Green dragon

Green dragons, also known as forest dragons or D. Chlorinous Nauseous Respiratorus to scholars, were a variety of chromatic dragons known for their manipulative and self-serving nature. They were considered master conspirators that reveled in corrupting lesser creatures and hoarding them like possessions.

"In some ways the green dragon is the most "dragon" of dragons. Pity that Tiamat gets credit for them."

- Fizban.

Description
Green dragons were most notable for the large, waving crest or fin that started at the dragon's nose and ran the entire length of the dragon's body. They also had exceptionally long, slender forked tongues.

Green dragons' scales did not fully harden, granting them greater flexibility than others chromatic dragons. They also had particularly long legs and elongated necks that allowed them to peer over treelines. Their wings often featured dappled patterns and became lighter the further away from the claw. Green dragons had no actual ears, rather ear holes on either side of their head.

They were not nearly as intelligent as other true dragons but were especially creative in their cruel manipulations.

A dragon egg could be identified as belonging to a green by the greenish-white tinge seen when held in front of an intense white light, though it shared this trait with white dragons and any dragon breed with a gas or vapor breath weapon.

Personality
These dragons were known to have very bad tempers and a tendency for evil behavior. They loved intrigue and secrets. Green dragons put up a front of diplomacy and deceit when dealing with stronger foes, but they revealed their cruel and petty nature when intimidating lesser beings or when gaining the upper hand. They especially enjoyed enslaving intelligent woodland beings.

They delighted in stalking their enemies and listening in for any information they could gather before moving to attack. On occasion however, they were known to attack outright without being provoked.

Combat
When hunting, green dragons stalked their prey for extended lengths of time, continuing for days on end, until they could execute a deadly ambush. They reveled in the fear they inspired in lesser creatures, and always left at least one survivor whenever possible. Green dragons would take dominion over their victims, interrogating them for information, especially that regarding nearby treasures.

If they get into a conflict with more powerful creatures, or other dragons over territory, green dragons often feigned weakness to glean more information about their foes. Like when stalking their prey, they would wait as long as necessary―years or decades at a time―to find the right moment to strike out against an opponent.

Green dragons' scales lent them a natural form of camouflage within the lush woodlands of the Realms.

Breath Weapon
Beyond fighting with their massive jaws and claws, these dragons were capable of expelling a cone of poisonous chlorine gas. They could utilize their unique breath weapon even while completely submerged underwater.

According to the The Compleat Dragon-Hunter, chlorine breath of green dragons could not penetrate animal hides that had been treated with urine or vinegar.

Society
Green dragons were mostly solitary creatures, but rarely worked together in pairs or small groups when an especially lucrative opportunity presented itself.

Green dragons valued their territory, but only as a means to gain as much power as possible without expending considerable effort. They would sometimes trade safe passage for a worthy item to add to their hoards. Even so, they were extremely cunning and duplicitous foes, and loved double-crossing others. A traveler who stumbled into a green dragon's territory might be able to bribe the dragon for safe passage, but more often than not the dragon would pretend to agree and then attack the unsuspecting offender once their guard was down. Worse, if the traveler impressed the green dragon during its stay, they might start thinking of the newcomer as a prized possession to be corrupted and sculpted to its will.

Amongst their own kind, green dragons displayed brazen rudeness and crass behavior. This was more evident among female green dragons than males.

Habitat
These dragons were typically found to live near woodlands, including jungles, bayous, and forests. Their domains were often easy to spot, as a heavy fog that faintly smelled of poison lingered over their domain.

Despite the density of the trees within, some green dragons were known to haunt the Elven Woods and the Starwoods in Cormanthor, Younger green dragons would remain within its forests until they grew to a certain age, after which they would seek out their own domain.

Lair
The typical green dragon lair was located underground and was a complex of caves and tunnels, with its main entrance hidden behind a waterfall. The preferred green dragon lair was a cave high up on a cliff, but such locations were usually hard to find and thus only home to the oldest and most powerful green dragons. If necessary, green dragons would hide their lair behind thickets of magically-grown plant life.

Within their lair, green dragons could command tangles of roots and vines to immobilize intruders, or compel barriers of tangled, thorny bushes to rapidly extended out as needed.

Green dragon lairs occasionally developed what was referred to as 'chlorine haze', a buildup of residual chlorine gas. It lingered within their domain and remained ever-harmful to anyone vulnerable to its exposure.

Hoard
Like all other evil dragons, green dragons enjoyed amassing more treasure for their hoard. Among material wealth, they preferred wood carvings, instruments, sculptures, emeralds, and beryls. On occasion, they adorned their treasure with rare plants that they cultivated within their own lair, creating truly unique and priceless pieces of art.

Green dragons' true favorite possessions however, were the sentient beings they claimed as servants. Renowned personalities of the Realms―such as famous artists, adventurers, or even scholars―were considered by green dragons to be the most prized individuals to add to their collections.

Religion
Green dragons sometimes served the dark Chultan demigod Eshowdow, and their appearance was considered a good omen by his followers.

Reproduction
Female green dragons initiated courtship with males, a process that was reflective of the females' offensive and crass behavior. After impregnation however, the relationship between mated green dragons changed, and a strong bond was formed. Incubation of green dragon eggs continued for about sixteen months, with the eggs being laid at about the four-month mark.

The mated pair developed strong ties to each other and wholly dedicated themselves to newly-hatched wyrmlings. Green dragon females either kept their eggs in a solution of acid or buried them in leaves moistened with rainwater. Both the mother and father typically stayed close to their eggs while they were incubating. Green dragons were the only species of chromatic dragons known to sacrifice their own lives for their brood.

The green wyrmling could be easily mistaken for a black dragon, due to their nearly black scales. As the wyrmling matured, its scales became steadily lighter in color until they reached the striking green shade of an adult. The wyrmlings typically stayed with both parents until they reached young adulthood, at around 51 years of age. Once a green dragon set out on its own, the mated pair went their separate ways, and the bond they formed was broken.

Lifecycle
Wherever a green dragon died, new and deadly plant life flourished in an area around its corpse. Especially poisonous plants grew and blossomed grew to abnormal sizes extraordinarily fast. These sites were often more connected to the Feywild than the surrounding terrain.

Relationships
While green dragons typically exploited non-dragons with their schemes, they were not above moving against their own kind. They typically did not however scheme or plot against their own parents.

They often accepted more servile creatures as their minions. Among those known to regularly serve green dragons were kobolds, goblins, ettercaps, orcs, yuan-ti, and ettins.

Some green dragons held strong connections to the Feywild, and some were even known to serve the malevolent archfey the Queen of Air and Darkness.

Appetite
Green dragons were omnivorous and ate just about whatever they could get ahold of, including a variety of plants and living animals. They especially enjoyed consuming fey creatures like elves and sprites.

According to the sage Elminster, their appetite could be discerned by the direction of their eye movement: lateral movement meant they craved vegetation, while a straight-on stare meant they desired meat.

Green dragons, as with some other dragon breeds, were unable to chew their food. Hence, to aid digestion, they swallowed small stones, pieces of metal, and even coins, which went into a small second stomach like a bird's gizzard. These stomach stones ground down their food and were eventually expelled in waste.

Uses
Certain poisonous roots found throughout the Realms had mildly psychoactive effects on green dragons when consumed. The effects of these roots exacerbated the already impudent behavior they demonstrated when socializing with their own kind.

Armor made from the scales of green dragons offered the wearer protection against clouds of poisonous gas, such as that released by iron golems, or the spell cloudkill.

One of the ways of creating a wand of stinking cloud was using a horn of an old green dragon.

Notable Green Dragons

 * Aglaraerose, the " Dragon That Never Died" of the Earthfast Mountains.
 * Athauglas, a young dragon who laired in the Trades Ward of Waterdeep and was an avid player of Xorvintaal.
 * Azdraka, the green dragon that harried travelers along the High Road until it was slain by Lady Tanamere Alagondar and her companions.
 * Buchembrallor, the "Terror of Velen" who harried ships along the coast of Cape Velen throughout the late 13 and mid–14 centuries DR.
 * Chathuulandroth, the dragon that destroyed the tower of Nezram in the 7 century DR.
 * Claugiyliamatar, also known as "Old Gnawbones", the ancient dragon that ruled over Kryptgarden Forest in the Sword Mountains.
 * Cradlefall, a wyrmling raised by Granny Nightshade, a hag that accidentally stunted his growth
 * Chuth, the "Emerald Assassin" who allied itself with Neronvain of the restored Cult of the Dragon.
 * Elaacrimalicros, the green dragon that ravaged the population of aarakocra near the Aerie in the Star Mounts.
 * Fll'Yissetat, one of the servants of the half-blue dragon Bhaalspawn Abazigal.
 * Grimnoshtadrano, the "Riddling Dragon" of the High Forest.
 * Ishenalyr
 * Jaxanaedegor, the vampiric green dragon from Mount Thulbane, who held dominion over a region of Threskel in northern Chessenta.
 * Kofutacti, a young green dragon that toured much of the Sword Coast.
 * Mornauguth, the " Moor Dragon" who was in fact a cursed priestess of Shar.
 * Ringreemeralxoth, a young dragon that declared itself ruler of the Snakewood in Amn.
 * The Sarbreenar Wyrm, a massive and legendary green dragon that was slain when it assailed the city of Procampur.
 * Sirvinhandra, the great wyrm of the Dun Hills who was slain in the mid–14 century DR.
 * Venomfang
 * Venominhandar, the legendary wyrm of Cormanthor that lived over a millennium before Dale Reckoning.
 * Vermilius, a young dragon that dwelled within Arkhan's Tower in the plane of Avernus
 * Verthandantalynx, also known as the "Verdant Cloud", who ascended as a dracolich.
 * Vorgansharax, the " Maimed Virulence" who ruled Phlan for a time during the late 15 century DR.

Rumors & Legends
Two Waterdhavian noble families―Houses Hothemer and Eirontalar―featured the likenesses green dragons on their coats-of-arms.

There existed a set of green dragon footprints in the Dun Hills, that resembled those made by a giant-sized rabbit.

Some residents of Ausa Province in Kara-Tur received tattoos of green dragons upon their left arms.

Appearances

 * Adventures:
 * Dungeon #28, "The Pipes of Doom" • Lost Mine of Phandelver • The Rise of Tiamat • Princes of the Apocalypse • Storm King's Thunder • Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage • Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus
 * Dead in Thay • Dragon of Icespire Peak
 * Gamebooks:
 * Big Trouble
 * Video Games
 * Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn • Neverwinter Nights: Darkness over Daggerford
 * Board Games
 * Battle for Faerûn • Betrayal at Baldur's Gate • Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Begins
 * Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
 * Black Blood • Tyranny of Dragons (Tyranny in Phlan • Dark Pyramid of Sorcerer's Isle • Pool of Radiance Resurgent • Escape from Phlan • Shadows over the Moonsea • Defiance in Phlan) • Curse of Strahd (Reclamation of Phlan)
 * Writhing in the Dark • Shackles of Blood
 * Writhing in the Dark • Shackles of Blood
 * Writhing in the Dark • Shackles of Blood

Connections
Grüne Drachen