BurnClaw

   One brave lizardman, who from his ornate jewelry seemed to BurnClaw to be one of the leaders and from the multiple scales upon his necklace probably the voice of the dragon's will among the tribe, approached the coiled dragon. Magic glowed from one of the scales and when he spoke BurnClaw was surprised to find his words translated into the common tongue of the evil dragons. The leader thanked the dragon for his timely attack upon their enemies and asked if he knew the fate of MurkEye. Realizing the black dragon had been the protector of this tribe, BurnClaw quickly struck a bargain with the reptilian leader. BurnClaw would return regularly to check upon the tribe and, as the black wyrm had done, he would hunt the large predators of the region. In return the lizardmen would show the red dragon the location of the lair of the defeated wyrm and give a tribute of several large tamed beasts to BurnClaw upon each visit.
   Though the lizardmen and the dragon kept their parts of the bargain, soon after the hoard of the black dragon had been transfered to his lair the tribe fell victim to a mass of nearby lizardman tribes who had suffered under the rule of the black dragon and his reptilian allies. They learned of the death of the black dragon and after witnessing the visit of the red dragon, the surrounding tribes banded together to free themselves of the hated enemy who had taken advantage of the protections of the wyrms to force their will upon their neighbors. Finding the lizardman village destroyed and the inhabitants slain to a man, BurnClaw loosed his rage upon the surrounding growth and gas pockets. The fire that raged for several days cleared the area around the location of the village and filled the region with smoke for weeks. He didn't seek out those who had slain his semi-intelligent allies and actually found it a relief not to have to destroy the tribe personally as he had planned to when he had created his own herd of creatures for easy plucking.
   His hoard now well larger than that of a dragon his age, BurnClaw sought to populate the region around his lair with herds of cattle. Without a nearby source of food, BurnClaw knew he couldn't protect his lair while he sought a meal. He also didn't trust any of the intelligent races. Reminding them of his existance and becoming a threat again would only invite more of them to seek his destruction.

   He needed a solution to his problem and pondered it while he expanded his lair and dined regularly upon the giant crabs of the coast.
   Though he avoided the Gatherings of the chromatic dragons, BurnClaw had found a magic mirror among the treasures of Kerstirtilin and used it to view and hear the other wyrms when they attended the meeting. He heard them discussing the use of the simple giants who sought only to please their draconic lords. BurnClaw became interested in this idea and used the mirror to search the mountains for a group of giants who would fit his need. His visions soon found the cyclops and their one-eyed kin. These giants remained away from other races, including other giants, and wished only to raise their incredibly large cattle in peace. The perfect choice for his plan.
   He also discovered he was not alone in his wish to observe the Gathering without attending the great meet. Another viewer attracted his attention quite intentionally. She was another red dragon named Zizzeeriol who ruled a large portion of the eastern Jaw Range. She sought a mate who would give her the children she desired but leave her lair and territory alone. Unknown to BurnClaw, she had heard of his exploits and viewed him in his patrols. She jealously coveted his large treasure and sought to slay him in the process of mating. Her priority was to bear children, but the prospect of adding such a large treasure to her own was very enticing. After a suitable period of communication she announced her desire for him to sire her children. When he felt he had been coy enough not to seem too eager to meet her and journey from his land, BurnClaw assented to her continued requests.
   BurnClaw used his mirror to scout the territory of both the she wyrm and the cyclops. He found a suitable tribe of the one-eyed giants and dicovered several quick escape routes to large caves that would hold him should the mating turn deadly. The whirling and diving of the complicated mating ritual had many times slain the male and often the casualty had not been accidental. BurnClaw was both patient and careful and had survived many a dragonslayer blade by researching both his allies and enemies. He planned to meet with the cyclops first so he was ready should it be neccasary to flee the female dragon.