This is the last update before the campaign ends in 4 days. That’s right - 4 days! Thanks to everyone who has supported me and this book, whether through order, recommending to others, or both. For anyone who hasn’t ordered, then do so before the weekend is over! We’re now at the stage where you’ll either be refunded quickly(if we fail to fund) or you’ll be guaranteed to get the book in your hands or e-reader(if only just over half of those who’ve followed but not ordered just go ahead and order). Enough sales pitch though, I hate pitching, but I love sharing lore so we’ll move on to that.
I had a hard time choosing what to discuss for this last update at first, but then I realized there is one more dragon type seen in Exile, Magus which I hadn’t talked about yet. This one is the poison dragon, and the one glimpsed in Exile, Magus plays a larger role in Exile, Hunted and later books in the series. His name is Saillui, and he is the lifelong servant and friend of the Magus Baron Caldus. His one appearance in Exile, Magus is in Chapter 60, and I’ll post an excerpt from that here to give everyone an idea of what poison dragons look (and sound) like. He’s still a bit young here, being only around 50-60 years old, still basically a child by dragons’ standards.
...almost as large as a horse. This figure is more clearly visible, with the bright, almost lime-green scales covering it standing out even in the dark of night. It’s hind legs are meatier than its front, and all end in four digits primarily resembling a bird’s talons but having apparent flexibility at least equaling a human’s hand. It keeps its leathery wings folded against its sides as it walks, merrily swishing its long tail which ends in a bulbous protrusion tipped with a hook. Its neck is only a third the length of its tail but just as flexible. It keeps its expressive, large eyed face pointed toward its companion, the carapace like scales atop its head shifting subtly in unison with the bulges located just under the rear corners of its jaws as it converses with its companion.
Pentaz can’t make sense of the peculiar speech of this dragon, sounding like a string of subtle screeches, exaggerated hisses, and guttural purring,...
Poison dragons are the most sociable of all the dragon types, preferring to spend their time living among humanoids. Most do so in secret, making use of the ability to assume humanoid forms which they have from the moment they hatch. A few reveal their form to the humanoids they live among, this being more common with those living in the Zaltruscan empire due to that nation’s near worship of dragon’s (which extends to a lesser degree to serpents which the Zaltruscans feel must be distantly related to dragons). There are some poison dragons who even choose to ally themselves to Zaltruscan noble families, acting as mounts, soldiers, or more general servants. Those nobles who make the mistake of treating these dragons as servants(or even worse - slaves) soon find themselves without a dragon ally.
Due to their tendency to live amongst humanoids, poison dragons don’t really have a culture of their own and instead adopt whatever culture the humanoids have. There are a few traits which they seem to have a natural talent for though, chief among those being stealth and subterfuge, deceit and diplomacy - traits which only further explain why they feel so at home amidst the imperial politics of the Zaltruscan highborn. Indeed those nobles who are both fortunate enough to have one as an ally and smart enough to recognize the dragon’s talents will seek out their advice on all things political.
As stated earlier, poison dragons are able to change their shape from the moment they hatch, and this is the only way they are able to communicate effectively with most humanoids. They seem to be able to learn while in their eggs, typically being able to fully understand their kind’s dialect of the Dragon language as well as any humanoid language spoken frequently around their egg. Unfortunately their vocal chords are not as flexible in their natural form as those of other dragons are. As such they can only produce sounds necessary for the Dragon language during their first century or so of life, and must assume humanoid form in order to be able to speak the language(s) of humanoids. By the time they reach adulthood they are able to mimic enough to speak humanoid languages in their natural form, albeit with a bit of a bestial sound. It is only in their elder years that they are able to perfectly mimic humanoid speech.
Their lack of an elemental nature and weaker magical nature leads most to assume that their Progenitor fathered them with some beast of the wild, likely a venomous serpent, lizard, or even scorpion on account of their tails. Others believe due to their tendency to gravitate towards humanoid races that their ancient mother must have been a humanoid herself, perhaps some long extinct or forgotten venomous humanoid race. Many Zaltruscans have proclaimed that Drakij in fact served as mother to the poison dragons with the father being none other than the first emperor of Zaltruscas himself! They point to the poison dragons’ friendliness towards the empire as evidence, while completely ignoring the mention of poison dragons in legends which predate the rise of the Empire by tens (possibly hundreds) of millennia. The poison dragons would likely point out that their inability to feed of the elements and reliance on large amounts of physical food as a more likely reason for their friendliness towards Zaltruscans. After all, one is far more likely to live a long life being paid in cattle by nobles than if one were to constantly steal cattle from the same nobles.
While their parentage is not certain, it is a widely accepted fact that poison dragons sired one of the most commonly known form of drakes - the wyverns. This was done during the waning days of the first reign of the Melexi and Thirosians, being part of a breeding program to produce easily controlled yet powerful flying mounts to be used in their constant war with one another by crossing poison dragons with now extinct giant reptiles and serpents. These beasts survived both the first and second falls of these great empires and formed a thriving wild community of their own. The Zaltruscans commonly capture wyverns and breed them in captivity to ensure that even the most minor noble can have at least 1 or 2 flying mounts of draconic descent.
While they do not have the innate magic common to so many of their dragon cousins, poison dragons do have a bit of latent primal magic and fascination with it which often drives them to play at becoming magi or servants to a god(often Drakon, but sometimes other gods). The primal nature of their inherent magic means they can never fully master the arts of a magus, but they are fully capable of understanding the theories behind them and have been known to be quite skilled at teaching those races which are more capable of focused magics, sometimes even opening up their own academies or universities.
I could ramble on about the poison dragons, just love my underdogs of the dragon world(they’re the smallest of all dragonkind by the way), but I’ve already kept you all too long. There is a stat block included for any D&D players/DMs as usual. To everyone else: thank you for your support, and keep reading & enjoying!
Wyrmling Jungle Dragon
Medium Dragon, Neutral or Lawful Neutral
Armor Class 17 (natural)
Hit Points 27 (5d8+5)
Speed 30’ / Fly 60’
Str 13 (+1), Dex 14 (+2), Con 12 (+1), Int 15 (+2), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 14 (+2)
Saves - Dex +4, Con +3, Wis +3, Cha +4
Language Draconic, and can understand but not speak 1 other regional or humanoid language such as Common, Elven, Dwarven, etc.
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Change Shape The dragon magically polymorphs into a humanoid or beast that has a Challenge Rating no higher than its own, or back into its true form. It reverts to its true form if it dies. Any equipment worn or carried by it is absorbed or borne by the new form (the dragon’s choice). In a new form the dragon retains its alignment, hit points, Hit Dice, ability to speak, proficiencies, Intelligence/Wisdom/Charisma scores, as well as this action. Its statistics and capabilities are otherwise replaced by those of the new form, except for any class features or legendary actions of that form.
Spellcasting (Cha-based, DC 12, Spell attack bonus +4) Choose 1 class from Bard, Cleric, Druid, Sorceror, or Wizard. You then choose 2 spells of 1st level from that class list which the dragon can cast 1/day each without need for material component. Commonly picked spells are below:
Bard (Charm Person, Sleep)
Cleric (Bless or Bane, Cure Wounds)
Druid (Animal Friendship, Goodberry)
Sorcerer (Expeditious Retreat, Thunderwave)
Wizard (Alarm or Identify, Shield).
Bite melee weapon attack, +3 to hit, 1d10+1 piercing (6)
Claw melee weapon attack, +3 to hit, 1d6+1 slashing (4)
Tail melee weapon attack, 10’ reach, +3 to hit, 1d4+1 piercing and 2d4 poison (3 and 5) anyone hit by the tail must make a DC 11 Constitution save or suffer the Poisoned condition for 1 minute. Succeeding the save negates the Poisoned condition and reduces teh Poison damage to 1/2 normal. A creature suffering from the Poisoned condition from this attack can repeat the save at the end of each of their turns in order to end that condition.
Breath Weapon (recharge 5 or 6) Poison spray, 30’ line 5’ wide. 8d4 poison damage (20) and Poisoned condition. DC 11 Constitution save reduces the damage to 1/2 normal and negates the Poisoned condition. A creature suffering from the Poisoned condition from this attack can repeat the save at the end of each of their turns in order to end that condition.
Side note: I think giving away a first book is a great way to encourage pre-orders of a second book; offering a discounted price, probably not so much. Obviously you can try whatever comes to mind and test different tactics, but hooking people with free content is much easier.
I would definitely have the first book edited by someone, even if it’s a very kind and skilled friend who will work for free. It’s better than putting out work which turns people away entirely.
Good luck!