The dragon deities are all children of Io, the Ninefold Dragon who encompasses all the opposites and extremes of dragonkind. It was said that Io fell to the primordials during the war at the dawn of time. Depending on the myth, Bahamut and Tiamat are either his children, or the two halves of Io that emerged when the primordial sliced the father of dragons in two.
Creatures other than dragons can worship one of the deities described here. Just as a human weaponsmith might venerate Moradin, or an elf archer pay homage to Artemis, so too could a dwarf, half-orc, or kobold worship a god or goddess otherwise associated with dragons. In fact, such worship is particularly common among the various reptilian (and Draconic-speaking) races, such as kobolds, lizardfolk, and troglodytes.
Draconic Gods (see Profiles)
- Bahamut, God of Good Dragons, Wind, and Wisdom.
- Tiamat, Goddess of Evil Dragons, Conquest, and Greed.
Other Draconic Gods
- Aasterinian, God of Learning, Invention, and Pleasure.
- Astilabor, God of Acquisitiveness, Status, and Wealth.
- Chronepsis, God of Fate, Death, and Judgment.
- Faluzure, God of Decay, Undeath, and Exhaustion.
- Garyx, God of Fire, Destruction, and Renewal.
- Hlal, Godess of Humor, Storytelling, and Inspiration.
- Lendys, God of Balance and Justice.
- Tamara, God of Life, Light, and Mercy.
AASTERINIAN
Messenger of the Dragon Gods
Draconic Demipower
Aasterinian is a cheeky deity who enjoys learning through play, invention, and pleasure. She is messenger, a Huge brass dragon who enjoys disturbing the status quo.
Dogma
Aasterinian is flighty and quick-witted. She encourages her followers to think for themselves, rather than relying on the word of others. The worst crime, in Aasterinians eyes, is not trusting in yourself and your own devices.
Clergy
Aasterinian's clerics are typically wanderers who travel in disguise or secrecy. Temples to the goddess are rare in the extreme, though simple shrines dot the landscape—quiet, hidden places where worshipers can rest peacefully on their travels.
Her followers enjoy friendly relations with those of Garl Glittergold, Fharlanghn, Olidammara, and similar deities.
Domains: Peace, Trickery
Favored Weapon: Scimitar (claw)
ASTILABOR
The Acquisitor, Hoardmistress
Draconic Lesser Deity
Astilabor represents the natural draconic desire to acquire treasure and power. She dislikes the naked greed displayed by Tiamat and her followers.
Dogma
Astilabor values wealth and power, but without any stigma of greed. She instills in dragonkind the innate need for collecting and protecting the hoard. She claims that she cannot abide thievery of any kind from her worshipers, but often turns a blind eye if such acts are performed in the name of building one's hoard.
Clergy
Astilabor accepts only clerics with a neutral aspect to their alignments, the better to remain pure to the goal of acquiring and protecting the hoard. Her clerics prefer not to get involved in conflicts between dragons, but often reward those whose hoards become large and valuable.
Astilabor is revered by dragons of all types and alignments, but actively worshiped by few. Most at least scratch out her symbol as a protective ward over their hoards.
Astilabor's worshipers are friendly toward those of Moradin and Garl Glittergold (since those gods respect the value of a gem or coin as much as anyone), but they distrust followers of Olidammara, whom they believe to be thieves at heart.
Domains: Trickery
Favored Weapon: Scimitar (claw)
CHRONEPSIS
The Silent, The Watcher
Lesser Deity
Chronepsis is neutral—silent, unconcerned, and dispassionate. He is the draconic deity of fate, death, and judgment. His form is colorless and without luster, marking him as an outsider to the struggles of the chromatic and metallic dragons.
Dogma
Chronepsis is a passionless observer of the world. He passes judgment on all dragons when they die, deciding where their souls go in the afterlife. Unlike Lendys (see below), Chronepsis is uninterested in justice: he merely observes what is and is not. He is also singularly uninvolved in the activities of the living, and strives to remain so. It is said that only a cataclysm of world-shaking proportions could rouse Chronepsis from his disinterest.
Clergy
Chronepsis has very few active worshipers and even fewer clerics, since most dragons don't possess the balanced outlook to avoid interfering in the events they observe.
The followers of Chronepsis count other faiths neither as allies nor enemies. Of the other deities, only Boccob the Uncaring shares a similar outlook, but neither deity cares enough to forge an alliance.
Domains: Death, Grave
Favored Weapon: Scythe (claw)
FALAZURE
The Night Dragon
Draconic Lesser Deity
The terrifying Night Dragon, Falazure, is neutral evil. He is the lord of energy draining, undeath, decay, and exhaustion. Some claim he has a decaying skeletal form, but others believe that he looks like a decrepit black dragon whose flesh is pulled tight over his bones.
Dogma
Falazure teaches that even a dragon's long life span need not be the limit to a dragon's existence. Beyond the world of the living is another realm, one of undeath eternal. It is generally accepted that Falazure created (or had a hand in the creation of) the first undead dragons, such as dracoliches, vampiric dragons, and ghostly dragons.
Clergy
Among the draconic gods, perhaps only Bahamut and Tiamat have more non-dragon worshipers than Falazure. Many necromancers of all races revere the Night Dragon, as well as intelligent undead such as liches and, especially, dracoliches.
Temples to Falazure are always deep beneath the earth, cloaked in darkness and far from the sun and fresh air of the surface world.
The followers of Falazure count all members of good-aligned faiths as their enemies. They may occasionally ally with the forces of Nerull, but such instances are rare.
Domains: Death, Twilight
Favored Weapon: Scimitar (claw)
GARYX
Firelord, All-Destroyer, Cleanser of Worlds
Draconic Lesser Deity
Garyx the All-Destroyer symbolizes the sheer power and destructive force of dragonkind. Some argue that Garyx is actually insane, as a result of his long occupation of the Windswept Depths of Pandemonium. He appears much like a great wyrm red dragon.
Dogma
Garyx teaches by example, periodically traveling to the Material plane to wreak unholy swaths of destruction across the landscape. Those who revere him follow this example, using their power to bring ruin and devastation.
Clergy
Garyx pays little or no attention to his clerics and worshipers, but they care not. They believe that he grants them the power to perform acts of destruction, is enough. Perhaps curiously, some druids the renewal aspect of Garyx, knowing that some devastation is always necessary for rejuvenation to occur. Some within the Cult of Ashardalon believe that the great wyrm is actually an avatar of the god Garyx.
Few temples to Garyx are to exist, though his worshipers often carve his symbol near their handiwork. Garyx shares traits in common with Kord and Erythnul, but has no interest in alliances.
Domains: Death, Nature
Favored Weapon: Sickle (claw)
HLAL
The Jester, The Keeper of Tales
Draconic Lesser Deity
Hlal is a sleek, copper-colored dragon with a ready grin and a happy glint in her eye. Of the dragon gods, she is the most friendly to non-dragons (even Aasterinian enjoys a reputation of playful danger).
Dogma
Hlal enjoys sharing stories and songs with those who appreciate such things, regardless of the race or background. She has little use for tyrants—even well-meaning ones—and even less patience for cruelty or bullying. She teaches that one must be free of restraint, whether real or psychological, in order to freely express one's opinions.
Clergy
Hlal's clerics are often multiclass cleric/bards, using music, poetry, and tall tales to spread the faith. Places of worship to Hlal are usually simple shrines, which can be packed up and moved to the next town or dragon lair at a moment's notice.
The followers of Hlal share much in common with those of Olidammara, and many characters pay homage to both deities simultaneously. Both Hextor and Vecna are among her chief enemies, because of their portfolios.
Domains: Peace, Trickery
Favored Weapon: Short sword (claw)
LENDYS
Scale of Justice, The Balancer, Weigher of Lives
Draconic Lesser Deity
Unlike Chronepsis, who judges the life of a dragon only after its death, Lendys metes out justice during a dragons life. His scales are a tarnished silver, some say because he cares more about judging others than tending to himself.
Dogma
Lendys is the arbiter of dragonkind, serving as judge, jury, and executioner alike. When a dragon has committed an injustice against dragonkind, Lendys (or one of his trio of great wyrm silver dragons) is dispatched to deal out appropriate justice. Punishments are severe, and appeals unheard of.
Clergy
The clerics and paladins of Lendys are justice-bringers as well, often serving as arbiters for local communities. In some cases, towns even rely on the local draconic worshiper of Lendys to parse out justice.
Clerics of Lendys get along well with worshipers of St. Cuthbert, and poorly with those who follow a chaotic deity such as Kord, Olidammara, or Erythnul.
Domains: Order
Favored Weapon: Longsword (claw)
TAMARA
Her Beneficence, Her Mercy
Lesser Draconic Deity
Tamara is the kindest and most benevolent of the draconic deities. Some mistake this quality for weakness, though such beings don't make the same error twice. She appears as a luminously beautiful silver dragon, her eyes shining with the brightness of the sun itself.
Dogma
Tamara believes in mercy, both in life and in death. Not only does she heal the sick and tend the injured, she delivers a merciful end to those dragons nearing the end of their natural lives. She fiercely detests those who artificially prolong the life of a dragon, particularly when it is against that dragons will.
Clergy
Tamara's clerics are healers, but also deliverers of death to those who try to escape it. They prefer to destroy any undead they encounter, particularly draconic undead (such as dracoliches).
Though a peaceful and merciful faith, the worshipers of Tamara do not hesitate to stand against evil or tyranny, Tamara counts Pelor among her staunchest allies and Falazure, Hextor, Nerull, and Erythnul among her enemies.
Domains: Life, Light
Favored Weapon: Scimitar
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