seemmost susceptible, and later generations of theseplanar dragons bear only slight resemblances to theirworldly kin.PHYSIOLOGYAs any would-be dragonslayer should know, dragons—also called wyrms—are far more than merely giantbeasts or winged lizards. Chromatic dragons’ abilitiesset them at the top of the food chain and make themthe most potent hunters of the natural world.Dragon TraitsWhat, exactly, makes a dragon? Other magical, reptilianbeasts have great power. A few creatures, suchas drakes and wyverns, share certain characteristicswith dragons. What sets dragons apart from them?All true dragons have distinct age categories andgrow in power and strength as they progress throughthose categories. Every chromatic dragon has both abreath weapon and an array of supernatural abilities,including an aura that induces overwhelming fear.All chromatic dragons also have the same basic bodystructure.External AnatomyCovered in scales, possessed of four legs and a long,writhing tail, a dragon appears to be a giant reptile atfirst glance. Nevertheless, dragons are a classificationunto themselves, with characteristics of predatorymammals as well as reptiles. In fact, a dragon’s externalanatomy—with four legs directly beneath the bodyrather than splayed to the sides—is more mammalianthan reptilian.Sense OrgansAt the center of a dragon’s eye is a thin, vertical pupil,like that of a cat. Whereas a cat’s pupil expands toadmit more light in dark areas, however, the expansionof a dragon’s pupil allows primal energy flowingin the creature’s bloodstream to emanate from thepupil (see “Internal Anatomy”). This minute seepageof magic grants a dragon its darkvision.Chromatic dragons do not have external ears.As with snakes, an internal mechanism detectssounds. From the outside, the only evidence of thismechanism is a tiny hole between the scales. Somedragons have frills or fringes of scales along theirheads; in such cases, one such set of scales might surroundthe auditory canal, focusing sound inward ina manner similar to that of a mammal’s external ear.These scales are not, however, a necessary part of thedesign.Due to their scales and thick hides, chromaticdragons have a poor tactile sense. Hence, a dragoncan be comfortable sleeping on a jagged pile oftreasure, as long as the pile vaguely conforms to thedragon’s shape. Dragons are, however, sensitive topain. Anything capable of penetrating their hide andscales receives their full attention.A chromatic dragon’s sense of smell is splitbetween its nostrils and its tongue. The nasal aperturecan detect odors from a great distance, but thataperture is less capable than the tongue of differentiatingan odor’s components. When a dragon drawsnear the source of an interesting scent, its flickeringtongue identifies and pinpoints various odors, muchas a snake’s tongue does.The tongue is also a dragon’s organ of taste.Dragons can detect nuances of flavor better thanhumanoids can. For example, a dragon couldPHYSIOLOGYCHAPTER 1 | Dragon Lore7