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BLAZE
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« Thread Started on Feb 15, 2008, 4:41pm » | ![[Quote]](http://s1.images.proboards.com/buttons/quote.gif) |
Dragondex
This contains all the little bits of information you may want to know before you enter the full on Role Play (If you get stuck or feel a bit lost off just let me know I be glade to help)
History
Pern was colonised by settlers originally from Earth but lived in a technocratic society recovering from a war with an alien race who wanted to return to an agrarian society with a low level of technology. The name originates in the tales as an acronym:P arallel Earth, Resources Negligible ( insufficient to support interstellar commercial investment).
Pern is the third of five planets in the Rukbat system (the Pernese star is also known as Alpha Sagittarius). Rukbat is a class G (yellow) star in the series;brighter star's name for convenience. Pern has two moons, Belior and Timor (in order of distance). The Rukbat system in the novel also contains two asteroid belts and an Oort cloud. The Oort cloud and a rogue "sixth" planet, the Red Star (a Sedna-class inner Oort cloud object), it is the source of Thread.
Shortly after the first colony was established, the settlers discovered that their chosen planet was subject to periodic attack from space by the destructive Thread, a spaceborne spore that destroys organic substances on contact. Unable to retreat from the peril, the settlers developed methods of combating the Thread. A small indigenous lifeform, the Fire-Lizard, was discovered with remarkable adaptations against Thread: flight, teleportation, limited telepathy, and the ability to chew phosphine rock and generate bursts of flame. Pernese scientists genetically "upgraded" these into full-sized flame-breathing telepathic dragons, who were able to sear the Thread before it could fall to the ground. Dragonriders became a vitally important and highly respected profession, especially after a mass migration to the northern continent, where they lived in Weyrs, and as time progressed, the settlers forgot their Terran origins.
Terms Of Interest
Agenothree: HNO3, the chemical used to dissolve Thread. It is used in sprayers by groundcrews.
AIVAS: The computer brought by the Ancients, which allowed the Pernese to regain much of the technological knowledge they had lost over the centuries.
Ancients: The original settlers of Pern.
Apprentice: The lowest craft rank.
Archivists: A sub-branch of the Harper craft. They record and preserve Pern's historical writings.
Auntie: The term of address for an older female relative, or for any older woman in a Hold.
Badges: They tell which Hold, Craft, or Weyr the wear belongs to. People wear them in conjunction with rank cords.
Barracks: Dormitories. There are usually two of these in a Weyr, one for Candidates, and one for Weyrlings.
Beasthealers : Veterinarians, usually of large farm animals, but also trained in the care of domestic pets.
Beastherders: Ranchers, also shepherds.
Benden: The territory in the northeastern quadrant of Pern's Northern Continent. It is the region of the second oldest Weyr to be founded.
Benden White: The premier wine of Pern. It's Earth equivalents would be champagne or sparkling wine (Asti Spumante).
Between: an area of Nothingness and sensory deprivation. between here and there.
Blackdust: Thread that has been frozen and killed in cold air. It falls to the ground during Pern's winters.
Bubbly Pies: A favorite Pernese dessert, often sold at Gathers as little tarts. They are best eaten hot.
Burrow: Thread that has penetrated the ground and that has begun consuming plant and animal life. It must be destroyed by groundcrews
Candidate: A person who has been accepted for Search.
Candidate Master: The person at a Weyr who introduces Candidates to Weyr life and teaches them how to conduct themselves on the Hatching Grounds when the dragonets hatch. Some Weyrs have a person with this specific titles. At other Weyrs, the Headwoman or one of her assistants might do this job.
Candidate Robe: The white robe that a Candidate wears to a Hatching, to indicate that he or she is a candidate.
Chai: Strongly-spiced tea.
Clutch: The collective term for a group of eggs that has just been laid.
Clutchmates: For dragonriders, these are the people sho Impressed dragons from the same clutch he did, and who went through Weyrling Training with him.
Concubines: Mistresses of Lord Holders and minor Holders.
Couch: A stony wallow in an individual rider's weyr, where the dragon sleeps.
Cove Hold: The location of the Southern Continent's main Harperhall.
Crafters Pern's equivalent of degreed professionals. They work in a variety of trades, governed by a pseudo-guild system.
Crom: A Hold in High Reaches territory. One of its products is coal.
Dawnsisters: A trio of stars in the Pernese eastern sky. They were later discovered to be the three starships which brought the original colonists to Pern.
Deadglow: a numbskull, stupid, idiot. Derived from glow (also see Glow)
Dimglow: A derogatory term for someone who is dull or foolish.
Distance-viewer: A telescope.
Distance-writer: Pern's version of the telegraph, invented in the 9th Pass.
Dolphineers: Humans who work with dolphins. Some humans can communicate telepathically with dolphins.
Dragonet: A baby dragon
Dragonhealer: A crafter who heals dragons.
Dragonrider: A person who is telepathically bonded to a dragon. Such a person lives in a Weyr and trains to fight Thread.
Drudges: People who perform unskilled labor at a Hold, Crafthall, or Weyr.
Earthshakes: The Pernese word for 'earthquakes.'
Eggs: They are laid by dragons, firelizards, whers, and wherries.
Eye Rock: An astronomical sighting device at Benden Weyr, used in conjunction with the Finger Rock. When the Red Star is visible through the Eye Rock and appears to be balanced on the Finger Rock, a Pass is imminent.
Fair: The collective term for a group of firelizards in flight.
Farseer - A telescope
Featherfern - A Pernese herb.
Fellis - A Pernese sedative, widely used.
Feverfew - A Pernese herb.
Finger Rock - An astronomical sighting device at Benden Weyr, used in conjunction with the Eye Rock. When the Red Star is visible through the Eye Rock and balanced on the Finger Rock, a Pass is imminent.
Fingertails - Shrimp or prawns.
Firehead - A Pernese disease vaguely similar to measles, but without the spots. Symptoms include severe headache, dizziness, and photophobia.
Fireheights - A trench dug along the top of a Hold. It is filled with oil just prior to Threadfall, and the oil is set alight to destroy any Thread which might fall into it.
Firelizards - The native Pernese animal from which dragons were bred.
Fire-Stone: phosphine-bearing mineral, which dragons chew to produce fire.
Flamethrower - The instrument a goldrider uses to burn Thread. A gold dragon may not chew firestone, because she will become infertile, if she does.
Flitterbies - A nickname for firelizards.
Fort - The oldest settlement on Pern's Northern Continent, located in the west.
Fosterage - The practice of sending one's child to live with another family, if the birthparents are unable or unwilling to care for the child. Among high-ranking Holders, they often foster their heirs out in an exchange system with other Holders, so that the heirs may learn the ins and outs of running a Hold.
Fosterling - A child who is fostered to another family.
Full-Blood - A legitimate child of a Lord Holder.
Gathers - Pern's equivalent of county fairs, held on restdays when no Thread is due.
Gitar - The Pernese spelling of 'guitar.'
Glow: a light-source.
Ground crews - People responsible for checking the ground for signs of burrowing Thread. If a burrow is spotted, it is the ground crew's duty to destroy the Thread before it can spread elsewhere.
Half-Blood - An illegitimate child of a Lord Holder.
Half-Circle Seahold - A minor hold located on the Nerat Peninsula on Pern's Northern Continent.
Harper:- The craft of musicians, diplomats, spies, lawyers, and teachers. Officially, though they are only musicians and teachers.
Hatching - The social event at which newly-hatched dragonets telepathically bond with their riders.
Headwoman - The woman who supervises the domestic running of a Hall, Hold, or Weyr. She usually reports to the Weyrwoman, the Lady Holder, or the senior crafter.
Healers - The craft of physicians on Pern.
Hold: a place where common people live
Impression: the joining of minds of dragon and its rider-to-be at the moment of its hatching
Holdless - A person who does not live in the security of a Hold, Hall, or Weyr, usually from expulsion rather than from choice. During a Pass, to be made Holdless is considered a death sentence.
Impression - The telepathic bonding of a dragon and its rider at the dragon's hatching. This bond lasts for life. If a dragon's rider dies, the dragon will suicide by disappearing between.
Infirmary - Where the injured receive medical treatment in a Weyr.
Intervals - The 200 Turn-long periods when Thread does not fall on Pern.
Journeyman - The rank attained in a craft by a person who has demonstrated sufficient competence to practice the craft without close supervision. They are posted throughout Pern to serve where needed for varying lengths of time. They also teach apprentices.
Klah: a hot drink made of tree bark and tasting faintly of cinnamon
Landing - The original settlement of colonists on Pern. It was on the Southern Continent, within sight of the Two-Faced Mountain.
Leading Edge - The first part of a Threadfall.
Lemos - A major Hold looking to Benden Weyr.
Long Intervals - Periods lasting 400 Turns, during which time no Thread falls on Pern. Long Intervals are artificially caused. They occur every third Pass.
Looks to: is Impressed by
Lower Caverns - The main domestic area of a Weyr, which is supervised by the Headwoman. It contains the kitchens, the dining hall, storage areas, and living quarters for a Weyr's support staff
Marks - Pern's basic monetary unit. They are put out by each craft, and a committee of senior crafters meets annually to determine their worth each Turn. Marks are subdivided according to the division of musical notes, down to 1/32.
Master - The most senior craft rank among the general population of a craft. Masters conduct new research into the more esoteric fields of their expertise.
Mating Flight - The method by which dragons and fire lizards mate. When a female dragon or firelizard goes into heat, she sucs the blood from an animal, then takes off into flight, chased by the males. When caught, the female entwines bodies with her mate, and the pair fall to the ground, using their wings as an airbrake. The longer and higher the flight, the larger the clutch of eggs that a gold will lay.
Meatrolls - A popular and common Pernese food.
Milkmother - A wetnurse
Month: four sevendays
Mychorrhiza - The scientific name for the Thread spores
Nearviewer - A microscope.
Necessary - The Pernese term for bathroom.
Needlethorn - The hollow spines of this plant are used by Pern's healers to inject medications into patients.
Nerat - The long, curving peninsula in the southeast part of the Northern Continent.
Numbweed: a medicinal cream which when applied to a wound kills all feeling. Is also used as an anaesthetic
Oil - Needed to keep the hides of dragons and firelizards soft and supple. Dry, flaky hide can harm a dragon or firelizard that travels between. Apparently, dragons do not have sebaceous glands in their hide.
Oldtimers - Dragonriders and support staff brought forward in time from the 8th Pass Weyrs to help Benden, the one remaining 9th Pass Weyr, to fight Thread. Some of them could not adjust to the ways of the 9th Pass, and they were eventually exiled to Southern Weyr.
Oort Cloud - A cloud of cometary debris in Pern's solar system. Every 200 or so years, its orbit intersects Pern, bringing with it the Thread spores.
Packtail - A very oily Pernese fish.
Pass: a period of time when the Red Star is closes enough to drop Thread on Pern.
Pern - The planet on which the dragons and their riders live, named by the survey team from the Federation of Sentient (sic) It is actually an acronym, standing for: 'Parallels Earth; Resources Negligible. The third of the star Rukbat’s five planets. It has two natural sate
Phosphine - The chemical in firestone that allows dragons to belch fire when they chew the rock
Red Star (sic): Pern’s stepsister planet. It has an erratic orbit.
Rank Cords - Worn in braided loops over one shoulder, they use a system of macrame knots to distinguish whether the wearer is of a particular Hold, Craft, or Weyr, and what rank the wearer holds. They are used in conjunction with badges.
Redwort - A topical antiseptic liquid used by Pern's healers. It has a sharp scent and is reddish in color.
Renegades - People who have become Holdless because of committing criminal acts.
Riding Leathers - The clothing a draginrider wears when fighting Thread, which is made of wherhide leather. It generally consists of trousers, jacket, gloves, helmet, boots, and goggles, with layers of regular clothing worn underneath. This protects the rider against the cold of high altitude and of between, and to provide some protection from Threadscore.
Ruatha - A major Hold in Fort territory. The word is Irish for 'red river.'
Rukbat The star that is Pern's sun.
Runners (animals) - Domesticated animals used for riding on Pern. They look similar to llamas.
Runners (people) - Couriers.
Sail - The membrane of hide that stretches between whe wingbones of a dragon or firelizard.
Search - The process by which dragonriders look for new candidates to Impress dragonets. The dragons are the ones who choose.
Searchriders - The riders of dragons who search for suitable candidates. Technically, any dragon can Search, but some riders, usually blueriders, are specifically assigned to this task.
Sevenday - The Pernese word for a week.
Shipfish - The Pernese term for dolphins, though the word 'dolphin' is also used.
Skybroom - A rare tree native to Pern.
Sleeping-furs - A Pernese bed, often filled with furs for warmth.
Smiths - Pern's engineers.
Southern Boll - The southwestern peninsula of Pern's Northern Continent
Spiderclaws - A crustacean, similar to Terran crabs.
Starstones - The collective term for the Eye Rock and the Finger Rock in a Weyr.
Stillroom - The room in a Hold where medicines are distilled.
Sweeps - Aerial surveys done by dragonriders to ensure that no Thread has burrowed into the ground.
Teaching Songs - Instructional songs taught to Pernese children by the Harpers as their basic education. They teach how to prepare for Threadfall, how to treat dragonriders, and how to live during a Pass.
Telgar - The territory in the north central area of Pern's Northern Continent. It is the home of Pern's main Smith crafthall.
Thread: (mycorrhizoid) spores, which descend on Pern from the Read Star and burrow into it, devouring all organic material that it encounters
Threadfall - A period of about six hours during which Thread descends to Pern, and dragonriders must flame it out of the sky.
Threadscore - The injury sustained when Thread touches a person's bare skin. It is usually treated by sluicing with water and then slathering with numbweed salve to relieve the pain. If it is deep enough, the wound must be cleaned, then sutured closed.
Timing - The ability of dragons to travel between through times, as well as through space. Usually, gold dragons inhibit this ability in the lesser dragons of a Weyr.
Tithes - The 'first fruits' of the harvest. More accurately, it is donations made to a Weyr by the Holds and Halls in its territory, to support the Weyr so that the dragonriders can concentrate on fighting Thread and caring for their dragons, instead of having to work at other jobs to support themselves. Tithes consist of food, leather goods, healers' services, fabrics, and anything else needed to run a settlement of dragonriders.
Tithing Trains - The wagon trains coming from Holds or Halls, bringing tithes to a Weyr.
Turn: A Pernese year
Trundlebugs - A Pernese insect.
Tubers - Potatoes.
Tunnelsnakes - Snakes with legs, which inhabit caves.
Uncle - The term of address for an older male relative or any older man in a Hold
Valerian - A bitter herb used as a sedative.
Vtols - Pern's equivalent of flies or mosquitoes.
Watchdragon - The dragons in a Weyr, Hold, or Hall whose duty it is to keep a lookout for Thread falling out of pattern or season. Their riders also log incoming and outgoing riders traveling adragonback.
Watch-heights - Where the watchdragons and their riders stand watch.
Watchwher - A wher used at a Hold as its guard animal and as a first warning of invaders or trouble.
Weyr - Any place where dragons and their riders live, whether it be in a hollowed-out volcano, a cliffside, or anywhere else. When capitalized, it refers to the place where a group of dragons live. When lower-case, it refers to the private residence of an individual dragon and rider.
Weyrcrafter - The senior member of any particular craft at a Weyr, for example: Weyrhealer, Weyrsinger, etc.
Weyrleader - The bronzerider whose dragon most recently mated with the Sr. Weyrwoman's gold. He is responsible for organizing a Weyr's riders to fight against Threadfall, for planning the attack strategy, and for seeing to it that riders and their dragons are properly trained to fight Thread.
Weyrlings - Riders whose dragons are less than 18 months old and thus who are still in Weyrling Training.
Weyrlingmaster - Think 'drill instructor.' This person trains weyrling riders and dragons in the basics of fighting Thread and living in a Weyr.
Weyrling Training - The initial training that newly-Impressed riders and dragons undergo. It lasts for 18 months after a dragon's hatching.
Weyrmates - A dragonrider and his or her significant other, who may or may not be of the same sex. Because dragons influence their riders so strongly during mating flights, it has become the custom for riders to not marry, to show consideration for non-riders who expect sexual fidelity in a marriage.
Weyrwoman - The term of address for any goldrider. However, it is usually reserved for the most senior goldrider in a Weyr. A Weyrwoman is in charge of the domestic and diplomatic running of a Weyr, while the Weyrleader oversees Threadfighting.
Watch-wher: a nocturnal reptile distantly related to dragonkind
Wherhide - Used by dragonriders to construct their Threadfighting gear.
Wherry - a birdlike, native Pernese creature, about the size of a turkey.
Wing - A group of 12-30 dragonriders who fly together during Threadfall, led by a Wingleader and one or two Wingseconds..
Wing Drills - Daily practices for fighting Thread.
Wingleader - The dragonrider in charge of leading a Wing.
Wingsecond - The second-in-command of a Wing. Some Weyrs have one per Wing, others have two.
Withies - Water reeds, often used for making baskets.
Yellowfruit - Lemons
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BLAZE
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Karma: 2 | | Re: Dragondex
« Reply #1 on Feb 15, 2008, 4:41pm » | |
Dragons
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Some basic physical Pernese dragon features:
1. Smooth, suede-like skin that comes in five colors (these never change, with the sole exception of Ruth, the only white dragon ever successfully Hatched and Impressed): gold, bronze, brown, blue, and green, where golds and greens are female and bronzes, browns, and blues are male (think "g" for girl and "b" for boy)
2. Multi-facted eyes that change color according to mood -- these are as follows:
Content/Neutral: Blue/Green
Love: Purple
Anger/Battle: Orange
Lust/Hunger: Red
Alarm: Yellow
Fear: White
Sadness/Mourning: Gray
3. Three pairs of eyelids: one transparent pair, one translucent pair, and one opaque pair
4. Pentadactyl (five-toed) forepaws that can act as hands
5. Three-toed hindpaws
6. Two stomaches
7. Headknobs instead of ears
8. Sizes that range as follows (and dragons are measured in feet, not meters, as per the DLG -- this is a correction Anne McCaffrey has specifically made), with wingspans equal to one and two thirds the total length of the dragon:
Gold: 38-42 feet in length with a wingspan of 63-70 feet
Bronze: 35-38 feet in length with a wingspan of 58-63 feet
Brown: 30-35 feet in length with a wingspan of 50-58 feet
Blue: 25-30 feet in length with a wingspan of 42-50 feet
Green: 20-25 feet in length with a wingspan of 33-42 feet
Green, copper-based blood known as ichor
9. Silver muscle
10. Six limbs: two short, arm-like forelegs, two hind legs, and two wings (which makes for an awkward stance on the ground)
Hatchings
Hatchings are always a joyous occasion at a weyr. When a golden queen rises to mate, Search riders are sent out to search the weyr's territories for suitable Candidates for Impression. When a person is Searched, they return to live at the weyr, usually. In some cases, they may stay at their home until the Hatching itself, but this is very rare.
After three months of gestation, the queen lays her eggs on the sands, and for five weeks, they harden. The Hatching date is never set in stone, and is usually the subject of quite a lot of betting, as is the colour distribution in the clutch itself. When the time come’s, the dragons themselves are the alarm clock...a great humming goes up in the weyr, Although it is unsure exactly how dragons know the eggs are Hatching.
When the humming begins, there is still a little time before the actual Hatching, though not much. A great amount of frantic activity, no matter the time of day or night. Any visitors or guests that aren't present are fetched, the kitchens are roused to a frenzy of preparations that couldn't be delayed until the last moment, and the Candidates are gathered from where ever they might be.
Candidates shed the clothes of their old life, and don the white robes of candidacy. They are led out to stand in a rough semi-circle around the eggs, the other side of the circle completed by the dragon queen and her mate. The sands are hot, and burn tender, un-protected feet. Dragons and firelizards fill the air, as both adore births of any kind. Dragons perch in the high ledges of the Hatching Grounds cavern, and the gawking spectators are relegated to the Galleries that line the outside of the grounds.
Hatchings are always different. In most, the first egg cracking triggers a rush of activity, and the hatching is over in mere minutes. In others, the Hatching may stretch several hours. It as always an exciting affair, especially if that all-important gold egg is present.
After Impression, dragons and their lifemates are led from the chaos to where experience Weyrlingmasters have provided meat for the ravenous young dragons. After that, the new weyrlings are led to the Weyrling Barracks, where their new lives as dragonriders begin. Usually, the dragons fall asleep, and so do the weyrlings, but some weyrlings are able to stay awake and join the festivities.
A Hatching Feast is a much anticipated event, sometimes almost as much as the Hatching itself. The Headwoman and her crew pull out all the stops for the guests of the weyr, and a great party is held to honour the newly hatching Weyrlings. Any and all come, including weyrlings who can manage and candidates who did not impress. Here, holder families of candidates can rub shoulders with the elite of the weyr, the Weyrleaders and Masters. The party usually lasts well into the night.
Growth and Maturity
Dragon Growth Chart | Colour | 2 mo | 4 mo | 6 mo | 12 mo | 18 mo | | Green | 9-12 | 12-15 | 12-15 | 18-23 | 20-25 | | Blue | 12-14 | 15-18 | 19-23 | 23-28 | 25-30 | | Brown | 14-15 | 18-21 | 23-27 | 28-33 | 30-35 | | Bronze | 15-16 | 21-22 | 27-28 | 33-35 | 35-38 | | Gold | 16-19 | 22-24 | 28-31 | 35-39 | 38-42 |
At birth, most dragons are about the same size and there is no way to tell what dragon is in what shell simply by looking at the size of the eggs.
Though gold eggs are usually larger and more of a golden than the others. When they first hatch, they can be picked up, but only awkwardly. This state doesn't last long, and pretty soon they must move under their own power, because they grown too large for their lifemates to carry them. They grow quickly in their first two months, tripling or even quadrupling their size. They must be kept well oiled, or their delicate hides will crack and become damaged.
Dragon take anywhere from around one and a half to two turns to reach their full, adult size. They grow quickly, and are able to start learning to fly around six months, when they've reached about half their adult size. The greens reach sexual maturity before they reach their full adult growth, and rise to mate for the first time around 1 turn of age. Golds mature much later, at two turns of age. The browns fall right in the middle, at 1 1/2 turn. Blues mature before browns, but after greens, while bronzes mature after browns, but before gold’s.
Firelizards
Firelizards cannot speak, and aren't very smart. Think of a firelizard as a smart cat that can fly and share its emotions with you. Colour is directly related to how intelligent the firelizard is. There's no such thing as a "rebellious" firelizard. Greens can be the least intelligent, and are usually the hardest to train. Be careful entrusting important messages to greens...the message might not reach its destination! Golds are the most intelligent, and can be trained well to deliver messages and perform special tasks. They communicate using emotions, and in the case of the more intelligent 'lizards, they may use limited images that can be difficult to understand. After all, they're the fraction of the size of a human, and see VERY differently, in different spectra and through faceted eyes.
If you have any questions, or would like to request your firelizard lay a clutch, contact the Board of Directors.
Description
Dragons, whers, and firelizards are all man-made (well, woman-made, really) descendents of the indigenous dragonet (so dubbed by Sorka Hanrahan in Dragonsdrawn).
According to the Dragonlover's Guide to Pern, basic dragonet features are
Boron-crystalline structured wings, which are transluscent sails stretched over an "arm" similar to the configuration of a bat's wing.
Three-toed rear limbs
Tridactyl foreclaws, configured as a single clawed toe that folds back against two rigid pincers (an excellent configuration for fishing)
When the firelizards were engineered, the following changes were made:
Tridactyl claws were altered to a pentadactyl -- five-fingered -- configuration
Improved empathy/telepathy
The improved firelizards ultimately wiped out the dragonets, but in the earlier colonial days, it was not uncommon for colonists to have firelizards of both species.
Regarding firelizard age: "Curiously, once a dragonet has lived through its first moments, centuries might pass before it dies. Dragonets were not designed for 'planned obolescence,' as humans were. A dragonet fifty years old looks the same as one just into maturity... Over time, one fertile female could repopulate the planet. Unless trauma occured, it would live on and on" (DLG 29).
Golds and green weren't tampered with the same way dragons were -- both types of females can lay eggs, although greens lay smaller clutches comprised almost entirely of chromatics (some would argue that a green-bronze pairing could result in a bronze, but I'm not sure), and typically abandon their eggs; golds lay larger clutches that can carry the entire range of colors (although a gold-brown pair is extremely unlikely to produce a gold, which aren't even guaranteed with gold-bronze pairings), and have much better maternal instincts than greens.
"A newly hatched dragonet is only a few inches long. When one reaches full growth, it is the length of a woman's arm from nose tip to tail tip" (29). Now, this implies that, if green dragons are the standard for a "dragonlength", being the most numerous of the dragons, then it's green firelizards who grow to this length. I can't imagine that firelizards have the same drastic size gaps that dragons do, but if you figure that a green is maybe three fourths the size of a gold, and that a woman's arm is two and a half feet (30 inches) in length, you get something like this for the breakdown:
Gold: 38-40 inches in length with a wingspan of 63-67 inches
Bronze: 36-38 inches in length with a wingspan of 60-63 inches
Brown: 34-36 inches in length with a wingspan of 57-60 inches
Blue: 32-34 inches in length with a wingspan of 53-57 inches
Green: 30-32 inches in length with a wingspan of 50-53 inches
Now, that list doesn't account for the same kind of difference that the dragon sizes do, where the gap closes between golds and bronzes, but I'm no mathemetician, and I like to keep my numbers nice and clean. ;> I think an average two-inch gap works, but I don't see why you couldn't have a 41-inch gold or a 29-inch green.
Clutches
Firelizards, as you should already know, lay eggs. Both greens and gold lay eggs, although greens are terrible mothers, and usually forget the eggs, or don't tend them well, and tunnelsnakes will get them. If you have a female firelizard, you may spend marks to have your firelizard clutch. Keep in mind that green clutches are few and far between. Firelizards tend to return to the Southern Continent to lay their clutches, so its unusual that a green firelizard's clutch will be found by its owner.
Gold clutches: 10 - 15 eggs, all colors, no more than one gold.
Green clutches: 5 - 10 eggs, blue and green only with the occasional brown.
Usually, firelizards prefer to lay their eggs in sandy areas, so you're not going to be walking along in the forest and magically find a clutch. If your clutch is approved, the BoD must approve color distribution, clutch size, and Impression.
Impression and the Bond
Impressing firelizards isn't like Impressing a dragon. There is no life-long bond, and firelizards are not programmed to self-destruct like dragons upon their owner's death. They simply return to the wild. They may decide to hang around, if their owner had a family, but they won't re-Impress. The firelizard can choose to leave their owner if they are neglected or abused. (Or in the case of Cibryen's rules, if they aren't named or roleplayed.)
Firelizard Impress to whatever feeds them. In the wild, they Impress to each other. This is another reason why so many green firelizards aren't successful. Baby firelizards that aren't provided with an offering of meat will turn on their clutchmates for food. Yes, they WILL cannibalize their clutchmates. Its important to have fresh meat on hand when one wishes to Impress a firelizard. Participants in a firelizard hatching usually hold out food and think loving thoughts in an attempt to attract the little ones. There is no gender preference. Golds can Impress to men, and bronzes can Impress to women.
When a green or gold firelizard rises to mate, and is chased by bronzes, browns, or blues, the owner of the firelizards aren't overcome in the same manner as dragonriders. They will notice, but it is possible to ignore it. The owner may feel more inclined to participate in sexual activity, but it is by no means required. It can enhance intercourse, but it is nothing like the gestalt that occurs during dragon mating flights. The owners of the firelizards which mate are most certainly NOT required to mate with each other. They can if they want to, but there is nothing that forces them to. Gold firelizards will first rise to mate at approximately six months of age, while greens may rise anywhere from two to four months of age.
Dolphincraft
Most of the teaching was done by the dolphins, they remembered how men and dolphins worked together. The men would remove the parasites the dolphins couldn't reach themselves. If dolphins were hurt, cuts and the like, men would sew them up, help them get better. Men would play with them. In return the dolphins would lead men to the biggest shoals of fish. They would warn of weather dangers. When storms hit the islands the dolphins would help to recover lost equipment. They assisted in the recovery of boats in distress and saved humans from drowning in a number of situations. They were even used by the Healer Hall on occasions, by using their sonar abilities they were able to detect abnormal growths, broken bones any tissue invasions, as well as detecting early pregnancies.
Now well established, with a culture of their own. An accepted training programme with planet wide recognition, and Craft acceptance Roaring Cliffs Dolphin Hall is one of the foremost on Pern.
Candidates are accepted from any background, competition is fierce, and places for apprenticeships few. The first turn is used purely to standardise each of the students. They are taught to swim, if they can't already, and to enhance that ability to a level good enough to accompany the dolphins. Basic lessons are taught, in the dangers of the ocean and all it's currents, environmental awareness of the islands and the coastal zone, its dangers and its beauty, the flora and fauna and a little basic dolphin husbandry.
If after the first turn it is felt they have an aptitude and the potential to make a good dolphineer they are invited to continue a formal apprenticeship.
Like all Perneese Apprenticeships it takes five turns to gain Journeyman status, and it is at this stage that pairings are made. The choice is that of the dolphin and since they have been part of the training during the apprenticeship period they are very qualified to select those apprentices that are most adept
The Prime work of the Dolphin Hall lies in three areas:
Close liason with the fishing fleets, assistance in location of shoals of fish and weather warnings.
Assisting Healer Hall in diagnosis of internal medical problems, through the use of their sonar abilities.
Assistance in rescue and recovery operations, after bad weather or just lost or endangered persons.
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wolfbearfox
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Karma: 10 | | Re: Dragondex
« Reply #2 on Jul 6, 2008, 12:22pm » | |
Watch-Wher
Whers were created by the granddaughter of the highly esteemed Kit Ping Yung, Wind Blossom, in an attempt to duplicate and modify the dragons created by Kit Ping, most concerned with their faceted eyes. Unfortunately, Wind Blossom was unable to do the genetic modification as well as her grandmother, and managed instead to create another new species: watch-whers.
Watchwhers are essentially malformed dragons. They come in the colours of dragons : gold, bronze, brown, blue and green. Watchwhers are more muscular than dragons, but remaining smaller. This is a measurement taken at their shoulder; watchwhers have the long, sinuous necks that both their cousins possess. Whers cannot fly or go between. They cannot tolerate bright light, especially sunlight.
Wher Sizes:
Golds - 14 1/2 - 15 hands at the shoulder and 13 - 15 feet long
Bronzes - 14 - 14 1/2 hands at the shoulder and 12 - 14 feet long
Browns - 13 1/2 - 14 hands at the shoulder and 11 - 13 feet long
Blues - 13 - 13 1/2 hands at the shoulder and 10 - 12 feet long
Greens - 12 1/2 - 13 hands at the shoulder and 9 - 11 feet long
Watchwhers can see in the dark, but they do not see light. Watchwhers see heat signatures-the amount and "level" of heat in an individual. When they are aware of the identity of the owner of a particular heat signature, they are capable of going between to that individual, regardless of place. This capability of viewing heat signatures is what makes going out in the sunshine so difficult-they view a world of heat, and it is an overload to them. This is also what makes them the most beneficial in cave-ins and underground situations, as they can view the heat of trapped miners or children, and "see" tunnel snakes in pitch black.
Breeding
The breeding of watchwhers is supervised by the WherMaster. The WherMaster is, most likely, bonded to a golden wher. No mention is made of the gender-bonding preferences of whers,
Whers do fly to mate but they can also take place on the ground. Golds can lay 2-3 clutches a year but are generally only allowed to lay one clutch a year to control the population of whers. Clutches are small, no more than ten eggs, and because of the genetic deformities inherent in the breed, dud eggs are a common occurrence. Gold and bronze whers are very very rare. The effect of mating on the humans would be closer to a firelizard mating flight ... they'd feel it but they are able to resist if they were of a mind to do so.
Whers have a mixture of fire-lizard and draconic traits when it comes to the Hatching and Impression process. An individual must first convince the WherMaster that they should have the right to try for an egg. If the WherMaster decides to let them try, that person must then convince the queen watchwher to let them have an egg. The eggs are small enough to carry in a well-padded haversack.
Bonds and Impression
A Watchwher will Bond to whomever is present and feeding them, similar to dragonets and firelizards. To seal the Bonding, the human partner must blood themselves and mark themselves to their wher. Whers choose their own name, always ending in "sk". They take their name from their Bonded [ex. Nuella = Nuellsk; Kindarin = Kisk; Renlian = Resk, etc]. It may take several days for the Bonded to ‘discover’ their wher’s name. Watchwhers are extremely territorial and protective of their Bonded, as well as the place they are considered in charge of. As evinced by cases such as Ruatha and Lessa, they become protective of the Bloodline as well. Bonds can also change; when one half dies, they will not definitely suicide-it like dragons do. Unlike dragons, once a handler dies, the wher can be given a new handler. They change their name to the next person who bloods them.
Intelligence/communication -
Like with firelizards, intelligence depends partially on hide color. Golds and bronzes have more smarts than the others, but even the dumbest green would have probably the smarts of say a smart dog. A gold or bronze would be adult-human normal. All colors are trainable, especially when treated well, and can be taught to recognize word commands or some other type of signal (like dogs). When treated well, a wher can be trusted not to shred every person on sight, and can be trusted unchained in a contained environment (like in a mineshaft testing for bad air etc). It is only when they are abused that they become dangerous to one and all, or if they are trained soley as attack whers to defend a hold against thieves. They communicate with the same basic range of noises as firelizards and dragons, but their mental communication tends more towards the firelizard end of the spectrum, consisting more of emotions than actual words.
Watch wher hide does not crack and dry like dragon or fire-lizard hides; it is possible to never need to oil them except for show. They mature more quickly than dragons do, both in growth and in capabilities. While not telepathic to humans, they can communicate through mental imaging and emotions. Whers can communicate easily with dragons, even over extremely long distances-this telepathic capability, combined with their heat signature sight and territoriality, is what makes watch whers the prime guardian creatures for a Hold, Camp or Hall during the night time hours.
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East Cliff Weyr
Talia Weyrwomen of Gold Quinith
K'ttak Weyrling Master Brown Dornth
Astra of Green Villarith
Zianna of Green Diceth
T’ibbar of Brown Rider Serkth
Talex Candidate
Top Point
R’reek Weyrleader of Bronze Leonth
Elday of Green Vieth
D’von weyrling of Blue Mastopeth
E'lric (guest rider) of Bronze Godarth
Morga Headwoman |
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