Guardian Dragon

A guardian dragon is an immense, serpentine dragon created by a deity to hide and guard a fabulous, legendary treasure. Spiriting its charge away to the farthest ends of the earth and beyond, the dragon maintains its eternal vigil surrounded by a garden, a labyrinth, a palace, or something uncanny, either building such a place itself or occupying a structure crafted for it by the deity.

Over time, the guardian dragon enhances the defenses around its lair. As most guardian dragons have been protecting the same item for decades or centuries, a typical guardian dragon's lair is full of natural hazards and stocked with a variety of lesser mythic and non-mythic opponents that add to the lair's defenses.

A mortal hero might brave the dangers of such a lair, seeking the dragon's prize, but the guardian's thirst for vengeance when recovering its charge is unending. The dragon considers any theft of its possessions an affront to its honor, and takes such an offense personally. With magic that allows it to find any creature at any distance, the dragon is relentless in pursuit of its lost items. Many enterprising thieves have escaped with a treasure, only to be located days or weeks later, killed, and dragged back to the dragon's lair with the stolen items.

Because of its many victories over thieves and dragonslayers, a guardian dragon is usually in possession of a large collection of magic items, and it doesn't hesitate to make use of rings, scrolls, wands, and other items to protect itself or fortify its lair—or for instructing its lesser guardians on how to use these items. A guardian dragon might be willing to trade items it can't use for something more suitable, as long as the other party makes no attempt to take anything without permission (especially its charge, but it considers any theft reprehensible).

A guardian dragon is 50 feet long when fully uncoiled and weighs 7 tons.

agonizing venom, breath weapon (60-ft. cone, 2d4 Con damage from poison, Fortitude DC 33 half, usable every 1d4 rounds), constrict (2d8+21), fast swallow, lingering poisonous cloud, mythic power (10/day, surge +1d12), poison, swallow whole (6d6 bludgeoning damage plus poison, AC 25, 52 hp)

amphibious, heroic challenge, mythic immortality, recuperation, secret lair, vengeful seeker

Blinding Critical, CleaveM, Critical FocusM, Death from AboveUC, Flyby Attack, Great Cleave, Hover, Improved InitiativeM, Iron WillM, Multiattack, Power AttackM, Staggering Critical, Stunning Critical

Climb +38, Fly +11, Intimidate +36, Knowledge (geography) +26, Knowledge (local, religion) +18, Perception +44, Sense Motive +36, Spellcraft +18, Stealth +13, Survival +44, Swim +22, Use Magic Device +23