Alpachaleone (Adult Crystal Dragon)

Alpachaleone is an unusual crystal dragon, having traveled far and wide with his friend Tymerius, the archmage, and as such he has developed some traits and abilities that may not be typical of crystal dragons.

Crystal dragons are the friendliest of the gem dragons, and although he is not a typical member of his species, Alpachaleone is no exception. They are always curious about the world, so they enthusiastically converse with willing visitors.

A wyrmling crystal dragon’s scales are glossy white. As it ages, its scales become translucent. Moonlight and starlight cause them to luminesce, and full sunlight lends them a dazzling brilliance.

Conversationalists. A crystal dragon rarely instigates a fight without cause. If a visitor is intriguing or seems friendly, the dragon attempts a conversation (which inevitably activates Alpachaleone’s enthralling raconteur ability); otherwise it tries to avoid a meeting. If visitors dare to attack, however, a crystal dragon does not hesitate to respond in kind. It often uses its breath weapon first to weaken and blind foes, then pushes them away with a burst of air, and then takes to the air to make use of its psionic abilities or frightful presence.

Creatures of Wind and Ice. Generally, crystal dragons prefer to live on the Elemental Plane of Air, but they sometimes build incredible ice palaces atop high, cold mountain peaks on the Material Plane, where they can watch the stars and create sculptures out of ice and snow.

Rivals and Foster Wyrmlings. White dragons and crystal dragons sometimes come into conflict. Crystal dragons have been known to make off with white dragon eggs, possibly to foster the white wyrmlings and help them grow into friendlier dragons than they would otherwise become. Such white dragons are extremely rare, however.

Crystal dragons tend to bear great enmity toward any local giants, since the latter occasionally join forces with white dragons to hunt for crystal dragon lairs or wyrmling.

Gem Dragons

While the metallic dragons follow Bahamut and the chromatic ones owe fealty to Tiamat, the gem dragons are disciples of the enigmatic ruby dragon Sardior. Gem dragons include amethyst, crystal, emerald, sapphire, and topaz dragons.

Reclusive Sentinels. Gem dragons set themselves apart from the affairs of other beings, even their own kind. They search out lairs far from established populations which they can tend in solitude, or so they can carefully cultivate a circle of servants or vassals to tend their interests in the surrounding region.

Gem dragons break their natural inclination to solitude to mate and protect their clutches of eggs, but rarely for any other reason.

Charismatic and Suave. Despite their isolationist tendencies, when gem dragons do interact with other creatures, they can be scintillating hosts and conversationalists. They have a way with making their guests feel at home and relaxed, such that the dragons can often convince a guest of ideas they would never ordinarily entertain.

Powerful Minds. Gem dragons are all inherently psionic creatures. They develop telepathic abilities shortly after hatching—sometimes even before—that grow in strength as they age. Some hone these mental powers further, manifesting powerful magical abilities through their minds.

These psychically adept dragons often find themselves at odds with aberrations, particularly mind flayers and aboleths. The gem dragons are skilled at locating areas where the Far Realm intrudes upon the Material Plane and set themselves against the alien creatures spawned or twisted in such places.

Sovereign of Gem Dragons. Of all the gem dragons, the unique ruby dragon, Sardior, is the greatest. He is the king of the gem dragons, and dwells in a floating castle carved of ruby and red gold. His ruby citadel flies far above the surface of the world, always in the night sky. When glimpsed, it crosses the sky like a crimson star, invading the constellations wheeling slowly overhead.

Sardior is attended in his hold by a council of five, composed of witheringly powerful ancient dragons of each of the gem dragon kinds.

Alpachaleone’s Lair

With the archmage's blessing, Alpachaleone has chosen to use the top four floors of Tymerius' sapphire tower on the Elemental Plane of Air as his lair.

The lair is a large and sprawling complex, with dazzling crystal walls, beautiful ice sculptures throughout, and a huge transparent crystal ceiling on the uppermost layer, allowing Alpachaleone an unrivaled view of the Plane. 

Besides the observatory and the massive treasure chamber on the top two floors of his lair, Alpachaleone's pride and joy is his huge cedar wood library, where he has collected scrolls and tomes across the multiverse recounting the most fascinating stories of heroes and villains throughout the cosmos.

Lair Actions

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

• The dragon targets a creature within 120 feet of it that can hear and understand it. The creature must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by the dragon until initiative count 20 on the following round. A creature charmed in this way obeys to the best of its ability any command the dragon issues that isn’t directly harmful to itself.
• The dragon touches a section of crystal up to 10 feet in any dimension. The dragon can form the crystal into any shape that suits its purpose.
• A wall of wind springs into existence on a solid surface within 120 feet of the dragon. The wall is up to 50 feet long, 15 feet high, and 1 foot thick. When the wall appears, each creature within its area must make a DC 15 Strength saving throw. A creature takes 13 (3d8) bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The strong wind keeps fog, smoke, and other gases at bay. Small or smaller flying creatures or objects can't pass through the wall. Loose, lightweight materials brought into the wall fly upward. Arrows, bolts, and other ordinary projectiles launched at targets behind the wall are deflected upward and automatically miss. (Boulders hurled by giants or siege engines, and similar projectiles, are unaffected.) Creatures in gaseous form can't pass through it. The wall vanishes when the dragon uses this lair action again or when the dragon dies.

Regional Effects

The region surrounding a legendary crystal dragon’s lair is warped by the dragon’s magic, which creates one or more of the following effects:

• The dragon's recollection of past stories are carried on the winds within 6 miles of the lair, and creatures will often hear whispered fragments of tales of daring heroes and terrible villains as they travel through the region.
• Natural stone and rocks within 6 miles of the lair becomes translucent and white, and tend to glow in moonlight and starlight, and have a dazzling, sparkly appearance in daylight.
• The very air within 6 miles of the lair becomes a conduit for the dragon’s psionic presence. As an action, the dragon can cast the clairvoyance spell, requiring no components, targeting any area in that region where the wind is free to blow.