Ancient Dragon

An ancient dragon has survived changes to empires, landscapes, and human lineages. Its lair may be a place with its own history, extensive defenses, and objects that mattered long before today's settlements existed. In Elaria, its name may appear in chronicles in several forms because different cultures interpreted the same being differently. Its territory is usually carefully chosen, and changes in the surrounding area rarely go unnoticed.

It is highly intelligent, experienced, and generally accustomed to acting from a position of overwhelming advantage. It may rule a network of allies, influence its surroundings indirectly, or remain apart until someone disrupts its long-term plan. It seeks to preserve what it considers essential: power, memory, a promise, territory, or a particular person. Age alone means neither malice nor flawless wisdom. Long solitude and confidence in its own strength may cause it to underestimate decisions made by people whose lives seem brief to it.

Dragon Breath threatens up to two targets, while Elder Scales reduces the first instance of physical damage and the first instance of magical damage each round by three. Actually exploiting its particular weakness cancels the reduction and lowers physical and magical defense by four. Direct combat without prior investigation is therefore extraordinarily dangerous. The party can gather old accounts, discover the significance of a guarded object, and negotiate over an objective the dragon does not consider trivial. Both a weakness and the possibility of agreement need clear story clues, so success follows from understanding and preparation.