Neutral Dragons of Krynn

D&D 3e (3.0/3.5) Rules

by Clive Squire

Neutral Dragons of Krynn (Gemstone Dragons)

Gemstone Dragons and Creation

During the Age of Starbirth the gods created dragonkind. The original five dragons were fashioned from the raw elements of the world, these were corrupted by Takhisis and transformed them into the chromatic dragons which have plagued the world ever since.

After the corruption of the original dragons, Reorx fashioned five more dragons, which he gave to Paladine to ease his heart at the loss of his children to Takhisis. These five dragons became what are known as metallic dragons, valiant fighters on the side of light.

Reorx, having crafted two sets of dragons, both of which were lost to him and his fellow gods within the Pantheon of Neutrality, created yet another set of five dragons. These dragons were fashioned out of the very bones of the world, crafted from lavender kaemererite, crystalline fluorite, green malachite, deep blue azurite and shining yellow tyuyamunite.

To each of his fellow gods within the Pantheon of Neutrality, save for Gilean the Grey Sage, Reorx gave one of the dragons carved from precious gemstones. Each god took their dragons out into the planes beyond the material world and taught them the ways of their faith.

Reorx took his kaemererite dragon to his forge deep within the Hidden Vale and taught it the arts of craft, forge and foundry. He then showed the dragon the ways to pass from the Hidden Vale to the planes nearer to Krynn, where they mined for mithril on the Elemental Plane of Earth and used the fires of the Elemental Plane of Fire to forge that mithril.

Zivilyn took his fluorite dragon, walking with it through the eddies of the River of Time, marvelling at the beauty of the Hidden Vale, soaring on the unending air currents within the Elemental Plane of Air.

Shinare showed her dragon, the malachite the ways of the forge, impressing upon her dragon the need to work tirelessly to gain what it wanted. Like Reorx, Shinare took her dragon to the inner planes, mining precious stones on the Elemental Plane of Earth and bartering with them to demons and devils from the Abyss or angels and guardinals from the Dome of Creation.

Chislev nurtured her azurite dragon within the Grandest Forest Beyond the World, Zhan; teaching it the names and forms of all life within the world that is under her dominion.

The tyuyamunite dragon was taken by Sirrion to his halls of the Faming Void, within the Hidden Vale. There he exposed the dragon to the forces of change, the arts of transformation and the need for renewal.

There, in their planar havens, the gemstone dragon continued to prosper. They birthed new hatchlings, amassed great fortunes and generally ignored the material world until the Age of Dreams.

Gemstone Dragons and the Dragon Wars

Due to the planar nature of the gemstone dragons, and the fact that they did not choose to return to the Material Plane for eons, the gemstone dragons played no part within the majority of the first Dragon War (circa 3,900 PC).

It is doubtable that they would have became involved even if they were present, having aligned themselves so strongly with their respective patrons, the dragons only cared for the advancement of their divine patrons portfolio.

The first gemstone dragons to return to Krynn were the malachite dragons of Shinare, who scenting great opportunity for wealth and prestige in the ethers while they were on the so called inner planes, entered the world near what would become Kal-Thax.

Quickly they determined that the dragons of light and darkness waged war across the land, and they shifted into a neutral, humanoid form, in order to gain access to the markets and forges of both sides.

For over seven centuries, the only gemstone dragons on Krynn were the malachite. That changed when an ambitious malachite dragon bartered the information about how to enter Krynn to a kaemererite dragon.

Not long after, kaemererite dragons came to Krynn, as there gemstone cousins, entered the world near Kal-Thax and encountered the nascent dwarven nation. A meeting which the dwarves took as a sign of favour from Reorx, and started an understanding between the dragons and dwarves which has lasted since.

With more and more kaemererite and malachite dragons making headway within Krynn, it was only a matter of time before the other types of gemstone dragons began to enter the world.

When Huma of Eldor banished the Queen of Darkness and her screaming hordes, the dragons of light were forced into magical slumber and their gemstone cousins were forced into planar exile in order to maintain the Balance.

Gemstone Dragons, the Cataclysm & the War of the Lance

The gemstone dragons remained out on the inner planes until not long after the cataclysm. When that fiery mountain struck, Takhisis made her move. She quietly started to wake her faithful dragons and send them back to Krynn.

The gemstone dragons watched their evil cousins flitting between the Material Plane and the Abyss, as they often walked through the planar corridors that the gemstones use.

The dragons beseeched the gods of neutrality to allow them to return to the Material Plane, as clearly the chromatic dragons had returned. Gilean conceded and allowed the gemstone dragons to return, but only after they took an oath of non-interference.

Gilean knew that Takhisis was making a play for dominance and that sooner or later the dragons of light, backed by the Pantheon of Light would wage war to stop her. Gilean made the gemstone dragons pledge that they would not side with either the darkness against the light or the light against the darkness; they would continue to focus on the divine portfolios of their respective patrons.

Gemstone Dragons, the Chaos War, the Age of Mortals and the War of Souls

Like all living creatures, the events of the Summer of Chaos and the release of the Father-of-all-and-Nothing, Chaos, affected the gemstone dragons. Called by each of their patrons to aid their faithful in the struggle against chaos and his minions, many gemstone dragons answered the call to war.

Deep within the forests of Qualinesti and Silvanesti, azurite dragons with elven and ogre riders fought valiantly against chaos spawn. In the oppressive heat of the deserts of Khur, nomadic humans and ogres fought sword, club and claw alongside tyuyamunite dragons against fire dragons and chaos warriors.

Deep under the mountain, within the halls of Thorbardin and Mount Nevermind, kaemererite dragons and malachite dragons aided dwarven and gnomish warriors against the chaos spawn that assailed them.

However, all these valiant actions pale to those performed by the fluorite dragons. In one of the worlds more bitterest ironies, and unrecorded for the most part by scholars, are the actions of the fluorite guardians of the River. A great wing of fluorite dragons, the greatest concentration of the rather solitary dragons ever known, joined the desperate battle with the blues and silvers against Chaos. None returned.

In the years following the Chaos War, many of the gemstone dragons continued much as they did in prior ages, feeling bereft of their patrons but doggedly determined to continue in their absence. All except the fluorite dragons, which as soon as Chaos was defeated, disappeared and did not return until the gods returned at the climax of the War of Souls.

Note: All gemstone dragons follow the rules for true dragons as detailed in the monster manual, and gain the following adjustments.
Planar Travel (Su): Gemstone dragons have innate links to one or more planes and can usually pass between the Material Plane and their associated planes. Travelling in this manner is a standard action that provokes no attack of opportunity. The associated planes for the gemstones dragons are as follows:
Kaemererite (forge) Dragon: Elemental Planes of Earth.
Fluorite (river) Dragons: Elemental Plane of Water.
Malachite (trade) Dragon): Elemental Plane of Earth.
Azurite (forest) Dragon: Elemental Plane of Earth.
Tyuyamunite (ember) Dragon: Elemental Plane of Fire.

For Player Characters

If your DM is willing, you could use gemstone dragons as cohorts and familiars (see page 139 of the Dracominicon for more information about using dragons as cohorts and familiars).

* Subtract 3 is using the Dragon Cohort feat.

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