The largest of the dragonkin by far, dragons generally range from twenty to forty-five feet in length. They are usually considered the most desirably proportioned of the species', more muscular and sturdy than firelizards, yet still drastically more slender and elegant in proportion than whers. Unlike the other two species dragons have a very poor understanding of time. To a dragon the concepts of past and future are somewhat confusing. A dragon can suffer a life-altering injury, but within a month may have forgotten the event and within months will be fully of the opinion that they have always been this way. This trait makes dragons very adaptable to change, their acceptance of their state being useful when circumstances change for the worse. However, it can also lead to dragons repeating the same mistakes. A dragon that is reckless not having the ability to learn from their mistakes. It is because of this that a dragon's rider must be a restraining force. Always aware of consequence and altering their dragon's behaviour if need be.
Dragons in our canon Impress based solely on personality; gender is not a factor and nor is any innate 'worth' or 'leadership potential'. A green with a drive to lead may well seek out a rider with the same passions, and a bronze or gold who likes the quiet life will likely want a partner who shares that point of view.
Posted: Thu May 24, 2018 5:54 pm
Dragon Colours
The chart below shows nine of each colour. It shows dragons at the minimum, average and maximum length. Each then shows the shortest, average, and tallest a dragon of that length can be.
Green 90% of green dragons are between 20 and 25 feet in length The smallest colour, greens are also the most numerous. Greens make up half of dragon numbers. They are usually built to be lither and are considered the fastest or most agile of their species. Although green dragons are capable of performing jaw dropping feats of acrobatics, it is rare to find a green that can fly for more than two candlemarks. There are many stereotypes surrounding green dragons. The stereotypical green dragon is not very intelligent, fickle, and not suited for leadership. This is usually tied in to green dragons rising much more frequently than a gold dragon does. In truth there is no correlation between how often a dragon rises and their intelligence or temperament.
Blue 90% of green dragons are between 25 and 30 feet in length The smallest male colour, and the most numerous, blues make up a third of dragons. Blue dragons are similar in their role to greens. However, they have slightly improved stamina, in exchange for a minor drop in dexterity. Most healthy blue dragons should be able to stay airborne for at least two candlemarks. Despite being the most plentiful male, blues rarely sire clutches. A blue dragon has a poor chance of keeping up with a gold, her stamina far outmatching his, although a gold may choose a blue for other reasons. Gold dragons are strongly discouraged from choosing blue's as mates, as clutches sired by blues tend to be drastically smaller than it is believed clutches should be. Golds at times clutching barely a quarter of their expected clutch size for their age when the father is blue.
Brown 90% of brown dragons are between 33 and 40 feet in length Brown's make up only a sixth of dragons and are the largest of the chromatic colours. They are more variable than other colours, with the potential to be strong or fast depending on their size and build. A lithely built brown will be no match for a green, but may keep pace with stronger blues, while muscular browns can match the strength and stamina of smaller bronzes. Because of this, browns are sometimes considered wild cards when hatching as they could come out either way. There are disputes on whether the physical build of a brown is a product of genetics or a result of their training. Although some brown dragons can stay in the running of a gold flight long enough to win her favour, they suffer a similar fate to blues, although to a lesser degree. A clutch sired by a brown dragon can hope to reach double figures, however as threadfall approaches it is more strongly encouraged for riders to restrain their browns from entering gold flights. Even though the males can stay airborne for, on average, four candlemarks.
Bronze 90% of bronze dragons are between 38 and 43 feet in length The largest of the males, bronze dragons easily hold the title for strongest males overall. Bronzes are proportionally more muscular than their smaller brothers, usually sacrificing their manoeuvrability for this strength. Although a bronze dragon can stay in the air upward of five candlemarks, they are notoriously slow at manoeuvres when compared to a green or blue. Bronzes make up only a twentieth of dragons, yet are the most frequent winner of gold flights. If a gold is of a mind to push her suitors until only a single male is left this male is almost always a bronze, as only the largest can challenge a gold in stamina.
Gold 90% of gold dragons are between 42 and 45 feet in length The largest of the dragons and by far the rarest, less than one percent of all dragons are gold. A gold is usually the focal point of her Weyr; able to influence and direct others of her kind. Although all dragons are different, most are more content when living in a Weyr with a gold than living without one, even if they are not actually fond of the gold within their Weyr. Although gold dragons are clutchmothers, all dragons have an instinctive drive to defend eggs. Regardless of if they are of their Weyr or not. Unlike their green sisters, Golds rise exclusively to clutch, it is because of this they rise significantly less often. Golds are built entirely for stamina, even the smallest ones of their colour able to outlast any other of their species, easily staying in the air for six hours.
White White dragons are not a true colour. They are actually dragons that have not developed completely, resulting in a lack of pigmentation in their skin and growth complications. The severity of this condition can range dramatically. The pigmentation on a white is rarely completely white. Close inspection of the dragon’s hide can usually find some trace of colour. The colour shown is closely linked to the dragon’s gender. Female whites will display one or both female pigments, males showing one or a combination of the male pigments. There are also agendered white dragons, these often show a combination of varying pigments on their skin belonging to either gender. The intensity of the pigment in the white’s skin can be highly variable. This can sometimes be used to denote what colour the white would have been had they matured completely when combined with the dragon’s adult size. White dragons are smaller and lighter in frame than those of the colour they correspond closest to, even into adulthood. Although white dragons are often small, males can occasionally reach the larger sizes of greens, suggesting they are genetically bronze. Presumably this would be the same if a white could have been a gold. Estimations based on whites born over the past two centuries suggests that a white is between half and three quarters the size they would have been had they fully developed. White dragons are exceptionally rare, and usually they require assistance to hatch due to their weakened state. Many white dragons suffer issues with stamina and strength beyond what is typical for a dragon of that size. For a long portion of Pern history this was unknown, resulting virtually no white dragons successfully hatching. Now it is considered the norm for a gold dragon to request assistance should she deem that her offspring are incapable of hatching independently. Despite the rumours, white dragons are not any more gifted going between than any other dragons, and do not have an instinctively better understanding of time.
Telempathy This is the ability that dragons use to communicate, both with each other and other species. Dragons have the strongest telempathy of the dragonkin, able to reach out to individuals half a world away if they have a strong enough bond, dragons are able to communicate feeling, sensation and speak through their minds. Dragons are mentally aware of each other, unless one is taking steps to conceal themselves from others. Dragon communication is usually considered to move in channels. With a large public channel that all dragons communicate on, with private channels should the dragon choose to form them. The communication channel between rider and dragon is almost always private, although young dragon thoughts are often described as ‘overflowing’ and being heard by those nearby. Some dragons will allow their private channel to include individuals that they and their rider are especially close to. Dragons can only read the thoughts of humans they are actively listening to, except for their bonded who they can always hear. Search dragons are usually those that are capable of dipping unobtrusively into human minds to have a gentle poke around without giving themselves away. Most dragons do not enjoy going into human minds other than their chosen, most likely an aversion given to stop them from constantly scanning everyone’s minds.
Flaming By consuming firestone a dragon is able to breath fire for a limited time. The stone travels into a second stomach where it reacts with internal fluids, creating a gas that ignites when expelled. This reaction is not immediate, the dragon needing at least fifteen minutes for the gas to build up before they can flame. Training allows a dragon to learn to tell how much flame they have left, so they can request more from their rider with enough time that they will not run out. After flaming a dragon must expel the remnants of the stone, if they do not this will lead to sickness and vomiting. Gold dragons do not consume firestone, showing an aversion to the idea.
Between The ability to go between is one unique to dragons and firelizards. Whers seem capable of entering between, but not emerging. As such whers will only between to die, either out of panic or mortal injury. Dragons and firelizards however have much finer control and are able to use between as a method of travel, able to go anywhere they can visualise. Dragons poor memory means that they require a human to hold an image in place for them to be able to between successfully. This requires training for a young pair. If the visual is too vague then the dragon will not be able to find their way out of between, often dragons are able to tell this from a young age. The visual however can also be too specific, this causes the dragon to travel through time. This can be extremely dangerous for two reasons. Firstly, a dragon will rarely be able to tell that a visual is too specific. This can lead to the pair becoming lost, as incorrect details cause the dragon to try and jump to a specific time that did not actually exist. The second issue is that humans suffer oxygen deprivation when between. Time jumps are considerably longer than distance jumps, meaning there is a very real risk of suffocation for the rider when between.
Command Should an individual defy a gold she has the ability to command their obedience. A dragon's command is tied to her Weyr, the strength of her will and that of her rider. A gold with a Weyr at her back and a strong rider would be easily able to conquer the will of a Weyrless, yet wilful, gold. Dragons are capable of commanding firelizards to a degree, but often their command is strong enough that it will result in the firelizard fleeing in panic. If a gold dragon and a gold wher were to clash then it would depend greatly on the dragon's condition. Although a dragon could potentially control a gold wher, she would likely be set upon by the wher's pack while she held her down. No dragonkin can command another to perform an action, they can only prevent them. A dragon's command is usually described by those afflicted as a pressure, as though the affected is being pushed down on. A gold dragon is likely to use her command for two reasons in her life. Most likely to calm a panicking dragon, if a dragon or their rider is injured to the point they are dangerously hysterical a gold may be called upon to force the dragon to be still until they have received treatment or until they have calmed themselves. A gold may also be called on to question a dragon. This may be used if a dragon is thought to know something they are concealing, the gold putting pressure on the dragon until they relinquish the information. This is, in essence, a form of torture and is not at all taken lightly by those that would order its use, usually this only be used as a last resort. A dragon could use this ability for her own gains, but due to the political nature of Weyrs this would almost certainly end in disciplinary action. Command does not affect non-dragonkin creatures.
Posted: Thu May 24, 2018 5:56 pm
Dragon Flights
Female dragons lead flights, where the female will lead a pack of suitors in an airborne chase. In the case of a gold dragon this is with the intention to create a clutch. It is considered highly abnormal for a gold to not clutch following a flight. Green dragons however will rise throughout their lives and bear no clutches. Given the variety of dragon personalities there is no set rule on what males are most likely to win. This especially holds true in green flights. A green flight can last as little as fifteen minutes, or as long as two hours, given the green’s preference. Usually a green will tire of the chase before her suitors do, leading her to make a choice. What category she uses for her decision is entirely based on her personality. At the peak of her life, a green can have a flight as often as every three months. This is not the rule for all greens, some rising less than once a turn.
Gold dragon flights however usually carry more weight due to the rarity and implications involved. During an interval a gold dragon may be able to choose based on her own preferences, but during and approaching pass she will be pressured into choosing for the good of the Weyr. A gold dragon flight is usually expected to last a minimum of four hours, and is considered to be a poor flight if it falls under this. A healthy gold will always be able to outlast her suitors. This is because her job doesn’t end when her mate is chosen. For dragons mating occurs in the air, specifically during their descent. This means that a gold will require the stamina to slow her fall, potentially with the weight of a large exhausted bronze on her back, to ensure the greatest success for her clutch. At the peak of her fertility a gold dragon will rise, at most, once every two turns. All female dragons experience a decrease in the frequency of their flights once they reach a decade. Their flights will reduce in frequency throughout their lives, to the point that some golds will go a decade or more without clutching.
Dragons have the large impact on their bonded when they engage in flights, most likely due to the strength of their bond. During a flight many riders find it impossible to focus on anything else and are driven to seek out companionship. These riders however are still completely aware of their surroundings and actions. The most common avenues taken by riders is to either seclude themselves away from others until the feeling passes, or to enjoy the experience with someone willing to indulge them. Many riders having a pre-decided 'flight-partner' who they seek out when the time comes. Dragons are prone to broadcasting their feelings when they take part in flights. For those used to it, this is a distracting, but manageable level of arousal. For those not used to it, the need can be very sudden and very urgent.
Dragons will also affect each other during rising. A green rising may trigger a wingmate or nearby green that was approaching her own flight to rise at the same time. These instances can result in squabbles, but often the greens can be convinced to share the sky or go their separate ways. A gold dragon will cause several greens in her Weyr to rise when she does. Usually a gold will not be bothered by this, unless a particularly desirable male snubs her in favour of the green. Golds will sometimes frighten greens away should they consider them a threat. It is very rare that a green would be caught up in her flight enough to not take herself away from the proddy gold. Rarely a gold rising will cause another gold to also rise. Given the infrequency of gold flights the riders can usually ensure this doesn’t happen by keeping the golds separate. Should two golds rise at the same time the situation is often very unfortunate and results in serious fighting. This can, and has, resulted in the death of golds before.
In our canon dragons have Impressed to people of any gender regardless of colour for more than two hundred turns. It is no shock at all for a woman to bond to a bronze or a man to a gold.
Upon a dragon hatching it will seek out a human with a suitable personality to their own. When it finds this person impression will occur, this bond is strong enough that those bonded to dragons often remark that they are unsure where their mind ends and the dragon's begins. This bond is breakable only by death. If a dragon's rider dies then the dragon will immediately suicide by throwing themselves between, the only exception is a gold caring for eggs. In this scenario the gold will stay long enough to see her eggs hatch, before inevitably going between. If a dragon dies and the rider remains, this causes massive psychological trauma, the likes of which few ever recover. It is the choice of many to follow their dragon into death, to the point where this choice is not questioned or looked down upon by others. Those that remain will carry the scars of their loss for the rest of their lives. Many former riders develop addictions and suffer from a condition not dissimilar to severe PTSD. Because of this, some will choose to leave the Weyr, incapable of being around dragons any longer.
Although to impress a second time is possible, it is exceptionally rare. Dragons impress largely to teenagers and those in their early twenties, very rarely going into the mid-twenties, but never later. It is unusual for a newly hatched dragon to seek out someone who has lost a dragon. The mental damage is so great that it is largely incomprehensible to a newly hatched dragon. Second impression is sometimes offered by Weyrs to those that lost their dragons, but this is usually seen as an offering of pity than a genuine possibility.
Posted: Thu May 24, 2018 5:59 pm
Growth and Development
Dragons vary in the speed they grow by how large they are. While a green may be full grown at twelve months, a gold can take almost three turns to achieve her full size. When they are hatched dragons are far closer in size, proportionally, than they are as adults; with smaller colours hatching more developed than metallics and browns. A dragon’s egg is usually between one and two feet at the widest point. However, some eggs are especially thin or thick which skews this value, despite the overall mass being the same.
Hatching When a dragon hatches everything is too large. Their legs are too long and their feet are too big. This leads to a lot of clumsy stumbling and falling. Eyes and headknobs are often comically oversized, giving them a very wide-eyed appearance. Some dragons will be swamped by their wings, usually these are predicted to be strong fliers.
3 months Greens, blues and some smaller browns will have doubled in size since their hatching. The barracks are full of hatchlings complaining about aching muscles and itchy skin. For the majority of dragons, this is a growth in size and not mass. They begin to look rangy, there is very little in terms of muscle development, many still having the pudginess of hatchlings. At this point the smallest greens are likely more coordinated than their siblings.
6 months Greens and blues are beginning to enter what could be called their teen phase. Their faces are maturing, becoming closer to those of an adult dragon. Some will already be three-quarters of their adult height and length at this stage. However, they are clearly adolescent to look at, with a lot of gangly limbs. Brown and metallic dragons look strangely chubby in comparison to their slender siblings, still carrying baby weight at this age, some only just reaching half of their adult height. Often larger dragons will begin to look front heavy, their chests and wing muscles developing quickly and outpacing the rest of them.
9 months Green and blue dragons are very close to maturity at this stage. Their growth in terms of length and height has begun to slow dramatically, their frames beginning to fill out with lean muscle. There is little to distinguish them from adults of their colour at this stage. Browns now outclass blues in size as their growth does not slow. Although browns are entering their teen phase and thinning out, golds and bronzes continue to carry baby weight.
12 months Some greens are now full grown and look the way they will for the rest of their lives. Others still have a few inches left to go. At this age greens will begin to rise. Blue dragons still have a way to go, although they are now gaining height slowly, they are beginning to take over their green sisters when it comes to bulk. Browns are becoming more proportional, although the majority still suffer from looking like a collection of sticks with wings that are far too large. Bronze and golds have finally begun to slim out, entering into their teenage body build.
15 months All greens are full grown adults now. The blues that are still growing are doing so at a snail’s pace, with many it being very clear what their final size and build will be, with only a few inches and a bit more muscle to gain. Browns, bronzes and golds and beginning to get their adults features. Their growth is now very slow, but they are starting to fill out. All are now larger than adult blues and greens, although some not by much. There isn’t much in terms of bulk to them either, so they’re a long way from intimidating anyone with their size.
18 months Almost all greens have taken up their maiden flight by this point. It is considered unusual for a green to have not risen by this age. All but the largest of blues have finished growing. The larger colours continue to gain height and muscle. They are beginning to gain bulk rapidly, finally starting to look proportional to their wings. The rest of their bodies are catching up with their wing muscles, leading to a closer resemblance to and adult of their colour.
21 months Many have settled into their adult proportions. They will continue to grow in size, but it will be a proportional increase from this point on. Many could pass for adults from a distance, so long as there were no actual adults around, as they are still noticeably smaller than and adult of their colour.
24 months The smallest browns are beginning to reach their full size. During a pass golds may begin rising at this age. This is likely due to the impact of the red star, which results in more frequent gold clutches..
27 months All browns and the smallest bronzes have reached their full size.
30 months All dragons have reached full size. Most golds will experience their maiden flight some time in the next 6 months.
