Deep-Forest Dragons, also known as Sylvan Dragons, Woodland Dragons, Greater Tree Dragons or simply Forest Dragons, are a unique subspecies of Dragon, distinct from any other species and stand outside of any of the usual classifications of metallic/chromatic/gem/ferrous dragons.

On first glance, a Deep-Forest Dragon might be mistaken by the uneducated for the far more widely spread Green but upon a closer glace, the differences become very apparent. Their scales are a deeper, richer tone of green, they lack the Greens signature head crest and Crocodilian snout. Their long, slender head, with their pointed snout, whose tip is reinforced with bony, hooked plates, is instead crowned with a set of large antlers. These antlers are, beside the dragons size, a very reliable indicator of the dragons age, as they do not get replaced every year as are those of an elk or a stag. Both their belly and their spine are covered in thick plates of interlocking, organic armour with short spikes potruding from their neck. The end of their long tail sports a row of long, hard and pointy spines, that are connected by a thick membrane similar to that of their wings, to form what is, in essence, a tail flap, which helps them in aerial and aquatic locomotion. Their ability to swim is further by webbing between their toes. Lastly, it has been observed that both the webbing of their tails as well as their wing membranes have slight chameleonic properties and the Dragons will change the pattern of these shin sections depending on their mood and surroundings.

These dragons inhabit the worlds deepest wildlands, woods that have existed for longer than many races of the prime material world and touched by no civilisations other than maybe those of the Elves, the Fey or the Sylvans. They are themselves often unimaginably old, for their very life is intertwined with the energies of their home, making them able to live for as long as 20 000 years. As such, they guard and protect it from any who would seek to harm or corrupt it as the first and greatest of it's wardens. They can also frequently be found in the Feywild and the outer planes of Arboria and Ysgard.

Deep-Forest Dragons are calm and good natured creatures, generally of a more peaceful temperament and would generally prefer to solve problems peacefully instead of using violence. This does not mean however, that they are incapable of violence, quite the contrary in fact. The rage of such a beast is terrible to behold and very few creatures are capable of withstanding it. Despite their size and being primarily carnivours, they need far less food than a creature such as it would require, it's primary scource of nourishment being wild animals and the energy its body naturally absorbs from the natural ambiant magic of the world around it. They do, by principle, not kill sapient creatures, as they find it supremely distasteful. In their interactions with humanoids they have shown themselves to be quite curious and young adult Tree Wyrms traveling around  the world in the guise of elves before they find a forest of their own are nothing out of the ordinary. Woodland Dragons are monogamous creatures, remaining true to one partner for their entire lives and rear small families. They lay eggs only once every few millenia and even then only 2-5 at a time. The young wyrmlings are then raised with great care and affection until adulthood, when the younglings either go forth into the world to settle in a different forest or remain to take over their parents realm upon them returning to the earth. When a Sylvan Dragon dies of old age, after previously having consumed 100000 gp worth of its hoard, its concious either becomes one with the forest around it, taking on an aspect similar to a minor deiety within its former realm or passes on to the outer planes. Upon death, a Deep-Forest Dragons body petrifies rapidly, sprouting a wide variety of plants while parts of it turn into wood and become magnificient trees.

A Greater Tree Dragons hoard is composed of a wide variety of treasure, but especially of elven, fey and sylvan creation. Elven art and wraponry, gems cut by the hands of alves, garments and fine silks sewn and spun by the hands of a fae artisan, a bow carved by a dryad from the wood of her own tree and many more such marvels are collected by them and put on display in a space the dragon created for that explicit purpose, where it and those it deemed worth can behold these treasures. Whilst not particularly fond of coin, precious metals and most gems when not fashioned into something of artistic value, there a two precious stones they do treasure and desire, those being jade and emerald. In aquiring their hoard, these dragons go about it several ways. One avenue for them is to amass wealth during their wandering days, keeping what they like for themselves and trading the rest for things they desire. Another is to offer their help to those that call the lands surrounding their realm home, wether they are peasants whom it can grant rich harvests or allow select hunters to stalk the forests they protect, traders whishing to travel safely or kings and other rulers who require the wisdom of a creature as ancient and wise as a thousands of years old dragon. Lastly, many an elven Lord, Forest Gnome mayor or Arch Druid would like nothing more than to settle in or near a forest that is capable of housing a Sylvan Dragon and the dragon, in exchange for gifts and offerings, shares its forest with them, under the condition they respect the dragons laws and refrain from taking mire than they must from the forest.

In stark contrast to the Green Dragons that choose similar habitats, the Woodland Dragons are not overly territorial creatures. Many other of the worlds mystical forest dwellers, such as nyphs, sylphs, dryads, satyrs, pixies and the like, peacefully share the places they roam with the Great Tree Wyrms. Even the most vicious forest dwellers, like Fell Dryads, Greater Treemen, Shambling Mounds and similar creatures (even the elusive Amber Dragons), peacefully coexist with these Dragons, rather than risking to antagonise them and bring their wrath upon them. As such, it is not rare for the Deep-Forest Dragon to call other monsters to it's aid in battle.

In battle, these true dragons are just as dangerous as their chromatic and metallic kin. Whilst their bodies are not the most physically powerful amongst true dragon-kind and their mental prowess is quite considerable, it is their dexterity and speed that are truly awe-inspireing. Those who have survived combat with one of these wyrms have reported that they moved far beyond a speed that something of it's size should have any rigth to. The Deep-Forest Dragon typically preferres to fight using its claws, but will also eploy its venomous fans and the sharp spines on its tail to defeat its foes. Similar to the metallic dragons, the Woodland Dragons possess two distinct breath weapons. One is a cloud of highly volatile gas, a more potent form of what is known as mustard gas, that attacks exposed skin, burns the throat and lungs and with longer exposure can even blind a victim. The other is a concentrated beam of solar energy, the magic that runs through the veins of a forest channeled, focused and amplified into a scorching ray of blinding light.

Important to note is also, that these Dragons are so imbued with the elemental forces of nature, that they are all innate spellcasters. And whilst wyrmlings are unable to utilize this power, the older a Sylvan Dragon gets, the more potent a spellcaster it becomes. Many a Druid, Cleric of Natur or Paladin of the Ancients has made the long journey to the forest domicile of an Ancient Deep-Forest Dragon in order to study its ancient wisdom and receive tutelage under their watchful gaze.

The lair of a Deep-Forest Dragon is a place that very few mortals have ever seen, as they are hidden away, far away from the safe halls of human civilisation. Their lairs can be found at the very heart of their primordial forests and take different forms, such as an enchanting grove of massive trees, an abandoned elven shrine or hold, the hollow heart of a titanic Oak or a mystical glade, inhabited and frequented by fey and sylvan creatures. A Deep-Forest Dragons lair is a place of unearthly beauty and serenity, where arcane energies suffuse the very earth, the lifeforce of the forest brings forth the most awesome displays of natural life and where the material plane brings forth beauty only known from the plane of the Fae.

Lair Actions

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the Deep-Forest Dragon takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the Deep-Forest Dragon can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:

- Grasping roots and vines erupt in a 20-foot radius centered on a point on the ground that the dragon can see within 120 feet of it. That area becomes difficult terrain, and each creature there must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be restrained by the roots and vines. A creature can be freed if it or another creature takes an action to make a DC 15 Strength check and succeeds. The roots and vines wilt away when the dragon uses this lair action again or when the dragon dies

- The dragon chooses 3 5-foot-squares of unoccupied space on the ground that it can see within range. A Medium hand made from compacted soil rises there and reaches for one creature it can see within 5 feet of it. The target must make a DC 18 Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 4d6 bludgeoning damage and is restrained for the next two turns.

On the restrained creatures next turn, the dragon can cause the hand to crush the restrained target, who must make a DC 18 Strength saving throw. It takes 2d6 bludgeoning damage on a failed save. On a success, the target escapes and is no longer restrained by the hand

Regional Effects

The region containing a legendary Deep-Forest Dragons’s lair is infused with it's magical energies, which creates one or more of the following effects.

- Within 1 mile of its lair, the dragon leaves no physical evidence of its passage unless it wishes to. Tracking it there is impossible except by magical means. In addition, it ignores movement impediments and damage from plants in this area that are neither magical nor creatures, including the thickets described above. The plants remove themselves from the dragon’s path.

- The land within 6 miles of the lair takes twice as long as normal to traverse, unless the dragon whishes for it to be otherwise, since the plants grow thick, the animals of the forest will try to impede the intruders way, deep fog spontaneously springs up out of nowhere and encounters with hostile creatures becomes more frequent.

- Whenever a creature with an Intelligence of 3 or higher comes within 30 feet of a larger tree within 3 miles of the dragon’s lair, the dragon becomes aware of the creature’s presence and location

If the Deep-Forest Dragon dies by violence, the thick plant growth remains, all other effects fade over the course of 2d20 days.