Fiction:The Firmament/Crypt Wyrm

"They are the guardians of the dead, the stern watchers of all souls. They are the lords of the divine crypt that is the afterlife."

- Anonymous

Crypt wyrms are the species of true dragon native to the realm of the Underworld, where they serve as agents of Dominus Mortis.

Biology
Crypt wyrms are large, lithe quadrupedal Great Planar Wyrms sporting dull white scales and ridges which are decorated with small, sharpened black spikes. Their heads are adorned with a pair of scythe-shaped horns and their eyes are a pitch milky white. Their large wings are tattered and veiny, and their claws are sharp and dark. With their oldest individuals reaching over thirty meters in length, they are among the largest species of true dragon.

Ecology
Crypt wyrms inhabit the wastes of the Underworld, where they remain vigilant for transgressions against the dead or the passage of souls to the afterlife.

Society
Crypt wyrms are normally solitary creatures, though they are considered high standing members of the hierarchy of psychopomps, who treat them with utmost respect. The dragons are stern, stoic and mostly emotionless, as they choose to remain neutral to all matters which do not directly involve them. However, crypt wyrms also carefully watch souls which show promise, as they may have them ascended into the ranks of the psychopomps if they so choose.

Abilities
Crypt wyrms are among the most powerful inhabitants of the Underworld and indeed, of all dragons. Unlike most dragonkin, the breath weapon of a crypt wyrm takes the form of a vortex of magic which the dragon spews out and then breathes back into its jaws; this vortex saps the lifeforce out of affected creatures, reducing them to shivered husks as their souls are ripped from their bodies and consumed by the dragon. It is an especially powerful weapon against the undead, who are utterly destroyed when caught by it.