Dragons name themselves, once, in their third century. Everything before that is merely what the neighbors shout while running. This chapter records the self-chosen names of the great wyrms, and the grimoire wishes it noted that several of them dictated their own entries.
A dragon's name is built to take up room: long vowels, rolling consonants, syllables that settle over a valley like weather. Aurax is the gold-hoard; Morvel the deep shadow; Ssarva the silent glide, which the sheep of four provinces learned too late. The meanings run to fire, patience, and inventory, the three dragon virtues.
The epithet is the biography the world adds against the dragon's wishes, or occasionally at the dragon's insistence: the Patient, Doom of Kingdoms, Keeper of the Deep Vault. A dragon introduced with an epithet has been alive long enough to earn one, which is precisely the problem with meeting it.
The elements of the old tongue
Aurax- gold-hoard
Baleth- old fire
Chryso- gilded scale
Dral- sky-terror
Ember- living coal
Fael- storm-wing
Ignar- furnace-heart
Korvo- mountain-back
Lhun- moon-scaled
Morvel- deep shadow
Nyxa- night-flight
Ovrak- egg of thunder
Female Dragon Names
- Emberazha Firstborn of the Peak "living coal flame-daughter"; eldest of the mountain brood
- Ulkaryssa the Undying "cavern-lord storm-sister"; has outlived every slayer
- Balethithra the Undying "old fire queen of the peak"; has outlived every slayer
- Morvelessa the Undying "deep shadow jewel-keeper"; has outlived every slayer
- Dralessa Keeper of the Deep Vault "sky-terror jewel-keeper"; guards what should stay buried
- Chrysoessa Skyshadow "gilded scale jewel-keeper"; the last thing fields see
- Morveleth the Patient "deep shadow winged dusk"; waits longer than empires
- Ulkaressa the Patient "cavern-lord jewel-keeper"; waits longer than empires
- Ovrakithra Firstborn of the Peak "egg of thunder queen of the peak"; eldest of the mountain brood
- Chrysoithra Firstborn of the Peak "gilded scale queen of the peak"; eldest of the mountain brood
- Lhunaria Keeper of the Deep Vault "moon-scaled sky-song"; guards what should stay buried
- Auraxyssa Firstborn of the Peak "gold-hoard storm-sister"; eldest of the mountain brood
- Auraxaria the Miser "gold-hoard sky-song"; counts every coin nightly
- Morvelione Doom of Kingdoms "deep shadow far-seer"; three crowns melted in the hoard
- Rhavaithra the Miser "red hunger queen of the peak"; counts every coin nightly
- Faelessa Doom of Kingdoms "storm-wing jewel-keeper"; three crowns melted in the hoard
Male Dragon Names
- Rhavaimir Doom of Kingdoms "red hunger frost-breath"; three crowns melted in the hoard
- Chrysoykos Keeper of the Deep Vault "gilded scale sharp-eye"; guards what should stay buried
- Vermiaxas Keeper of the Deep Vault "wyrm of old hoard-lord"; guards what should stay buried
- Lhunantor Skyshadow "moon-scaled valley-shaker"; the last thing fields see
- Balethagon the Undying "old fire battle-jaw"; has outlived every slayer
- Korvoimir the Quiet Ruin "mountain-back frost-breath"; no roar, only aftermath
- Ovrakimir Skyshadow "egg of thunder frost-breath"; the last thing fields see
- Emberothur the Miser "living coal elder flame"; counts every coin nightly
- Ignaruroth the Quiet Ruin "furnace-heart thunder-son"; no roar, only aftermath
- Ignarykos Skyshadow "furnace-heart sharp-eye"; the last thing fields see
- Vermiuroth the Patient "wyrm of old thunder-son"; waits longer than empires
- Ulkarimir the Quiet Ruin "cavern-lord frost-breath"; no roar, only aftermath
- Ssarvaimir Keeper of the Deep Vault "silent glide frost-breath"; guards what should stay buried
- Balethimir the Miser "old fire frost-breath"; counts every coin nightly
- Vermiantor the Quiet Ruin "wyrm of old valley-shaker"; no roar, only aftermath
- Ignarothur Skyshadow "furnace-heart elder flame"; the last thing fields see
Noble Dragon Names
- Chrysoax "gilded scale talon"
- Themorisk "ancient law young wyrm"
- Chrysour "gilded scale of the deep"
- Themorax "ancient law talon"
- Auraxisk "gold-hoard young wyrm"
- Chrysoion "gilded scale old blood"
- Pyreur "burning crown of the deep"
- Themorion "ancient law old blood"
- Auraxax "gold-hoard talon"
- Themorur "ancient law of the deep"
Margin notes
What makes a good dragon name for D&D?
Weight and age. Two or three long syllables, no cuteness (that is for the wyrmling's nickname, never the record), and ideally a meaning about fire, treasure, or patience. If the name could belong to a housecat, the dragon will know, and mind.
Do dragons have surnames?
No house names: a dragon IS the house. They carry epithets instead, earned across centuries: the Undying, Skyshadow, the Quiet Ruin. The epithet changes as the legend grows; the name never does.
How should players' dragonborn relate to these names?
Dragonborn clan names honor the old wyrms but follow their own clan-first custom, recorded in the dragonborn chapter. A dragonborn claiming a true dragon's name outright is either very brave or very briefly famous.
Last inscribed 2026-08-16
