Pest Drake Swarm

Pest drakes are the feral descendants of valuable racing "pace drakes." Prized for their colors, speed, and homing ability, pace drakes have been bred, traded, and raced throughout Golarion. Their popularity invariably led to the establishment of feral populations, as these naturally nervous creatures used their homing ability to establish protective flocks. Readily agitated, these rat-sized dragonets are dangerous in large numbers. They are easily overlooked in urban areas, however, as familiarity breeds complacency from those who see these dragonets every day with little incident.

Many pest drakes are a dun or dusty brown in color, though some flocks retain the brilliant blues, reds, and greens of their captive relatives. Both varieties have many tiny spines that resemble hairs and short, stubby noses that earned them the derogatory nickname of "dragon-winged rats." Much like other urban animals, pest drakes are highly adaptable, adept at scavenging food from trash piles or discarded foodstuffs. People likewise find the tiny dragons cute and will feed them, despite laws or warnings.

Pest drakes live in cities and ruins. They build their lairs atop hidden stone ledges and within inaccessible monument alcoves. There, their acidic mess often does irreparable damage before it is discovered and removed. Such lairs are usually full of tiny trinkets swiped off the street, such as earrings, coins, and nails they pull from cart wheels.

Though dragonets are smaller and lacking the raw power of great dragons, they are every bit as varied and fascinating as their larger relatives. Like dragons, dragonets have strong ties to magic. These ties influence the contrasting natures exhibited by different dragonet types. For example, @UUID[Compendium.pf2e.pathfinder-monster-core.Actor.Fey Dragonet]{Fey Dragonets} and @UUID[Compendium.pf2e.pathfinder-monster-core-2.Actor.House Drake]{House Drakes} make fascinating pets and companions, and thus are a popular familiar for spellcasters. Tidepool dragonets, on the other hand, are arrogant and untamable.

Assuming dragonets are harmless due to their size, or the fact that they often live near people, is dangerous. Pest drakes, for instance, are weak and shy individually but are inclined to form dangerous swarms when unsettled. By contrast, pearl dragonets are gentle oddities that seem naturally friendly.

Dragonets range in size from little bigger than songbirds to no larger than house cats. Unlike most great dragons, they stop growing after reaching maturity. They vary greatly in intelligence; fey dragonets are known for their tricks and wit, while feral racing drakes have the average problem solving capacity of a pigeon. Each type of dragonet has its own lairing and hoarding habits, and they have unique abilities that reveal their magical nature.