Wildfire Dragon

Wildfire Dragon * Image: Wildfire Dragon
Though wildfire dragons are eager to unleash their ever-hungry flame, they are also the mildest and most judicious of the catastrophic dragons. While most others (especially volcanic and typhoon dragons) bring destruction just for the fun of it, wildfire dragons are methodical about their work. The inferno they bring is essential to the life cycle of the environment and the world as a whole, and they take joy in their work of destruction. Not joy in the taking of life, but joy in the fulfillment of a higher calling, and in the cleansing heat of their flame.
Wildfire dragons don't have a solid form. Within a roaring wildfire, a faintly draconic form might be seen beneath the smoke, intangible and wreathed in cinders and ash, only to disappear back into the inferno and again become one with the all-consuming flame.
Imix's Trickery. The dragons who watched Io fall were overtaken with a burning rage and desire for revenge. Only the mightiest of Io's children were present for the deity's demise; these were the most ancient of red and gold dragons. Together they chased after Io's killer into Imix's domain, through a portal which granted entrance, but no exit. There they were trapped and their bodies burned away as Imix worked his magic upon them, but even after the destruction of their bodies, the newly born wildfire dragons felt only hatred for Imix and the other primordials. Outraged that he couldn't control them, Imix released them into the multiverse.
The wildfire dragons were created unwillingly, unlike the other catastrophic dragons, and the surviving wildfire dragons still remember those days when their god fell and they were trapped by Imix. They still feel an insufferable rage toward all primordials and their servants, and do everything in their power to destroy them when they come upon them.
Cleansing Conflagration. Despite their unfortunate origins, wildfire dragons have found a useful place for themselves within the multiverse, and that is as a force of cleansing and renewal. It is the way of all things to die and be reborn, and so the dragons take to burning all that lives so that they can watch it grow once more. To them, their fire is sacred and essential to the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Many venerate Garyx, as they share the Firelord's outlook.
Even though they take pleasure in unleashing their flame, they also like to watch and wait, often for many humanoid generations, before the time comes again for them to cleanse the land.
Prairies and Forests. Wildfire dragons prefer to live in hot, dry places, but they settle wherever they believe their cleansing fire is needed. Most often, this is in prairies and overgrown forests. After it is finished "cleansing," it stays in the same area, basking in the ash and cinders that remain. Thusly, they are also one of the few catastrophic dragons that stays in one area permanently (or for as long as it feels is needed there).
Regional Effects
The region containing a legendary wildfire dragon's lair is warped by the dragon's magic, which creates one or more of the following effects.
* Within 10 miles of the lair, the weather is usually warm or hot (assuming the season permits). * Within 6 miles of the lair, the weather is nearly always sunny. * Within 1 mile of the lair, fires spontaneously start, but stay contained.
Catastrophic Dragons
The origin and behavior of catastrophic dragons has long been a subject of debate among those learned enough to know about them. They are bringers of destruction, drawn to exceptionally powerful natural disasters (if not the cause of them), but have long since forsaken their draconic nature in favor of the primordial lords.
Primordial Origins. It is suspected that the first catastophic dragons were first created after the fall of Io during the Dawn War. After the dragon god fell, giving way for Bahamut and Tiamat, some dragons turned from these selfish and weak imposters of Io's glory. Surely they were not strong enough to lead the dragons to a victory over the primordials. Thus, the defectors went to the primordials, and the first catastrophic dragons were born.
The dragons were gifted with unrestrained elemental power. They became tools of the primordials, as weapons of mass destruction. But this power came at a cost. The process of transformation was an arduous and painful process during which the dragons were exposed to extreme conditions of elemental power over long periods of time. Many did not survive the transformation. Just as their bodies were reconstituted, so were the minds of the subjects; all were consumed by elemental fury, and even those that weren't driven insane only felt the festering hatred of their primordial lords. When the primordials were eventually overthrown, the remnants of the catastrophic dragons were driven into hiding. Most fled to the elemental planes, while others scattered across the planes. Some slumber on the Material Plane, waiting until a calamity of sufficient size and destructive power wakes and calls them again to action.
It is said that dragons who wish to find this power can still do so, as what remains of the primordial powers is still on the lookout for any potential upset that might give them the upper hand. There aren't any recorded cases of this happening, but that isn't to say that such a thing is impossible. On the other hand, a dragon who endures immense elemental pressure and power on one of the elemental planes might inadvertently undergo the transformation.
Elemental Physiology. At a glance, catastrophic dragons resemble their true dragon counterparts physically: large leathery wings, a reptilian shape, and claws. However, they gave up their true physical forms when they became catastrophic dragons. They are elemental power incarnate, which makes them physically unique among dragonkind. The form of a catastrophic dragon is little more than an echo of what it once was. They are no longer made of flesh and bone, but of animate elemental matter, like other elementals. Thus, the body of a blizzard dragon is that of solidified snow and ice emanating harsh winds and cold, while the body of a wildfire dragon is a constantly shifting cascade of impenetrable flame. They still age as other dragons, but retain no other similarities in terms of life cycle, and they can't die of old age.
Despite the deterioration of mind, these dragons are just as intelligent as the true dragons they once were; their minds are simply more muddled, and more driven by passion rather than by logic. Most have no tendency toward good or evil, even though their tendencies are destructive.
Each catastrophic dragon takes on a unique form as a result of its elemental power. Some types have a more solid form reminiscent of a true dragon, while others are more fluid: a draconic reptilian form in one moment, and a storm of elemental energy in the next.
Dormant Cataclysms. Catastrophic dragons fall into periods of dormancy. For some types, these periods can be tracked; for example, blizzard dragons tend to only come out during the winter, while remaining dormant throughout spring and summer. Others are less predictable.
During dormancy, a catastrophic dragon's power is low, but the land close by still might feel the effects of its presence. Its power slowly intensifies until it releases into a small version of the dragon's catastrophy, at which point it again enters a state of low power and begins building power again. The dragon might remain dormant for years or centuries, until some trigger (such as a powerful natural disaster) wakes it from its slumber. Depending on the strength of the disaster or the nature of combat it is engaged in, the dragon might go dormant once again when the event is finished. A dormant dragon always wakes when attacked, though usually it senses the disturbance around it and wakes before combat breaks out.
Lairs and Hoards. When a catastrophic dragon goes dormant, it finds a secluded and safe lair in which it can sleep, but these abodes are always temporary. When it wakes, it leaves to again bring wanton destruction. Regional effects might manifest around such a lair. The dragon's type has an enormous impact on its behavior when it comes to lairs; some even set up permanent places of residence.
Because of their nature, catastrophic dragons don't hoard wealth like other dragons. Not only do they not usually have a good place to keep it, but all of their innate draconic needs have been replaced with the primordial urge to spread destruction. When it comes upon magical items of value, it might ignore them or eat them, attempting to absorb their power.
Imprinting. Catastrophic dragons don't reproduce like other dragons. They lack both the means and the drive to mate and bear eggs, but they were given the ability to reproduce through raw elemental power. This reproduction technique is called imprinting. During a catastrophy of significant power, the dragon can imprint a clutch of eggs into the surrounding world. The eggs appear as a result of condensed raw elemental power. The eggs of a catastrophic dragon are incredibly rare and volatile; they fetch extremely high prices, but if handled incorrectly (or intentionally broken), an egg detonates, summoning a miniature version of the catastrophe that birthed it.
Refer to the "Magic Items" section in Part 2 for the statistics of a catastrophic dragon egg.
Catastrophic Dragon Templates. Each type of catastrophic dragon is presented as a template. Each type can only be taken by certain kinds of true dragons. Dragons that meet the prerequisites for the template can take on that catastrophic dragon template. This requirement represents the kind of dragon that anciently turned toward the primordials for this power, and was able to survive the process of transformation (or could feasibly survive it in the present day).
Dragon Feats. If you are using the optional Dragon Feats rules, a catastrophic dragon can't take dragon feats corresponding to its base type. For example, an adult white blizzard dragon can take general feats or blizzard dragon feats, but not white dragon feats.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Dragon, Catastrophic/Elemental