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 Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 5:50 pm
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Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 5:55 pm
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Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 5:56 pm
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Terminology
Confused by some of the words we use in the Weyr? It's a different place than Earth, we know, and we got a whole new vocabulary. Luckily, you speak our language, but you may not know some of the words! Here's a little glossary to clarify things.
Between (be·tween), prop. n.
The "void of nothingness" dragons cross into before teleporting to another location.
Candidate (can·di·date), prop. n.
A person, usually young adult, chosen to go to a Hatching and Impress a dragon, becoming a dragonrider. They wear white robes and no shoes to protect their feet from the hot sands.
Chase (chase), prop. n.
Part of the dragon mating ritual. A female dragon "rises to mate" and launches herself into the air, flying as high as she possibly can. The males who hope to mate her "court" her in the air by chasing the female until at last the strongest, fastest, and most clever male catches the female, wrapping his wings and gripping on to her with his talons. The two dive and mate in the air, letting go just before hitting the ground.
clutch (clutch), n.
A group of dragon eggs, laid by the same mother.
dragonet (drag·on·et), n.
A young dragon. Fire lizards are also sometimes called dragonets.
dragonrider (drag·on·rid·er), n.
One who rides a dragon.
fire lizard (fire·liz·ard), n.
Fire lizards are descended from the same creatures that tunnel snakes, whers, wherries and dragon are. At only about three feet long, they are perfect miniatures of dragons in every way except one. An adult fire lizard may be smart when taken into consideration with other animals, but they can hardly speak: instead, they express their wants and needs through pictures and emotions. Though dragons have this ability, they tend to use words, not emotions.
Fire lizards are common in the Weyr, and more than one can be Impressed. This, however, is advised against -one infantile fire lizard is enough to handle, for they have an insatiable appetite in their first few weeks and are not as picky about cannabilism as their larger cousins.
Firestone (fire·stone), prop. n.
A mineral that occurs in rock form that aids dragon in digestion and fire-breathing.
Harper (harp·er) prop. n.
A musician/teacher. Harpers often frequent the Weyr to entertain the Weyrfolk with ballads, songs, and dances.
Hatching (hatch·ing), prop. n.
The event when a clutch of dragon eggs hatch.
hatchling (hatch·ling), n.
The term used to describe a newborn dragon.
Healer (heal·er), prop. n.
One who is trained to heal people, dragons, and other creatures.
hold (hold), n.
A village or town. Not a weyr.
Impress (im·press), v.
To bond with a dragon.
queen (queen), n.
A gold female dragon.
Senior Queen (sen·ior queen), prop. n.
The oldest gold dragon in the Weyr, and thus, the one with the most influence and power.
tunnel snake (tun·nel snake), n.
Tunnel snakes share a common ancestor with dragons. They are about two feet long, with six legs: two in front, two in back, and two in the middle. Blind with exceptionally strong senses of hearing and smell, they are the "mice" of the Weyr, stealing food, ruining stores, and making a general mess of things. They are slightly poisonous, and small children/infants should be watched if you know there are tunnel snakes around, but the venom is too weak to cause more than a few hours pain in adults.
It is a sport to some people to set snares for the beasts and catch them, but tunnel snakes cannot be eaten, as their flesh is tasteless and causes the mouth to sting with their venom.
watch wher (watch wher), n.
Whers are dragons gone horribly wrong. Nocturnal, hoofed beasts, their only wings are foot-long stubs springing from overly-muscled backs. Their eyes are faceted like a dragon's, but are always a milky white, with only traces of color. They follow the same color patterns as dragons, a small indication that whers are descended from the majestic, winged figures.
Only wild whers are aggressive-- domestic whers are quite tame, if solitary. They answer only to people they've been introduced to, and at night, if someone they don't know is lurking around, a wher will raise the alarm before pouncing on the unknown visitor. This is why the act as "watch dogs" at night in the Weyr-- during the day, they hide in dragon weyrs too low to the ground and deemed too small to house a dragon.
Whers are telepathic, like dragons (if not as intelligent), but bond exceptionally well with the blind. It is thought that this is because a wher itself is nocturnal, and it senses the darkness that a blind person must struggle through. They are extremely friendly, loyal and protective to people they are comfortable with, which doesn't happen often, as most find their looks repulsive.
Whers can be Impressed upon, like a dragon. Wherriders are beginning to be more popular as an alternative to dragonriding.
Weyr (weyr), prop. n.
A place where dragonriders and their dragons live.
Weyrfolk (weyr·folk), prop. n.
Those who live in the protection of a Weyr.
Weyrleader (weyr lea·der), prop. n.
The rider of the top bronze in the Weyr, mated to the Head (and usu. Senior) Queen. Head of the wingleaders.
Weyrwoman (weyr wo·man), prop. n.
The rider of the Head (and usually Senior) Queen, mated to the Weyrleader's bronze.
Wherry (wher·ry), n.
A "wherry" is actually the name for two species of large birds that frequent Weyrs. The first type of wherry is a large, ostrich-like bird kept with the cattle. They taste something like spicy chicken, and is the main ingredient in a favorite dish of the Weyr's-- wherry pot pie.
The other form of wherry is like a game bird. They have four limbs like a dragon, but are indeed like small griffins-- feathered, with a falcon's head, and the rudiments of a dragon's tail. Another past time in the Weyr is to hunt these, as a full-grown game wherry makes for an excellent game of "chase" for a playful dragon. Feeding off of fish from the lake, they taste somewhat like a cross bewteen the spicy chicken flavor of domestic wherry and salmon.
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Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 5:59 pm
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History of Pern
A Brief Overview
Benden Records Benden Weyr:
10th Pass:How my hand shakes when I can bring myself to write that word again; it is almost admitting defeat. Both records and Harper tales speak of F’lar’s pledge to rid Pern of Thread, and we all naively thought that he had. All the Weyrs of Pern had risen to fight off the threat together, the last blow coming when they launched an attack on the Red Star itself. Yet it would seem that the Oort cloud that was left behind was not finished with us. It has been countless Turns since Thread last fell, and because of this most of the Weyrs are empty. At the end of the 9th Pass the Queens started laying smaller clutches so that dragons wouldn’t over-populate Pern, and with Thread gone, there were gradually fewer flights of dragons to be seen. Yet now, I have seen the deadly silver rain that is Thread; it has answered some questions and at the same time made more: why now, and why my Noviki?
My hand refuses to remain steady as I mourn my Weyrwoman, but it must be written. Our first clue (as best as anyone can judge) came 7 Turns ago. Our Golden Liraelth laid what was a massive clutch for her: 38 eggs in total, and 1 of which was a queen. Needless to say we were surprised. Liraelth also started to rise once every Turn instead of ever three. Other Weyrs reported similar abnormalities, and not a single Weyrwoman or Weyrleader on Pern could say why.
Yet only a sevenday ago, with a clutch of 42 eggs on the sands and another queen egg, we were all given our answer. Thread fell over Fort Weyr, over the Weyrbowl, something that has never been heard of before. Liraelth was fatally wounded, leaving my Noviki a half shadow of herself. My own Inivith was badly hurt, but he's survived. We lost 10 eggs and 15 dragons, and 20 or so riders and their partners were injured. The worst of our losses were those who we looked to to forge our future: our children... young men and women... all who had been at the lake side are forever lost to us, devoured by that mindless parasite. However you care to look at it, Thread has returned.
And dragonmen must fly when Thread is in the sky…
A’sh
(Fort Weyrleader) |
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Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 6:02 pm
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Joining The Weyr
So you'd like to join Benden Weyr, eh? You've got to go through some steps before you can jump right in!
First, copy and paste this form into a PM. Fill it out with your character's details, and send it to Flaconscale or jlynn518.
CHARACTER PROFILE FORMAT [align=left][size=10]
[b]Username:[/b]
[b]Character Name:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Height:[/b]
[b]Weight:[/b]
[b]Body Type:[/b]
[b]Hair Color:[/b]
[b]Eye Color:[/b]
[b]Skin Tone[/b]
[b]Weapons?[/b]
[b]Personality Snapshot (three words):[/b]
[b]Short Biography:[/b]
[i][b]Dragon[/b][/i]
[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Length:[/b]
[b]Wing Span:[/b]
[b]Color*:[/b]
[b]Personality Snapshot (three words):[/b]
[b]About the Dragon:[/b]
[/size][/align]
NOTE:
*You will only be able to have a bronze and gold dragon if you are a "crew member"! This is a temporary measure until things here are well-settled!
Posting
Things To Know
* Please use GOOD SPELLING and PROPER GRAMMAR. Nothing pisses us off more to see,"*wlks en & blws evry1 up*". We will allow leeway for spelling errors and such (everyone makes mistakes, after all), but I cannot stress enough that your posts need to be understandable.
* In regards to OOC, please make sure that your conversations are brief and to the point. There are rules to OOC, including:
-No text talk.
-Nothing random ("bump", "I like ducks", etc.).
-No arguing. Take it to the PMs.
* Asterisks are generally discouraged. Use quotation marks!
* Locations within the Weyr. At the top of each roleplaying post, note the location of your character. Use an " arrow " symbol pointing to the place. This is so that someone who started off near the lake doesn't suddenly appear at the Feeding Grounds. An example of what to do:
Silly Susan
arrow The Lake: Northern Shore
Susan knelt beside her dragon in the shallows and dipped the sponge into the clear water, bringing it back up again to scrub her dragon's hide.
RPing With A Dragon
Please remember that dragons are intelligent-- they are fully capable of thinking, feeling, moving, and conversing. Don't forget to roleplay as your dragon in addition to your rider. There are several ways you can balance the multiple dialogues, usually with font colors:
Example 1:
Dairine & Nemorth There was a loud scraping sound in the Weyr, and Dairine's head poked up from her pillow, instinctively searching out her dragon, Nemorth. Ah, the golden queen had shifted to get comfortable, her egg-filled belly making it difficult to find a spot. It seemed as if her scales had ground against the bare stone to make the sound that had woken Dairine. Reassured, Dairine's head dropped back onto her pillow, and she once again fell asleep.---------------------------------------- Of course Nemorth was uncomfortable! Egg-heavy, it felt to the dragon as if she were lying on a bed of ping-pong balls. She rolled over on her side -the two-foot spines along her back not allowing her to roll fully over- and tried to sleep, her faceted eyes swirling a nice green behind her closed eyelids.
This is a good example. This person roleplays both their character and their dragon. They even put a barrier "--" to be sure that people understand that these are two seperate entities, and to add to the sense of them being two different beings, the font colors are different for the dragon and the rider.
Example 2:
Felessan & Mnementh Leaning back against Mnementh's side, Felessan carved away at a block of cherry wood. The dragon's neck curved about them, his enormous head resting at his rider's feet. The bronze was watching the process with intense interest -his claws were unsuitable for carving out anything smaller than a tree, and even then, he could not get the details right. It was something that the two of them laughed about often, and in fact, they were laughing about it now.
"No matter how many times you watch me, you'll never be able to get these smaller details, you big brute."
Through their mental link, the dragon answered, a small undertone of laughter in his mental "voice".
"We've already agreed on that, F'lessan. I doubt even a green could do it."
Together the pair laughed silently, needing no spoken words through the bond that they shared.
This post emphasizes that although they are two seperate beings, the link makes them think as one. It suggests the companionship that your dragon gives, and the fact that they are literally "in your head". |
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Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 6:20 pm
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Dragons
Dragons. What are they? Where do they come from? How does one know if they even exist? It is time you found out! This is Benden Weyr, after all!
The most famous kind of dragon in Earth lore is the Draco occidentalis, or European Dragon. With four strong legs and two wings, they are the only known species of flying animal with six appendages. Like the European Dragons, our dragons have four legs and two wings.
The similarities stop there, however. Unlike European dragons, who can be any color in the spectrum, the dragons bred on Pern follow a distinct color sequence which determines their sex, rank, and size. They are listed below, beginning from the smallest (greens) to the largest (golds).
Dragon Personality/Intelligence
Dragons are incredibly intelligent creatures, capable of feeling complex emotions. Their minds are very advanced, and they are just as clever as humans (if not more so). They have the same five senses as humans-- smell, touch, sight, taste, and sound, though their smelling and sight senses are much more advanced than that of a human being. Dragons have extremely sensitive hearing, and their sharp sight can pick out small animals from the landscape thousands of feet in the air.
Their empathetic natures are enhanced by their telepathy, but one interesting fact is that dragons have little (if any) memory to bank on. What happens happens, and if it happened a while ago then why remember it?
Going "Between"
Dragons are born telepathic, hence the reason for their bonding to humans and their innate ability to go between from one place to another. Between is a great emptiness -you are neither here nor there while passing through it. It is extremely cold and oxygenless, much like outer space.
To go Between a dragon must have an accurate reference point of where they are going to go and practice constantly. To go Between somewhere without an accurate reference can lead to traveling to a different time or becoming lost in Between forever.
Bonding with a Human
Dragons live a very long time in the wild. The oldest dragons are hundreds of years old. If a dragon is bonded with a human, however, the two minds and lives are linked. If one dies, the other follows soon after. When a human rider passes away, a dragon suicides by losing itself "Between".
Traditionally dragons bond with humans of the same sex as themselves, but in recent years it has been discovered that their choice was based on the belief of humans that a same-sex connection should be made. Now that such a prejudice has been erased many young girls have bonded with blues, browns and in some cases even bronze dragons. Men have always been capable of bonding with any color of dragon except gold, and never has an exception been made.
Within those colors, any shade is possible (for instance, a blue can be a nice sapphire color, or maybe Mediteranean blue).
To learn even more about dragons, visit the "Dragon Anatomy" thread.
Colors and Statistics
White Dragon Statistics
PICTURE UNAVAILABLE
Sex: Female/Male
Length (from the tip of the tail to the nose): 21-24 ft. long
Wing Span: 23-26 ft.
Height (sitting upright, from ground to shoulder): 8-9 ft.
Rarity: Unnatural (Still born -1 in 100 thousand dragons). To hatch, the Candidate must take an active role in breaking the thick shell for the tiny beast.
Top Speed in Flight/Across Ground: 75-78 mph/18-21 mph
Agility: High
Strength: Very Low
Egg Count: N/A
Range (fire): 18-21 ft.
General:
White dragons aren't even supposed to exist. Very rarely does an egg fail to hatch, and in those cases the egg is taken between and deposited. Who knew that those eggs did not contain still borns, but dragons too weak to break out of their own shells? There is not even a percentage to give for how abnormal this is -white dragons can't exist.
Can't they?
Green Dragon Statistics
Sex: Female
Length (from the tip of the tail to the nose): 33-36 ft. long
Wing Span: 35-38 ft.
Height (sitting upright, from ground to shoulder): 11-12 ft.
Rarity: Common
Top Speed in Flight/Across Ground: 66-72 mph/15-18 mph
Agility: High; most nimble of naturally born dragons
Strength: Low; weakest of dragons
Egg Count: 27-36; small eggs
Range (fire): 22-25 ft.
General:
Greens are the smallest of the dragons, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. They are very graceful as a result of their size, and love the attention of humans; a great deal of the time it is a green dragon who is first to greet a guest, thrusting their nose at the visitor for a closer look. However, they can be rambunctious: noisy, lustful, aggressive and vain.
Green hatchlings are attracted to everyone, but the passionate souls seem more likely to Impress one. These dragons rise often to mate and lay many eggs (to prevent being overpopulated young greens start chewing firestone early).
Blue Dragon Statistics
Sex: Male
Length (from the tip of the tail to the nose): 36-39 ft. long
Wing Span: 38-41 ft.
Height (sitting upright, from ground to shoulder): 13-14 ft.
Rarity: Common
Top Speed in Flight/Across Ground: 63-69 mph/14-17 mph
Agility: Excellent
Strength: Low; weakest of male dragons
Egg Count: N/A
Range (fire):24-27 ft.
General:
Blues are the smallest of male dragons. They prefer to mate with green dragons. They are sharp and quick-witted, and often Impress people of intellect or "bird-like" qualities. Though relatively weak in dragon terms, their speed makes up for the lack in muscle mass.
Brown Dragon Statistics
Sex: Male
Length (from the tip of the tail to the nose): 42-45 ft. long
Wing Span: 44-47 ft.
Height (sitting upright, from ground to shoulder): 15-16 ft.
Rarity: Very Uncommon
Top Speed in Flight/Across Ground: 60-63 mph/12-15 mph
Agility: Medium
Strength: High
Egg Count: N/A
Range (fire):28-31 ft.
General:
Brown dragons are not exactly the smartest by dragon standards, but this they make up for in strength. Protective and caring, they are the only color that does not need to be forced into training Weyrlings. They act as "spokesmen" for the bronzes and golds, taking orders and acting them out to the best of their ability.
Those of loyal, sturdy and courageous heart often win over newly-hatched browns.
Bronze Dragon Statistics
Sex: Male
Length (from the tip of the tail to the nose): 45-48 ft. long
Wing Span: 47-50 ft.
Height (sitting upright, from ground to shoulder): 16-17 ft.
Rarity: Rare
Top Speed in Flight/Across Ground: 57-60 mph/11-14 mph
Agility: Medium
Strength: High
Egg Count: N/A
Range (fire):30-33 ft.
General:
Bronze... what to say of the mighty bronze dragon? The largest and strongest of male dragons, they are the leaders, acting as "alpha males" within the Weyr. Even in a queen's clutch, there are usually no more than two bronze dragons. If dragons were ever to clash a bronze would be a formidable foe. They have the most stamina of any dragon: they have to, for only a bronze or a large brown can outfly the sturdy golden females in a mating flight. They are fiercely loyal to their queen, supporting her in everything she does.
The rider of a bronze dragon must be strong in almost every aspect of their character, for they lead the Weyr in day-to-day life and while combating the menace of Thread. Each bronze rider is responsible for a "wing" of dragons, twenty riders and their partners who take orders in pressure situations from the bronze and his rider. Lording over the wingleaders is the Weyrleader, whose dragon is the only one allowed/powerful enough to mate with the senior queen (see "Gold Dragon Statistics").
Gold Dragon Statistics
Sex: Female
Length (from the tip of the tail to the nose): 55-58 ft. long
Wing Span: 57-60 ft.
Height (sitting upright, from ground to shoulder): 23-24 ft.
Rarity: Extremely Rare
Top Speed in Flight/Across Ground: 49-52 mph/15-18 mph
Agility: Medium/Low
Strength: Extremely High
Egg Count: 7-16; large eggs
Range (fire): N/A
General:
Nothing compares to the majestic power of a queen dragon. Like the queen bee, everything in the Weyr answers to her. Her exceptional size and strength make up for the lack of "fire power": queen dragons cannot breath fire. They are the mother dragons, fiercely protective of their nests, unlike the rambunctious greens, who lay their eggs and leave.
The other four colors of dragon are usually only marginally larger than the next color up. It is not so with the queen. A bronze dragon's shoulder reaches about her elbow height, and with a wing span of over sixty feet, an angry queen is a force to be reckoned with. Gold dragons are also slower in the air than other dragons, but her size makes it easy for her to cover ground as quickly as a green.
Queen riders consult the bronze riders on how things happen within the Weyr, and it is they who organize special events such as Hatchings and Gatherings (parties). Like any elite club though, all queen riders answer to the rider of the oldest gold: the senior queen. Her rider is known as the Weyrwoman (second only to the Weyrleader), and it is she who makes the final decisions on what happens/doesn't happen in day-to-day affairs.
Other Creatures Within the Weyr
Tunnel Snakes
Tunnel snakes share a common ancestor with dragons. They are about two feet long, with six legs-- two in front, two in back, and two in the middle. Blind with exceptionally strong senses of hearing and smell, they are the "mice" of the Weyr, stealing food, ruining stores, and making a general mess of things. They are slightly poisonous, and small children/infants should be watched if you know there are tunnel snakes around, but the venom is too weak to cause more than a few hours pain in adults.
It is a sport to some people to set snares for the beasts and catch them, but tunnel snakes cannot be eaten, as their flesh is tasteless and causes the mouth to sting with their venom.
Wherries
A "wherry" is actually the name for two species of large birds that frequent Weyrs. The first type of wherry is a large, ostrich-like bird kept with the cattle. They taste something like spicy chicken, and is the main ingredient in a favorite dish of the Weyr's-- wherry pot pie.
The other form of wherry is like a game bird. They have four limbs like a dragon, but are indeed like small griffins-- feathered, with a falcon's head, and the rudiments of a dragon's tail. Another past time in the Weyr is to hunt these, as a full-grown game wherry makes for an excellent game of "chase" for a playful dragon. Feeding off of fish from the lake, they taste somewhat like a cross between the spicy chicken flavor of domestic wherry and salmon.
Watch Whers
Whers are dragons gone horribly wrong. Nocturnal, hoofed beasts, their only wings are foot-long stubs springing from overly-muscled backs. Their eyes are faceted like a dragon's, but are always a milky white, with only traces of color. They follow the same color patterns as dragons, a small indication that whers are descended from the majestic, winged figures.
Only wild whers are aggressive-- domestic whers are quite tame, if solitary. They answer only to people they've been introduced to, and at night, if someone they don't know is lurking around, a wher will raise the alarm before pouncing on the unknown visitor. This is why the act as "watch dogs" at night in the Weyr-- during the day, they hide in dragon weyrs too low to the ground and deemed too small to house a dragon.
Whers are telepathic, like dragons (if not as intelligent), but bond exceptionally well with the blind. It is thought that this is because a wher itself is nocturnal, and it senses the darkness that a blind person must struggle through. They are extremely friendly, loyal and protective to people they are comfortable with, which doesn't happen often, as most find their looks repulsive.
Whers can be Impressed upon, like a dragon. Wherriders are beginning to be more popular as an alternative to dragonriding.
Fire Lizards
Fire lizards are the creatures from which tunnel snakes, whers, wherries and dragon are descended from. At only about three feet long, they are perfect miniatures of dragons. Second, an adult fire lizard may be smart when taken into consideration with other animals, but they can hardly speak: instead, they express their wants and needs through pictures and emotions. Though dragons have this ability, they tend to use words, not emotions.
Fire lizards are common in the Weyr, and more than one can be Impressed. This, however, is advised against -one infantile fire lizard is enough to handle, for they have an insatiable appetite in their first few weeks and are not as picky about cannibalism as their larger cousins. |
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Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 6:28 pm
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Dragon Anatomy
Index Wondering what the big brutes look like? Here are some general ideas... Post 1. Bone Structure Post 2. Muscle Configuration Post 3. Skin & Other Details Post 4. Dragon's Eye Post 5. Eye Colors Post 6. Hatching Dragon Post 7. Firebreath Post 8. Proportions *If images do not load, refresh page.
Bone Structure Dragons are the only known flying creature with six appendages (four legs and two wings), besides their miniature counterparts, the fire lizards. Their skeletons are very large, but also light and flexible like a bird's, so that they can soar the skies with ease.
Muscle Configuration
With two large wings, dragons need powerful muscles to keep their bodies aloft. It takes several months for a young dragon to build up the muscle needed to tirelessly flap their wings to keep them aloft. Young dragons usually use high cliffs to launch themselves into the air, then stick to gliding on thermals (hot pillars of air rising from the ground), as they do not have the power to make the launch straight from the ground and then flap continuously. They also have large hearts to pump blood to their extremities.
Skin & Other Details Depending on the species, dragons' skin ranges from smooth and soft to rough and scaly. Our dragons at the Weyr, however, have smooth, leathery skin. Riders frequently bathe and oil their dragons to prevent their skin from becoming dry and flaky.
Dragon's Eye
Dragon's eyes are very expressive. They are multi-faceted, like that of a honeybee.
Eye Colors One might consider a dragon's eyes to be like a "mood ring". The eye changes color based on what they are feeling. The colors will also "whirl", or spin, depending on how intense that emotion is. The faster the color spins, the more the dragon feels a particular mood.Red: Danger
Orange: Distress
Yellow: Cautious
Green-yellow: Defiant, proud
Green: Calm
Blue: Happy
Purple: Tired, fatigued
Violet: Arroused (pre-mating)
Black: Pissed
Gray: Depressed
White: Scared (more common in fire lizards) Colors will also often blend to form a complex emotion. For example, a dragon's eyes may whirl a soft blue-green when it is feeling relaxed and happy. Because of the link between dragon and rider, what their rider feels a dragon feels to an extent (and vice versa).
Hatching Dragon
Dragon hatchlings' eyes swirl red-orange when they first emerge from their eggs. Red for danger, as dragons often become cannibalistic at birth due to their intense hunger, and orange, out of fear that there will be no food and they must resort to eating each other or perish. This behavior is a remnant of their wild ancestry as fire lizards; the dragons in the Weyr have never resorted to cannabilism. Dragons who do not Impress a rider with anyone in the Weyr at that time commit suicide by going between, hence the Weyr's insistence on having more than enough Candidates on the Grounds when the time comes for the eggs to hatch.
Firebreath Dragons in the Weyr are not magical. They have a heart, lungs, a liver... everything a living creature needs to keep themselves alive. Were it not for their bond with humans, dragons would live much longer than they do now. Because of genetic tampering to make the first dragons, descendants of those have trace amounts of boron and silicon in their frames. Used to make plastic, these materials decay more slowly than materials found within the human body (carbon, potassium, etc.).
To breath fire European dragons have venom sacks located to either side of their wide head, much like a snake. The venom in these sacks does not ignite when put in contact with oxygen -how could they, when a dragon needs air to breath? Pernese dragons chew a phosphine-bearing stone commonly called Firestone which they digest in their second stomach. The acids in this second stomach create an explosive gas that comes in contact with a combination of oxygen and carbon dioxide from their lungs, thus creating fire. The muscle contractions for such a feat are all voluntary, so a dragon can choose whether or not to breath fire. It is not recommended that a dragon with hold flaming for too long though, since the gases build up to an uncomfortable pressure inside their second stomach to create "belching", or accidental flame emmisions.
After all the gases in its stomach have been released the dragon coughs up the stones, much like modern birds and some reptiles who use gizzard stones for digestion and regurgitate them later to swallow more. The result is a pile of damp ash which can be swept away.
Proportions This is a general idea of the proportions found in a Pernese dragon. 3nodding |
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Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 6:35 pm
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Hatchings: What Is A Hatching?
A Hatching is the joyous occasion in when a clutch of dragon eggs hatch at Benden Weyr. On the day of a Hatching, all the dragons in the Weyr begin to emit a strange humming sound. Everyone drops everything to go to the Hatching Grounds. There, they watch as the young Candidates bond with their newborn companions.
This is called an Impression. A dragon rider "Impresses" a dragon by feeding the voracious hatchling when it first emerges from its shell. This creates the mysterious mental link between rider and dragon. When you and your dragon meet each others' eyes, it is then that the newborn will introduce itself. Dragons are born knowing their names (meaning, the name you submitted for them in your profile).
After a Hatching and an Impression, rider and dragon share a bond. They are partners for life, one in mind and soul.
What Sort of Dragons are Born at a Hatching?
It all depends on the mother. A clutch laid by a green dragon will produce only greens, browns and blues. Only a clutch laid by a gold queen will yield gold hatchlings, along with the other dragon colors. Obviously, the gold queen Hatchings have the largest attendance, as everyone wants to witness the birth of a new gold queen. It's a very special occasion! But then again, all Hatchings are special.]
How is a Hatching Coordinated?
First, there must be at least three potential dragon riders whom would like to attend a Hatching. The mother dragon of the clutch must also be present. A thread will be created specifically for the Hatching. It will begin and end once all dragon riders have claimed their dragons. Please be active during the Hatching! Don't just leave us hanging. If you go for two days without posting, we will not wait, and the Hatching will end.
All Candidates will be PM'd the same message two days before the actual Hatching. You should already know what color you will be given due to your application to the Weyr (see thread "Joining the Weyr/Posting"), but your character won't!
Unless more people want to join, and are capable of being there at the appropriate Hatching day, there's a minimum of four people required (including the queen whose eggs are going to hatch). Others are welcomed and indeed encouraged to RP as spectators, as it makes our Hatching seem much larger. But keep off the sands -they're hot!- and stay in the stands to watch the Hatching unfold.
How Is A Hatching Conducted?
On the day of the hatching, the thread will open up and you will be free to roleplay as your dragon rider and newborn hatchling! Please please PLEASE remember that you cannot just jump in and expect there to be a hatchling for you. You must roleplay as your dragon!
You will be RP'ing as both your dragon rider character and your dragon as it hatches and seeks you out. Wow us with your talents. Show us that you have what it takes to be a dragon rider.
jlynn518 has prepared an example of a Hatching RP here.
Hatching Example The hot sands burned through the soles of her shoes, but the physical discomfort was dismissed as she stared in awe at the half-dozen eggs rocking back and forth. A long crack appeared down the side of one on the far side of the nest from her, and the egg split cleanly in half, ejecting a large brown. As she watched the dragon uprighted itself, its head on a swivel as it searched for its partner. Its eyes whirled the bright red-orange of distress, as all baby dragons are at birth from hunger. The brown's eyes met with a small boy next to her, and Sorka turned her head away respectfully to watch the other eggs.
In the time that the brown hatchling had been looking for his partner, almost all the eggs had hatched. The only one that hadn't was a smaller one off to side of the nest. As Macy watched, it began to rock, a distressed peeping coming from it as the baby inside tried to get out. WIthout bothering to think the young woman half-jogged half-ran to it and began beating the surface with her fists to help the hatchling out. The egg fell silent again before a golden snout pushed its way through the weakened point, a piece of egg across one nostril. A green tongue flickered out as Macy began pulling away the shell from the dragon's face. The head became exposed, and without even leaving the egg, the dragon locked eyes with the girl. Much like the boy who had met with his brown, Macy's face lit up with joy as the dragon introduced itself through their newly forged link."My name is Farlith, Macy!"
How Do I Join a Hatching?
If you wish to RP your dragon as already hatched, by all means do so, but if you wish to participate in a Hatching, PM the person whose queen is near hatching.
Any questions? Don't hesitate to PM jlynn518.
Hatching
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***YOU CAN ALSO JUST START RPING A DRAGON WITHOUT GOING THROUGH A HATCHING -HATCHINGS ARE VOLUNTARY EVENTS MEANT TO KEEP THINGS INTERESTING.*** |
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Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 6:41 pm
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Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 6:44 pm
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Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 6:45 pm
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Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 6:47 pm
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Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 6:49 pm
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Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 6:52 pm
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Updates
Thursday, October 18, 2007 @ 5:50 PM
Thursday, Oct 18, 2007 @ 7:54 PM Weyr officially opened (recruiting stage).
Friday, October 19, 2007 @ 12:22 PM First member (besides creator) to make a profile.
Thursday, October 25, 2007 @ 10:03 AM Prior to a mating flight, this image will appear:
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