Green dragon

The most cunning and treacherous of true dragons, green dragons use misdirection and trickery to get the upper hand against their enemies. A green dragon is recognized by the crest that begins near its eyes and continues down its spine, reaching full height just behind the skull.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Green dragons are most notable for the large, waving crest or fin that starts at the dragon's nose and runs the entire length of the dragon's body. They also have exceptionally long, slender forked tongues. Their scales never fully harden, granting them greater flexibility than other chromatic dragons. They also have exceptionally long legs and elongated necks that allow them to peer over treelines. Their wings often feature dappled patterns and become lighter the further away from the claw. Green dragons have no actual ears, rather ear holes on either side of their head. Their green scales give them a natural camouflage in forest settings.

Genetics and Reproduction

Female green dragons are the ones to initiate courtship with males. After impregnation, the untrusting relationship between mated green dragons changes, and a strong bond is formed. Incubation of green dragon eggs lasts for about sixteen months, with the eggs being laid at about the four-month mark. The mated pair develops strong ties to each other and wholly dedicates themselves to raising the newly-hatched wyrmlings. Both the mother and father typically stay close to their eggs while they're incubating. Green dragons are the only species of chromatic dragons known to sacrifice their own lives for their brood.
A green dragon wyrmling could be easily mistaken for a black dragon, due to its nearly black scales. As the wyrmling matures, its scales become steadily lighter in color until they reach the striking green shade of an adult. The wyrmlings typically stay with both parents until they reach young adulthood, at around 51 years of age. Once a green dragon sets out on its own, the mated pair goes their separate ways, and the bond they formed is shattered.

Growth Rate & Stages

Wherever a green dragon dies, new and deadly plant life flourishes in an area around its corpse. Especially poisonous plants grow and blossom to abnormal sizes extraordinarily fast. These sites are often more connected to the Feywild than the surrounding terrain.

Ecology and Habitats

Green dragons are typically found in woodlands, including jungles, bayous, and forests. Their domains are often easy to spot, as a heavy fog that faintly smells of poison lingers over their territory. Although they can inhabit all kinds of forests, they overwhelmingly prefer the ambiance and smell of temperate forests.
The typical green dragon lair is located underground beneath a forest and is a complex of caves and tunnels, with its main entrance hidden behind a waterfall or group of bushes. The preferred green dragon lair is a cave high up on a cliff, but such locations were usually hard to find and thus only home to the oldest and most powerful green dragons. If necessary, green dragons can hide their lair behind thickets of magically-grown plant life. Within their lair, green dragons can command tangles of roots and vines to immobilize intruders or compel barriers of tangled, thorny bushes to rapidly extend out as needed. Green dragon lairs occasionally develop what was referred to as 'chlorine haze', a buildup of residual chlorine gas. It lingers within their domain and remains harmful to anyone vulnerable to exposure.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Green dragons are omnivorous and eat a variety of plants and living animals. They especially enjoy consuming fey creatures like elves and sprites.

Behaviour

Green dragons have nasty tempers and a tendency for evil behavior. They love intrigue and secrets, putting up a front of diplomacy and deceit when dealing with stronger foes, but revealing their cruel and petty nature when intimidating lesser beings or gaining the upper hand. They especially enjoy enslaving intelligent woodland beings.
When hunting, green dragons stalk their prey for extended lengths of time, continuing for days on end until they can execute a deadly ambush. They revel in the fear they inspire in lesser creatures and always leave at least one survivor whenever possible. Green dragons enjoy taking dominion over their victims, interrogating them for information, especially regarding nearby treasures. If they manage to get into a conflict with more powerful creatures (or other dragons contesting their territory) green dragons often feign weakness to glean more information about their foes. Like when stalking their prey, they wait as long as necessary―years or decades at a time―to find the right moment to strike out against an opponent.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Green dragons are mostly solitary creatures but rarely work together in pairs or small groups when an especially lucrative opportunity presents itself. They value their territory, but only as a means to gain as much power as possible without expending considerable effort. They sometimes trade safe passage for a worthy item to add to their hoards. Even so, they were extremely cunning and duplicitous foes and love double-crossing others. A traveler who stumbles into a green dragon's territory might be able to bribe the dragon for safe passage, but more often than not the dragon would pretend to agree and then attack the unsuspecting offender once their guard was down. Worse, if the traveler impressed the green dragon during its stay, they might start thinking of the newcomer as a prized possession to be corrupted and sculpted to its will.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Armor made from the scales of green dragons offers the wearer protection against clouds of poisonous gas. The horn of ancient green dragons can be used to create wands of Cloudkill.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Green dragons have excellent darkvision and a good sense of smell and hearing, usually being able to detect creatures within 60 feet of it.

Hoard

Like all other dragons, green dragons enjoy amassing more treasure for their hoard. Along with material wealth, they prefer wood carvings, instruments, sculptures, emeralds, and beryls. On occasion, they adorn their treasure with rare plants that they cultivate within their own lair, creating truly unique and priceless pieces of art. Despite their material greed, green dragons' true favorite possessions are the sentient beings they claim as servants. Renowned personalities of the Ebresia such as famous artists, adventurers, or even scholars are considered by green dragons to be the most prized individuals to add to their collections.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Dragon

Scientific Name

D. Chlorinous Nauseous Respiratorus