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Dragon, Elemental (Copyright 1998 by John Kastronis and Jon Winter)
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When it comes to the so-called elemental dragons, a lot of greybeards scratch their heads, frown and start to look worried. See, nobody really knows if they're actually real dragons or not. Oh sure, they look like dragons, they roar like dragons, and they breathe fiery death (or watery, or whatever) like dragons...you get the idea...but is that enough? See, the elemental dragons are made of sterner stuff than your average Prime Material dragon. For starters, they not only dwell on the Inner Planes, but they also thrive there. Even a hardy old red would find the hottest parts of the Plane of Fire a little uncomfortable at times. Elemental dragons seem to be made of the planar material themselves. If you follow this line of reasoning, the elemental dragons are little more than glorified mephits, or dragon-shaped elementals with brains. Perhaps that's right, but if so, what mephits they are! Few creatures in existence are more beautiful than a radiant dragon in flight, or more hardy than an earth dragon. The chant seems divided as to the origins of these creatures. As might be expected there are three opinions: Perhaps the elemental dragons are the ancestors of the more common prime dragons. After leaving their elemental homes and staying on the prime for a few millennia, the elemental dragons could have slowly became prime dragons with similar alignment and abilities (ie. a lawful good fire dragon would become a gold dragon, while a chaotic evil one would become a red dragon). Or maybe the prime dragons are the ancestors of elemental dragons. When a prime dragon spends a few millennia on an elemental plane, it might slowly becomes an elemental of similar alignment (ie. a silver dragon on the elemental plane of earth would slowly become a good earth dragon, while if it were on the elemental plane of fire, it would become a fire dragon). |
The last school of thought suggests the elemental dragons are something entirely natural to the Inner Planes and unrelated to the prime dragons. Maybe each plane evolves its own supreme life form, and primes just happen to have called the elemental ones "dragons". Of course, nobody seems to know which of these tales is true, and the dragons themselves certainly ain't telling. Still, a few facts are known about these strange creatures, from which you may draw your own conclusions... Chant goes that if a elemental dragon is forced into the plane diametrically opposing its own element (such as a fire dragon being tricked through a portal to the Plane of Water), it is instantly and irrevocably destroyed. The chant goes on to say that elemental dragons ain't immune to the effects of other Inner Planes either. Apparently, the dragons' bodily composition changes slowly to reflect its environment, so if the same fire dragon instead went to the Plane of Air and stayed there long enough it'd become an air dragon. Now, nobody seems to know just how much time "long enough" is, but many Inner Planewalkers who've observed elemental dragons out of their home planes maintain the creatures' personalities do seem to drift slowly. This leads some greybeards to suggest there is really only one "elemental dragon" and the apparently different subspecies are merely facets of these beings reflecting their current planes. Think whatever you like, basher, but one thing's a cert; elemental dragons are affected by potions of dragon control and swords versus dragons just like any Prime specimen. Do the elemental dragons mutate while on the Prime? Can they visit the Outer Planes without ill effect? Cutter, that's as dark as they come. Nobody really knows, and perhaps the dragons want to keep it that way. |
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Pure Elemental Dragons Air Energy Dragons Negative Para-Elemental Dragons Ice |
Positive Quasi-Elemental Dragons Lightning Negative Quasi-Elemental Dragons Ash Archetypal Elemental Dragon ??? |
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