Dragon

The uniting force between nearly all dragons is a desire for treasure, in many forms. Jewels and precious metals are the most commonly sought-after treasures, as are rare and magical items from the mortal world. A few dragons prefer to collect influence, experience, stories, or other less-tangible treasures alongside their visible hoards.

A dragon does not become an adult until their true name is revealed to them, typically between 100-150 years of age. Dragons receive their true names in prophetic dreams, often influenced by their actions, bonds, or environment. Though dragons covet treasure even as hatchlings, it is the power awakened in them by their true names that allows them to bind to a hoard.

The first dragons, and the primary gods of the dragons, are Bahamut and Tiamat. While legends among most humanoids claim that these two gods were created to fly Fricka and Gnotan through the nascent worlds as they created them, draconic lore instead believes that the Material Plane hatched directly from their first and only egg. If they should ever reconcile their differences and mate again, a new world will be born that will destroy the old. Bahamut and Tiamat are said to take tangible forms on the Material Plane to herald the impending end of each age.

All dragons are considered the same biological sex, as all dragons have a cloaca and lay eggs. Dragons are most often referred to as female among dwarven and elven cultures (though often considered genderfluid or similar to the Istyima among high elves), male in human, halfling, and orokhim cultures, and completely genderless in gnomish cultures. Most dragons who interact with mortals enough to be gendered accept these designations, though some go against these norms. (A famous example is Bastien, always referred to as the son of Bahamut despite living in high elven Bjália.)   Dragons' perception of their gender amongst themselves is not currently understood by mortals. In the few known cases of dragons who spend extended time in multiple humanoid forms, each dragon seems to choose one gender more often than others, though it is rare that they choose that gender exclusively.

Dragons' official courtship methods are unclear. Close territorial disputes with no clear outside influence are thought to be a form of courtship or short-term mating. However, these can (and frequently do) happen between chromatic and metallic dragons, who otherwise never take each other as permanent mates.

Taking a mate is not necessary among dragons; the extended presence of two dragons in the same territory is enough to induce reproduction. Two unrelated dragons who share a hoard are considered mates; this partnership, once forged, lasts for life. There is no known case of a chromatic dragon and a metallic dragon combining their hoards; such a thing would be deeply taboo among the dragons, due to the belief that the reconciliation of Bahamut and Tiamat will bring about the end of the world.

The Golden Guard is a fellowship of powerful Metallic Dragons allied to prevent the spread of the Chromatic Dragons' power.