Hidecarved Dragon

"Yet the peace was short-lived. The Chromatic Dragon Queen and her evil brood eventually set their sights on me, but little did I know that an even greater catastrophe lay in wait..." "On that day, the sky was blotted out by the frantic wings of evil chromatic dragons. Blood stained the earth. My allies, my mate, my children fell before my eyes, one after another. The vile dragons sought to slaughter the city, and all I could do was watch, helpless and in utter despair. "It was then that a voice whispered in my ear. Pitch-black sludge welled up from beneath the earth, and a chaotic, disorderly, yet overwhelmingly powerful force enveloped me. The voice told me that if I accepted this power, I could take my vengeance and stop the chromatic dragons' rampage." Beatrice watched her fellow gold dragon, whose visage involuntarily betrayed indignation and grief, and asked in a low, heavy voice, "So... you chose to accept it?" Titus wore a bitter expression. He did not answer directly, but merely continued his tale. "That abyssal balefire burned my enemies to ash, but I knew I had already become steeped in sin. Before long, there would be little difference between myself and the very things I once loathed. "I knew that I was no longer worthy to face my kin or friends, no longer worthy to enter Mount Celestia, and certainly not worthy to stand before Lord Bahamut. My body may appear whole, yet within me surges the vilest, most chaotic flame of the Abyss." *Whoosh—* As he spoke, another plume of pitch-black flames erupted from the gold dragon's back. Titus let out a pained groan, but he forcibly suppressed it, straining to speak. "And so, I exiled myself to the Astral Plane, sealing my body in a place where time stood still, for who knows how long. "Until one day, after uncounted ages, the seal began to fail. Even then, I chose not to return to my original world, but instead came to this unfamiliar Material Plane of Elezerg, seeking a new path." By this point, Beatrice's face was filled with pity and sorrow. She now had complete faith in 'Titus's' words. The despair radiating from him moved her deeply, and the apocalyptic scene Titus had painted surfaced in her mind, replaying again and again. By all normal reasoning, how could a noble, benevolent gold dragon ever willingly seek out the power of the Abyss? Titus's story offered a perfectly reasonable explanation. —He had possessed no choice. He had sacrificed himself to ensure the survival of his loved ones and comrades. Though he wielded abyssal power, his deeds were by no means evil. Titus—or rather, Cassius—raised his head to look at Beatrice, speaking with a sigh: "Elder Beatrice, I have laid everything bare before you. If you fear for the safety of the Realm of Eternal Order, you may banish me at any time. I will leave of my own accord. "My sole purpose in seeking entry into the hidecarvers is to find a way to suppress this abyssal power. Should this condition deteriorate further, rest assured, you will not need to worry—I will end my life with my own claws." His voice was firm and deep, a faint glimmer flickering in his golden pupils. Beatrice could hear it in his voice—when that moment came, this fellow dragon truly might commit suicide without the slightest hesitation, all to rid the world of evil. Such was the dignity of gold dragons, leaders of the good dragons and children of Bahamut—brooking neither desecration nor compromise, resolved that even in death, they would remain as pure as a gemstone. Yet she never could have imagined in her wildest dreams that the 'gold dragon' standing before her was actually a disguised red dragon, the very creature she loathed and detested most. After a moment's hesitation, Beatrice started to speak, stopped herself, but finally blurted out, "Wait, Titus. Perhaps... perhaps I can help you. Your character and deeds are more than worthy of becoming a hidecarver. The runes of the Realm of Eternal Order may well suppress your affliction. "However... the abyssal power within you still poses a certain threat to the Realm of Eternal Order. Guarding the Scale of Lendys is my sacred duty; I cannot permit you near the monastery. You can only undertake your training here, in the Unforgiven Valley." "Thank you, Elder Beatrice. To be accepted by you despite bearing such a sinful vessel is more than I could have ever hoped for." 'Titus' slowly rose to his feet, the whiskers along his jaw fluttering. Gratitude showed on his majestic draconic visage, his voice solemn and sincere. *I've finally hoodwinked this ancient gold dragon into buying the whole act. Looks like I'll be stealing the hidecarved dragon legacy in no time,* Cassius gloated inwardly. Even though Cassius already possessed formidable traits like Fiend Slayer, Garyx's mad, chaotic will remained buried within his true body, posing no small latent danger. Meanwhile, the hidecarved dragon—a draconic prestige class akin to monks that pursued pure order—could grant the red dragon even greater will and resistances, shoring up his weaknesses. He was actually itching to begin, but revealed none of it, casually examining the exquisite carvings on the walls with unhurried poise. Suddenly, 'Titus' let out another soft grunt, seemingly straining with all his might to suppress agony and dark urges, fighting to retain his sanity. "Elder Beatrice, if I completely lose my mind... kill me. Do not hold back." His voice came in ragged, raspy gasps, blue veins bulging across his body. Beatrice froze in place, momentarily at a loss. Would she truly have to personally slay this admirable, tragic kin of hers? Only when the power subsided did the gold dragon draw ragged breaths, offering a weak, helpless smile. "My apologies, Elder Beatrice. I have made a fool of myself before you." Beatrice's expression grew solemn, urgency in her voice: "There is no time to lose, Titus. I will perform the ritual for you right now." She failed to notice the imperceptible smirk flitting across 'Titus's' eyes. *Splendid. Hand over the legacy on a silver platter, the sooner the better,* Cassius thought. Beatrice unfurled her broad dragon wings and drew the items required for the ritual from extradimensional space. Accompanied by spatial ripples, several silver-blue adamantine chisels, gleaming with metallic luster, appeared beside her and hovered in midair. Adamantine was an extraordinarily hard metal with abundant magical affinity, mined only in the deepest, monster-infested reaches of the Underdark. Beatrice extended a claw to grasp one of the chisels, looking toward Titus's massive frame. "The power of a hidecarved dragon comes from runes carved into our scales that bestow supernatural power. Only a chisel forged of exceptionally pure adamantine can carve the tough scales of a gold dragon." Little did she know that tens of thousands of li away from the Realm of Eternal Order's material nexus, atop Dragonblood Mountain in the Great Anzetta Waste, a colossal, hill-like red dragon exhaled a plume of sulfurous white smoke and instructed the one beside him: "Trump, prepare one hundred jin of adamantine for me." At that moment, with his singular will, Cassius simultaneously controlled multiple dragons separated by tens of thousands of li and ethereal boundaries, committing everything Beatrice said to memory. He was stealing the hidecarved dragon legacy. Meanwhile, in the Unforgiven Valley of the Realm of Eternal Order, Beatrice continued: "The runes on each hidecarved dragon differ, each etched according to their individual needs, yet the foundational runes are essentially uniform, differing only by faction. "For instance, evil blue and green dragons often carve depictions of the Nine Hells, tyrants, devils, and other such entities into their hides, or even the visage of the Dragon Queen and wicked invocations. "In contrast, the carvings of our Realm of Eternal Order depict no concrete objects, but are runes inscribed in Draconic that embody the laws of cosmic order. "The foundational runes will cover only five percent of your scales. A hidecarved dragon must gradually adhere to disciplines and perfect themselves; the most accomplished hidecarvers can have up to seventy percent of their bodies covered in carvings. "This was a reward my father received from Lord Lendys. Never impart it to outsiders." "Naturally. Guarding secrets is a virtue every gold dragon ought to possess." Titus spread his wings and bowed his head in deference. *Heh, of course I won't tell anyone else, but sharing it with "myself" doesn't count, does it?* Cassius chuckled inwardly. "Very well, let us begin." Beatrice gave a slight nod. After spending this time with him, she completely trusted the noble character of her kin, harboring not the slightest doubt of any ulterior motive. How could an existence that considered himself a sinner and sealed himself away for over a thousand years just to suppress evil ever harbor designs on their legacy? Closing her eyes, Beatrice recalled the foundational runes her father had passed down to her. The adamantine chisel flew through the air, coming to rest over Titus's chest. *Clang—* A crisp sound rang out, like two pieces of metal grinding together. Under Beatrice's control, the adamantine chisel streaked across the 'gold dragon's' chest with blinding speed, throwing off sparks. Cassius could feel the adamantine chisel gouging into the scales over his chest, etching an exceptionally intricate pattern. —It was the word for "Order," written in Draconic. The moment the word was fully etched, a faint light shimmered across his chest. A torrential power surged in, compressing his psyche and drawing an involuntary grunt from him. Beatrice's voice drifted over: "Hidecarving is not merely the etching of scales; it is a discipline of the mind. The soul of the one being carved experiences equal agony. "However... such slight pain should be trivial to you, Titus." *Clang, clang!* The sounds echoed ceaselessly as the adamantine chisel danced through the air, biting into the gold dragon's scales time and again, leaving behind exquisite, harmonious carvings. Wherever the chisel swept past, a faint radiance welled forth, making the incised lines stand out vividly. Cassius felt an impregnable fortress of order being erected step by step, its walls rising ever higher, steadily enclosing his body and mind within. Such was the hidecarved dragon—dedicated to perfecting the self through intricate carvings and lifelong discipline, achieving a mystical transcendence of body, mind, and soul. The ritual lasted for several days. After all, the frame of an ancient gold dragon was immense, and even for Beatrice, etching scales hardened by centuries of accumulation demanded considerable effort. Across Titus's head, neck, chest, belly, back, limbs, and even his tail, interconnected, extraordinarily harmonious and delicate runes appeared. "Truly... an incredible power," he murmured, sensing the runic power over his body and the crystal clarity in his mind. At this moment, the ancient gold dragon's body was like the world's most flawless work of art, supernatural power of order overflowing from within. "Titus, congratulations on becoming a hidecarver. I hope that in your training... you can suppress that power and never fall into the Abyss," Beatrice said, gazing at Titus's carved body. ... Several days later, in the Great Anzetta Waste, Cassius withdrew the majority of his will. Although the avatar in the Realm of Eternal Order was merely a projection of his soul, maintaining it still consumed substantial energy. *Clang—* The red dragon imitated Beatrice's technique, guiding the chisel across his own scales to carve incised grooves. Yet his path of hidecarving was far from smooth. Cassius's true scales bore the trait of Gilded Scales, boasting a hardness rivaling adamantine itself. To overcome this, he layered multiple enhancement spells onto the adamantine chisel, and only by combining that with his formidable brute strength could he barely pierce his own scales. Even so, the carving was extraordinarily exhausting, causing his progress to lag several days behind Beatrice's pace. "Stacking defenses too high isn't always a good thing. Carving into my own scales is more exhausting than fighting a war." The claw gripping the chisel trembled faintly as Cassius could not help but sigh. *Clang...* After laboriously chiseling the final groove, the red dragon finally finished his carvings. Instantly, that impregnable fortress of order enveloped his physical form and mind, and a faint radiance welled up along the intricate, complex incisions. [You have completed the hidecarving ritual. Obtained prestige class path: Hidecarved Dragon.] To qualify to become a hidecarved dragon, a dragon must fulfill all of the following requirements: Race: Any dragon. Alignment: Any lawful. Natural Armor Bonus: +20. Base Save Bonus: Will +12. [You meet all requirements to become a hidecarved dragon. Confirm acceptance of this prestige class?] [Confirm.] Cassius chose to accept without a second thought. A legacy swindled from the gold dragons that boosted his physical and mental fortitude to boot— deals this good didn't come around often. [You have obtained the prestige class: Hidecarved Dragon.] Hidecarved dragons are members of a mystical order composed of dragons and half-dragons. Their name comes from the markings carved into their scales that grant them incredible supernatural protections. The Realm of Eternal Order was one of the oldest hidecarving orders. Six hundred years ago, relying on the runes blanketing his entire body, the great wyrm gold dragon Ferdinand had slain a demon lord manifested in the mortal realm through bare-clawed melee alone. [You have gained the special ability: Spell Resistance.] As a hidecarved dragon, the mystical runes across your scales grant you supernatural protection against spells, spell-like abilities, and all special powers. [You have gained the special ability: Poison Resistance.] You can repel all poisons from entering your body, and even if toxins do penetrate, the power of the runes will purge them. [You have gained bonus feats: Iron Will, Suppress Weakness.] Iron Will: Through prolonged discipline, you have used mystical symbols to forge an impregnable fortress within your mind. Even demons of utter chaos will find it difficult to erode your mind, for your will has long been as steadfast and unyielding as steel. You gain advantage on all checks against chaos and fear.