Level 5 - Dragon Hatchery
Read the following upon entry:
Warm, heavy air clings to your skin as you enter the chamber. The walls are wrapped in steaming metal pipes, many hissing softly with heat. At the center of the room lies a carefully woven nest of hay, wires, and arcane tubing. Three large eggs, each glowing softly, rest in its heart.
To one side, you see a small, dusty play area: broken toys, a worn stuffed hippogriff, and a child-sized bed preserved beneath a transparent dome of protective magic.
At the end of the stairwell to the next level:
A plain, stone archway marks the only exit. It has no handle, only a narrow keyhole. The key, however, is nowhere in sight.
Journal Fragments (Found in Desk Drawer or Metal Chest)
Among decaying paper and fading scribblings, you can make out a few sentences from the journal fragments.
Page 1
“The muggle necro-work reanimates tissue. Nothing more. Empty bodies, vacant motion. No spark.”
“The lecture hall isn’t worth the energy. They fear what they don't understand. I’m wasting time shielding them from the truth.”Page 2
“The dragons are showing promise. Smaller, responsive, more stable than I'd hoped.”
“Flight won’t emerge until roughly one month of accelerated development.”
“One of the Opaleyes took the access key again. Luckily I have a spare.”
“Current limitation: lifespan. They begin to fade after one year. Tissue degradation is rapid, consistent. Magical reinforcement fails. Still searching for a solution. She deserves a companion that lasts.”
Page 3
“She used to ask for a dragon. A small one. With wings, and a golden tail. To thing I thought the idea absurd.”
“She would've loved these.”
Key to Next Level
The key to the next level, the Level 6 - Seylon's Suite, was taken long ago by a hatchling and dropped on top of a high pipe ledge. The party cannot reach it by normal means, and Perception checks won’t spot it from the ground. Only a flying creature can reach it. The hatchlings will automatically find it and present it to the party when they've reached one month of age (when they learn to fly).
Mini-Dragons
If the players touch one of the eggs that contains a dragon, it hatches.
| Type | Personality | Egg |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese Fireball | Bold, playful, chaos-seeking | Red egg towards bottom |
| Antipodean Opaleye | Shy, gentle, light-seeking | White egg at north side |
| Hungarian Horntail | Proud, temperamental, stubborn | Black egg towards bottom |
If the players touch one of the other eggs, a random effect occrus:
| 1d4 | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | A Grick hatches and attacks the party |
| 2 | A poison cloud bursts from the egg. Everyone within 5 feet must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or take 2d4 poison damage. |
| 3 | The egg melts into Ochre Jelly and attacks the party |
| 4 | The egg cracks open, empty. |
Mischief & Maintenance
The following are some of the minor things the party might have to deal with when they visit the dragons:
- Poop Where They Please: The dragon poops constantly. Not harmful, but smelly, steamy, and mildly acidic. Clean it up... or it might eat through something important.
- Chews on Magic Items: Has a strange obsession with enchanted gear. Tries to chew a wand, scroll, or potion vial. Roll a die or require a DC 15 Dex save to stop it in time.
- Stashes Shiny Objects: Steals small shiny items and hides them—possibly including quest items, keys, or party loot. Investigation DC 14 to find.
- Jealous of Party Members: Becomes extremely possessive of the first PC it bonds with and gets hostile toward others who interact with them. Growls, blocks, or ignites minor sparks.
- Aggressive Toward Other Dragons: Bickers, hisses, or straight-up wrestles other hatchlings for dominance. May knock over objects or cause breath weapon discharges.