Blue Steel Dragons

Breath weapon: Narrow cone of forked lightning, and a cone of luminous sleep gas.

Habitat: Blue steel dragons prefer hot, arid, mountainous areas.

Dread Knight Home: Castle DarkStar

Diet: Meat from large animals such as camels, cows, and horses. The liver is regarded as a delicasy. They will occasionally eat plants.

Preferred Treasure: Sapphires, electrically augmented weapons and armour.

Overview: Blue steel dragons are the third most powerful of the steel dragons. They were bred solely for their aerial combat abilities. Their purpose was to dominate the air, and to take out enemy dragons and flying units.
Their hierarchy is based on aerial combat prowess. The most skillful blue steel dragon acts as a commander to all lesser blue steel dragons under its command.

One effect of this crossbreed is that they have inherited the breath weapons of both parents. The superheated sparks of the Iron and the Lightning of the Blue. They are unable to fire these weapons individually, and combine them instead. The combined reaction of superheated metallic sparks and electricity produces a narrow cone of forked lightning. The main lightning charge is split into a spray comprised of thousands of forked lightning bolts. In addtion it has a secondary breath weapon in the form of a luminous sleeping gas.

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 the aerial warfare. They are trained in martial combat both in the air and on land, with a focus on air to air, and air to ground attacks.

Lair: In the wild the typical blue steel dragon lair is a cave dug into a cliff face. As with all dragon lairs, the blue steel dragon's lair will have two entrances: one hidden opening on a cliff face, which could be hidden by a waterfall, and one opening onto a high ledge from which it can perch and survey its territory. Each lair also has a large subterranean cavern with a large pool of water and a sandy beach, which its inhabitant will use for drinking and relaxation.

Appearance: The blue steel dragon is large and vibrant. It can be identified by its frilled ears and a single, massive metallic horn atop its short, blunt head. It has batlike wings and a short, thick neck. The tail is thick and bumpy, like that of a caterpillar.

Its eyes are smooth, and glossy. The pupils of a blue steel dragon fade as it ages, the oldest blue steel dragons have eyes that resemble orbs of mercury.

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

It's hide tends to hum and crackle faintly with built-up static electricity. These effects intesify when the dragon is angry or about to attack, giving off an odor of ozone and burnt metal.

Personality: Blue steel dragons are vain and territorial. They can also be abusive, and quick to anger. They are more likely to be mocking and manipulative than outrightly cruel or murderous to 'lesser' creatures, aided greatly by their natural talents for hallucination. They enjoy sitting and reflecting, and can be lawful with some sense of morals.

Parenting: Despite their evil nature, they are actually excellent parents to their young, and will rarely leave their eggs unattended. Blue steel dragon eggs must be buried in a warm area to incubate. Blue wyrmlings are actually quite cute, but they are quick to taunt any other creature, and even quicker to hunt small desert creatures for food.

Battle: The blue steel dragon excels at aerial combat, perhaps more so than any other species of dragon. Their lightning discharges are very easy to aim at other aerial foes, or at creatures below them on the ground. They are one of the most powerful dragons at spellcraft. They are also extremely adept at burrowing in sand, and often lie in wait just below the surface of the desert for prey. They prefer to attack enemies in ambush, and are good at tracking. Surprise and distance are their greatest ally. Typically, blue steel dragons attack from above or burrow beneath the sands until opponents come within 100 feet. When stalking intelligent prey, they often use ventriloquism and mimicry to confuse and divide groups before closing in for the kill.

Equipment: Blue Steel dragons are usually armed with the following equipment when going into battle:-

• Shieldblades: These combination shield blade weapons fit over a dragon's forearm. They provide protection and allow the dragon to deflect blows, and can be used as a stabbing weapon. They are armed with a set a two, one for each forearm.

• Aerial-attack dragonarmour: The is a set of light half-plate armour (barding) designed to fit a dragon. It is made of a lighter metal than the standard dragonarmour, so the dragon can keep it's aerial mobility. In addition to its armour bonus, the armour is fitted with spikes and blades designed to enhance the dragon's attacks.

• Lancebreakers - These metal, scythe like blades fit on the end the dragon's tail, enabling it to intercept and break an opponents lance.