Appendix H: Dragonlords
Dragonlords are a significant part of Thylea's history, as they were largely responsible for carving a place for mortals in the Forgotten Land. Before they crossed the oceans and came to Thylea, the ancient Dragonlords bonded with some of the most powerful and beautiful creatures in the multiverse—metallic dragons. Legend has it that the original Dragonlords stole the ritual knowledge necessary to create the dragon bond from an elder draconic entity called Bahamut.
Whenever a Dragonlord rides her companion dragon into battle, it is a fearsome sight for friends and foe alike. A single Dragonlord is capable of turning the tide of an entire battle or breaking the siege of a city. Metallic dragons prefer to use their non-lethal breath weapons when they engage in battle with fragile mortals, but the will of a Dragonlord can overcome this natural preference.
In the campaign described in this book, King Acastus wishes to bring back the ancient Order of the Dragonlords under his own leadership. However, the heroes have an opportunity to become Dragonlords themselves when they discover metallic dragon eggs that have been hidden throughout the world.
Becoming a Dragonlord
There are several ways for a hero to bond with a dragon.
- Use the item: @UUID[Item.GIt47x0HHdAjYLAC]{crown of the dragonlords}
- Cast the spell: @spell[bond of the dragonlord|ArcanumWorldsOdysseyoftheDragonlords]
- Choose the epic path: @charoption[The Gifted One|ArcanumWorldsOdysseyoftheDragonlords]
- Choose the epic path: @charoption[The Vanished One|ArcanumWorldsOdysseyoftheDragonlords]
- Paladin archetype: @class[paladin|PHB|Oath of the Dragonlord|Dragonlord|ArcanumWorldsOdysseyoftheDragonlords]
All of these options require that a hero locate an unhatched @UUID[Item.YD6FaLDVbUfHa35k]{dragon egg} and nurture it. Only the Paladin archetype automatically receives a @UUID[Item.YD6FaLDVbUfHa35k]{dragon egg}.
Dragon Eggs
In order for a prospective Dragonlord to hatch their @UUID[Item.YD6FaLDVbUfHa35k]{dragon egg}, the egg must be kept in conditions that mirror the nest of its particular subtype of dragon:
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Copper.
The egg must be coated in acid. This can be done with non-magical acid once a day, or by using spells such as @UUID[Item.y12GG0Yl3eURInrv]{acid splash} once a day.
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Brass.
The egg must be kept hot. Hot coals work, or keeping it in a smithy's furnace, as does using spells such as @UUID[Item.gcP8aFL4CgLBt7YR]{fire bolt}.
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Bronze.
The egg must be exposed to the sky for 12 hours a day or suffused with electricity once a day. The @UUID[Item.r5I7wnptcgg9jcfK]{shocking grasp} spell could be used.
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Silver.
These eggs must be kept cool and dark. Packing an egg in ice would work, or using a spell such as @UUID[Item.xSUjkVbBqnofP454]{ray of frost} once an hour.
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Gold.
A gold egg must be kept hot, using the same methods as brass dragon eggs.
A typical dragon egg takes [[/r 3d6]] days to hatch. When an egg is not looked after properly, there is a cumulative [[/r 1d100]]{NaN percent} chance per day that the egg will die. Once this happens, the egg will never hatch. In the event that an egg dies, it can still be used to create magic items or as part of magical rituals (see below).
If a prospective Dragonlord wishes to bond with a dragon, they must be present at the hatching. When the newborn hatches, the Dragonlord must be the first living creature that it sees. The Dragonlord must then cast the spell @spell[bond of the dragonlord|ArcanumWorldsOdysseyoftheDragonlords] (or have someone else cast it, naming both her and the dragon as targets).
Oath of the Dragonlord
The Oath of the Dragonlord is the sacred rite that bonds a mortal and a dragon together. Swearing this oath requires a mortal to cast the @spell[bond of the dragonlord|ArcanumWorldsOdysseyoftheDragonlords] spell. During the casting of the spell, the Dragonlord intones the oath. If a Dragonlord ever breaks the oath, the bond ends immediately. The oath must be intoned in the Draconic language, while a magical item is sacrificed. The speaker does not need to know Draconic; they may be coached by someone who does.
While the Oath is being spoken, the energy from the magic item is drained and used to bind the Dragonlord to a newly-hatched wyrmling. The magic item becomes non-magical and loses its properties.
The Dragonlord must speak the following words and faithfully obey the rules of the oath. At the end of the oath, the Dragonlord considers all metallic dragons to be of his or her bloodline. The speaker of the oath becomes the dragon's "oathsworn."
- I CANNOT POSSESS YOU,
- for you belong to yourself.
- I CANNOT COMMAND YOU,
- for you are a free creature.
- WE SHALL SERVE EACH OTHER
- in the ways we both require.
- WE WILL INCREASE OUR WEALTH
- by righteous means.
- WE WILL ACHIEVE HAPPINESS
- and harmony through knowledge.
- WE WILL AID THOSE OF OUR BLOOD
- to achieve their great destinies.
- WE WILL AVENGE THOSE OF OUR BLOOD
- who have been done harm.
- I AM BLOOD OF YOUR BLOOD,
- and bone of your bone—forever.
Raising A Dragon
A metallic dragon is a magnificent creature that requires time, patience, respect, and care from its Dragonlord. For its first five years as a wyrmling, it benefits from having a parental figure, even if that parent isn't a dragon. However, once a metallic dragon reaches its youth, at around 5 or 6 years, it is more intelligent than all but the most learned scholars and wizards. From this age onwards, a metallic dragon must decide whether it will remain with the person it has bonded.
If a Dragonlord does not take proper care of her wyrmling, then the dragon may turn on her when it comes of age and flee into the wilderness. A young metallic dragon can easily survive in the wild, and its innate goodness means that it will still develop a sense of right and wrong. However, it might struggle to speak the Common language, and won't be as accustomed to interacting with humanoid races.
In order to strengthen the bond with her dragon, a Dragonlord must attune to her newborn dragon over the course of twelve long rests. These rests must be taken over the course of two weeks. At the end of the attuning period, the Dragonlord and the dragon have formed a telepathic bond. This allows them to communicate telepathically up to a range of 1 mile.
Once a dragon has bonded with a Dragonlord, it can never bond with another person. If its oathsworn dies in combat or of old age, then the dragon will leave and lead a solitary life in the wilderness.
Riding A Dragon
Dragons can be used as mounts by their oathsworn, but they should never be treated as fancy flying horses. After all, they are often smarter and wiser than the mortal who sits on their backs.
The dragon moves and acts on the Dragonlord's initiative in combat. The Dragonlord can decide how the dragon moves and attacks. A dragon cannot use legendary actions while it is being ridden by a Dragonlord, unless the Dragonlord has some feature that allows an exception to this rule.
Having a dragon makes long distance travel much easier. A dragon can fly 10 miles in an hour or 80 miles in a day. A young dragon can only carry its Dragonlord, but an adult dragon can carry up to four riders, and an ancient dragon can carry up to sixteen.
Dragon Eggs As Components
Dead dragon eggs can be used to create magic items. They can also be used in certain rituals. Many characters, such as the Five Gods, will not involve themselves in the creation of magic items that use dragon eggs.
To purposefully allow a dragon egg to die in order to use it in the creation of a magic item or in a ritual is a sin of the worst kind. It stains the soul, and no dragon will ever speak to or acknowledge the presence of anyone who has done such a thing. In some cases, a less civilized dragon may well attack an egg-murderer.
Peacekeepers of Thylea
Once the heroes become Dragonlords, they will be expected to serve as the new peacekeepers of Thylea. This means that they are expected to protect mortal settlements from major threats, recover dangerous magical artifacts, and intervene in major conflicts.
The original Order of the Dragonlords was nominally an organization of equals, but in practice, Xander often took charge and made decisions for the group. If the heroes become Dragonlords, then they may need to select a leader who calls the party together and makes the final decision when action is called for.
Patronizing Settlements
Each hero in the party is likely to inspire the construction of a new settlement somewhere in Thylea. Each of these settlements starts small, but they can grow in power if the hero invests in them. If the hero is famous enough to have shrines or temples dedicated to them, then they are located in this settlement.
Use the following table as a guideline for how the cities grow, based on the amount of money that each hero invests. The soldiers in this settlement can be called to war when they are needed. For every 25 soldiers, there is also a single captain.
| Size | Total Investment | **Population | Soldiers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outpost | — | 1,000 | 50 |
| Village | 10,000 gp | 4,000 | 100 |
| Town | 20,000 gp | 8,000 | 250 |
| City | 40,000 gp | 16,000 | 500 |
The Ancient Order of Dragonlords
There are many legends of the original Dragonlords. There are few alive now who knew them personally, but their characters are described in the histories. There were other Dragonlords aside from these, but they have largely been forgotten.
Adonis Neurdagon.
Adonis was the oathsworn of Pythor. He was a wealthy, handsome, brave, and generous man who is widely celebrated in the legends. But his overconfidence eventually got him killed. His dynasty survives through Taran Neurdagon in the city of Mytros.
Estor Arkelander.
Estor Arkelander was the oathsworn of Kyrah. He was a terrifying man who slaughtered the armies of the Titans indiscriminately. He sought immortality and was ultimately tricked by Lutheria, who cursed him to roam the oceans forever as a ghost. King Acastus of Mytros is the last surviving Arkelander.
Jasena Ventrak.
Jasena was the oathsworn of Narsus. She was a strange and secretive woman who disappeared during the First War. Damon considers her to be an oathbreaker; she is not honored in the Necropolis of Telamok.
Rizon Phobas.
Rizon was the oathsworn of Volkan. She was a brash warrior who was well-loved by the soldiers under her command. She was the only Dragonlord to survive the First War, living to a ripe old age. Her last living descendant is Thericles in the city of Estoria.
Telamok Arkelander.
Telamok was the oathsworn of Vallus. He was Estor's brother, though he did not follow his brother into the Nether Sea on his final journey. Instead, he joined Adonis in the last stand against Sydon, where the two of them were killed. Whether he has any living descendants is unknown.
Xander Huorath.
Xander was the oathsworn of Balmytria. He was the leader of the Dragonlords, who essentially founded the Order and led them across the oceans to the new world. He was killed before the disappearance of the dragons, in 12 DA.
Damon.
Damon was a companion of the original Dragonlords, but he never bonded a dragon. Instead, he devoted his time and energy to studying the arcane arts, and he eventually became a lich. He now guards the tombs of the Dragonlords and protects their legacy.
“Starting from you, Xander, I shall relate the tale of those seven hundred ancient mortals who on the eve of the Oath answered the call of silver-helmed Mytros and braved the black-bladed waters of the merciless Wavemaker... Though you were ten years gone, taken from us by treachery, still we could feel your steady hand guiding our ships as we sailed into darkness and doubt; still we could feel your cleareyed gaze alight with hope.”
— the Xanderiad