Topaz Dragon

Decay and despair are bound up in the nature of topaz dragons, thanks to the necrotic energy of the Negative Plane that suffuses them. Their psionic power manifests the fundamental entropic principle that mortal beings and their creations are ultimately doomed to death and decomposition, and the dragons' demeanor is typically morbid and curmudgeonly as a result.

Somtimes the evening sun catches a topaz dragon just right, and i forget whom I'm talking to, thinking it's my dear Sardior, returned to me at last.
- Fizban

Gleaming Gold

Upon hatching, topaz dragon wyrmlings' scales are dull yellow-orange and have a cloudy or filmy look. As they age, their scales harden and clarify, becoming translucent and faceted, and ranging from bright yellow to rich amber in color. Their bodies are wider at the haunches, tapering in a wedge shape toward the head, and their wings are shaped to propel them through both air and water. A topaz dragon's psionic power manifests visibly in the gem-like spines that run in a ridge from the crown of the head to the tip of the tail. These spines hover above a living topaz dragon's back, dancing and shifting with the dragon's mood.

Embodiment of Decay

While generally not malicious, topaz dragons embody decay. They view destruction as a natural means of clearing the way for new creation and growth, much as a forest fire clears dead wood, replenishes the soil, and allows the forest to regrow even healthier than before. To this end, topaz dragons use their power to reduce crumbling structures and diseased plants to dust, clearing the way for new growth and construction.
Despite being competent swimmers and making their lairs on seacoasts and in brackish marshes, topaz dragons hate the water. Unfortunately, their favorite food is giant squid, so these dragons have ample opportunity to complain bitterly about being wet after diving deep into the ocean in search of prey.
Topaz dragons often come into conflict with bronze dragons when their coastal territories overlap, and they can nurture an inexplicably intense hatred of these metallic dragons. They can also draw the ire of druids and other nature protectors who don't understand the dragons' proclivity for destroying large swaths of countryside. Beyond that, topaz dragons dislike company and grow irritated when disturbed. But anyone who can endure their abrasive demeanor, caustic observations, and morbid interests can form a lasting bond with a powerful ally.

Entropic Hoards

Topaz dragons prize information on destruction and creation, whether abstract or dedicated to practical applications. They are fascinated by magic that creates objects from nothing, animates Undead, destroys matter, or manipulates negative energy. And they are particularly intrigued by Undead, sometimes keeping them in their hoards as curios.

Abilities

Topaz dragons breathed a cone of dehydration, ironically resembling a blast of water. For an adult, this could be some 70 feet (21 meters) long and up to 25 feet (7.6 meters) wide or 50 feet (15 meters) long and up to 50 feet (15 meters) wide. This would dry objects and vaporize many cubic feet of water and water-based liquids, causing salt and other suspended compounds and particles to precipitate out. Living creatures caught in the blast would be severely dehydrated, losing much of their strength and needing extensive care and rest to recover, and potentially even falling into a coma and dying.
Topaz dragons were naturally immune to cold spells and could breathe water as well as they could air.
Like any dragon, and in addition to the common powers of gem dragons, topaz dragons gained an array of magical powers as they aged, though accounts of these varied. In one version, young dragons could cast protection from evil or protection from good thrice a day, juveniles could cast blink thrice a day, adults could create a wall of fog thrice a day, mature adults could cast airy water thrice a day, and old dragons could part water once a day. Alternatively, adults could create a fog cloud thrice a day, old dragons could control winds thrice a day, and ancient dragons could control weather once a day. If psionic, juveniles could featherfall, old dragons could control air rather than control winds, and great wyrms could shape change.
Similarly, topaz dragons could acquire and cast new spells of their own, whether arcane or divine, but they were most noted for their talent in psionics. Those who were so gifted learned the psionic attacks mind thruster and id insinuation or ego whip and the psionic defenses mind blank or thought shield and mental barrier. For general powers, they favored the disciplines of psychometabolism Common psychometabolism powers for topaz dragons were biofeedback, body equilibrium, cause decay, chemical simulation, energy containment, life draining, and metamorphosis and common psychokinesis powers were animate object, control wind, molecular manipulation, soften, and telekinesis.
They were skilled in swimming, hiding, and survival.

Basic Information

Biological Traits

Skin: Shades of yellow and orange

Genetics and Reproduction

Topaz dragons were disinterested in parenting. They would even abandon their own offspring in order to save themselves.

Growth Rate & Stages

When a wyrmling, a topaz dragon had scales that were dull yellow with orange highlights. As it grew older, its scales hardened and turned translucent and faceted while they brightened in color, with individual scales becoming indiscernible. By adulthood, they were light orange in hue and sparkled under the sun and from far off they appeared as if carved from pure topaz. Conversely, their pupils faded with age, so a great wyrm's eyes were naught but fiery glowing orbs.
A hatchling had a 2‑foot-long (0.61‑meter) body and 2‑foot-long (0.61‑meter) tail, while an adult had a body length of 44 to 53 feet (13 to 16 meters) and a tail length of 23 to 29 feet (7 to 8.8 meters). The biggest great wyrms grew to 92 feet (28 meters) long in the body, with tails 40 feet (12 meters) long.

Ecology and Habitats

Lairs

Topaz dragons made their lairs by the sea, in bleak and rocky coastal areas such as secluded beaches, caves above or below the waterline, or structures they built themselves. At these places, they liked to sun themselves on rocky outcrops, under the wind, sea spray, and crashing waves, and from where they could keep an eye out for prey.
In spite of this, topaz dragons did not actually enjoy the water as their Bronze Dragon neighbors did. In fact, they had little liking of it and swam only as necessary for hunting and battle. They kept their lairs scrupulously dry, even when on the Plane of Water, no matter how difficult that may seem.

Lands

Topaz dragons were most often found in the Elemental Plane of Water., and they only made short visits to the Prime Material Plane.
In the Unapproachable East, topaz dragons could be found around the coastal regions of Aglarond.
Topazes were among the different kinds of dragon known to lair near the Smokeholes for their warmth, at least temporarily while travelling over the High Ice.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Lairing near the coast as they did, they favored a seafood diet, preying on fish, shark, and particularly giant squid.

Behaviour

While not really malevolent, they were selfish and unfriendly, with no interest in meeting others or in having others meet them. They often behaved erratically and this made them unpleasant and even dangerous to deal with.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Topaz dragons spoke Draconic and both their own language and a language shared among all gem dragons. Moreover, more than one in eight hatchlings could communicate with any sentient being, and the others gained this power as they aged, with almost two-fifths possessing it by the time they were mature adults and two-thirds when great wyrms.
Like the rest of the gem dragons, topaz dragons were rarer in the Realms than the common chromatic and metallic dragons.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

A talon of a topaz dragon was reported to be one of many draconic material components in Ossavitor's Way, a magical means by which a dragon could attain immortality.
The brain and/or cranial fluids of a topaz dragon was one proposed ingredient in the long-sought-after universal material component.

Average Intelligence

Exceptional

Civilization and Culture

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Occupying the same or similar environments, topaz dragons and Bronze Dragons regularly quarreled. Topaz dragons disliked the bronze dragons and typically attacked on sight. Their battles were invariably violent and lethal.

Average Length

• Wyrmling: 2 ft.
• Adult: 44 ft.
• Ancient: 92 ft.