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Weredragons were a group of lycanthropes that were able to transform at night from humans or sometimes other races into a humanoid form with characteristics of a species of dragon,[1] or into a full-grown dragon.[2][3][4]
They were not to be confused with the song dragons, a race of dragons who often voluntarily assumed female human shape, sometimes mistakenly called weredragons by those who misunderstood their nature.[5][6]
Description[]
The hybrid form of a weredragon was humanoid in shape, but their skin transformed into reptilian scales, and they grew fangs and claws, a tail, and wings, all reminiscent of a specific species of dragon.[1] Those able to truly assume the shape of a dragon also gained all the corresponding draconic powers.[3]
Abilities[]
Upon transformation into hybrid from, weredragons gained the ability to make dangerous bite and claw attacks. Frighteningly, they also attained a limited dragon breath of the type they resembled.[1]
Classification and Special Cases[]
Lycanthropes were usually named after a type of animal and could transform into a hybrid form combining a human and that animal, as well as fully take on the shape of the animal. Weredragons differed from both expectations, instead resembling intelligent magical creatures and being reported to have only either a hybrid form[1][7] or a fully draconic form,[2][3][8] not both.
Subspecies[]
Weredragons could be as varied as dragons themselves.[1] Confirmed sightings in the Realms existed of blue,[9] gold,[1] silver,[8][2] and shadow weredragons. The latter were transformed drow from Chaulssin rather than humans, and were also known as drow-dragons.[4][10]
History[]
Weredragons were only reported after the Time of Troubles of 1358 DR. It is unknown if they existed before and were not discovered or if the upheavals of the Godswar created them.[1] Drow-dragons, however, had already arisen from special circumstances in the years following 792 DR.[10]
Powerful magic was one way to attain weredragonhood, either from magic items[2] or through fusion of a dragon and a human in a freak turbulence of wild magic. Another proposed cause was, like for other lycanthropes, powerful curses.[1]
For individuals, if not deliberately brought about magically, the initial transformation could occur spontaneously when they were under great pressure.[1]
Known Lycanthropic Weredragons[]
- Nurvureem[4][11]
- Syluné Silverhand[8][2]
- Xenia, a blue weredragon in the Vast who operated The Stash and Crash Inn alongside the werespider Alva.[9]
Trivia and Rumors[]
- Aerglandra of Athalantar wrote of a variant of the powerful magic item called wonderful throne that had the power to transform its user into a weredragon.[2]
- Certain members of the Cult of the Dragon were searching for magic allowing them to transform into weredragons.[3]
- Lady Rhessajan Ambermantle of Scornubel had great interest in information about weredragons.[12]
- Lady Meralde Hightower from Ravens Bluff was rumored to be a weredragon.[13]
- Alasturan Malatheer, an enigmatic shopkeeper from Neverwinter, according to one rumor was a gold weredragon.[14]
Appendix[]
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 Ed Greenwood, et al (1989). Hall of Heroes. (TSR, Inc), pp. 36–37. ISBN 0-88038-711-4.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Ed Greenwood, Eric L. Boyd (1996). Volo's Guide to All Things Magical. (TSR, Inc), pp. 79, 113. ISBN 0-7869-0446-1.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Ed Greenwood (March 1998). “Wyrms of the North: Lhammaruntosz”. In Dave Gross ed. Dragon #245 (TSR, Inc.), pp. 50–54.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Eric L. Boyd (November 1999). Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark. Edited by Jeff Quick. (TSR, Inc.), p. 66. ISBN 0-7869-1509-9.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (1991). Halls of the High King. (TSR, Inc), p. 47.
- ↑ James Wyatt, Rob Heinsoo (February 2001). Monster Compendium: Monsters of Faerûn. Edited by Duane Maxwell. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 44–45. ISBN 0-7869-1832-2.
- ↑ Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc), pp. 230–231. ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Ed Greenwood (1995). The Seven Sisters. (TSR, Inc), p. 51. ISBN 0-7869-0118-7.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 James P. Buchanan (March 1994). “The Living City: Underdeveloped Real Estate - Tower Aqueduct”. In Jean Rabe ed. Polyhedron #93 (TSR, Inc.), pp. 21–22.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Eric L. Boyd (2007-04-25). Dragons of Faerûn, Part 3: City of Wyrmshadows (Zipped PDF). Web Enhancement for Dragons of Faerûn. Wizards of the Coast. p. 3. Archived from the original on 2016-11-01. Retrieved on 2009-10-07.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (July 1998). “Wyrms of the North: Nurvureem”. In Dave Gross ed. Dragon #249 (TSR, Inc.), pp. 66–70.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (1994). Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast. (TSR, Inc), p. 223. ISBN 1-5607-6940-1.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (October 1998). The City of Ravens Bluff. Edited by John D. Rateliff. (TSR, Inc.), p. 54. ISBN 0-7869-1195-6.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (September 1997). “Wyrms of the North: Galadaeros”. In Dave Gross ed. Dragon #239 (TSR, Inc.), pp. 30–35.
Connections[]
Related Creatures
Aranea • Coyotlwere • Hengeyokai • Jackalwere • Quasilycanthrope • Selkie • Shifter • Wolfwere
Chromatic dragons: Black • Blue • Brown • Gray • Green • Orange • Pink • Purple • Red • Salt • White • Yellow
Gem dragons: Amethyst • Beljuril • Crystal • Emerald • Obsidian • Sapphire • Topaz • 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
Ferrous dragons: • Cobalt • Iron
Planar dragons: Adamantine • Astral • Battle • Blight • Chaos • Ethereal • Hellfire wyrm • Howling • Mirage • Oceanus • Pyroclastic • Radiant • Rust • Shadow • Styx • Tarterian
Spelljamming dragons: Moon/lunar • Radiant • Sun/solar
Epic dragons: Force • Prismatic • Time
Catastrophic dragons: Blizzard • Earthquake • Volcanic
Miscellaneous dragons: Cobra • Dzalmus • Mist • Rattelyr • Song • Vishap
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 • Storm • Vulture
Dragonbloods: Draconic creature • Dragonborn of Bahamut • Dragonspawn
Drow-dragon (shadow) • Drow-dragon (deep) • Half-dragon • Kobold (Dragonwrought • Urd) • Weredragon • Zar'ithra • Zekyl
Hybrid monsters: Dracimera • Dracolisk • Mantidrake • Wyvern drake