Monster Lairs – Green Dragon – Wood Elf City
Slab
The wood elves of Llayath have an unusual relationship with the green dragon, Glory. Normally the two groups would be at odds with one another, but through a combination of symbiosis and self-denial, they formed a strong and somehow peaceful relationship.
When the wood elves constructed their treetop city, they had no idea that hidden deep below the lake they were building around was a hidden cave, within which slumbered the green dragon, Glory. The elves had chosen the site because legends spoke of a sword hidden in the area that belonged to a once great elven king that would allow them to prosper. Meanwhile, the happily slumbering Glory had no idea that a wood-elf town was being built around her very lair. She was very aware of the sword however, as it was located in her very lair, stuck in an enchanted piece of ebony wood. In fact, its beauty was one of the reasons she had chosen the lair. It seemed the perfect start to her lair.
When she finally awoke some ten years later, she emerged to find a glittering maze of connected buildings surrounding her home. At first, she was outraged. But she was also smart enough to know that a direct conflict against so many elves would lead to injury at the very least. At worst, they might discover her horde and steal it for themselves!
So instead of attacking them outright, she decided to learn why it is they had chosen to build in that spot. When she learned of the sword they were looking for, she felt threatened as their search may eventually lead to her lair. The cunning dragon chose to get ahead of things. She told the elves that she knew exactly where the sword was and that she would even reveal its location with a few conditions. First, she required one of their magic users to provide some security for her lair. To that end, the elves promised to create a wooden golem to defend the dragon’s cave, a complex ward to protect the dragon’s gold and a pair of flame traps that would fire at anyone who entered her cave.
Once the elves agreed to that, Glory told the elves that the sword was within her lair, but was protected by magic that would only allow the worthy to take the blade. The unworthy would die horribly. This was only partially true. Those deemed worthy by the blade would be the only who could draw it from its ebony home. However, no one would die for failure. This led to her final condition: for a properly valuable tribute, she would bring one worthy person to peacefully attempt to pull the blade. While there is no true danger to this attempt, the elves do not know this, and Glory secretly pockets the tribute, drowns the supposed chosen one and then enjoys a meal of their flesh, every time returning with the sad news that the sword “has unfortunately not chosen them.”
The elves live under the delusion that Glory is acting in their best interest. Glory lives under the delusion that the defenses the elves made for her will keep her safe. Of course, those who made the defenses also know how to disable them…
