Sylvan Weyr

[Carni]

Dragon Colors

(Pixels created by khiitan)


Gold:
Female dragons - Golds are often refered to as 'Queens' and are the only regular color that does clutch. They are the largest among dragons, rarely outsized by a large bronze and possess the power to control any other dragon but other Queens unless they are the senior of the Weyr. While they can clutch 10 - 40 Eggs, they are unable to chew firestone and flame, forcing their riders to use Flamethrowers and ride in the lowest wing. While they are not as useful during the actual fight as many other dragons are, the Queen and her rider hold the greatest responsibility for their Weyr and their wings. Queens are large enough to catch any dragon falling from the sky and are responsible to keep the whole Weyrlife going. While Weyrleaders and Wingleaders change, Queenriders do not, they are the main leading force of the Weyr.
Queens are highly protective about their clutches and sometimes seem to be quite arrogant. They know of the power and responsibility they hold and demand respect from any other living creature. But while they might seem arrogant and haughty - do not misunderstand these sweet creatures that keep dragonkind alive...
Queens mature around two turns of age and rise once or twice per turn, choosing Bronzes as mates or very rarely a Brown.


Bronze:
Male dragons - Largest Males and second largest overall, Bronzes are born leaders, making their riders either Wingleaders or Weyrleaders in most cases. They most often mate with Queens and much more rarely with Greens, the rider whose dragon catches the Senior Queen becoming Weyrleader. Bronzes are oftentimes the better leaders during Threadfall and are probably the only color that is able to calm down a Queen guarding a clutch without putting a foot down. Bronzes are bulky and massive, their chest oftentimes broader than a Queens, supporting them with the strength they need to last through an entire Threadfall or a Queens flight.
Like Queens they might seem arrogant on ocassion, their metalic heads held high while they stride through the weyr. Bronzes know they are meant to be leaders, easily ordering around any color below them while they themselves only obey Queens.
Bronzes mature around one turn of age and can chase any female - prefering Queens and Crimsons most of the time.


Crimson:
Female dragons - A freak color that appeared due Theresas and Dafnierth arrival, Dafnierth being the first of her color. They seem to range somewhat between a Brown and a Bronze while being more slender and graceful than either of them. It seems as if even tho they are smaller than many Bronzes, some of them are able to order them around like a small Queen would. Their hides, however, do not show any sign of metallic sheen and are thusly considered to be a Greens mutation. A Crimsons role is still not clear among the riders while dragons rarely fret about it. Crimsons can chew firestone and breath flames, their riders becoming Wingseconds and sometimes even Wingleaders. Whether they can clutch too or even rise will be discovered while more time passes.
Crimsons seem to be much more collected and calm than Queens are, steady as a rock, not easily shaken by anything. Awakening their rage, however, is the worst idea one could have. It takes much to tick a Crimson off but once her anger breakes loose even a Queen has troubles putting it back into the cage.
Crimsons mature around two turns of age and can rise up to four times a turn in times of need. They prefer Bronze and Brown as mates but will consider Sables, Chromes and Blues too.


Brown:
Male dragons - Medium sized Browns seem to be the allrounders of the Weyr, able to last an entire Threadfall but also much swifter in the air than Bronzes. They chase Queens on ocassion but rarely catch them, their clutches turning out small. They chase Greens much more commonly and sucessfully, their riders usually being Wingseconds or Wingthirds. Browns seem to be unimportant between sensitive Blues and mighty Bronzes, but most of them could care less, being hard working dragons the whole Weyr can rely on. Much like Crimsons, a Brown will rarely tick off, making them loyal friends and companions.
Browns mature around one turn of age and chase mostly Greens, Mauves and Crimsons rarely Golds.


Sable:
The first Sable to hatch is a male dragon and it is thusly believed that Sable is a new rank of male dragons - probably ranging between a blue and a brown in size and build judging by Seleniuth' size, usually having the stamina to last an entire Threadfall unless at the smaller spectrum for their color. Their hides seem to be neat black with bands of lighter colors like white and beige.
They seem to fit into the current colors quite nicely, possibly taking over wingthird positions more commonly than wingseconds and are usually not facing the same acceptance-troubles as their siblings.
Nothing is known about their flaming ability or maturity yet.
It is believed that they reach maturity at the age of one turn of age like all other male colors and chase Crimsons, Greens and Mauves.


Blues:
Male dragons - Smaller than both Bronze and Brown, Blues are much swifter than their larger brothers, sometimes lacking the endurance to last an entire Threadfall but also catching Thread that neither Brown nor Bronze could reach in time. They are known to be sensitive, becoming more than average Searchriders, able to sniff out every possible Candidate, however hard he tries to hide from them. Their sensitivity makes them look weak and even smaller sometimes but they are a needed addition to the Weyr, being lovely sweethearts more often than not.
Blues mature around one turn of age and chaste Greens, Mauves and less frequently Crimsons, never winning Golds.


Chrome:
The first two Chromes to hatch seem to be male and female but were both unable to comfirm these guessings - making them seem genderless rather than either gender. Some people tend to call them Silvers rather than Chromes but the majority of the Weyr does not think they deserve a name that would place them on an equal level as a Bronze and Gold, ignoring the soft metallic sheen that covers their hides. If the two recent Hatchlings display their usual size variety they close the small gap between Greens and Blues, branching into either of the two other colors. Chromes also seem to have a tendency to bear other colors on their light hides besides the basic grey-silver - like red and blue in the case of the first two.
The confusion about their genders is giving everyone troubles to see their place in the Threadfightingwings, making them somehow the runts among the four new colors. They will not likely hold any ranking position in a wing and will be often frowned upon by older riders. Not even the dragons are truely sure where to put them. Somewhere below a blue, above a Green in rank... but their gender...?
Nothing is known about their flaming ability or maturity yet.
Some people guess they might not mature at all and prove to be genderless.


Greens:
Female dragons - Greens are the smallest of the five regular colors, even smaller than the majority of blues. They are the most common of them, vastly outnumbering Bronzes and Browns, even Blues. Many of them cannot last a full Threadfall, taking shifts to recover for a while before they get up again. Thanks to their smaller size, they are even swifter fliers than blues, making them important assets to the wings. They can chew Firestone and flame but are unable to clutch. While Firestone seems to render them infertile, they wouldn't be fertile without. A fertile Green might pop up among one hundred infertile ones but they turn infertile at two turns of age at max due unknown reasons. Greens are, thanks to their frequent urge to mate, oftentimes quite a handful, headstrong and sometimes stubborn. They easily mess around with their riders feelings too, getting proddy when they come close to rising and oftentimes taunting their chasers in flight. They do, however, obey all larger colors, especially Queens and Bronzes.
Greens mature around one and a half turn of age and can rise up to four times per Turn, mating with any male that can catch them, sometimes choosing a permanent Weyrmate, sometimes not.


Mauve:
The first two Mauves to hatch were females and it is thusly believed that they are a new female rank - smaller than a Green but not by much if judging by the first two. Some riders might frown upon them because of the coloration of their hides (purple dragons! that is unheard of!) but they are usually just too cute to catch much agression. The riders hope that they either do not clutch or will not become as common as Greens because they might otherwisely overpopulate the Weyr with the smaller colors. They will be fed firestone and everyone hopes that they just flame like a Green and become infertile, most likely holding the same position as a Green in a wing.
Nothing is known about their flaming ability or maturity yet.

Size

Length from nose- to tailtip in feet:
Gold: 40-47 ft
Bronze: 35-42 ft
Crimson: 33-39 ft
Brown: 30-37 ft
Sable: 28-34 ft
Blue: 25-32 ft
Chrome: 22-29 ft
Green: 20-27 ft
Mauve: 18-24 ft



Mating Flights

Most dragons show a slight change in coloration just before they are ready to rise and while they do so. It is oftentimes described as if they hides would 'glow', making other females look dull. Another indicator for a flight is the color of their eyes - turning into purple when they begin to rise. Especially Greens show uncharacteristic behavior prior to their rise, getting proddy and snappy sometimes. Golds do not how those signs almost as much as Greens do, they rather seem sleepy the day they rise, suddenly awaking from their slumber in the sun before the leap into the sky.

Both females feel a certain bloodlust before they rise but while Greens can simply ignore it and start the flight all of a sudden in the midst of something else, Golds will always have to kill herdbeasts and blood their kill. Instinct will often tell them not to eat the flesh because it would make them much too heavy for their flight instead of giving them the needed energy but sometimes their rider must keep them from taking a good bite with sheer force of will.
Males - especially bronzes chasing a Queen - may blood a kill too right before they rise but they will rarely kill more than a single herdbeast, getting the needed energy quickly, almost secretly.

Greens sometimes rise together, up to three of them confusing their poor males at the same time and are not really possesive about them. Some of them actually seem to like sharing the chasers with another Green, flying together rather than apart from each other.
Queens are not as open minded as Greens. Their males are theirs alone - they do not like sharing, not even with much smaller Greens. Two golds will rarely rise at the same time - their riders quickly bringing all queens who do not rise currently away from the Weyr - but if they do, it will always result in a fight, wounding both and maybe even loosing one or both Queens.

Once either female leaves the ground after or without feeding on the blood of their kills, the males will follow on their tailtip, hoping to appear as the most suitable male. While Queens seek for strength and power, a male that can ensure a large clutch, Greens are known to make the most suprising decisions - even picking males they seemed to hate. While Greens are swift but lack the endurance, diving and rising, turning in the air to confuse the males, many Queens will stubbornly rise higher and higher on their broad wings, outlasting their males until the first begin to drop from the flight due exhaustion. Both of them will seek greater hights before chosing, ensuring a long mating while falling towards the ground where they have to break free from each other again.
The males can be quite agressive during a flight, causing a few scratches and bruises but almost never truely harming their rivals. Greens and Queens on the other hand would never wound their chasers unless forced to, knowing that they will need one of them at full strength.


Clutching

While Greens are infertile, a Queen will grow egg-heavy after a flight, avoiding to between at her best because it could harm her precious eggs before they are lain. During two months a Queens belly will start to grow, oftentimes unnerving the Queen who will get too heavy to walk or fly properly towards the end of the two months depending on the size of the clutch.

After the two months passed, usually in the early Morrning, a Queen will make her way to the Hatching Sands, digging a small mound for each single Egg, constantly shifting them around until she is statisfied and lays down to rest. Queens have been seen to sneak out of their Weyr, calling their riders and mates only after finishing laying their clutches and others demanded their presence on the sands before they start clutching. It seems to depend on the Queen whether she wants someone with her or not during those exhausting hours.

Visitors should stay very close by the entrance and not enter the sands unless given permission from the Queen herself. Queens are highly protective around their eggs and will not forgive mistakes, not even make much difference between nice visitors and those who mean ill.

Eggs may not be touched until the shell has hardened for they could be damaged while they are still soft. A Queen will usually calm down a little when the shells are starting to harden, knowing that the most dangerous state is over. Candidates who sneak into the sands while the Queen is asleep shouldn't touch the eggs when they are still soft - unless they want to face severe punishment - but once the shells are hard they might get away with nothing but a loud roar following them out. They should not get themselves caught - a Queen will not follow them outside and leave her eggs unguarded, but when they are still around when she wakes up, they better prepare for something nasty...


Hatching

One month on the sands passes until the Eggs are completely hardened, the Candidates often being allowed to touch the hard shells towards the end when the Eggs are around a sevenday away from hatching. The Dragons will instantly know when the first Egg begins to hatch, each single of them creating a deep, humming noise that is easier felt than heard until the whole Weyr is vibrating. Once the first dragon starts to hum - oftentimes the Queen herself - she will call the Candidates in to stand for her clutch. They will either arrive by foot or be carried in by Bronzes while the stands are filled with holders and dragonriders to celebrate the event together with the Candidates. It takes several minutes before the first Egg hatches, enough time for the majority of Candidates to arrive, usually forming a large half-circle around the Queen and her clutch. They are all wearing a smiliar - plain white robe so that the hatchling can choose soley basing on their mindset.

When a dragon hatches, it will instantly know its name and begin to search for its lifelong partner, not pausing until it either dies or finds the Candidate it was looking for. If the Weyr is ran well, there will always be more Candidates than eggs, giving the dragons a good number of young men and women to choose from.


Impression

Impression is often described as most stunning and most important moment in the life of a dragonrider. There is little comparison to the instant bond that is formed between the dragon and its rider, a bond that can only be seperated by death. The dragon will know its own name and be able to speak into the mind of its rider from the first second on - sending pictures will require training. A hatchling will be very protective around its rider at first, even attack humans or other hatchlings if provoked enough. It will be very hungry and must be fed quickly after impression, bowls of pre-cut meat waiting for the new pairs either in the kitchens or at the entrance to the Caverns. Once the hatchling is sated - easily seen by the swollen belly - it will be tired and needs to sleep at least for a short while.

Golds and Bronzes can be carried by their rider if he/she is strong enough on the very first day.
Browns can be carried by their rider if he/she is strong enough for the first sevenday.
Blues and Greens can be carried by their riders if he/she is strong enough for the first two sevendays.
After that time passed - no one can carry any dragon around. They will simply be too heavy - growing towards the size when they can carry their riders.

Impression-Chart: (Second criteria is personality)
Gold: Heterosexual women
Bronze: Heterosexual men, rarely Bisexual men
Crimson: Heterosexual women, rarely Bisexual or Homosexual women
Brown: Heterosexual or Bisexual men
Sable: unknown.
Blue: Homosexual, Bisexual or Heterosexual men - rarely Homosexual or Bisexual women
Chrome: unknown.
Green: Homosexual or Bisexual men - Heterosexual or Bisexual women
Mauve: unknown.

[Carni]

For those who are interested - a rough
Color-chart:
Dragon hide-colors may slightly move outside this chart but try to be reasonal