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Dragon
Few creatures of folklore and mythology conjure up the mental images of the dragon. Also known as wurm, wyrm and firedrake, these mercurial creatures pervade almost every pantheon of classical mythology and have become an integral inclusion of an entire genre of fantasy literature.
Descriptions of the beast's benevolence vary from the playful Puff (of Peter Yarrow's song) to the sinister Smaug in J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit". Babylonian legends portray the Queen of Darkness as a multi-headed dragon - Tiamat. Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty features a battle between Prince Phillip and the evil Maleficent and the Germanic myth "Die Nibelungen" climaxes with the battle between Siegfried and the giant Fafnir, who has transformed himself into a wyrm in an effort to become more frightening.
Physical characteristics of dragons also vary but several consistencies are usually present. The beasts are typically depicted as huge lizards, larger than elephants on average. Long fangs are generally accepted as are twin horns of varying length. Western cultures generally include large bat-like wings giving the dragon the capability of flight. But eastern dragons, usually wingless, use a more magical means of flying. As well, eastern dragons tend to be more snake-like in nature, albeit with front and rear legs.
Most dragons will be covered in scales, although there are some with a leathery skin. Coloring ranges the entire gamut of the spectrum but red, green, black and gold appear to be the most common. It is also generally accepted that most dragons are magical creatures in nature and have the ability to breathe fire (as a weapon). Some dragons may have a modification in this breath weapon (frost, lightning, gas) but this appears to be purely a fabrication of fantasy role-playing games and the myths they spawn.

The dragon or 'winged serpent' (occasionally called a worm as with the Lambton Worm) is probably the most complex, widespread and ambivalent of mythical monsters, appearing in the mythology and symbolism of all nations. Originally it was a wholly beneficent creature, its serpent-like body representing matter and the life-giving waters, while its wings identified it with the spirit and the breath of life. It was an attribute of the Sky Gods and their earthly counterparts and representatives - the emperors and kings. It occurred as a divine or imperial emblem in Babylon, Egypt, China, Japan, Greece and Rome, and also for the early kings of England and Wales. Later it beca6e ambivalent, symbolizing either the supreme celestial creative power or evil and destruction, wasting the land by fire or by trampling it to death; this dual symbolism was that of the beneficent sky and the fertilizing rains on the one hand and the malefic forces of lightning and flood on the other. This division is apparent in the Eastern and Western attitudes to the dragon; in the Orient it maintains its beneficent aspect, representing celestial power; in the West it is evil, chthonic and baleful.
When dragons appear as monsters they are autochthonous 'masters of the ground' and must be fought for mastery of the land or to win the guarded treasure In this role they play a considerable part in the sagas of heroes and conquerors, in the legends of saints, in knight-errantry and chivalry. The well-known legend of St George and the Dragon has its counterpart in many ancient traditions: the conflict between Horus and Typhon, Bel and the Dragon, Marduk and Tiamat, Perseus and Medusa, Bellerophon and the Chimera, Apollo and the Python, Hercules and the Hydra, Thor and the Dragon; added to these there are endless 'local' slayers of dragons.
Killing the dragon depicts the conflict between fight and darkness; overcoming the dark nature and attaining self-mastery, or, if the dragon is a guardian, it symbolizes the winning of the treasure of inner or esoteric knowledge, or in rescuing the princess it releases pure forces kept in bondage by the powers of evil.
The dragon is frequently a fire-breathing monster. Euripides describes it as breathing forth fire and slaughter; in the Old Testament Moses has fiery serpents and Isaiah a fiery flying serpent.
Dragons represent the power of darkness in Summer-Semitic myth, they are the Adversary. In Babylonian lore Marduk, the Sun, slays Tiamat, the force of evil and chaos. The Egyptian dragon was an emblem of Soirees as God of the Dead, but it was also an imperial attribute. The dragon of darkness, Apophis, was overcome each morning by the Sun God, Ra. In Greek-Roman myth it was an attribute of Heracles/Hercules as a sliver of monsters. Ceres flew to heaven in a chariot drawn by two dragons and later lent it to Triptolem to distribute corn all over the world; Medusa fled Jason in a chariot drawn by winged dragons and Apollo may be taken as a dragon-slayer when he killed the Python, the dragon and serpent being largely interchangeable in mythology.
In Semitic lore dragons were associated with death and destruction. The Hebrew symbolism of the malefic powers of darkness depicted by the dragon was carried over into Christianity when it was equated with 'that old serpent', the power of evil, symbolizing the Devil, the Tempter in conflict with God and the powers of righteousness. In the Old Testament the 'place of dragons' was associated with the 'shadow of death' and the waters of the deep. In the Middle Ages the dragon was synonymous with sin, paganism and heresy, the Devil and all evil that is overcome by St Michael. In the Apocalypse the dragon is again the 'old serpent', the deceiver. St George is only one of the saints involved with dragons. SS Cado, Clement, Keyne, Margaret, Martha, Samson, Sylvester, Guthlac and the Apostle Philip were all associated with the dragon in one way or another. In the Bestiaries the dragon or Draco is 'the biggest of all serpents, in fact of all living things on earth'. It has a crest and its strength is in its tail. It symbolizes the Devil, who also has a crest, or crown, because he is the King of Pride.
In contrast, the Celtic and Teutonic dragon represents sovereignty, power or a chief, such as Pendragon, the Celtic word meaning .chief'. The Red Dragon of Cadwallader or Cadwaller is the emblem of Wales - 'upon a mount vert, a dragon passant, wings expanded and endorsed gules - the Red Dragon Dreadful'. It was blazed on King Arthur's helmet in battle, later it was associated with Geoffrey of Monmouth and Owen Glendower. The Saxons had the white dragon as a royal standard. In early Britain it depicted supreme power. The Heraldic dragon varies greatly, especially in the shape of its ears, but the wings are always those of a bat; the tongue and tail can be barbed; it breathes out fire and is a symbol of power, wisdom and one who has overcome an adversary or fortress. The Tudor Red Dragon indicates Welsh origins, and a Welshman always holds the position of Rouge Dragon in the College of Heralds. Dragon-Tygre and Dragon-Wolf are composite creatures and support the arms the City of London.
In Hinduism the dragon is manifest power and the uttered word, it is an attribute of both Aruna and Soma. Vitra is the Dragon of the Waters which had to be slain by Indra to release the waters.
It is in China that the dragon reaches the height of its symbolic and mythological significance- It represents the highest spiritual power and is the emblem of the delegate of that power on earth the Emperor. It is the masculine yang power, with the phoenix as the Yin, the Empress. The dragon typifies the supernatural infinity, the rhythms of Nature manifest in the divine power of change and transformation. It is the Celestial Stag, the sun, the heavens and their fertilizing rain, but it is also present in the waters of the deep; it is also the chief of the Four Spiritually Endowed or Auspicious Animals and is one of the Twelve Symbolic Creatures of the Zodiac. Dragons influence and control every aspect of life. As supreme power they five in palace and in earlier times offerings were made to them; there are also dragon palaces under the sea. They symbolize all that is sacred In can be deities of the five regions: North, South, East, West and Centre. They are also shapeshffters and can make themselves invisible or manifest at will. Dragons can be of different natures; the Azure or Celestial Dragon T'ien Lung lives in the sky and guards the mansions of the gods, preventing them from falling; it represents infinite supernatural power and is the vital spirit; Fu-tsang guards hidden treasure. The lung, or Arial Dragon, has five claws and its head points southwards and its tail to the North; it symbolizes the fertilizing rain and the East, the sun. The ordinary dragon has four claws, it is the mang and depicts temporal power. The three-clawed dragon was an early form in China and later became the Japanese dragon. Li is hornless; it lives in the sea and controls the deeps and symbolizes the scholar, while Cbiao lives in the mountains or on land and depicts the statesman. According to Wang Fa the dragon has 'nine resemblance’s': 'His horns resemble those of a stag, his head is that of a camel, his eyes those of a demon, his neck that of a snake, his belly that of a clam, his scales those of a carp, his arms those of an eagle, his soles those of a tiger, his ears those of a cow.' In Chinese art two dragons are often depicted facing each other, these portray the yin-yang and eternity; chasing each other's tails they signify the two-way creative force and action of the dualistic powers. The dragon is often represented with the 'dragon baU' or 'flaming pearl' which has been suggested as representing the moon as rain-bringer, rolling thunder, the dragon swallowing the pearl as the waning moon, or the cloud-dragon swallowing the sun, but in Taoism and Buddhism it is the 'pearl of perfection', the 'pearl which grants au desires' and symbolizes wisdom, enlightenment and the spiritual essence of the universe. The dragon and Phoenix portrayed together are the union of all opposites, Heaven and Earth, Emperor and Empress, macrocosm and microcosm, the rhythms of involution and evolution, the Androgyne. Depicted with the Tiger the dragon becomes lust and the tiger anger.
Both China and Japan have a tradition of the dragon being able to change into a bird. A monastery in Kyoto depicts a composite creature haff-dragon, half-bird, like the Chinese winged dragon. The Japanese dragon, derived from the Chinese, lives in deep lakes and springs. The three-clawed dragon, the Tatsu, represents the Mikado, imperial and spiritual power. Dragons are also depicted in Cambodia in the sculptures of Ankor Wat and in the Brahmanical caves at Effora.
The dragon fears iron and centipedes, but it has only one enemy, the Elephant; when they fight both die, as the dragon overcomes the elephant but as the elephant falls it crushes the dragon. The Dragon and Crocodile were often treated as one in early times.

Where they live
There are three major types of dragons: Oriental, European, and American. They live in the corresponding areas, most of them in the Northern and mid-regions. The flying live In Northern Asia and Northern America. The lake dragons live in many lakes scattered across the world, most being in North America. Of course, it is argued whether the lake dragons are dragons at all.

Food and Physique
Dragons are not proven man-eaters. In fact, very few even eat meat at all. Rather, they enjoy fruits, berries, nuts, eggs, and mushrooms. The lake dragons do eat fish and an occasional squid, though.
The large, flightless dragons enjoy a meal of leaves, buds, seeds, and other woody materials. So I insist that you get that silly 'evil dragon that loves eating helpless maidens' thing out of your head.
Dragons mostly feed at night and avoid bright lights. The dragon's eyes are almost color-blind, but excellent during the night. Not at day. They become dazzled and are unable to respond effectively when near bright lights or sunlight. They have a 'third eye' to help them know when the light was getting to be too bright. In the past, that translucent, round eye was believed to be a jewel, and so the dragon population was hunted.
Dragons are by far the most intelligent of all reptiles. They have a remarkably large brain. Their excellent memory can remember a single, simple thing for decades-if not centuries. In fact, some of many cave art humans have attributed to early man was actually the work of dragons. The pictures were primarily the animals dragons feared (SEE ENEMIES BELOW).

Enemies
Obviously, the greatest enemy is man. But surprisingly, the major enemies of the dragon are the elephant and the lion. Elephants and dragons do eat the same kinds of food and both require large amounts of it to survive. It isn't exactly known why they don't like lions and panthers, but the two don't get along just the same.

Breathing of Fire and Mist
Not all of the types of dragons can produce fire. All of them can, though, emit a mixture of gas and water vapor that resemble clouds of mist. Only the European flightless dragons have evolved means of igniting this vapor into an effective fire-breathing method of defense. Since few people have ever gotten close enough (much less lived to tell the tale), so we can not be certain of this procedure.

Breeds Examples: Draconian, Faerie, Mist, Shadow.

Dryads
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Dryads are beautiful, intelligent tree sprites. They are as elusive as they are alluring, however, and dryads are raely seen unless taken by surprise - or they wish to be spotted. The dryad's exquisite features, delicate and finely chiseled, are much like and elf maiden's. Dryads have high cheek bones and amber, violet, or dark green eyes. A dryad's hair turns golden or red, and her skin subtly darken from its usual light tan to more closely match her hair color. This enables her to blend with the falling leaves of autumn. In winter, a dryad's hair and skin are white, like the snows that cover the oak groves. When encountered in a forest during fall or winter a dryad is often mistaken for an attractive maid, porbably elvish descent. No one would mistake a dryad for an elf maid during the spring and summer, however. At these times of year, a dryad's skin is lightly tanned and her hair is green like the oak leaves around her. Dryads often appear clothed in a loose, simple garment. The clothing they wear is the color of the oak grove in the season they appear. They speak their own tongue, as well as the languages of the elves, pixies, and sprites. Dryads can also speak with plants.

In Greek mythology, the dryads are female spirits of nature (nymphs), who preside over the groves and forests. Each one is born with a certain tree over which she watches. A dryad either lives in a tree, in which case she is called a hamadryad, or close to it. The lives of the dryads are connected with that of the trees; should the tree perish, then she dies with it. If this is caused by a mortal, the gods will punish him for that deed. The dryads themselves will also punish any thoughtless mortal who would somehow injure the trees.

Breeds Examples: Bitter Rose, Forest, Dryan.

Dwarves
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The great smiths of the Germanic world, the dwarves were formed from the maggots crawling in the body of the proto-giant Ymir. They dwell beneath the earth; they forged, among other things, most of the great treasures of the gods. Many dwarf-names suggest that they were originally thought of as the dead or as demons of death. Though sometimes surly, if approached with fitting respect, they can be friendly to humankind, and several of our heroes (such as Sigurd/Siegfried and, according to Thidreks saga, Wayland) were fostered by dwarves. If offended or forced to work against their will, they take nasty revenge. Old Norse Dvergar. Also called Swart Alfs (Old Norse Svartálfar), Nibelungen (Wagner).

An almost extinct creature of the male sex. Height I meter 20 cm., often smaller. Can still be found in the middle of inhospitable forests and in the mountains. They dig for gold and silver in extensive mines, and live in groups; they are masters of metalwork. They are good-natured except for a solitary few, possibly exiles, who are capable of performing ugly deeds. If a dwarf should fall into human hands, he buys his freedom with gold. They do not have beards.
Dwarves are a noble race of demihumans who dwell under the earth. They live for around 350 - 400 years, forging great cities and waging massive wars against the forces of evil. Dwarves also have much in common with the rocks and gems they love to work, for they are both hard and unyielding. It's often been said that it's easier to make a stone weep than it is to change a dwarves mind. Standing from four to 4 1/2 feet in height, and weighing 130 to 170 pounds, dwarves tend to be stocky and muscular. They have ruddy cheeks and bright eyes. Their skin is typically deep tan or light brown. Their hair is usually black, gray, or brown, and worn long, though not long enough to impair vision in any way. They favor long beards and mustaches, too. Dwarves value their beards highly and tend to groom them very carefully. Dwarves do not favor ornate stylin Dwarven clohing tends to be simple and functional. They often wear earth tones, and their cloth is considered rough by many other races, especially men and elves. Dwarves usually wear one or more pieces of jewelry, though these items are usually not of any great value or very ostentatious. Though dwarves value gems and precious metals, they consider it in bad taste to flaunt wealth. Dwarves have found it useful to learn the languages of many of their allies and enemies. In addition to their own languages, dwarves often speak the languages of gnomes, goblins, kobolds, orcs, and the common tongue, which is frequently used in trade negotiations with other races.

In myths and folklore, dwarfs are small humanoids, about half the size of a man, who live in caves or in holes under the ground (and sometimes in hollow trees). They can be hostile towards to man, but can also perform small labors for them.
In fairy tales (such as 'Snowhite and the Seven Dwarfs') they are usually portrayed as short, stocky creatures with long beards. They can be found working in mines, delving minerals and metals. Dwarves are exceptionally skilful with their hands and make the most beautiful (and often magical) objects, which surpasses man-made objects by far.
In Norse mythology, the two famous dwarfs Brok and Sindri made many magical objects for the gods, amongst which Thor's hammer Mjollnir and Odin's magical ring Draupnir.

With the stance like a boulder, it is no wonder that Dwarves enjoy living in the very earth of Faerun, whos very skin tone, eyes and hair colour match that of dark soil.
Dwarves stand roughly around 4 feet and are easily identified by their size but do not let that fool you. Dwarves are strong, brave and very hard workers who have little time for humor.
A strong resistance to magic gives them bonuses against wands, staves, rods and spells as well as a strong resistance to toxic substances.
Also, due to their short size, dwarves benefit to connect to Orcs, Half-Orcs, Goblins and Hobgoblins. They add a bonus when battling against Ogres, Trolls, Ogre Magi, Giants or Titans.
As dwarves have lived underground for so long, they have attained the ability to see in the dark for up to 60 feet and have endured much by running through tunnel systems and fighting in such small quarters. Penalty to their Charisma as they are always covered in dirt and other unpleasantries.

A Duergar* Story
A story is told of a traveler who, being lost in bad weather, saw a light glimmering a short distance away. He found a rough stone hut lit by a dying fire. On either side of the fire were two stones and nearby, two logs. He sat upon one of the stones and replenished the fire with some kindling. Shortly afterward, a Duergar entered and seated himself on the opposite side of the fire. There they sat until the fire burnt down again. The Duergar picked up one huge log and broke it over his knee, then tossed into the fire. When it had burnt down again, the Duergar indicated that the Traveler should put the other log onto the fire. Suspecting a trick, the Traveler did nothing. So they sat until dawn, when at once the Duergar, the hut, and the fire disappeared, and the Traveler found himself at the fallen edge of a sheer cliff. Had he gone for the second log he would have fallen to his death!
___________
Duergar*- a malicious type of dwarf from North of England.

Breeds Examples: Duergar, Hill, Mountain.

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