Salt dragon

Salt dragons, also called yellow dragons (which was, confusingly, a name shared with another species), were a species of chromatic dragon that dwelled in salt marshes and similar high-salinity environments.

Description
Salt dragons had small scales of pale yellow and whitish hues that helped them blend in with the salt-encrusted land of their preferred habitats. At hatching, however, their scales were noted to be slightly crystalline and bright, lemon-yellow in color; the color faded over time but the size of the scales, interestingly, never increased. Salt dragons had large claws in proportion to their size, which ranged from as little as in length at hatching, to as much as  as great wyrms.

Personality
Salt dragons were orderly but cruel, delighting in tormenting other creatures, especially good ones.

Abilities
Salt dragons had various typically draconic abilities, as well as some peculiar to them. They were variously said to be resistant to metallic poisons and poisonous gases, or to be wholly immune to poison altogether. They were natural spellcasters, as well as having certain innate spell-like abilities: very young salt dragons could replicate pass without trace thrice each day, young salt dragons gained the ability to breathe underwater via magic, young adults could lower water twice each day, old salt dragons could control wind once each day, venerable salt dragons could cast protection from lightning once each day, and great wyrms could use hallucinatory terrain once each day.

Salt dragons took one of their names from their breath weapon: a cone of sodium chloride crystals some long and  wide at the end. The salt caused great pain in those struck by it, and could choke or blind creatures; in severe cases after repeated hits, foes were known to end up permanently blinded. Immersion in fresh water could wash away the salt, but transmute rock to mud did not effect the crystals. Underwater, the breath weapon came out as a cloud of extremely salty water that had much the same effects but did not last quite so long.

Combat
Salt dragons typically used their breath weapon first in combat, before concentrating their attacks on any blinded foes. They preferred not to fight near fresh water, since that could be used to counteract the salt-blindness, and if they had to they would use lower water to reduce that weakness. After their breath weapon, they mostly relied on their claws and fangs in melee.

Salt dragons preferred to retreat from fights they were losing, often by swimming away from land-bound enemies and exiting the water to escape aquatic enemies.

Ecology
Salt dragons lived in salt marshes, rocky seashores, and salt flats. Younger salt dragons lived more inland, while older salt dragons had the power and abilities necessary to begin hunting at sea. They spoke their own dialect of Draconic and were known to live either alone or in small family units; in such groups the female acted as the hunter while the male guarded the nest and young/eggs.

Salt dragons were known to cooperate with lesser, lawful evil creatures: sahuagin if on the coast, humans and demihumans (those who could survive in salt marshes) if inland. The dragons provided protection in exchange for obedience and information.

Salt dragons were carnivorous and ate meat of all kinds; those who lived inland typically preyed on herd animals and cattle, while those on the shore preyed on fish and marine mammals. Their evil nature meant that they were known to seek out settlements of intelligent creatures that they raided, tormented, and preyed upon.

Salt dragons, interestingly, could and would salt excess meat to keep as later meals for both themselves and their servitors. They preferred to drink salt water, but were capable of drinking fresh water if necessary.

Coast-dwelling salt dragons came into conflict with bronze dragons, who were typically more powerful both physically and magically, as well as larger; consequently, salt dragons preferred to fight bronze dragons alongside their sahuagin allies. A venerable or older salt dragon might consider challenging a bronze dragon that was an adult or younger, though only after using protection from lightning.

Hatchling or very young salt dragons were sometimes preyed upon by bullywugs or yuan-ti. Although salt dragons were often aware of any black dragons that dwelled in swamps farther upriver, the two species rarely interacted.

In some theories of draconic hybridization, a yellow (salt) dragon might crossbreed with a red dragon to produce an orange dragon, or with a blue dragon to produce a green dragon.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * The Shattered Statue
 * The Shattered Statue