dailybestiary:

It’s not often I wish I could see Pathfinder monsters in
anime form, but a dragon that can turn into a beam of light, channel radiation,
and control plants?  That would be the coolest thing since the river
dragon vs. paper shikigami fight in Spirited
Away.

Solar dragons believe themselves to be as mighty and life-giving
as the sun itself—hard to dispute, given that they can channel both life energy
and radiation, and their fiery breath sears even other fire creatures.  In fact, some solar dragons probably think
that they are their sun, or at least
its avatar (…and in a fantasy world that might be true!).  So it’s safe to say that even the most
good-hearted solar dragon is probably not a humble beast.  When you grow up learning that even plants
will one day bow to you, it tends to do a number on one’s ego.

(Of course, any careful study of the solar dragon stat block
reveals that they aren’t really that much more powerful than lunar or void
dragons, and they are actually less
powerful than time and vortex dragons.
If you’re thinking that this probably drives them nuts, you are already wise in the ways of dragons…)

At low to mid-levels, solar dragons are a heck of a way to
introduce PCs to the wide potential of space.
(And going back to the ego thing, imagine a paladin PC’s gold dragon
cohort/steed/confidant…and now imagine that gold dragon meeting a spacefaring solar
dragon for the first time.  That ought to
ruffle some wing flaps.)  During
higher-level adventures, solar dragons might be tending whole planetoids like
gardeners and demigods, and may not appreciate PCs who don’t follow the Prime
Directive (said Directive being: Don’t piss off an outer dragon).  At the highest level, adventures involving
solar dragons might literally have the fate of a solar system at stake.  Solar dragon vs. couatl vs. lich death sphere
vs. malebranche dogfights, anyone?

Solar dragons may fly
the spaceways, but their hordes have to be a bit more down-to-earth.  (The sun is a lousy place to store
gold.)  Solar dragons who hide their
hordes on terrestrial worlds tend to prefer equatorial climes with plenty of
sunlight and riotous plant-life.
Volcanic islands are seen as especially ideal, even if that means
periodically having to drive away red and bronze competitors.  On the other hand, stargazing green dragons
covet the company of solar dragons, and provided the two can hammer out an
ironclad agreement regarding treasure, a solar and a green can find sharing an
island to be mutually beneficial.
Adventurers who end the life of what they see as an evil green dragon menace
may find themselves facing an enraged solar dragon demanding to know why his
research partner is dead and his half of the horde is missing.

Practically invisible
to astronomers (who usually mistake them for sunspots), the Greenhope Ring
is a chain of floating islands that circles the sun known as Pol.  Each is a miniature ecosystem created by
crossover from the fey realms and supported by a steady stream of life-giving
positive energy.  Fey, trolls, jyoti, and
plant monsters are especially common here, as are the solar dragons who nest
here to bask in Pol’s rays.  The solar
dragons assume any ships coming this close to the Ring are pirates and react
accordingly.  But at least one of these
solar dragons, a venerable great wyrm, has decided he is Pol, and is making plans to drive away these other pretenders
(many of them actually his grandchildren).
Clearly he needs to be stopped…unless of course, he’s right, in which
case his death could sentence the entire system to a supernova or a dark, icy
demise.

Where the solar
dragon Baryoth’s domain even is
is a matter of some astronomical and phenomenological debate—is he in some
dark, devil-claimed nebula, an outcropping of one of the layers of Hell, or
even in the void far above the pit that contains the Hell itself?  Reports from those who have stumbled upon him
disagree, arguing about this location that is too infernal to be space and too
much of the void to be one of the archdevils’ ordered torture chambers.  What all agree upon is that Baryoth is a
solar dragon whose view of himself as a lawful ruler curdled into the evil of
summary judgments and executions.  However
Hell claimed him, he now guards a trio of sullen red starlets and a fistful of
planetoids that hang in a sky out of view from any other stars.  He claims to despise the devils that come to
treat with him and the mortals that stumble upon his court.  But it is clear that the stunted solar winds
of this not-space are not enough to allow him to truly soar, and he craves a
return to realspace soon.

—Pathfinder Bestiary 4
68–69

3.5 fans: Double-check your mind flayer lore.  Now imagine how much solar dragons must hate those guys.  Now think of who else hates mind flayers and
tends to pal around with crimson dragons.
(Rhymes with “myth Yankee.”)  You’re
welcome.

Speaking of short fiction and other projects, after this
weekend’s Q&A I wandered over to
the Paizo boards and discovered that apparently this happened.

…Given that this news is over a week old, I should really check the messageboards more often, methinks.

Big thanks to all the hardworking Wayfinder reviewers, editors, and other volunteers!

Solar dragons are found in Vedzeva, where they were one of the species that crafted the Five-Scale Alliance. They rule the northeastern realm of Ebrikkin, which holds great mines, skilled forges, and schools that train the finest of Vedzeva’s warriors.