Dragotha

Beyond to the lair of Dragotha, the undead dragon where fabulous riches and hideous death await. - Note on a map

In the shadow of fabled White Plume Mountain lies a dismal land, a blighted place of gnarled trees, bone fields, and roaming, hungry undead. The foul taint staining this region originates in the lair of a loathsome creature whose name inspires terror in even the boldest of heroes: Dragotha, the Death Dragon.

Little remains of Dragotha’s flesh to indicate that this undead horror was once a red dragon. Twin horns snake from the back of his skull; smaller ones are blackened by flame, cracked, splintered, or missing altogether, leaving dark holes that now hold only burrowing parasites. Tattered mem-branes clothe his wings while mummified tissue clings to his tail and massive rib cage. Webs hang from his frame while bright green maggots squirm in his joints. If the presence of this massive skeletal dragon were not enough, Dragotha’s baleful blue stare radiates all the malice and evil that fuels this undead monstrosity. To behold him is to see death.

Spurned Lover. Ages ago, Dragotha was a celebrated consort of Tiamat, a mighty red dragon chosen for his strength and cunning, as well as unswerving loyalty to his mistress. He was dutiful and felt an earnest affection for the goddess, sparing him her wrath far longer than any other consort. For all the Dark Lady doted on Dragotha, though, he had little protection from ambitious dragons that craved his vaunted position. Through his long years, he squared off against numerous dragon ascendants, each more powerful than the last.

Dragotha’s fall came when a vicious dragon challenged him. He dealt with the upstart as he had others, tearing out its throat and devouring its heart. Unknown to him, his rival was the son of Tiamat, whose death enraged his mistress. Realizing his doom was at hand, Dragotha fled Tiamat’s realm to find refuge in the mortal world. Even far from cruel talons of his former lover, he knew her servants would find him—and when they did, they would kill him.

The Age of Worms. Dragotha sought out a powerful priest of the death god, a vile human named Kyuss, who promised immortality in exchange for the dragon’s service. Dragotha agreed, and not long afterward, Tiamat’s spawn indeed descended on the dragon and killed him. As Dragotha lay, broken and dying, Kyuss made good on his vow. Instead of restoring him to life, however, Kyuss transformed Dragotha into a terrifying dracolich.

Dragotha masqueraded as a loyal servant, taking part in a convoluted scheme intended to grant Kyuss true godhood. Though it led the Worm that Walks to believe that its service was genuine, Dragotha sought only to grow close enough to Kyuss to slay the vile priest. The plot failed, and Dragotha withdrew to a hidden cave, contaminating the lands around. Hoarding treasures in the endless depths, the great monster rarely stirs these days.

Unholy War. Dragotha ventures out once every century or so to spend his fury on whomever he can find. He does not venture out often, for he does not wish to draw unwanted attention. His influence across the world is thus small, though his ultimate plans are of mighty and merciless revenge against the beings he despises above all others: Tiamat, the Queen of Dragons, and Kyuss, the Worm That Walks. The former is a goddess; the latter an undead priest of horrific might, not yet a god but very nearly as potent. Both granted Dragotha great power, great authority—and both ultimately betrayed him, leading him to his current, abhorrent state. Many of Dragotha’s current schemes are devoted to wreaking horrible vengeance upon those who turned on him—and yet the undead dragon is nothing if not cunning and oh, so patient. Lately, Dragotha has contemplated turning the followers of Tiamat and Kyuss against each other, but as yet hasn’t come up with a viable way of going about it.

Dragotha's Minions. Such is Dragotha’s reputation that this dracolich has acquired misguided cultists who erect shrines in the wreckage of his domain. Since the undead dragon rarely has use for living servants, these feckless acolytes often receive the curse of undeath as their reward for constant service.

Dragotha collects trivial bits of information from captives (apparently for his own curiosity) before slaying them and using their skeletons to serve his needs. A humanoid or giant slain by Dragotha's Death Wind is changed by Dragotha into an undead warrior, known in legend as a drakanman.

Dragotha's control over his drakanmen allows him to select one of his individual drakenmen within one mile and sense whatever that drakanman senses, as if it were a familiar.

One of Dragotha's favorite tricks is to place his drakanmen in positions whereby they not only frighten away potential looters but also serve as spies.

Dragotha finds it difficult to control more than a few dozen drakanmen at a time. The excess undead are given one last command in his soft, lisping whisper and sent away:

"Go back from whence ye came and kill all that ye see."

The ruler of the land south of Dragotha's lair was rumored to have once sent a hundred goblins to test his neighbor. Dragotha sent them back as drakanmen that caused him much regret.