Topaz dragon

Topaz dragons were a breed of gem dragon known to be selfish and unsociable and for their similarity to topaz.

Description
When a wyrmling, a topaz dragon had scales that were dull yellow with orange highlights. As it grew older, its scales hardened and turned translucent and faceted while they brightened in color, with individual scales becoming indiscernible. By adulthood, they were light orange in hue and sparkled under the sun and from far off they appeared as if carved from pure topaz. Conversely, their pupils faded with age, so a great wyrm's eyes were naught but fiery glowing orbs.

A hatchling had a body and  tail, while an adult had a body length of  and a tail length of. The biggest great wyrms grew to long in the body, with tails  long.

Personality
While not really malevolent, they were selfish and unfriendly, with no interest in meeting others or in having others meet them. They often behaved erratically and this made them unpleasant and even dangerous to deal with.

Abilities
Topaz dragons breathed a cone of dehydration.

Society
Topaz dragons were disinterested in parenting. They would even abandon their own offspring in order to save themselves.

Lairing near the coast as they did, they favored a seafood diet, preying on fish, shark, and particularly giant squid.

Topaz dragons spoke Draconic and both their own language and a language shared among all gem dragons. Moreover, more than one in eight hatchlings could communicate with any sentient being, and the others gained this power as they aged, with almost two-fifths possessing it by the time they were mature adults and two-thirds when great wyrms.

Like the rest of the gem dragons, topaz dragons were rarer in the Realms than the common chromatic and metallic dragons.

Relationships
Occupying the same or similar environments, topaz dragons and bronze dragons regularly quarreled. Topaz dragons disliked the bronze dragons and typically attacked on sight. Their battles were invariable violent and lethal.

Lands
Topaz dragons were most commonly found in the Inner Planes but sometimes live in lairs on secluded beaches on the Prime Material Plane.

In the Unapproachable East, topaz dragons could be found around the coastal regions of Aglarond.

Notable Topaz Dragons

 * Tithonnas, a thane of the gem dragon deity Sardior, the Ruby Dragon.
 * Kisonraathiisar
 * Iltharagh
 * Gaulauntyr

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Dungeon #64: "Grotto of the Queen"
 * Novels
 * Queen of the Depths