-Aurumvorax the Gold
Aurumvorax is a mature gold dragon and the ruler of the Freecity of Haldane. When Aurumvorax was a hatchling, the city was nothing more than a few tents inhabited by nomads. As the settlement grew, so did the dragon's interest. He was - and remains - fascinated by the lives of humans and demi-humans. Their romances, humor, triumphs and tragedies never cease to amaze him.
Gradually, Aurumvorax ingrained himself into a position of power and influence. As decades passed, people began to feel as if the city and the dragon were synonymous. Even the long-lived elves agree that the two are intimately linked. Ultimately, Haldane's citizens became quite taken with the idea of a draconic mayor. As a result, Aurumvorax has enjoyed managing Haldane for nearly a century.
Aurumvorax governs the city with the assistance of capable ministers and officials. He prefers that the city runs smoothly and efficiently, but Aurumvorax understands that demi-humans and humans are fallible. He also employs a group of stout dwarven warriors as his personal bodyguard. The dwarves, recruited from a distant mountain forge, are loyal and impossible to bribe.
Because Aurumvorax is a magical creature, he prizes arcane pursuits. Under his tutelage, Haldane has earned a reputation as a center for magical research. The hall where Aurumvorax holds court is always teeming with alchemists, aspiring magic-users, explorers and anyone interested in the arcane.
Aurumvorax is always looking for adventuring groups to retrieve rare ingredients for a potion, a lost book of spells or to perform some task vital to the welfare of Haldane. He pays well, but is rather demanding. While Aurumvorax allows for missteps among the citizens of the Freecity, he is rather impatient with ineptitude as it pertains to outsiders.
Like all dragons, Aurumvorax lusts for gold and treasure. His hoard is impressive, which causes some citizens to resent his wealth. They wonder how much of their taxes go toward the maintenance of the Freecity and how much of it is used for Aurumvorax’s bedding. Similarly, critics also suggest that the dragon should attend more closely to the city's mundane affairs instead of fixating on magic. Finally, a small yet vocal minority feel that it's time for Aurumvorax to graciously step down and to let the city's leadership pass into mortal hands.
When Aurumvorax leaves his mansion, he does so in humanoid form. He is very secretive about his comings as goings as he does not want to attract a crowd. Those who have seen him in a humanoid form say that he appears as a 6' tall, striking human male with shoulder-length blond hair, light golden skin and an athletic physique. The city's elves and dwarves are most likely to spend time with him as the dragon loves to spend time with beings his own age.
| Aurumvorax (male gold dragon); AL: Lawful; Move: 30', Fly 80'; AC: -2; HD: 11; HP: 66; Atk: 3 or 1 (2 claws, 1 bite or breath); Dmg: 2d4/2d4/6d6; Spells: 1-Charm Person, Light, Magic Missile, Protection from Evil, Sleep; 2-Detect Evil, Detect Invisible, Detect Magic, ESP, Web; 3-Clairvoyance, Hold Person, Lightning Bolt x 2; SV: F11; ML: 10; XP: 4,400 (1,200 base + 800 x 4 for the following special abilities: flight, shape change, spells and breath weapon).
Aurumvorax has two breath weapons available to him. (He still only gets three breath attacks per day.) He can breathe a 90' long, 30' wide cone of fire or a 50' long, 40' wide cloud of chlorine gas. His treasure hoard consists of 4,000 cp, 20,000 sp, 15,000 ep, 20,000 gp, 20 x 100 gp gems, 20 x 200 gp jewelry, Potion of Undead Control, Ring of Water Walking, Sword +2 and Shield +2. |
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