Wasteland Dragon
An offshoot of metallic dragons, corrupted by the state of the world. Rust seeps out of their scales, a symbol of the effects of the end of the world. Their breath weapon is a stream of chemicals that once contacting air, precipitate out as long, sharp shards of metal. As these pseudo-swords rain down, they impale prey and enemies, quickly rusting away into nothingness.
Wasteland dragons are aggressive, attacking even when they do not need to feed. They seem to have a hatred of humanoids. They will track down cities and tribes that cross into their territory, pursuing them even past the dragon's range, attacking with unmatched fury. Even across the gulf of communication between dragons and people, the wasteland dragons are unmistakably malicious. Some people believe that these creatures remember the world before and have come to hate people for causing the apocalypse. No surviving scholarship has records of wasteland dragons from before the Fall.
These rusty creatures hoard trinkets made of stone, clay, and wood. Occasionally gold makes its way into a hoard, but they prefer natural materials that are formed into works of art. When near the hoard, it is the only time the dragon could be described as careful. In their lair, wasteland dragons move almost delicately, picking their steps cautiously around their treasures.
Basic Information
Anatomy
These dragons are large and heavily muscled. They have four legs and two wings, with a long, powerful neck counterbalanced by a thick tail. The muscular neck is protected by six rows of stout spines, preventing neck bites from rivals. Continuing down the back, the thorny spines grow up to three feet long behind the shoulder, decreasing in size toward the tail. The tail terminates with a heavy spade-like scute, hardened for crushing blows that can break through stone walls.
Growth Rate & Stages
The eggs of these dragons are almost conical in shape, so that when disturbed the eggs tend to roll in a circle. As the regions inhabited by these dragons are jagged and harsh, this shape keeps the eggs away from the rotten cliffs and rusted metals below. New hatchlings are adept climbers, instinctively gripping tightly to rock faces and old metal. Their arms quickly become powerful, and grow exponentially more powerful as they age. These dragons go from foot-long hatchlings to forty foot adults in about 20 years, and grow continuously as long as there is available food.
Ecology and Habitats
Wasteland dragon territories attract creatures that typically represent arid decay: rust monsters, locusts, vultures, wandering mummies, and so on. Whether these dragons seek out wastes or doggedly hang on to regions as they decay is unsure. But they remain as the region turns to ash and dust, growing larger and more aggressive as the land beneath them fades to desert.
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