Serpentine Dragons

Physical
Also known as gemstone dragons for their varied scale colors, these intelligent creatures are considered people under the definition of the Great Council. Living for 10,000 years or more, they can grow up to sixty feet in length. Long and serpentine, they do not possess wings, but are capable of flight by utilizing inherent magic and electricity produced by a chemical reaction involving a large pearl in a specially adapted throat sac full of acid.

Serpentine dragons prefer hot and arid climates, typically living in deserts where they lay their eggs in the hot sand and guard them night and day against opportunistic predators. While they can eat just about anything, their preferred diet consists of fish, requiring long commutes from their desert homes to the sea. Luckily, the dragon has a slow metabolism and go weeks without eating.

Colors


 * Ruby - One of the less common colors


 * Topaz - One of the less common colors


 * Emerald - One of the most common colors


 * Sapphire - One of the most common colors


 * Amethyst - One of the most common colors


 * Pearl - White is one of the rarest dragon colors, having been bred out since dragons choose mates with the darkest scales.


 * Onyx - True black is rare among dragons


 * Opal - The rarest dragon color, opalism is caused by a genetic mutation. Young hatched with this condition are typically abandoned and left to die.

Social
A gemstone dragon's social status is largely based on their size and the appearance of their scales. Dark scales are considered the most attractive. Immature as well as old and sick dragons will have faded, chipped, scratched, or missing scales. For the most part solitary, these dragons will often mate for life, though a young dragon who loses their mate will sometimes find another after a suitable mourning period lasting several hundred years.

Serpentine dragons will occasionally live among other sentient species. The most famous example of this is the high-rises of Siva Delta on Nethmalon, which were built with the dragons in mind. Each roof is designed to accommodate a dragon or dragon pair. These dragons have adapted to living in a commercial environment by trading their shed scales as a form of currency. Easily carved into charms and able to hold a spell better than most other mediums, dragon scales are highly sought after by mages.