Dragons

Although not all dragons of the Otherworld are mighty enough to be movers and shakers, a number are. Arguably the most successful of these is Nathair Sgiathach, patron of the pseudodragons and faerie dragons. The Prince of Nonce, as he is called by some, has proven able to trick even some of the most potent creatures in Faerie and escape unscathed thanks to a jocular brilliance and special mastery of fickle storm and calm, thereby earning a great deal of respect from many mirthful Seelie fey. Despite the esteem he holds among the Seelie Court and with a few other prominent fey, Nathair rarely exerts his influence toward any goal. He is close with several potent specimens of faerie wyrm, but none even begin to encroach on his epic reputation.

Also among the most well-known and powerful dragons in Faerie is Ladon, the stoic and unyielding guardian of the Garden of the Hesperides. Ladon’s origins are mysterious, seemingly neither of Io’s brood nor of the linnorms he superficially resembles, but he seems devoted to whatever enigmatic instructions have kept him so long watching over his home and its magical apples. Though surprisingly grim given the lovely land he dwells within, Ladon is genial toward those who come in peace and do not molest the land or the golden Apples of Joy. Other than Nathair Sgiathach and the Hesperides, he has no significant allies or contacts.

Aside from the well-regarded Ladon and Nathair, Faerie is home to several extremely potent linnorms. Foremost among them is Gottenrvnr Two-Tongues the God-Reaver, greater than all linnorms save for his elder brother Draugr Barrow-Haunt the Corpse-Tearer and their insidious father Nidhoggr. Known for devouring countless divinities over his eternal life, Gottenrvnr is even more notorious in Faerie as a dragon so fearsome and cunning as to give pause to the Two Queens themselves. It was by manipulating the ancient Unseelie King Tethra that he gained the death curse now possessed by all linnorms, a victory which has done much to raise his esteem among the wicked children of the Gnawer of Roots. Always he seeks to move events toward one eventual end: to consume the very root and essence of the Tree of Life. Such an act would make Gottenrvnr one of the most powerful beings in, and most deadly threats to, all Creation.

The God-Reaver keeps a tight leash on his lesser kin by way of brutal intimidation and a keen ability to gauge their inevitable schemes. Gottenrvnr is served by a coterie of lesser but still mighty linnorms, most particularly the potent spellcasters and rune scribes Brgovnar GoldScales the Sword Breaker and Lurgvyf Bold-Speaker the Hollow One. His principal enforcer is Ruvokk AngerClaw the Butcher. However, as far as he might reach, Gottenrvnr and his lieutenants are not the only powerful linnorms in Faerie. Legends record that a mysterious and titanic linnorm once caught even great Borlung by bloody surprise in an earlier age, leading to the Watcher’s unexpected death.

The true dragons of Faerie have no real leader or patron, though there are a few that have achieved some fame in certain circles. In Peristan there is the great red wyrm Bennuranace, possessed of a rare mild temper and excellent business acumen, who lords over a great trade empire reaching throughout the Mortal Coil, the Outlands, and with contacts in the Abyss, Ysgard, and Acheron. She trades in spices, incense, salts, alchemical components, unique herbs of Faerie, and occasionally refined drugs and darker wares.

There is also a great brass wyrm known as Wandering Symmone, who moves from realm to realm and lair to lair seeking a lost associate of his. He believes this individual was kidnapped and brought into the Otherworld, but so addled (or enchanted) has the dragon become in his search that he has forgotten precisely whom he is seeking. Finally, there is the Green Marquis, a green dragon who dwells among a great tangle of briars and olive groves, an isolated and quie dragon of reputedly great druidic power.