Topaz dragons were a breed of gem dragon known to be selfish and unsociable and for their similarity to topaz.[7][6][3]
Description[]
When a wyrmling, a topaz dragon had scales that were dull yellow with orange highlights.[6][3] As it grew older, its scales hardened and turned translucent and faceted[6] while they brightened in color, with individual scales becoming indiscernible.[3] By adulthood, they were light orange in hue[7] and sparkled under the sun[6] and from far off they appeared as if carved from pure topaz.[3] Conversely, their pupils faded with age, so a great wyrm's eyes were naught but fiery glowing orbs.[3]
A hatchling had a 2‑foot-long (0.61‑meter) body and 2‑foot-long (0.61‑meter) tail, while an adult had a body length of 44 to 53 feet (13 to 16 meters) and a tail length of 23 to 29 feet (7 to 8.8 meters). The biggest great wyrms grew to 92 feet (28 meters) long in the body, with tails 40 feet (12 meters) long.[6]
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. [6][3]
Abilities[]
Topaz dragons breathed a cone of dehydration, ironically resembling a blast of water.[7][6][3] For an adult, this could be some 70 feet (21 meters) long and up to 25 feet (7.6 meters) wide[6] or 50 feet (15 meters) long and up to 50 feet (15 meters) wide.[3] This would dry objects and vaporize many cubic feet of water and water-based liquids,[7][6][3] causing salt and other suspended compounds and particles to precipitate out.[7] Living creatures caught in the blast would be severely dehydrated,[7][6][3] losing much of their strength and needing extensive care and rest to recover, and potentially even falling into a coma and dying.[7][6]
Topaz dragons were naturally immune to cold spells and could breathe water as well as they could air.[6][3]
Like any dragon, and in addition to the common powers of gem dragons, topaz dragons gained an array of magical powers as they aged, though accounts of these varied.[6][3] In one version, young dragons could cast protection from evil or protection from good thrice a day, juveniles could cast blink thrice a day, adults could create a wall of fog thrice a day, mature adults could cast airy water thrice a day, and old dragons could part water once a day.[6] Alternatively, adults could create a fog cloud thrice a day, old dragons could control winds thrice a day, and ancient dragons could control weather once a day. If psionic, juveniles could featherfall, old dragons could control air rather than control winds, and great wyrms could shape change.[3]
Similarly, topaz dragons could acquire and cast new spells of their own, whether arcane or divine,[7][6] but they were most noted for their talent in psionics. Those who were so gifted learned the psionic attacks mind thruster and id insinuation or ego whip and the psionic defenses mind blank or thought shield and mental barrier.[7][6][3] For general powers, they favored the disciplines of psychometabolism[6][3] Common psychometabolism powers for topaz dragons were biofeedback, body equilibrium, cause decay, chemical simulation, energy containment, life draining, and metamorphosis and common psychokinesis powers were animate object, control wind, molecular manipulation, soften, and telekinesis.[6]
They were skilled in swimming, hiding, and survival.[3][9]
Society[]
The topaz dragon Gaulauntyr creating an illusory distraction as prelude to a theft.
Topaz dragons were disinterested in parenting. They would even abandon their own offspring in order to save themselves.[6]
Lairing near the coast as they did, they favored a seafood diet, preying on fish, shark, and particularly giant squid.[6][3]
Topaz dragons spoke Draconic[3] 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.[6]
Like the rest of the gem dragons, topaz dragons were rarer in the Realms than the common chromatic and metallic dragons.[10]
Relationships[]
Occupying the same or similar environments, topaz dragons and bronze dragons regularly quarreled.[3] Topaz dragons disliked the bronze dragons and typically attacked on sight.[6] Their battles were invariable violent and lethal.[3]
Lairs[]
Topaz dragons made their lairs by the sea, in bleak and rocky coastal areas such as secluded beaches, caves above or below the waterline, or structures they built themselves.[7][6][3] At these places, they liked to sun themselves on rocky outcrops, under the wind, sea spray, and crashing waves, and from where they could keep an eye out for prey.[6][3]
In spite of this, topaz dragons did not actually enjoy the water as their bronze dragon neighbors did.[7] In fact, they had little liking of it and swam only as necessary for hunting and battle.[6] They kept their lairs scrupulously dry,[6][3] even when on the Plane of Water, no matter how difficult that may seem.[6]
Lands[]
Topaz dragons were most often found in the Elemental Plane of Water., and they only made short visits to the Prime Material Plane.[3]
In the Unapproachable East, topaz dragons could be found around the coastal regions of Aglarond.[11]
Topazes were among the different kinds of dragon known to lair near the Smokeholes for their warmth, at least temporarily while travelling over the High Ice.[12]
Tactics[]
While they did not like visitors or trespassers to their lairs, topaz dragons also did not like fighting. In fact, while they avoided conversing at the best of times, they would do so to prevent a fight and to conceal their magical and psionic preparations. When trespassers proved hostile, or just uninteresting or annoying, the topaz dragon would strike first if it could.[6][3] They opened battle with their psionic powers and their magic as needed, and loved fighting with fang and claw.[6] If outside, it would use its powers to control wind and weather, before entering melee. If inside, it often began with its dehydrating breath instead.[3] Otherwise, they saved their breath until they were hurt.[6]
If outmatched, a topaz dragon might propose or pretend to surrender to buy itself time, and if overwhelmed it would retreat. However, some retreats were feigned, and the topaz dragon would return to surprise its attacker.[6]
Usage[]
A talon of a topaz dragon was reported to be one of many draconic material components in Ossavitor's Way, a magical means by which a dragon could attain immortality.[13][14]
The brain and/or cranial fluids of a topaz dragon was one proposed ingredient in the long-sought-after universal material component.[15]
Notable Topaz Dragons[]
- Tithonnas, a thane of the gem dragon deity Sardior, the Ruby Dragon.[7][16]
- Kisonraathiisar, the Wyrmking, the topaz wyrm ruler of the city of Westgate on the Dragon Coast until −349 DR.[17][18][19][20]
- Iltharagh, called Golden Night, a very old topaz dragon turned dracolich in the Cult of the Dragon, who laired north of Luskan.[21][22][19]
- Gaulauntyr, called Glorytongue and the Thief Dragon, a mature adult who moved from near Waterdeep to a manor southeast of Arrabar.[23][24][25][19][note 1]
- Kraxx, a mature adult dwelling on the Wild Coast of Chult.[18][19]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
- ↑ Tyrangal, also known as Gaulauntyr, is described as a topaz dragon in her first appearance, the article "Wyrms of the North: The Thief Dragon" in Dragon #240 (p. 77–81). Subsequent appearances in the 3rd edition Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (p. 220) and the novel The Edge of Chaos describe her as a copper dragon. Gaulauntyr's entry in Dragons of Faerûn (p. 150) lists her as "topaz (copper)", presumably to avoid arbitrating the conflict. As Gaulauntyr was known to disguise herself using illusions, it is possible the early topaz dragon appearance can be attributed to that. For the purposes of this wiki, Tyrangal/Gaulauntyr is considered to be a copper dragon in accordance with our canon policy.
Appearances[]
- Adventures
- Dungeon #64: "Grotto of the Queen"
- Novels
- Queen of the Depths
- Realms of the Dragons: "The Topaz Dragon"
References[]
- ↑ James Wyatt (October 2021). Fizban's Treasury of Dragons. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 220–223. ISBN 978-0786967292.
- ↑ James Wyatt (October 2021). Fizban's Treasury of Dragons. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 201. ISBN 978-0786967292.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 3.25 3.26 3.27 3.28 Ed Bonny, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, Skip Williams, and Steve Winter (September 2002). Monster Manual II 3rd edition. (TSR, Inc), pp. 85–86. ISBN 07-8692-873-5.
- ↑ Andy Collins, James Wyatt, and Skip Williams (November 2003). Draconomicon: The Book of Dragons. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 288. ISBN 0-7869-2884-0.
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell (April 2004). Expanded Psionics Handbook. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 183. ISBN 0-7869-3301-1.
- ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 6.17 6.18 6.19 6.20 6.21 6.22 6.23 6.24 6.25 6.26 6.27 6.28 6.29 6.30 6.31 6.32 6.33 6.34 6.35 6.36 Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc), p. 74. ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
- ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14 Arthur W. Collins (May 1980). “That's not in the Monster Manual!”. In Jake Jaquet ed. Dragon #37 (TSR, Inc.), pp. 7, 35, 36.
- ↑ Scott Brocius & Mark A. Jindra (2003-01-24). The Legend of Sardior. The Mind's Eye. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2020-11-12. Retrieved on 2019-05-07.
- ↑ Andy Collins, David Noonan, James Wyatt (2003). D&D v.3.5 Accessory Update Booklet. (Wizards of the Coast).
- ↑ Eytan Bernstein (2007-06-27). Psionic Races and Classes (Ghostwise Halflings, Githyanki, Mind Flayers, Yuan-ti, and Psionic Bestiary). Class Chronicles. Wizards of the Coast. Retrieved on 2017-09-24.
- ↑ Aglarond Encounters Charts included in Anthony Pryor (June 1995). Spellbound. Edited by Michele Carter, Doug Stewart. (TSR, Inc.). ISBN 978-0786901395.
- ↑ James Butler, Elizabeth T. Danforth, Jean Rabe (September 1994). “Anauroch”. In Karen S. Boomgarden ed. Elminster's Ecologies (TSR, Inc), p. 20. ISBN 1-5607-6917-3.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (January 1997). “Wyrms of the North: Eldenser”. Dragon #237 (TSR, Inc.), pp. 33–37.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood; Sean K. Reynolds (2003-06-18). Eldenser, "The Worm Who Hides in Blades". Wyrms of the North. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2016-11-01. Retrieved on 2016-08-13.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Eric L. Boyd (1996). Volo's Guide to All Things Magical. (TSR, Inc), p. 33. ISBN 0-7869-0446-1.
- ↑ Scott Brocius & Mark A. Jindra (2003-01-24). The Legend of Sardior. The Mind's Eye. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2020-11-12. Retrieved on 2019-05-07.
- ↑ Steven E. Schend, Sean K. Reynolds and Eric L. Boyd (June 2000). Cloak & Dagger. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 50. ISBN 0-7869-1627-3.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Eric L. Boyd, Eytan Bernstein (August 2006). Dragons of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 152. ISBN 0-7869-3923-0.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 Eric L. Boyd (2006-09-13). Dragons of Faerûn, Part 1: Roll Call of Dragons (Zipped PDF/RTF/XLS). Web Enhancement for Dragons of Faerûn. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2016-11-01. Retrieved on 2017-10-29.
- ↑ Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 47, 85. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
- ↑ Dale Donovan (January 1998). Cult of the Dragon. (TSR, Inc), p. 54. ISBN 0-7869-0709-6.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd, Eytan Bernstein (August 2006). Dragons of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 49, 150. ISBN 0-7869-3923-0.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (October 1997). “Wyrms of the North: Gaulauntyr”. In Dave Gross ed. Dragon #240 (TSR, Inc.), p. 78.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood; Sean K. Reynolds (2002-09-25). Gaulauntyr, "Glorytongue". Wyrms of the North. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2016-11-01. Retrieved on 2016-08-13.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd, Eytan Bernstein (August 2006). Dragons of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 43, 150. ISBN 0-7869-3923-0.
Connections[]
Chromatic dragons: Red • Black • Blue • Green • White • Brown • Gray • Purple • Pink • Salt • Yellow
Gem dragons: Amethyst • Beljuril • Emerald • Sapphire • Topaz • Crystal • Obsidian • Ruby
Neutral dragons: Amber • Jacinth • Moonstone • Pearl
Lung dragons: Chiang lung • Li lung • Lung wang • Pan lung • Shen lung • T'ien lung • Tun mi lung • Yu lung
Planar dragons: Adamantine • Astral • Battle • Blight • Chaos • Ethereal • Hellfire wyrm • Howling • Mirage • Oceanus • Pyroclastic • Radiant • Rust • Shadow • Styx • Tarterian
Epic dragons: Force • Prismatic
Catastrophic dragons: Earthquake • Volcanic
Miscellaneous dragons: Cobra • Dzalmus • Mist • Radiant • Rattelyr • Song • Vishap
Draconic transformations: Air • Ascendant • Brainstealer • Hidecarved
Linnorms: Corpse tearer • Dread • Stygian
Drakes: Ambush • Black firedrake • Dragonne • Elemental (Earth • Fire • Ice • Magma • Ooze • Smoke • Water) • Felldrake (Crested • Spitting) • Greater • Guard • Mind • Portal • Rage • Space • Vulture
Dragonets: Crow's-nest dragon • Draken • Faerie dragon • Firedrake • Pseudodragon
Dragonbloods: Draconic creature • Dragonborn of Bahamut • Dragonspawn
Drow-dragon (shadow) • Drow-dragon (deep) • Half-dragon • Kobold (Dragonwrought • Urd) • Weredragon • Zar'ithra • Zekyl
Undead dragons: Dracolich • Dragonwight • Ghost • Hoarder • Rathrea • Vampiric • Zombie
