Red dragon

Red dragons are, even for dragons, extraordinarily arrogant and covetous. They favor high perches like mountains or even hills, and they prefer areas of volcanic or geothermal activity. They are tyrants who command armies of lizardfolk, kobolds, and the like, and consider every other creature their rightful cattle or slaves.

Appearance
Aside from their scales, which darken from a bright glossy scarlet to a deep dull red as they age, red dragons are distinguished by their swept-back horns, spinal frill, and beaked snout, which constantly emits smoke. They have the longest wingspan of any chromatic dragon, and the wings are edged with a blue-black tint like burnt metal. Their eyes, which dance with fire when the dragon is angry, gradually lose their pupils over time and become like orbs of lava.

Thordak, an ancient red dragon, was physically transformed by long exposure to elemental fire. He was unusually large even for a (gargantuan) ancient dragon. He was described as having an angry, thick hide that sparked with bits of flame and red crystal upon impact. When the source of his elemental power was shattered, he shrank and his eyes dimmed from piercing white to glowing reddish-orange.

Abilities

 * Flame Breath
 * Bite Attack
 * Tail Attack
 * Wing Attack

Known red dragons

 * Thordak: Red dragon who ruled over half of Marquet for centuries (before becoming an ancient dragon), was fended off in his attack on Ank'Harel, later established himself in Tal'Dorei, was banished to the Elemental Plane of Fire, started the Chroma Conclave with Raishan, and was defeated by Vox Machina and their allies.

In the adventure hook Vault of the Fire Giants in the Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, set in 836 PD, fire giants in a vast dungeon beneath Kravaraad have enslaved an adult red dragon to guard their vault where they have collected treasure since before the Calamity.

History

 * &rarr; See Thordak's biography