Green Dragon

Green dragons are lawful evil, breathe acid-breath, live in temperate forests, and have a connection with both nature and the forest. Known to speak Elven and Sylvan, green dragons can often be swayed by diplomacy, anathema to many of their fellow chromatic dragons.

Appearence

Green dragons have the most immediately recognisable heads of any dragon due to the large snout horn that dominates their face; these horns continue to grow throughout the dragon's life. Their horns can grow so large that they actually create a blind-spot in the dragon's vision and each dragon's horn is unique in its shape. Green dragons require personal perfection in every aspect of themselves, including their body; they often undertake strenuous exercise regimes to keep in peak physical condition.

Habitat

Green dragons dwell by preference in forests and woodlands, and are known to inhabit environments ranging from arctic forests to tropical jungles. If possible, they make their home within natural caves (or humanoid-made burial mounds) with an easily-concealed entrance. Green dragons sculpt their lair using their acidic spittle to further excavate their homes. When such caves are unavailable, green dragons will lair atop cliffs or even high hills, some (usually younger, smaller dragons) even roost amongst the highest canopy of particularly huge trees. Over time, the dragon will sculpt lairs supported by dozens of massive trees and capable of bearing even the weight of a fully-grown dragon and their treasure hoard. Green dragons normally like to have a single nearby tree capable of supporting their weight from which they can observe their domain. Whereas most chromatic dragons destroy, green dragons actually work to improve their surroundings. They feel a desire to improve their homes somewhat akin to their innate desire to improve themselves. Over time, their natural command of plans (and using lesser beings coerced into assisting them) results in the area around their lair being more verdant, healthy, and beautiful than the surrounding forest.
A green dragon's lair never contains running water as it would destroy any paper in their hoard, which is filled with books and tomes, as they value knowledge and wisdom above almost all other treasures. Their hoards do include coins (preferably bronze or silver) of older mintage, ideally from some ancient fallen kingdom; they also favour green gemstones such as emeralds. Green dragon's hoards often include unique books, either ancient beyond compare, or composed by the dragon itself. These hoards are so valued by scholars that they will sometimes hire dragon-slayers to retrieve these priceless libraries; this rarely ends well. Green dragons also have a deep appreciation for wood carving though, those in coastal forests, sometimes augment their collection with whimsical driftwood finds.

Ecology

Green dragons like to keep their bodies in peak physical condition through rigorous exercise including sparring with other dragons. Green dragons have incredible minds and are naturally gifted in the fields of mathematics, astronomy, and magical theory. This talent for magical theory leads many green dragons to focus on the arcane. Their thirst for knowledge often leads them down dark paths to seek lore best left unknown, whose discovery results only in insanity or death. Unfortunately, due to their evil bent, green dragons think nothing of sacrificing lesser creatures like humans, or even other dragons in their quest for knowledge. Green dragons are the most likely of all chromatic dragons to shed their evil alignment; though they rarely turn to good, they are much more likely to become strictly neutral. Green dragons are also unusual in that they are omnivores and display no preference between eating meat or plants; however, they refuse to eat scavenged carrion and only consume the flesh of creatures they have personally killed.

Society

Green dragons are almost the most socially well-balanced of the chromatic dragons, exceeded only by the manipulative blue dragons. They are always seeking to improve themselves both physically and mentally. Physically they undertake vigorous exercise regimes up to and including sparring with other dragons while mentally they undertake rigorous studies. Green dragons are willing to speak with lesser beings as long as they have knowledge to exchange which the dragon then uses to further its studies. They generally do not associate with most other types of dragons, other chromatics greens view as uncouth hooligans while they see metallic dragons as moralising killjoys. The one exception to this is bronze dragons who they respect as fellow scholars. Unfortunately due to their competitively perfectionist nature most encounters between green dragons quickly devolve into bouts of one-upmanship that can quickly escalate into full blown duels. Only when mating can green dragons overcome this tendency and even then such "harmony" does not necessarily last very long. Green dragons are rarely religious, seemingly possessing only and academic interest in Bahamut and Tiamat, they do occasionally worship the human god Irori finding themselves drawn to his doctrine of self perfection.

General

Type
Dragon
CR
2-22 (by age)
Environment
Forests
Alignment
Lawful Evil
Breath Weapon
Poison

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Dragon