Dragon (Savage Coast), General Information
Legends of dragons - if not the dragons themselves - abound along the Savage Coast. Some legends tie the fall of the dragon race in with the origins of the Red Curse; others say that the Curse is what drove them away. Whatever the truth, certainly fewer species of dragon live along the Savage Coast than in other areas of Mystara. The ones which remain, however, do seem to have greater renown.
The dragons of Mystara are still known within the Savage Coast and surrounding lands, but the races of the Savage Coast are also familiar with accounts and legends of some dragon types not found elsewhere. Any changes to the conventional dragons - black, red, gold, crystalline, etc. - are noted below, having to do with Attitudes. For more complete information on the general abilities and societies of dragons, consult the Dragons, General Information entry and the Dragons (Mystara), General Information entry.
History: Long before the Red Curse (over 1,500 years ago), all types of dragons roamed the lands of the Savage Coast. Then came “the conflict”, as it is referred to by those who know the truth. The dragons warred with the araneas, the spider race masquerading as humanoids in Herath, over the araneas' abusive treatment of the wallaras. Though the dragons were led by The Great One, their Immortal patron dragon, the araneas' great magic held them off until The Great One was considerably weakened and forced to withdraw. Very little was accomplished in this war except for a permanent animosity. The Great One unleashed the final power necessary to form the Red Curse into what it is today, but aranean magic was able to contain it to a remote, under populated area in the Savage Baronies.
The dragons and araneas lived in uneasy coexistence after this, lashing out at each other when the opportunity arose, but neither side made any actual progress toward victory. Many dragons eventually began relocating away from the Savage Coast, concerned with the effects of the Red Curse. By this time, the curse had also already brought about the creation of a new type of dragon: the crimson dragon.
Currently, conventional dragons are much rarer on the Savage Coast than elsewhere in Mystara. Those that do remain are often there to complete specific goals. With some, this goal is the continued conflict with the Herathians, but most remaining dragons view the Savage Coast as an area rich with opportunity for personal gain.
Attitudes: Dragons of the Savage Coast have also been influenced by the swashbuckling culture that flourishes here. Some of them find it humorous and mock the grandiose posturing of the adventurers, contriving to make them look cowardly instead of brave, foolish instead of brash. Others appreciate the theatrics involved; these dragons sometimes work on improving their own performance to elevate their reputations and command more respect.
In either case, these theatrics give adventurers that much more time to react. Swooping down from the sky and destroying the adventurers with one blast of a breath weapon might be expedient, but it lacks both true panache and humiliation for the characters. Games of cat and mouse, whether with words or weapons, are much more likely to occur with Savage Coast dragons.