Gold Dragons

Basic Information

Anatomy

A gold dragon has a sagacious face anointed with flexible spines that resemble whiskers. Its horns sweep back from its nose and brow, echoing twin frills that adorn its long neck. A gold dragon’s sail-like wings start at its shoulders and trace down to the tip of its tail, letting it fly with a distinctive rippling motion as if swimming through the air. A gold dragon wyrmling has scales of dark yellow with metallic flecks. Those flecks grow larger as the dragon matures. As a gold dragon ages, its pupils fade until its eyes resemble pools of molten gold.

Ecology and Habitats

Gold dragons make their homes in out-of-the-way places, where they can do as they please without arousing suspicion or fear. Most dwell near idyllic lakes and rivers, mist-shrouded islands, cave complexes hidden behind sparkling waterfalls, or ancient ruins.
The region containing a legendary gold dragon’s lair is warped by the dragon’s magic. Whenever a creature that can understand a language sleeps or enters a state of trance or reverie within six miles of the dragon’s lair, the dragon can establish telepathic contact with that creature and converse with it in its dreams. The creature remembers its conversation with the dragon upon waking. Banks of beautiful, opalescent mist manifest within six miles of the dragon’s lair. The mist doesn’t obscure anything. It assumes haunting forms when evil creatures are near the dragon or other non-evil creatures in the mist, warning such creatures of the danger. Gems and pearls within one mile of the dragon’s lair sparkle and gleam. If the dragon dies, these effects end immediately.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Gold dragons can eat just about anything, but their preferred diet consists of pearls and gems. Thankfully, a gold dragon doesn’t need to gorge itself on such wealth to feel satisfied. Gifts of treasure that it can consume are well received by a gold dragon, as long as they aren’t bribes.

Behaviour

The most powerful and majestic of the metallic dragons, gold dragons are dedicated foes of evil.
Gold dragons are respected by the other metallic dragons for their wisdom and fairness, but they are the most aloof and grim of the good-aligned dragons. They value their privacy to the extent that they rarely fraternize with other dragons except their own mates and offspring.
Older gold dragons can assume animal and humanoid forms. Rarely does a gold dragon in disguise reveal its true form. In the guise of a peddler, it might regularly visit a town to catch up on local gossip, patronize honest businesses, and lend a helping hand in unseen ways. In the guise of an animal, the dragon might befriend a lost child, a wandering minstrel, or an innkeeper, serving as a companion for days or weeks on end.
A gold dragon keeps its hoard in a well-guarded vault deep within its lair. Magical wards placed on the vault make it all but impossible to remove any treasures without the dragon knowing about it.

Lifespan

4,000 years

Statblocks:

Gold Dragon, Wyrmling
Gold Dragon, Young
Gold Dragon, Adult
Gold Dragon, Ancient
Gold Dragon, Greatwyrm