A dracimera (pl: dracimerae) was the offspring of a chromatic dragon and a chimera. The Cult of the Dragon raised some of them.[2]
Description[]
Dracimerae had a lion's mane around the head of an evil dragon, a lizard's head, always blue-green with amber eyes and two ochre, goatlike horns growing from the middle of its back, and a dragon head and neck where the tail would be.[2][1] They also had large wings they used for flight.[note 1]
Personality[]
Dracimerae hoarded treasure like dragons. The aggressive creatures struck at intruders on sight.[1][2]
Abilities[]
A dracimera was capable of using its draconic parent's breath weapon, with each head being able to use it twice before it needed to rest. The breath weapon was especially intense, and would eliminate an unlucky opponent of vitality equivalent to the dracimera itself with but one use. The dracimera itself was immune to the element represented by its breath weapon. Most importantly, the hybrid was not affected by sorcery that targetted dragons specifically: arrows of dragon slaying, swords of dragon slaying, and spells of dragon binding were unable to bring their full power to bear against it.[2] Weapons that targetted reptiles still worked, for some reason.[1]
They were clumsy, but somewhat quick fliers.[1][2]
Combat[]
The dracimera boasted of incredible coordination, being able to bring its three heads, and both its claws to melee. The toughness of their naturally armored skin and the resilience of their bodies varied according to the parent dragon.[1][2]
Society[]
The hybrids usually spoke only a halting form of the red dragon tongue, and also the Draconic version belonging to their draconic parent.[1] Those raised by the Cult of the Dragon normally spoke Common as well, and had a slightly human accent to their dragon tongue.[2] Dracimerae were solitary creatures, coming together to mate only once a decade. Every pairing produced one offspring; most dracimerae were created in the pairings of chimeras and evil dragons.[1][2] Some dracimerae were employed by the cult to guard important objectives such as treasure vaults or secret passages. They were also prized as shock troops against especially hardened targets.[1][2]
Ecology[]
Dracimerae ranged up to 25 miles (40 kilometers) from their nest while hunting; they tolerated no competition in their claimed territory, about 400 square miles (1,000 square kilometers). They generally laired in the most inaccessible and remote parts of their territories. They were pure carnivores, unlike chimeras, though they could go for up to a week without eating. When they did have flesh close by, they gorged themselves, even if the prey was humanoids or even giants.[1][2]
History[]
Dracimerae were created by Sammaster in the course of his research into draconic life, to better understand how to prolong that life after death. Enterprising cult members later realized they could be used as guards and servants; some of these hybrids later escaped into the wild.[3] Known hybrids were with the five most common chromatic dragons (red, white, blue, green, black) as well as yellow and brown dragons;[2] there is a possibility that other hybrids were created as well,[3] though shadow dragons were known not to participate in most Cult activities, according to some sages.[4] Thus, while such hybrids were known by other sources, they likely belonged to other worlds.[1]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
- ↑ The wings are not made explicit in the text, but the creature is a flier, and the pictures of it always include wings.
See Also[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 Gregory W. Detwiler (June 1991). “Crossing Dragons With Everything”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Dragon #170 (TSR, Inc.), pp. 19–20, 22, 24.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 Dale Donovan (January 1998). Cult of the Dragon. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 99. ISBN 0-7869-0709-6.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Dale Donovan (January 1998). Cult of the Dragon. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 98. ISBN 0-7869-0709-6.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (2022-03-21). Shadow Dragon Hybrids (Tweet). theedverse. Twitter. Archived from the original on 2022-03-21. Retrieved on 2022-03-21.