Wyrm Ouroboros Posted February 17, 2007 Report Share Posted February 17, 2007 Actually, not overall. There are, of course, dragons in the Champions Universe, but what I want to know is this: Are there any dragons active in the time-span of the 'Champions' era itself? I'm playing in a campaign that takes place in ... one of the two Hero cities, I don't recall which one, and I'm playing a dragon, so I just want to know whether or not I'm the only one. And if so, where're the rest of them? Sleeping? Off in the Summerlands? ... ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted February 17, 2007 Report Share Posted February 17, 2007 Re: Dragons in the CU? Hmm... I'm not aware of any of the classical, firebreathing mythic dragons currently active on Fifth Edition Champions Earth. If there are any still around, they would likely be dwelling in the Land of Legends, aka Faerie, one of the "Imaginal Realms" close to Earth on the Astral Plane. That's where most of the mythic creatures, races and gods retreated to when they left the Earth as the level of magic in the world decreased past the point where it could sustain them. However, as magic has increased in the Age of Superheroes, it's possible for such beings to exist on Earth again, so there's no reason why one couldn't travel here for his own reasons. Now, there is a tremendously powerful astral entity known as THE Dragon which can manifest avatars on Earth, and create draconian servant creatures; but it and all its creations are profoundly malevolent, so I doubt that that would suit your purposes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted February 17, 2007 Report Share Posted February 17, 2007 Re: Dragons in the CU? Skydragon (CU pg 98 - French - deceased 2000): might have been an actual European dragon Death Dragon (CU pg 121): an evil dragon Robert Caliburn "The Magnum Mage" has a miniature dragon he calls Nicotine (CU page 129). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted February 17, 2007 Report Share Posted February 17, 2007 Re: Dragons in the CU? Skydragon (CU pg 98 - French - deceased 2000): might have been an actual European dragon Certainly a possibility. Since that hero is dead he's unlikely to be written up officially in future, so WO could connect him to his own character. Good call, Steve. Death Dragon (CU pg 121): an evil dragon The Death Dragon is one of those malevolent avatars of The Dragon. Robert Caliburn "The Magnum Mage" has a miniature dragon he calls Nicotine (CU page 129). Even though Caliburn gets a full writeup in Vibora Bay, no origin is given for Nicotine. The book does describe his personality, and suggests using the "Miniature Dragon" writeup from Monsters, Minions And Marauders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alverant Posted February 18, 2007 Report Share Posted February 18, 2007 Re: Dragons in the CU? In 4th Golden Age books there was a character who transformed into an eastern dragon. I'd have to dig out the book for more details. The woman was a villain but had the spirit of a good dragon inside her and the text mentioned that she would start a difficult shift from evil to good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyrm Ouroboros Posted February 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2007 Re: Dragons in the CU? Certainly a possibility. Since that hero is dead he's unlikely to be written up officially in future' date=' so WO could connect him to his own character.[/quote'] Oh, I don't want him to be connected; if he's dead, then 'all the surviving dragons are asleep or gone' still applies. Many tens of thousands of years ago, in great experiments on local life forms, a man was tinkered with and transformed into the greatest of legendary beings -- a dragon. Though he was crude in comparison to many 'later models', forged from fallable human flesh and still with flickers of human thought and emotion, the ancients made a few ... errors ... that they corrected later on. Errors like an inability to die. The dragon lived, first as a greater example of his kind, then as an equal -- and eventually as a lesser. Though gifted even as a man with the ability to perceive mystic energies, he was never able to harness them, while his greater, younger bretheren soon did so, and far outstripped him in power. Still, despite their centuries, even millenia of life, they all eventually fell to the great leveller, Time. All but him. Due to the actions of a powerful Atlantean, he was reduced for a time to the form of his origin -- that of a man. Having to learn to adapt to such 'low' station brought out his human side once again, as he came to enjoy the niceties of society, of life. Though he became friends with the woman, his distrust in the mystic arts remained, and when the mage died after some several hundred years, the 'curse' was lifted, and he returned to the draconic form he was so long denied. But his magesight showed him the path of how to do it: how to control his self, reduce his size to a less threatening status, and even -- eventually -- how to regain his original form. Just in time, for even as the Age of Reason grew and the few remaining dragons sought centuries of suspended hibernation deep within their lairs, he lived amongst the Greeks, and then the Romans. It is the Romans, in fact, that gave him his name -- Eater of Death. Edimors. The two millenia that have since passed have been as good (or bad) to him as any; his wealth waxes, despite occasional decades' worth of setbacks, but he has long known the techniques of 'dying' here and returning to a new life elsewhere. And then the heroes returned. Simon Eduards is a man caught on a cusp, torn between the comfortable life and vast wealth he has acquired, and the lure of the form he has so long kept off. The concept of 'noblesse oblige' -- that with rank comes duty, that wealth is meant to be used for the betterment of all, that 'with great power comes great responsibility' -- is one that has been ingrained in him from his earliest days as a tribal hunter; what one kills, all eat. But in this new day, his hidden might and wealth may better serve tens of millions of others ... ... if he dares to bring it out and use it. In the CU, this puts him at roughly 150,000 years old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Long Posted February 18, 2007 Report Share Posted February 18, 2007 Re: Dragons in the CU? Not as far as I can recall, in the sense I think you're asking. Skydragon wasn't a dragon. The Death Dragon, as pointed out, is an avatar of the Dragon (who's not the sort of dragon you seem to be asking about). There are plenty of mystics or other characters who could shapechange into dragons, if that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyrm Ouroboros Posted February 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2007 Re: Dragons in the CU? *grins* No no, we're talking real honest-to-Steve treasure-hoarding fire-breathing virgin-eating (maybe not that) dragons. It's good to know that all the rest of those overbearing mystic lizards are gone... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Major Tom Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 Re: Dragons in the CU? In 4th Golden Age books there was a character who transformed into an eastern dragon. I'd have to dig out the book for more details. The woman was a villain but had the spirit of a good dragon inside her and the text mentioned that she would start a difficult shift from evil to good. You're referring to Shinyu from the 4th Ed. Golden Age Champions, right? Major Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Major Tom Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 Re: Dragons in the CU? Actually, not overall. There are, of course, dragons in the Champions Universe, but what I want to know is this: Are there any dragons active in the time-span of the 'Champions' era itself? I'm playing in a campaign that takes place in ... one of the two Hero cities, I don't recall which one, and I'm playing a dragon, so I just want to know whether or not I'm the only one. And if so, where're the rest of them? Sleeping? Off in the Summerlands? ... ?? Along what lines have you designed your dragon PC? Is it based off of a pre- existing HERO creature writeup, or is it something along the lines of one of the greater dragons from Raymond E. Feist's Riftwar stories? Major Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 Re: Dragons in the CU? It is the Romans' date=' in fact, that gave him his name -- Eater of Death. Edimors.[/quote'] [nitpick] In Latin, "eater of death" would be: edetor mortis, vescitor mortis, or vescitor morte. I believe the third would be preferable, and the second perhaps an error (just how far does vescor take the ablative? Even when converted to a noun by the suffix -tor?). The first keeps the "Ed-" beginning of the word you invented. Please note that the ancient Romans did not smoosh together words to get neologisms such as yours. OTOH, across centuries Latin and its successor languages (e.g., French) did "wear down" common phrases to single words. So "Edemort" might have gradually arisen in medieval France. [/nitpick] Edit: "edetor" could be replaced by "essor", which gives a possible "Es(s)emort." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobGreenwade Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 Re: Dragons in the CU? Not as far as I can recall' date=' in the sense I think you're asking. Skydragon wasn't a dragon. The Death Dragon, as pointed out, is an avatar of the Dragon (who's not the sort of dragon you seem to be asking about). There are plenty of mystics or other characters who could shapechange into dragons, if that helps. [/quote']It sounds like we have a new idea for something to go into VVV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 Re: Dragons in the CU? Minor spoiler from VIPER: Coils Of The Serpent: That book does name two powerful dragons alive during the Dark Ages of Europe: Bludrinkig, who served the serpent-god Nama in his first attempt to build an empire until the dragon was slain by a hero; and Bludrinkig's son Geiskivaro, who in compensation for his father's death was transformed by Nama into "the greatest dragon of his day." Geiskivaro was eventually killed for his horde by a group of Viking adventurers. Descent from this line would give your CU-based dragon an interesting heritage and possible connections to other elements of the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FenrisUlf Posted February 27, 2007 Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 Re: Dragons in the CU? In 4th Golden Age books there was a character who transformed into an eastern dragon. I'd have to dig out the book for more details. The woman was a villain but had the spirit of a good dragon inside her and the text mentioned that she would start a difficult shift from evil to good. You're referring to Shinyu from the 4th Ed. Golden Age Champions, right? Major Tom I remember Shinyu, and I remember a draconic sorceress from the 4th Ed. VIPER book. I really liked her & Shinyu, to the point of having one decreeing that the later "Dragon Lady" was descended from Shin. Any chance of Shinyu making a reappearance in the upcoming GOLDEN AGE CHAMPIONS? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted February 27, 2007 Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 Re: Dragons in the CU? I remember Shinyu' date=' [i']and[/i] I remember a draconic sorceress from the 4th Ed. VIPER book. I really liked her & Shinyu, to the point of having one decreeing that the later "Dragon Lady" was descended from Shin. Any chance of Shinyu making a reappearance in the upcoming GOLDEN AGE CHAMPIONS? I essentially combined Shinyu with the Dragon Queen from VIPER when I last used that organization in a campaign. The histories of the two characters are easy to merge, resulting in a rich background and an excuse to bring in Golden Age-era NPCs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.