Athasian Drake

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Athasian Drakes are a collection of eight large dragon-like reptilian beasts found in the Dungeons & Dragons setting of Athas. Originally from the Elemental Planes, their size, ferocity and affinity for psionics has allowed them to largely take the role normally seen by dragons on the blasted world of Athas, which is otherwise lacking in dragons - or at least in natural-born dragons.

The four Athasian Drakes, also known as Elemental Drakes, were introduced in the first Dark Sun Monstrous Compendium Appendix; "Terrors of the Desert". The four Lesser Drakes, sometimes known to fans as "Paraelemental Drakes", were introduced in the second appendix; "Terrors Beyond Tyr".

Despite their formidable powers, the vast majority of Athasian drakes are little more than animals, with the sole exceptions being the rain and sun drakes. Still, this lack of higher intelligence in no way prevents Athasian drakes from being filled with natural cunning and ferocity, and they are widely considered second only to the Dragon of Tyr as the most terrible and deadly monsters to roam the Tablelands.

Athasian drake hides can be used to produce borderline magical armors, much like those of dragons. Their teeth, claws and blood are also much in demand as sorcerous or psionic reagents, and the Sorcerer-Kings have made trade in drake parts illegal, punishable by death, in order to secure the monopoly on them. Weirdly, lesser drake parts are not illegal to traffic in, but the risk of being confused for "true" drake parts and executed keeps most non-elves from trying.

Dark Sun fans decided to take the similarity of Athasian drakes to the extreme in the Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition netbook "Terrors of Athas", which introduces the concept of Half-Drakes, the Athasian counterpart to Half-Dragons. These creatures are extremely rare, largely because most Athasian drakes would soon eat a human than have sex with one, but they do exist, largely because of perverse breeding experiments conducted by deranged mages or particularly crazy elemental priests who deliberately seek to mate with Athasian drakes to produce holy champions for their faith.

Half-drakes, like their half-dragon counterparts, resemble the "base creature" with physical traits from their drake parent; scales or sleek hide, elongated features, exaggerated teeth and claws, and eyes like burning embers, glittering gems, shifting waters, or the sun itself. Some breeds possess diaphanous wings, vestigial tails or even spines and fluted crests atop the head.

Air Drake

Longest and leanest of the four "greater" Athasian drakes, air drakes spend most oftheir time soaring through the skies. They maintain a network of "safeholds" scattered across their vast territories, in which their few treasures are stored.

Earth Drake

Squat and toadish in build, with craggy scales that allow it to blend into its rocky environs of choice, the earth drake is widely regarded as one of the physically strongest drakes. They have a vicious hostility for all kinds of permanent structures and will travel for miles to lay waste to any mind of settlement.

Fire Drake

Widely regarded as the most evil and malicious of the Athasian drakes, fire drakes are still only bestial in intelligence, but are smart enough to have a distinct sadistic nature. They are the only Athasian drake species with a bipedal bodily configuration.

Magma Drake

Looking more like a giant caterpiller or centipede than a lizard, magma drakes are only found in areas of volcanic activity. They're actually smarter than any of the "greater" drakes, but still quite dumb (Int 5-7 vs their Int 2-4).

Rain Drake

Looking like a cross between a giant lizard and an eel, rain drakes need to keep their skins moist in order to survive, which forces them to remain in permanent water sources or in the last swamps and rainforests of the Tablelands. They are the second-smartest of all Athasian drakes, with an Int score of 10.

Silt Drake

Resembling a giant chitinous serpent, silt drakes are found, as the name suggests, in the Sea of Silt. Like the Magma Drakes, they are the dumbest of the "Lesser Athasian Drakes", but still notably smarter than air, earth, fire or water drakes.

Sun Drake

With large, curved wing-membranes that give it an almost circular appearance when in flight, sun drakes have been mistaken for phoenixes. They are the most powerful of the "lesser" Athasian drakes, and with a 13 Intelligence, are hands-down the smartest of all of their kind.

Water Drake

With a serpentine yet qaudrupedal bodily configuration, water drakes despise humanoids for what defiling has done to Athas' water supply, and are only found near permanent bodies of water.