Balefire Dragon

Fearsome predators of sky, sea, and land, dragons are known across hundreds of worlds for the incredible sense of terror they inspire in every being. Wherever dragons are found, they sit at the very pinnacle of the food chain, rising ever higher above each other creature as they get older. On Innistrad, dragons are rare, creatures adapted over thousands of years to living in a world where they are not the only existential threat to intelligent races. Only a few dragons call Innistrad home, and those that do are radically different from the classic chromatic and metallic dragons found on other planes. More primal, more predatory, relying on their instincts rather than their intellect, powerful hunters which have risen above the greed of treasure to find thrill in the hunt instead.   Terror of the Fiery Peaks The Balefire Peaks are a famous string of volcano's in the far South-West of Innistrad, known for frequent lava flows, and the strange, skulking creatures that lurk between the rocks. These burning chasms and caverns are also home to the balefire dragon, a draconic beast spoken of only in hushed tones. With scales of pure black, the balefire dragon stays to the shadows as it hunts its prey, bidding its time and watching with its luminous red eyes. When ready to strike, the balefire dragon closes the distance quickly, sprinting and flying among the boulders and mountainsides with lightning speed before it strikes in a flurry of slashing claws and burning teeth. In all of recorded history, no balefire dragon has ever been brought down by a mere man. And though men have escaped the grasp of the balefire dragon and lived to tell the tale, none has ever come home in one piece.   Unflinching Ruler of the Skies Stories about the balefire dragons are rare, and unlikely to be trustworthy, embellished from decades of re-telling. But since the rise of Avacyn, some researchers and historians have felt bold enough to test their luck in the Balefire Peaks, hoping their expeditions might shed new light on undiscovered species. Even accompanied by angels, these travels rarely get far, and none have yet broken past the natural barrier the mountains serve to whatever lies beyond. But they have almost all returned, bringing ith them stories about unusual demons and devils, as well as tales of the balefire dragons. According to these travelers, most of the dragons act like they've never seen an angel before, not pausing in their attack even when they see the radiant light spread from an angel's wings. Some even seem to take he presence of flying angels as a threat, as if the sight of another being in the sky infuriates them, on occasion leading to more than one of the terrors attempting to bring down a party's angelic guide, and some even succeeding in this wicked hunt.   Hiss of a Haunting Breath According to these expeditions, balefire dragons can sometimes be seen flying in the distance, no sound coming from their beating wings, as if they floated along like ghosts. But when the dragon makes the move to hunt, it's so quick that the tips of its wings slice through the air with a high-pitched keening. Numbers don't dissuade the dragons, only causing them to get in closer before they strike. When nearby they open their bright-red mouths to unleash a cloud of thick smoke, a low and yawning hiss stretching from their jaws as they do. The smoke isn't poisonous, but breathing it is said to be like pulling apart your skull with a hatchet, a strange and twisting pain that leaves your mind open and vulnerable, connected to those who also breath it. When two people have both breathed from the same cloud of gas, they hold no secrets, and share the same pain, even when it comes from the dragon fire that quickly follows.