Module: Dragons
Dragons module (on by default). Dragons are people with wings and long memories. A Roost houses them; everything else is negotiation.
The Roost
| Holding | T1 cost / time / upkeep | T1 output → T5 | Defense | Prereq |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roost | 50,000 gp / 12 mo / 5,000 gp | houses 1 dragon → 8 | +2 → +5 | Archduke (a Count may build one to house a dragon they already have) |
Each dragon housed gives +1 Authority per season (max +3) and costs 100 gp per season in livestock.
Bonding
A candidate spends a season at the Roost with 500 gp in livestock, then rolls d20 + the Master of Dragons' rating vs DC 12 for a wild dragon or DC 10 for one hatched in the Roost. (With Faith and Oaths, a candidate favored by a patron of beasts or the sky gets +2.)
- Success: a bonded pair. Rider and dragon share saves, and the dragon's Power counts in the rider's army.
- Failure: the dragon refuses (retry next season). Failing by 5 or more, it takes offense: a thread at 2.
A rider holds one bond and a dragon holds one rider. If the rider dies, the dragon grieves and is grounded for a season, then rolls d6:
- 1–2: it stays, and will take a new bond at DC 14;
- 3–4: it leaves and goes wild;
- 5–6: it burns: a vengeance thread at 4.
Growth and clutches
- Dragons age one stage every 5 years (at the year-tick): young → adult → elder.
- Every 5 years, a bonded pair may clutch d4 eggs. An egg hatches in a year with a Roost and a Master of Dragons.
- A riderless wild dragon in your lands costs −1 realm Stability per season until it is bonded, driven off (a battle), or paid (500 gp per season).
Units
| Unit | Base Power | Upkeep | Food | Requires | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drake wing | 12 | 1,500 gp | 2 | Roost | young drakes; fear: levies facing them −1 morale |
| Young dragon | 10 | 2,000 gp | 3 | Roost | fear |
| Adult dragon | 30 | 5,000 gp | 5 | Roost | fear; ignores walls (Defense doesn't apply against it) |
| Elder dragon | 60 | 10,000 gp | 8 | Roost | as adult; storms without a breach at no penalty |
Dragons also unlock the Master of Dragons post, and a march speed of 3,000 miles a month on dragonback for the rider and up to one company.
Example: Sera bonds a wild drake: DC 12, Master of Dragons +3, so she needs a 9 or better. Success puts 12 Power in the sky. Failure by 5 burns a farm, and a thread opens at 2.