Shaw Chawasha

Deathbloom dragons are the undisputed rulers of the bayou, apex predators wrapped in beauty that deceives the eye. Their name comes from the rare swamp flower that blooms wherever they rest or die, its petals steeped in magic that can heal, intoxicate, or kill. These blooms are their calling card and their warning, for no one finds them by accident. Unlike the slender, airy dragons of old stories, Deathblooms are built massive, low-slung, and armored in scale plates as dark as cypress-shadowed water. Their jaws are powerful enough to snap bone in a single bite, their teeth curved like the thorns of the flower they carry. They are long-bodied and serpentine, their scales shifting between the deep teals, greens of moss, the browns of river mud, and the pale ivory of bone. Branch-like horns crown their heads, often draped with living moss and small blooms. Their eyes glow with swampfire gold, cutting through even the thickest mist. Unlike many dragons, their wings are smaller, but no less strong. Although these dragons prefer the waters, never make the mistake of baiting them into flight. In the water, long and muscular tails sweep the water in silence, and their ridged backs blend seamlessly with root and reed. They are ambush hunters, patient as the swamp itself, able to vanish beneath black water or sink into thick mist until the moment they strike. Every movement is calculated. Swift, lethal, and without waste.

Magic runs deep in their blood, woven through their connection to the Deathbloom flower. This magic can be channeled through breath, touch, or ritual. Blessing, cursing, or binding according to the dragon’s will. While their beauty draws the curious, their power ensures that few who come uninvited live to tell the tale. They guard their territory with an almost spiritual devotion, viewing the wetlands not just as home, but as a living extension of themselves.

In her true form, Shaw is a towering presence of swamp-born majesty. Standing fifty feet from horned snout to the sweep of her tail, and roughly fifteen feet at the shoulder with a wingspan stretching sixty-five feet wide, her body is sheathed in thick, overlapping scales of deep black tinged with an oily teal sheen, catching light like wet stone under moonlight. Faint, intricate markings ripple across her hide in the shapes of curling vines and petals, glowing faintly when her magic stirs. From her skull rise sweeping branch-like horns, draped with moss and threaded through with the occasional bloom of the rare Deathbloom flower, their crimson petals stark against her dark armor. Her eyes burn molten gold, their gaze piercing through fog and shadow alike. Weighing seventeen tonnes, she moves with deceptive silence, every step calculated, tail coiling with the grace of a predator that has ruled the Basin for centuries. In flight, her great wings carry the scent of crushed flowers and rain-soaked earth, and when she lands, the swamp itself seems to bow in deference.

Deathbloom Breath: Instead of simple flame or acid, Shaw exhales a rolling cloud of thick, bioluminescent pollen laced with paralytic toxins. Victims caught in it grow sluggish, hallucinate, and eventually lose motor control, thus making them easy prey. In higher concentrations, it coats surfaces like golden dust, lingering for hours.

Venomous Fangs & Talons: Her bite delivers a potent necrotic venom capable of rotting flesh and withering plant life. Her claws carry a weaker version of the same toxin, enough to infect even large beasts.

Swamp Camouflage: Her scales shift tone to mirror the bayou’s palette, blackwater murk, cypress bark, and shadowed greens, allowing her to vanish into the landscape. She can remain perfectly still for hours, mistaken for a sunken log until she strikes.

Floral Regeneration: The Deathbloom markings on her body are more than ornamental. They serve as conduits for healing. When she’s wounded, blooms can sprout along her hide, drawing energy from the surrounding swamp to knit torn flesh and restore vitality.

Aerial Predation: While her swamp hunting is legendary, her wings allow for devastating aerial strikes. She can swoop low over the water, using wingbeats to create concussive blasts that knock boats and enemies off balance.

Seasonal Bloom Cycle: Her Deathbloom magic is strongest during the swamp’s peak bloom seasons. In colder months or drought, her pollen cloud weakens, blooms take longer to heal injuries, and her psychic lure becomes unreliable.

Venom Limits: While her venom is potent, producing large amounts in quick succession drains her physically. After extended combat using multiple venomous strikes, she requires hours, sometimes even days to replenish her stores.

Scent Signature: The unique floral-and-earth scent of her magic is both beautiful and dangerous.....for her. Skilled hunters or magic users can track her by it, especially after she uses her breath weapon or regeneration abilities.

Light Sensitivity: Her swamp-adapted eyes are built for low light and shadow. Direct, sustained bright light, magical or natural, can blind or disorient her, making her hesitant to fight in open daylight without cover.

Pollen Blowback: Wind and weather can turn her own breath weapon against her. A sudden shift can blow her pollen cloud back, forcing her to retreat or risk mild self-exposure to its effects.

Magics: Despite Shaw's use of her own Magics, dragons are still rather susceptible to magic. She can be captured, injured, or even killed with the right type of magic. This includes Divine magic, or enchanted items.

Physically: Like most dragons, she has a soft underbelly, which can be pierced with a variety of weapons.....If you brave the swamp waters long enough to get under her.