[366 Days of Monsters] Day 30/366 - Summer Drake

Summer drakes are a breed of dragon found almost exclusively in the Summer Land. They are smaller that most dragons, never reaching more than 25 feet in length from snout to tail. Although they have flight ability typical for dragons, summer drakes prefer walking, climbing, and burrowing. It's rare they ever fly for ranges greater than a few hundred miles at a time. Like their red-scaled ancestors, summer drakes breathe fire.

Unlike the chromatic and metallic dragons of legend, summer drakes are extraordinarily prolific. A summer dragon matron can lay up to three clutches of eggs per year with six to ten eggs per clutch. Although the mortality rate for young summer drakes is high, they grow fast. The high population numbers of summer drakes are what created the original demand for the equally prolific knights of Presson's Enclave.

Until the War of the Burning Plains, summer drakes were close to extinction. After over half of the humanoid population of Presson's Enclave was eradicated by Tostrasz the Enormous and his chromatic hordes, the summer drakes' numbers returned in full force. In recent years, the remaining knights of Presson's Enclave with help from Vaskilish vaqueros, the griffon riders of Kuzhuk, and the Goun-to-gen brasugas, the drakes' numbers have once again become manageable. Still, they are an active threat that requires constant monitoring.

Like the chromatic reds, summer drakes prefer to make their homes in high mountains and hills. Many of the summer drakes also make their homes in the ruins of Pressonian cities, those charred by destructive breath of their larger cousins.

Summer drakes only live for 200-300 years, and never achieve "ancient" status. Although they have innate sorcerous powers, they dislike magic and find its practice a waste of time.