CHAPTER 4
Illus. by C. Frank
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DRAGONDESCENDED
drow form and consumperforming menial chores such mate a relationship with as cleaning up waste. Years of being treated as a high priestess, the head a child and a burden leave of a house, or some other scars, especially to a halfpowerful individual. dragon with active and The child of such a union becomes a prized inquisitive intelligence. tool in the ever-swirling He typically leaves the intrigues of drow society. tribe as soon as he can defend himself adequately. Leaders of the half-dragon’s Very occasionally, though, house jealously guard a half-dragon rises to a the creature, attempting to keep its existence position of leadership withsecret from other drow in the tribe by virtue of who would try to steal his intelligence, superior strength, and natural abilior destroy it. The child has ties. (A blast of dragonfire no say in its upbringing; a has a way of convincing male is placed in a school of wizardry, and a female is sent challengers to back down.) to serve in the temple. Led by a half-dragon chiefMuch like with halftain, a horde of orc raiders dragons in other elf societies, becomes an even greater the pressure to perform can destructive force. lead to extreme emotional imHuman societies can range from open-minded balance, made even worse by to superstitious and bigoted the brutality of internecine when it comes to half-dragon drow conflict. Usually this mindset is useful to drow children. A half-dragon’s frightening appearance and terrible culture, and such beings end weaponry become obstacles to up in positions of great powacceptance in any situation. If er. Those who do not learn he is raised in an accepting soto survive and overcome are ciety, a half-dragon can enjoy a summarily destroyed. normal childhood, although he Dragons rarely take must still contend with his slow dwarves as mates. This fact maturation. Such beings develop a seems odd at first blush, since draconic patience and a long-term both types of creatures are A half-dragon’s lot is always stubborn and often covetous, but outlook. Those who have the misfortune to be apart from everyone to live in a narrow-minded society are these factors also drive dragons and dwarves likely to end up hidden in a back room apart. Dwarf communities, although closeor even in a shed, treated like an animal. knit, are isolated and difficult to reach. Dwarves’ predilection Sometimes a metallic dragon (often silver) favors an elf for killing dragons and seizing their hoards also limits the with its affection. Both are long-lived beings and share a opportunities for crossbreeding. magical nature. They have similar outlooks on life and Halflings and gnomes also produce few half-dragons. moral duty. Most dragons consider these races to be silly and inconseThe offspring of such a union is considered a special quential, although individual halflings and gnomes might blessing, and the dragon parent might even remain near decide to buck the stereotype. the elf community and participate in rearing the child. The community elders take a special interest in awakening DRACONIC CHARACTERS the magical potential of the half-dragon. The ancestry of a draconic character is diluted compared Held up to impossible standards, subjected to intense to that of a half-dragon. Such beings might retain superficial details of the ancestral dragon variety, but such is not schooling, and kept separate from others his age, the halfdragon often finds it hard to mature socially. The pressure necessarily the case. They more often inherit some of their to perform takes its toll, manifesting as emotional and ancestor’s personality traits (see below). A touch of dragon in one’s bloodline can come from a physical outbursts alternating with deep depression. Many number of situations. Sometimes it’s the result of arcane such children leave home as soon as they are able. Those meddling, mixing elements of draconic blood with that of who continue in wizardly training can rise to influential positions, but they can also be emotionally distant. other creatures. More often, a draconic creature is descended Drow are a special case. Evil dragons can lair near drow from the union of a half-dragon and some other being. Two cities and form alliances with the dark elves. Deep dragons half-dragons usually produce half-dragon children, but in particular (see Monsters of Faerûn, page 40) might take about one in four are draconic creatures instead.
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