Metallic dragons are the dragon lineage associated with Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon God and King of Dragons. Their scales reflect the metals for which they are named: gold, silver, bronze, copper, and brass, with the unique Mercury Dragon representing the lineage in the region of Videha. Metallic dragons tend toward wisdom and benevolence, though individual temperaments vary, and their culture is shaped by a deep orientation toward justice, cosmic balance, and the protection of mortal civilizations.
Relationship with Bahamut
Where chromatic dragons maintain allegiance to Tiamat in Avernus, metallic dragons look to Bahamut as their divine exemplar. In the southern reaches of Rolara, the Temples of Bahamut preserve his worship, and the faithful hold an unwavering belief that dragons will return. This belief has persisted for over 1,500 years since the Extinguishment of the Stars of Power, surviving the long silence as a binding article of faith across generations.
Bahamut’s virtues of justice, compassion, courage, wisdom, and purity serve as the cultural north star for metallic dragon society, though the degree to which individual dragons embody these ideals varies considerably.
The Great Exodus and Return
During the Age of Wonders, metallic dragons were prominent figures in Rolara’s civilizations. Warned by Ketenem, the Bronze Dragon God and primary Aspect of Shanlung, of an impending cataclysm, the dragons of Rolara departed the world before the Stars of Power were extinguished. Their absence lasted 1,526 years.
With the reignition of the Stars, metallic dragons have begun returning to their ancestral territories. The Mercury Dragons of Videha were among the first confirmed returnees, their reappearance sparking a resurgence in the worship of Vritra. The extent to which other metallic dragon varieties have returned remains a subject of scholarly observation and debate.
Cultural Traits
Metallic dragons are generally more inclined than their chromatic kin to engage constructively with mortal societies, serving as advisors, protectors, or patrons rather than overlords. This disposition is not universal, however, and individual metallic dragons may be reclusive, territorial, or indifferent to mortal affairs.
Their hoards tend to reflect intellectual and aesthetic values alongside material wealth, with libraries, maps, magical instruments, and works of art valued alongside precious metals and gems. Knowledge-sharing between metallic dragons and mortal scholars is more common than with other dragon lineages, though such exchanges are typically conducted on the dragon’s terms.