Post by themidnightscribe on Aug 16, 2009 17:45:22 GMT -6
General
They vary in size and color, and they breed according to when their young come to sexual maturity. Mothers are very protective of their eggs and their young. Riders of the mother and father dragons will end up teaching the new riders and their dragons how to fly, hunt, carry porra and the etiquette expected of them. Being a dragonrider will advance a young canyon dweller above those who do not ride, so it is a very desirable profession.
Because war does (though very seldomly) happens, young riders are taught how to fight with swords, but also hand to hand combat much like karate or tai-kwon-do. Killing is very frowned upon, and it is stressed only fight if it's a life or death situation, like war. This will be taught by a weapons master.
Mating
Dragon mates are ultimately chosen by the rider of the female, or if she cannot make a decision, the Canyon Council.
At the time of a female dragon's heat, first, the female rider must petition the council to either allow her dragon to mate, or to not. If she chooses to have her dragon mate and the council approves, all riders of male dragons wishing to be considered for the coupling will send a gift to the rider of the female. At this time, any and all wooing is acceptable, so boys, pull out all the stops. When she chooses, or if she can't decide and the Council chooses, the two dragons and the two riders will camp out in the desert for a few days until the dragons mate.
It is possible for the rider of the female dragon to petition the council to take her dragon out to the desert alone during the dragon's heat to prevent a mating. Some choose this if the female dragon in question is too small and may have a hard time clutching, if the rider of the dragon is not ready for/does not want the responsibility of teaching young dragonriders, or is planning to move to another canyon in the near future.
A rider's petition may also be declined for the same above reasons. Only mature dragonrider's are allowed to train young ones, and if the rider of the mother dragon is not ready, he/she will not be allowed to have her dragon mate.
Hatching/Hatchlings
A small dragon (25-35 feet) will produce 1-4 eggs. A medium dragon (36-50 feet) will clutch around 3-9 eggs. A large dragon (51-65 feet) will have 5-12 eggs.
Each eggs is hard and is quite large-even larger than an ostrich egg. Most are comparable in size. They come in all sorts of colors and patterns so they stick out in the sand, though these patterns do not necessarily have to do with the hatchling colors. They will be laid in the sands around the top of the canyon, and a mother dragon will hover over them, never leaving for several weeks while the eggs incubate. Her mate will bring her food.
All dragons hatch the length of an adult human's arm, so 4-6 feet in length, and can be lithe or pudgy (though this is no indication to a large or small dragon). As an adult, a dragon will be around 25-65 feet. Some theories to what determines size range from dam/sire sizes, to what the weather was like when the mating took place, though no theory has been proven so it is most likely random chance.
The Chosen
Most young people want to become dragonriders because it's a very noble profession. Dragonriders are the life-bringers to the canyon. With out them, humanity must certainly die off, so they are given much respect, and have the largest salaries. Suitable children in the canyon are scouted at a young age, and watched closely. If the children turn out positively, they will be asked to take an egg. If a child is not asked, they may petition the council, and they will be assessed if they will be suitable for riding. If they are, they become apart of The Chosen, those destined to be riders.
When the eggs are ready to hatch, those with the most seniority in the Chosen are taken to the eggs. Very carefully the eggs are taken from the mother and the Chosen draw lots for the eggs. Once again, random chance has a play in the dragons. Once the eggs are divided, the Chosen separate and wait a few moments before the egg hatches, because the first thing the hatchling sees, it attaches to.
Young riders will choose the name for their own hatchling, but they must use either part of the mother dragon's name, or part of the father's name.
Dragons are sophisticated enough to talk to telepathically, though their vocal chords are much like a beast, and they only roar and growl when they use them. They will speak to anyone, and have diverse personalities. They will tell their riders their genders.
Lifespan of a Dragon
As long as a dragon is not killed (by war, sand serpent, sea demon, flight accident, sickness, or malicious intent) it will live 50-60 years. A normal human lifespan in this game is about 80-85 years. If the dragon dies before the rider, the rider will still be given their old titles and salary of a dragonrider. Some take up a new occupation to pass the time, others, if they are elderly, just retire.
If a rider dies before his/her dragon, the dragon usually lives out it's life in a lower cave that is not attached to a rider's apartment. These dragons are taken care of by those who are too old to be apart of The Chosen, and sometimes young teens who are too young to be considered for a dragon egg. These dragons will not likely to allow themselves to be ridden ever again. Every once in a while a dragon will berserk and flee into the desert to become feral. They will most likely not be seen by men ever again.
They vary in size and color, and they breed according to when their young come to sexual maturity. Mothers are very protective of their eggs and their young. Riders of the mother and father dragons will end up teaching the new riders and their dragons how to fly, hunt, carry porra and the etiquette expected of them. Being a dragonrider will advance a young canyon dweller above those who do not ride, so it is a very desirable profession.
Because war does (though very seldomly) happens, young riders are taught how to fight with swords, but also hand to hand combat much like karate or tai-kwon-do. Killing is very frowned upon, and it is stressed only fight if it's a life or death situation, like war. This will be taught by a weapons master.
Mating
Dragon mates are ultimately chosen by the rider of the female, or if she cannot make a decision, the Canyon Council.
At the time of a female dragon's heat, first, the female rider must petition the council to either allow her dragon to mate, or to not. If she chooses to have her dragon mate and the council approves, all riders of male dragons wishing to be considered for the coupling will send a gift to the rider of the female. At this time, any and all wooing is acceptable, so boys, pull out all the stops. When she chooses, or if she can't decide and the Council chooses, the two dragons and the two riders will camp out in the desert for a few days until the dragons mate.
It is possible for the rider of the female dragon to petition the council to take her dragon out to the desert alone during the dragon's heat to prevent a mating. Some choose this if the female dragon in question is too small and may have a hard time clutching, if the rider of the dragon is not ready for/does not want the responsibility of teaching young dragonriders, or is planning to move to another canyon in the near future.
A rider's petition may also be declined for the same above reasons. Only mature dragonrider's are allowed to train young ones, and if the rider of the mother dragon is not ready, he/she will not be allowed to have her dragon mate.
Hatching/Hatchlings
A small dragon (25-35 feet) will produce 1-4 eggs. A medium dragon (36-50 feet) will clutch around 3-9 eggs. A large dragon (51-65 feet) will have 5-12 eggs.
Each eggs is hard and is quite large-even larger than an ostrich egg. Most are comparable in size. They come in all sorts of colors and patterns so they stick out in the sand, though these patterns do not necessarily have to do with the hatchling colors. They will be laid in the sands around the top of the canyon, and a mother dragon will hover over them, never leaving for several weeks while the eggs incubate. Her mate will bring her food.
All dragons hatch the length of an adult human's arm, so 4-6 feet in length, and can be lithe or pudgy (though this is no indication to a large or small dragon). As an adult, a dragon will be around 25-65 feet. Some theories to what determines size range from dam/sire sizes, to what the weather was like when the mating took place, though no theory has been proven so it is most likely random chance.
The Chosen
Most young people want to become dragonriders because it's a very noble profession. Dragonriders are the life-bringers to the canyon. With out them, humanity must certainly die off, so they are given much respect, and have the largest salaries. Suitable children in the canyon are scouted at a young age, and watched closely. If the children turn out positively, they will be asked to take an egg. If a child is not asked, they may petition the council, and they will be assessed if they will be suitable for riding. If they are, they become apart of The Chosen, those destined to be riders.
When the eggs are ready to hatch, those with the most seniority in the Chosen are taken to the eggs. Very carefully the eggs are taken from the mother and the Chosen draw lots for the eggs. Once again, random chance has a play in the dragons. Once the eggs are divided, the Chosen separate and wait a few moments before the egg hatches, because the first thing the hatchling sees, it attaches to.
Young riders will choose the name for their own hatchling, but they must use either part of the mother dragon's name, or part of the father's name.
Dragons are sophisticated enough to talk to telepathically, though their vocal chords are much like a beast, and they only roar and growl when they use them. They will speak to anyone, and have diverse personalities. They will tell their riders their genders.
Lifespan of a Dragon
As long as a dragon is not killed (by war, sand serpent, sea demon, flight accident, sickness, or malicious intent) it will live 50-60 years. A normal human lifespan in this game is about 80-85 years. If the dragon dies before the rider, the rider will still be given their old titles and salary of a dragonrider. Some take up a new occupation to pass the time, others, if they are elderly, just retire.
If a rider dies before his/her dragon, the dragon usually lives out it's life in a lower cave that is not attached to a rider's apartment. These dragons are taken care of by those who are too old to be apart of The Chosen, and sometimes young teens who are too young to be considered for a dragon egg. These dragons will not likely to allow themselves to be ridden ever again. Every once in a while a dragon will berserk and flee into the desert to become feral. They will most likely not be seen by men ever again.