Plague Dragon

World: Sky Type
Travelers are encouraged to look twice at black birds, because they may simply not be birds. Such is the perfection of the plague wyvern’s disguise: it is a mimic of a true bird, a white-faced hawk. Failing to be wary when traveling, especially in the deserts, can be the end of the journey, as plagues do not attack prey that is aware of them. They are small and not strong enough to take down large prey without the benefit of ambush.

Plague wyverns’ strange but nonthreatening physique hides a deadly secret: their bites. A bite from a plague wyvern can kill the victim, not from venom, but from pathogens the dragons carry in their mouths. Equipped with many needle-like teeth, plagues typically eat fish, but will try their luck at anything that moves and, in times of famine, carrion. Plagues are endlessly patient and will wait for their prey to be felled by a disease if they cannot bring it down by force.

These silent wyverns are quite abundant and highly adaptable, having colonized every area of the world. They live in colonies of up to one hundred dragons, nesting in trees. The largest colonies exist in their native desert habitats. From afar, they are often mistaken for scavenging birds. They work quite well in teams and are not aggressive with their own kind, but they will attempt to drive away other dragons that invade their territories.