Hit Point Press
Zethandriel
Loyal rhododendron dragons form lifelong bonds with those they protect.
The Tale of Helia and the Rhododendron Dragon
Rhododendron dragons arose from a pack of azalea dragons who allied with an elvish kingdom. Separated from her pack by a snowstorm, an azalea dragon called Cayn struggled alone in the cold when an elvish princess named Helia found her. In the depths of winter, Helia carried the dragon across the icy plain to her castle. There, she cared for Cayn, who was near death.
In return, once she had recovered her strength, Cayn protected Helia’s life from a rival pack of azalea dragons, who set upon her as she foraged for frost-hardy herbs. The two swore an oath of alliance and friendship, breaking the azalea dragons’ taboo against befriending humanoids.
Though Cayn tried to convince her pack of Helia’s goodness, not all were swayed. The pack split, with some following Cayn and others remaining in the wild. Cayn’s new pack lived alongside Helia and her people, swearing a pledge of loyalty to them. This bond counterbalanced the azalea dragon’s wild magic and changed their forms forever, transforming them from azalea dragons into rhododendron dragons. To this day, the descendants of Cayn’s pack believe that this is a sign that the spirit of Haskra the Wolf Tree wants them to let go of her ancient grudge against humanoids.
Caption
Fig. 1 A standoff between a rhododendron dragon and an azalea dragon.
Physiology
Rhododendron dragons resemble azalea dragons but have bulkier bodies, with sturdy limbs and tails covered in large protective scales. Though not as nimble as their azalea dragon cousins, they have powerful claws and strong jaws. Blooms in shades of red, pink, purple, yellow, or orange cover their necks and heads like a mane, and flower at the base of their tails. These flowers have thick petals that are as tough as leather, granting the dragon extra protection.
Rhododendron dragons are taller than azalea dragons, standing around 4 feet at the shoulder and measuring 5 feet from nose to tail. Rhododendron dragons also mature much more slowly, taking 5 years from hatching to reach adulthood. During this time, wyrmlings require care and supervision, as the dragons’ time spent living in partnership with humanoids has lessened their wild instincts. Once fully grown, rhododendron dragons usually live to be about 50 years old.
Like azalea dragons, adult rhododendron dragons are intelligent and able to speak and learn languages. Most rhododendron dragons learn Draconic as well as a language spoken by the humanoids they live alongside.
In the centuries since the emergence of rhododendron dragons, packs have spread far and wide, forging new alliances with a few humanoid settlements. The oldest of these covenants exists with the ancient elvish city where Princess Helia and Cayn first swore their oath. Packs that can’t ally with humanoids must fend for themselves in the wild. If a wild pack survives, it begins to act more like a pack of azalea dragons. Though they retain their physiology, these feral rhododendron dragons eventually become just as distrustful of humanoids as any other wild creature.
Zethandriel
Since I’m now an official scholar of floral dragons, I suppose I should tell you about the ones I know best. Rhododendron dragons, or “rhodos” for short, are cousins to azalea dragons, but the two don’t get along.
Rhodos treat their wild cousins with a grudging respect, and won’t hurt them if they can frighten them off instead. Such standoffs can be tense, though, and can turn violent in an instant.
Habitat
Though they are hardier and can tolerate the cold better than azalea dragons, rhododendron dragons prefer warm climates. They also rely on pollinators that live in hotter temperatures to help them keep their flowers healthy. Rhododendron dragons don’t share the azalea dragon’s love of toxic vespon honey, but their flowers still produce the nectar vespons use to make it. This honey is less potent than that produced by nectar from azalea dragons, and it is not as highly prized by alchemists.
Usually, packs of rhododendron dragons are found in protected groves within a city’s walls or in enclosures made to deter wyrmlings from straying too far from the safety of their home. In order to ally with a pack of rhododendron dragons, a humanoid settlement must swear an oath with the dragons, binding each to the defense of the other. Packs that fail to uphold their duty to defend a settlement risk being driven out, while settlements that treat their rhododendron dragons poorly risk being abandoned. Wherever successful rhododendron dragon and humanoid partnerships exist, both groups thrive.
Rhododendron dragons don’t get along with their azalea dragon cousins, primarily because they see themselves as a bridge between humanoids and floral dragons. They believe that azalea dragons are restricted by tradition and that Haskra the Wolf Tree, their mutual ancestor, never intended for the feud between dragons and humanoids to last forever.
Rhododendrons are fiercely protective of their kin and their humanoid companions. Often these dragons come to despise malicious or ill-tempered dragons who would harm those they are sworn to guard. Relationships rarely form between rhododendron dragons and other species of dragon, but they are friendly with dragons that also live among humanoid settlements, such as amaranth dragons, water lily dragons, and lamium dragons.
Zethandriel
Ardral was so excited when I asked her to come with Kaltaar, Izora, Amina, and me that she needed some extra playtime to burn off all her excess energy!
Rhodos need lots of care and attention, but, if you ask me, it’s all worth it. I don’t know how folk outside of the city will react to seeing Ardral, though.
Many floral dragons are reclusive, and they’re often dangerous, but I’m sure there must be more friendly ones like Ardral out there somewhere.
Caption
Fig. 2 Me and my rhododendron dragon companion, Ardral.
Behavior
Fiercely loyal, rhododendron dragons are highly social creatures who require lots of love and care from those around them to grow into healthy adults. Rhododendron dragons tend to form deep friendships and can form lifelong companionships with individual humanoids. Such a relationship can be formalized in a ceremony that harkens back to the bond forged between Cayn and Helia, traditionally performed by both the leader of a rhododendron pack and the leader of a humanoid settlement.
Caption
Fig. 3 A rhododendron dragon chasing
a blooming of dandelion dragons.
Companions bonded in this way are sworn to protect and care for each other. While it can be challenging for an individual rhododendron dragon to balance their duties to their pack, the settlement they are bound to protect, and their sworn companions, the bond between a rhododendron dragon and their companion is seen as sacred.
Rhododendron dragons usually mate once every five years in early spring, and their young hatch in mid-summer. The new brood of wyrmlings are tended by humanoids and pack members together, who both teach the dragons about the world and help them find their place within it. Rhododendron dragon wyrmlings are stubborn and naive, but they are also loyal and courageous. When properly nurtured, they are fierce allies. Full grown rhododendron dragons warn their companions of danger with their roars, defend with their powerful bites, and assist with farming, transportation, and construction efforts with their impressive brawn.
Zethandriel
Rhodos are curious and playful to a fault, and when they’re young they don’t yet know what’s safe and what isn’t.
While chasing dandelion dragons might seem harmless, my sister’s companion rhodo found out the hard way that it’s not wise to follow them back to their nest. He came howling back, covered with bites. I suppose it’s a lesson he won’t soon forget!
Personality Traits
Rhododendron Dragon Personality Traits
| d8 | Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I have an abundance of energy and am always ready for playtime. |
| 2 | I’m curious about the world outside of my home. |
| 3 | I roar when I hear anything suspicious. |
| 4 | I’ll eat anything that smells interesting, even if I’m not supposed to. |
| 5 | I like to smell people first before I can trust them. |
| 6 | I am very affectionate and show my love with licks. |
| 7 | I don’t trust strangers and take time to warm up to people I don’t know. |
| 8 | There’s nothing I like better than head scritches. |
Motivations
Rhododendron Dragon Motivations
| d6 | Motivation |
|---|---|
| 1 | With their last breath, my companion made a wish, and I will fulfill it even if it destroys me |
| 2 | I want to see the world and bring what I learn back to my community. |
| 3 | I ran away from a companion who mistreated me, and I don’t want to return |
| 4 | I want to find a settlement that will ally with my pack. |
| 5 | I have been sent to retrieve a magical item stolen from my community. |
| 6 | My companion has been petrified, and I seek the cure. |
Adventure Hooks
Here are ways to include rhododendron dragons in your game.
| d4 | Adventure Hook |
|---|---|
| 1 | A lone rhododendron dragon, the only survivor from a nearby community, is badly injured and has come to warn of an impending dragon attack. |
| 2 | A rhododendron dragon is sworn to protect the ruins of its long-dead companion’s keep and the powerful artifact concealed within it. |
| 3 | An abnormal winter storm has left a pack of feral rhododendron dragons desperate, and they are attacking humanoids who hunt in their woods. |
| 4 | A pack of rhododendron dragons has arrived at a local settlement seeking an alliance, but the leaders are fearful of the outcomes of allying with dragons. |
