Black Steel Dragons

Breath weapon: Narrow cone of superheated plasma.

Habitat: They prefer abandoned castles and citadels, preferably in mountainous areas. They find comfort in the fortifications and protection afforded.

Dread Knight Home: Castle Dreadnaught

Diet: Black Steel dragons are dedicated carnivores. They sometimes eat large terrestrial animals to sate their great hunger, but they especially prefer heard animals such as camels, cows, and horses.

Preferred Treasure: Coins, and metallic weapons and armour.

Overview: Black steel dragons are the most powerful of the steel dragons. They were bred solely for their cunning, stealth and night fighting abilities. They are the most highly-trained of the steel dragons, operating under principles of self-sufficiency, stealth, speed, and close teamwork. Black steel dragons conduct specialized operations such as reconnaissance, unconventional warfare, as well as engage in sabotage and assassinations. They usually perform the most dangerous missions. Consisting of tasks like killing powerful enemies in the midst of battle, going deep behind enemy lines to disrupt enemy forces using "hit and run" surprise attacks, or assaulting heavily fortified positions.

Black Steel dragons heal at a hyper-accelerated rate especially when feeding. They also gain the ability to hypnotize and dumbfound victims with just a stare, even other dragons. But this comes at a price, they, like most Daywalker vampires, cannot heal and lose a lot of their advantages in battle during the day. They must also feed on the life’s blood of other living creatures or go insane from blood thirst.

Their hierarchy is based on age and experience, the oldest and most experienced black steel dragon in acts as a commander over all lesser black steel dragons under its command.

One effect of their crossbreeding is that they have inherited the breath weapons of both parents. The superheated sparks of the Iron and the acid of the Black. They are unable to fire these weapons individually, and combine them instead. The resulting reaction of fire, electricity, and ionized acidic gas creates a superheated plasma blast. Awesomely destructive and powerful, it can cut through flesh, dragon scale, steel, and stone with ease. In addition, unlike other steel dragons they don't have a secondary breath weapon.

After hatching these beasts are subject to a constant regime of training and learning. They are taught the tactics of warfare and study the history of armed conflicts. These dragons learn quickly and are masters of strategy and stealth. They are trained in martial combat both in the air and on land, with a focus on unconventional warfare and assassination.

Lair: A black steel dragon typically lairs in a disused castle or citadel. Their lairs are usually in subterranean areas like dungeons. They always have two entrances; the main entrance from the castle is usually fortified with heavy doors. A second entrance serves as an escape route. Usually the escape route is hidden underwater through a moat, pond or swamp.

Appearance: Black steel dragons have a varied appearance. Some inherit the features of the black, while others inherit the features of the iron. The main noticable difference is in the horns. Some have swept back horns, and some have the typical black horns which curve forward and down. Apart from this most black steel dragons can be identified by their grim, skeletal appearance, with a menacing grin. Their horns, teeth, and sharp claws look like they are made of platinum. They are similar in appearance to a typical black dragon, but don't have the acidic look.

Their eyes lie in deep sockets and are pure black, with feint green pupils. Their eyes glow with a feral red light when angered.

The small scales of wyrmlings are a matt silver colour with a grey tinge. Toward the end of the young stage, the scales turn a deeper black, and the matt texture is replaced by a smooth, metallic, glossy finish.

When angry or about to attack, they give off an odour of burning metal.

Personality: Black Steel dragons are proud, arrogant, and consider themselves superior to other dragons. They are ferocious and cunning and hate losing in any endeavour. They are vicious and ruthless and obsessed with victory. They are always studying combat strategies to improve themselves.

Parenting: Black Steel dragons are not noted as very good parents, relying more upon disguise and hiding to protect their eggs than upon guarding them personally. Their wyrmlings (babies) are noted for their hyperactivity and their utterly insatiable appetites. They will eat almost anything organic they can kill, even plants.

Battle: A black steel dragon is an expert fighter trained to take out small numbers or individual opponents. Their extensive training in fighting and strategies gives them an edge in battle. They prefer surprise attacks and ambushes to straight forward fighting. They will use whatever means to gain victory and consider fair fighting to be foolish.

They are most active after dark, wherein the darkness they feel confident and powerful. They can breathe underwater, and have a liking for ambushing enemies from the water. They also like to use darkness to blind their enemies, attacking with their deadly poisonous talons, and stealth. For all its legendary ferocity, a Black Steel dragon also knows when not to attack. If it recognizes a superior foe, it withdraws to fight another day.

Equipment: Black steel dragons are usually armed with the following equipment when going into battle:-

• Poisoned claws of the Ripper - These metal, scythe like blades are designed to fit over one set of a dragon's claws.

• Poisoned dragonarmour - This is a set of half-plate armour (barding) designed to fit a dragon. In addition to its armour bonus, the armour is fitted with spikes and blades laced with poison designed to enhance the dragon's attacks.

• Tailetto - This long dagger like weapon is attached to the end of a black steel dragon’s tail. The weapon is speared into an opponent and is poisoned.