Cobra dragon

Cobra dragons were a rare species of dragon found in Kara-Tur.

Description
Cobra dragons were winged, serpentine reptiles that ranged in length from as hatchlings, to as much as. They had glossy black scales on the back and sides, and bright orange scales on the underbelly. On the neck directly behind the head was a hood of skin akin to that of a king cobra.

Behavior
These creatures rivaled western dragons in greed and aggressiveness. The favorite hobby of cobra dragons was collecting skulls, with skulls of rare and mighty creatures being the most valued by these serpentine creatures. A cobra dragon's favorite collectible skulls included those of cave bears, dinosaurs, dragons, giants, and unicorns, as they were some of the largest, rarest, and most powerful creatures. Humanoid skulls, meanwhile, might be considered interesting but were worth little as they could be gotten so easily. Gifting a skull, especially a rare skull, when speaking with a cobra dragon was very helpful in improving its disposition.

Reproduction
Male and female cobra dragons had a mating ritual in spring in which they fought but did not wound one another, then consummated in a display described as "fiery". They did this only in young adulthood or adulthood, while older cobra dragons took pride in not mating and boasted that they had outgrown the mating drive. The female would usually lay up to four eggs about. The hatchlings stayed with the female until they'd achieved subadulthood.

Habitat
Cobra dragons dwelt in tropical and subtropical climates and made their lairs underground in caves or caverns, while they had no liking for swamps. They lived in southern Kara-Tur, with some in the southernmost parts of T'u Lung and were more common in the regions further south and west.

Lair
As many dragons did, a cobra dragon claimed a territory around its laid and viciously forced out every other creature and intruder. They only tolerated trespass from fellow cobra dragons, and only then in mating season.

Relationships
Cobra dragons took pleasure in bringing destruction and dispair upon the residents of the T’u Lung Empire. Thus, cobra dragons had an antagonistic or predatory relationship with humans, hengeyokai, korobokuru, and spirit folk.

Due to their charisma, power, and cunning intellect, adult cobra dragons or older were capable of attracting small numbers of intelligent creatures who search for a leader to serve. Common followers included, but were not limited to, bakemono, gargoyles, lizardmen, and mobats. These were the most common followers, simply given the fact that these intelligent creatures were native to Kara-Tur like the cobra dragon. These creatures lived with the dragon and worshipped it as a god. 60% of all adult cobra dragons and older usually had around 2-8 followers. A cobra dragon would not usually have followers who were weaklings, and as such many of these followers were usually heavily equipped to deal with the dragon's enemies.

Abilities
Firstly, because of the cobra dragon's appearance, it carries an aura that induces fear and terror. Any creatures planning on attacking it would usually find themselves frightened of it unless the cobra dragon was asleep. A cobra dragon was naturally keen-eyed and was capable of detecting anything hidden or invisible around them if it just casually puts in the effort needed to.

Cobra dragons do not use magic like other dragons, an odd detail considering its homeland of Kara-Tur and the other dragons that live there, the lung dragons, who were extremely magic-dependant; however, they were highly resistant to magic. They were immune to their own breath weapons, as well as all other fire- and heat-based attacks, no matter whether the source of the heat-based attack was considered magical or mundane. However, they were vulnerable to ice- and cold-based attacks.

Combat
They relied on their natural capabilities to apprehend their targets. A cobra dragon attacked by slashing with its claws, biting with its exceptionally dangerous poisonous fangs, and whipping with its long tail. When bitten, the victim would become weak, dizzy, and nauseous, and would experience extensive internal bleeding. If the victim tries to heal themselves of the poison, they had to exercise caution, as any mishandling of the situation would make it worse and lead to shock and eventual death if not healed by external factors, this time only through magical means. Due to its great strength and skill, a cobra dragon would only become more accurate and resilient as it aged.

They possessed a breath weapon that consisted of a cone of fire that extends 90 ft. forward, with a 15 ft radius. A cobra dragon could breathe its breath weapon directly under its body as an option; the reason to do this was that the fiery breath exuded a force so great, that when it coursed through the ground, it formed a circle of fire around the dragon, extending out with a 20 ft. radius (40 ft. diameter). This was used defensively to burn everything around it, which was useful when surrounded by multiple hostile creatures, like in the context of an ambush. Ironically, this was described as similar to the wall of fire spell, given the cobra dragon's lack of taste for magic.

The aftermath of a cobra dragon expelling its fiery breath consists of a black smoke cloud being released from the dragon's nostrils in a circle that had a 45 ft. radius around the dragon. Discounting the dragon, all those within the cloud suffer from coughing, nausea, and irritated eyes, causing blindness. If multiple clouds were to exist and overlap, in the context of a cobra dragon using their breath continuously, or multiple cobra dragons using their breath simultaneously, the negative effects of said clouds would multiply.

Rumors & Legends
In certain legends, they told that certain king cobras of great age transformed into cobra dragons.