Eastern Dragon (CTD)
Eastern Dragon Chimera are the type of Dragon Chimera that populate the Dreaming in most of Asia.
Overview
When the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom first looked up and saw rain falling from the sky or the waters of the ocean crash against the coastal shelf, into their dreams flew divine beings responsible for these aspects of nature. In such dreams, the Chinese dragons took form. The Dreamers imagined the dragons with such loving detail that these chimera can still occasionally break through the curtain of Banality to manifest before humans. Indeed, in the distant past, eastern dragons took human mates, and many fae can claim their descent from these chimera.
As befits a being of divine nature, a Chinese dragon takes 3,000 years to mature fully from its large, gemlike egg. A classic adult Chinese dragon has the head of a camel, a demon's eyes, stag-horns, a snakelike neck, and the belly of a clam. It has four feet like a tiger's, but with eagle-claws. The oldest have wings, but all can fly.
There are many kinds of eastern dragon, from the ocean-dwelling Wang Lung, or fire dragon, to the six-legged, two-bodied T'ao T'ieh, whose huge, gluttonous appetites put western dragons to shame. Then there is the classic Kioh-Lung, the adult Chinese dragon.
Again, these beings were treated as celestial divinities. While they could occasionally be malevolent, they hardly fit the same bill as the solitary western maiden-eating monster. Many kioh-lung live in cloud palaces, complete with a huge temple and a village of loyal worshipers. Treasure-seeking adventurers are likely to get more than they bargained for if they tangle with the beings. While they are not especially generally fond of western fae or nunnehi, kioh-lung recognize respect when it is given and protect honorable eastern fae with a vengeance, as some of these fae likely are their descendants.
Stats
Attributes: Strength 5, Dexterity 8, Stamina 4, Charisma 6, Manipulation 3, Appearance 4, Perception 4, Intelligence 6, Wits 4
Glamour: 10
Willpower: 9
Health Levels: OK (x4), -1 (x4), -2 (x4), -5 (x5)
Attack: Bite/7 dice, Claw/5 dice, Tail/4 dice
Talents: Alertness 4, Athletics 3, Brawl 5, Dodge 4, Dream-Lore 4, Enigmas 4, Etiquette 2, Intimidation 3, Kenning 3, Leadership 4, Lore (Chinese) 6
Redes: Armor (4 points), Dreamform (can become solid at will; costs 3 Glamour to shift between solid and Dreamform), Enchantment, Flight, Glamour Pact, Gulp, Shape Shife (most often humans; dragons must be in solid form when shapeshifting)
References
- CTD: Dreams and Nightmares, p. 111