Post by Bacchante on Aug 24, 2011 1:03:43 GMT -5
Dragons:
Blue, Green, Ghost, Sturmgeist, Shade, Wraith.
Every Skrull Island dragon is pale in colour, and an odd feature of the caverns results in any Brown, Gold or Bronze creature who stays there to become more and more lethargic if staying for extended periods of time. Firelizards avoid the mount completely due to the pervading aura within it. This is an unconscious effect of the Wraiths in the mountain.
There are three breeds known as the Skrullumbrans, a particularly ironic name which is taken to mean ‘Shield of Skrull’. These three breeds, formerly the browns, bronzes and golds, all have the incredible ability to control their own bone growth, creating bone ridges along their bodies to help their secondary ability. Skrullumbran dragons have the ability to secrete a calcium-based resin from between their scales; which are made of a similar material to their bones. The scales grow into places over their hatchling stage as their bone structure alters with growth until they are covered with a hard layer of scales instead of the traditional hide. The calcium resin gathers and sticks in place, melding over the bone ridges to create highly unique appearances depending on the dragon’s rider, who assists in the shaping of the bone. The resin forms armour that is highly resistant to Thread and difficult to scratch although sufficient blunt force will crack it. While it is forming it is important that the dragon remains clean so as not to gain infection under the armour. The shell sheds once every two months as the new one grows underneath and shatters the old layer. This shell is the same colour as their scales.
To compensate for the drastically increased weight of the armour all Skrullumbrans, excepting Ghosts, have gigantic wings, with the length and width sometimes being double what it should be. Necessity of evolution resulted in these wings being able to fold into a very small space with powerful sinew and muscle arranged in complex ways within the wings enabling them to be held taut.
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Ghost: A very small breed, being only fifteen to twenty metres in length with their wings being purely vestigial, and used for balance. They have essentially no tail to speak of and have the Skrullumbran armour. However, instead of developing larger wings, they all but lost theirs. The breed developed massive forearms and very broad chests, with oversized front claws as they began to be used for quarry work. Their tail vanished completely, and wings were merely used for balance occasionally as their powerful claws could dig into solid rock. Their colouring is the brownish-grey and their name Ghost comes from their almost gliding motion created due to powerful control over their bodies as well as the fact that the have faded so much from the great Browns they one were. All Ghosts are infertile, and they only impress upon riders of the opposite gender or occasionally the same gender if the woman is particularly tomboyish or the man particularly effeminate. The number of Ghosts at one time can never exceed two hundred fifty.
Ghosts quarry workers are, to a dragon, stubborn and hard-headed. They lose patience with anything in seconds, up to and including rocks, resulting in a mentality of ’hit hard enough and it’ll fix itself’. In contrast, the Ghosts who are raised t be stonecarvers are as patient as a stone, with a nose for precious gems and an eye for detail. One might as well try and outstare the sun, for it would be easier than making a Stonecarver Ghost lose their temper. The Guardian Ghosts and Worker Ghosts tend to embody what the general personality of their rider was before they hatched.
Ironically enough, the Ghosts seem to leech the emotions they embody from their riders. Stonemasons are renown for their patience and understanding, and Stonecarvers are infamous for their tendencies to shatter sculptures with the slightest imperfection in them. Likewise with the more mundane workers, the personality of one who impresses upon a Ghost can be expected to reverse. Although this would be thought of as a problem, the Ghosts and Riders quickly understand the importance of team-work, a primal part of their mentality. The contrasting personalities seem to balance each other out, but it is considered unwise to separate the pair for any length of time. Ghost riders who lose their partner often go insane quickly, and sometimes will revert to their original persona.
The Ghosts have lost the ability to create the flame by eating Firestone, as they rapidly lost the power to fly so did their fire-spraying powers fade. However, they did develop the ability to spray a very potent acid which rapidly destroys organic materials including Thread. It does not dissolve stone, but rather seems to soak into it to weaken the material enough to be torn out of its resting place or to carve delicate sculptures which could not otherwise be formed. After it dries out again, in a day or so, the stone becomes perfectly useable. Also, the power to move Between still exists but is used with great caution as no rider wishes to have their dragon fused with the ground or falling from a great height.
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Sturmgeist: This dragon is a yet to be hatched breed found on Skrull. It is only slightly larger than a Ghost, and bereft of the armour characteristic of the normal Skrull mutations. Instead it has a thick neck, and grows quite fat. It can clutch if flown by a shade or one of its own breed, and clutches generally more of itself and the three lesser breeds; Ghosts, Blues and Greens. There are a fair number of lesser ones, all of whom share the ability. The two greater ones, characterised by their silver horns, are the Queen and King variety and are traditionally flown by the Second to the Weyrleader, and the Junior Weyrwoman. They dislike eating red meat preferring a sugar rich diet of fruit supplemented with fish. They also eat rocks similar to firestone, but without the sterilizing effects as the rocks are merely unrefined Iron Ore.
As a result of special glands found especially in their neck and throughout the rest of their fat bodies, these dragons will build up a constant charge if well fed. They are the only breed in Skrull to have hide instead of scales, although the hide is broken up by spines which poke out of the body at regular intervals. The Iron Ore goes into these spines which grow directly from the bone and are filled with the ore. The horns on the King and Queen variety are made from this substance, and are always long and thin. The charge is dispersed at will by the dragons through these in a variety of ways depending on spike placement, charge level and age.
Older dragons, thirty turns or above, generate charge more slowly. Dragons five turns or below generate charge rapidly and require much more food. The ones in between generate at an average rate. They release the charge through the spikes in a variety of ways, but common places for the spikes to grow are beside the claws, giving a short range attack when they strike; on either side of the mouth, resulting in a directed bolt toward a target; on the back or sides, which results in outward arcing shots for a more defensive attack; on the tail, a rarer placement which enables a long-range well directed bolt; finally if the placement is even all over they can generate a field which results in an omnidirectional lightning pulse or an omnidirectional blast. Most only gain two, and the second to last one is only found on the King and Queen varieties who normally gain three. Having the very last can occur on normal ones as well as Royal breeds, but it excludes all other formations. They are immune to their own attacks as well as normal lightning, and the spikes are always symmetrical.
A Sturmgeist will only hatch more Sturmgeists if it is either the Queen, or a male flown by the King. Otherwise, if flown by Shades, they will hatch Shades, Ghosts, Blues or Greens.
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Shade: Slightly larger than the Bronze it grew from, the Shade is the primary ‘battle’ dragon of Skrull Island. They range from forty to forty-five metres on average, and the wingspan is characteristically large; One hundred and fourteen metres to one hundred twenty five metres. Despite this, the wings fold up relatively small, fitting into specially grown dips in the armour. Their physical appearance is at first similar to a pale Bronze, albeit slightly larger, but in time the bone ridges and scales make them impossible to mistake from normal dragons. Shades are a deep purple in colouring, this and their ability leading to them being called Shades. All Shades are male, and in the event that the King Wraith is too young when the mating season comes a Shade can mate the Queen Wraith, but her clutch will not include Shades or Wraiths; only Ghosts, Blues and Greens. It is unknown why this occurs. The dragonman whose dragon mates the Queen Wraith will serve as interim Weyrleader until the King Wraith’s rider is of age or he is replaced by another Shade rider. Shades tend to impress mostly upon males, with the rarer lyrical Shades normally going to males. The number of Shades at any one time never surpasses one hundred.
Some Shades are mysterious and lyrical, speaking in half-truths and rhyme. They are favoured by those who would have wished to be Harpers but for some reason or other could not. Their minds are cloudy and hard to read, and they great skill at hiding their emotions; understanding that they need to close their eyes to lie. Their riders are often influential speakers, and some rise to be masters of diplomacy. Despite this, the majority of Shades fail to inherit the mystery inherent in the minority of the breed.
Shades fly large distances without passing in Between, as the large wingspan enables them to coast along quite happily if the ground is warm. When they do pass in Between, they tend to arrive at very high altitudes to avoid any problems upon arrival. Wings of Shades consist of seven to nine beasts, including the wingleader, and tend to keep a great distance from each other. This has necessitated the invention on a form of signalling for communication, done by waving various coloured flags. Some more ‘new-age’ riders have taken to carrying a flag-bearer to perform communications for them, but most Shade flyers are older due to the amount of time it takes both Rider and Dragon to learn the signals.
Shades possess two unique abilities as well as the Skrullumbran traits. Shades can fade from sight. Not becoming invisible, merely seeming to fit into the sky or the ground; depending on the angle you view them from. Most of the greater breeds of dragons can still see them, as well as some attentive humans. If the Shade is pointed out to you by another you will be able to see them, until you look away. As well as this power, Shades possess large internal ‘sacks’ which can hold large amounts of the phosphine gasses created by chewing Firestone, giving them the power to store up gas for later. If unused for periods of time the gas is released in the usual fashion.
---
Wraith: Wraiths are big. Very big. Gigantic even. They are sixty-five to seventy-five metres in length, with the King being larger than the Queen. Their wingspan is incredible, a necessity due to the huge amounts of armour they have; One hundred eighty metres to two hundred. They rarely leave the Weyr, but when they do they tend to travel at night to avoid massive panicking when they blot out the sun with their passing. The reason for their size and power is apparent, as there are only ever two Wraiths at one time, and only ever two Wraith eggs. The King will impress only upon a female, and the Queen only upon a male. No matter what your previous status, impressing upon a Wraith will grant you instant promotion to Weyrleader or Weyrwoman for Skrull Island.
Wraiths are the epitome of the Skrullumbrans; patient as a mountain, mysterious in nature, speaking only ever in riddles and never doing anything without purpose. The worry that a Wraith may impress upon an unsuitable person is always unjustified, as the Rider inevitably inherits the patience and intelligence of their partner. The most dim-witted child could impress a Wraith, and would miraculously become highly intelligent. The Wraiths are cautious in all they do, this reflecting in the fact that merely them flying can disturb the flight patterns of other dragons. They also have a universal aversion to harming any other living creature, to the point where even their food must be well cooked. No Wraith has ever left the Island, or even been seen by an outsider. However, this will soon be changed.
Wraiths have all the abilities of the two lesser Skrullumbrans, as well as their own two powers added to the mix. Wraiths create an unconscious psychic field that makes Bronzes, Browns and Golds become lethargic and weak. This only takes effect after a long period of time, and only works on Skrull Island. The second power is a direct effect of their size. Wraiths can go into a hibernation period for months on end, requiring no food, and sleeping constantly although their minds remain working and in contact with their partner. They do this doing the winter months in order to avoid starving all the Island with their appetite.
Blue, Green, Ghost, Sturmgeist, Shade, Wraith.
Every Skrull Island dragon is pale in colour, and an odd feature of the caverns results in any Brown, Gold or Bronze creature who stays there to become more and more lethargic if staying for extended periods of time. Firelizards avoid the mount completely due to the pervading aura within it. This is an unconscious effect of the Wraiths in the mountain.
There are three breeds known as the Skrullumbrans, a particularly ironic name which is taken to mean ‘Shield of Skrull’. These three breeds, formerly the browns, bronzes and golds, all have the incredible ability to control their own bone growth, creating bone ridges along their bodies to help their secondary ability. Skrullumbran dragons have the ability to secrete a calcium-based resin from between their scales; which are made of a similar material to their bones. The scales grow into places over their hatchling stage as their bone structure alters with growth until they are covered with a hard layer of scales instead of the traditional hide. The calcium resin gathers and sticks in place, melding over the bone ridges to create highly unique appearances depending on the dragon’s rider, who assists in the shaping of the bone. The resin forms armour that is highly resistant to Thread and difficult to scratch although sufficient blunt force will crack it. While it is forming it is important that the dragon remains clean so as not to gain infection under the armour. The shell sheds once every two months as the new one grows underneath and shatters the old layer. This shell is the same colour as their scales.
To compensate for the drastically increased weight of the armour all Skrullumbrans, excepting Ghosts, have gigantic wings, with the length and width sometimes being double what it should be. Necessity of evolution resulted in these wings being able to fold into a very small space with powerful sinew and muscle arranged in complex ways within the wings enabling them to be held taut.
/////////////
Ghost: A very small breed, being only fifteen to twenty metres in length with their wings being purely vestigial, and used for balance. They have essentially no tail to speak of and have the Skrullumbran armour. However, instead of developing larger wings, they all but lost theirs. The breed developed massive forearms and very broad chests, with oversized front claws as they began to be used for quarry work. Their tail vanished completely, and wings were merely used for balance occasionally as their powerful claws could dig into solid rock. Their colouring is the brownish-grey and their name Ghost comes from their almost gliding motion created due to powerful control over their bodies as well as the fact that the have faded so much from the great Browns they one were. All Ghosts are infertile, and they only impress upon riders of the opposite gender or occasionally the same gender if the woman is particularly tomboyish or the man particularly effeminate. The number of Ghosts at one time can never exceed two hundred fifty.
Ghosts quarry workers are, to a dragon, stubborn and hard-headed. They lose patience with anything in seconds, up to and including rocks, resulting in a mentality of ’hit hard enough and it’ll fix itself’. In contrast, the Ghosts who are raised t be stonecarvers are as patient as a stone, with a nose for precious gems and an eye for detail. One might as well try and outstare the sun, for it would be easier than making a Stonecarver Ghost lose their temper. The Guardian Ghosts and Worker Ghosts tend to embody what the general personality of their rider was before they hatched.
Ironically enough, the Ghosts seem to leech the emotions they embody from their riders. Stonemasons are renown for their patience and understanding, and Stonecarvers are infamous for their tendencies to shatter sculptures with the slightest imperfection in them. Likewise with the more mundane workers, the personality of one who impresses upon a Ghost can be expected to reverse. Although this would be thought of as a problem, the Ghosts and Riders quickly understand the importance of team-work, a primal part of their mentality. The contrasting personalities seem to balance each other out, but it is considered unwise to separate the pair for any length of time. Ghost riders who lose their partner often go insane quickly, and sometimes will revert to their original persona.
The Ghosts have lost the ability to create the flame by eating Firestone, as they rapidly lost the power to fly so did their fire-spraying powers fade. However, they did develop the ability to spray a very potent acid which rapidly destroys organic materials including Thread. It does not dissolve stone, but rather seems to soak into it to weaken the material enough to be torn out of its resting place or to carve delicate sculptures which could not otherwise be formed. After it dries out again, in a day or so, the stone becomes perfectly useable. Also, the power to move Between still exists but is used with great caution as no rider wishes to have their dragon fused with the ground or falling from a great height.
---
Sturmgeist: This dragon is a yet to be hatched breed found on Skrull. It is only slightly larger than a Ghost, and bereft of the armour characteristic of the normal Skrull mutations. Instead it has a thick neck, and grows quite fat. It can clutch if flown by a shade or one of its own breed, and clutches generally more of itself and the three lesser breeds; Ghosts, Blues and Greens. There are a fair number of lesser ones, all of whom share the ability. The two greater ones, characterised by their silver horns, are the Queen and King variety and are traditionally flown by the Second to the Weyrleader, and the Junior Weyrwoman. They dislike eating red meat preferring a sugar rich diet of fruit supplemented with fish. They also eat rocks similar to firestone, but without the sterilizing effects as the rocks are merely unrefined Iron Ore.
As a result of special glands found especially in their neck and throughout the rest of their fat bodies, these dragons will build up a constant charge if well fed. They are the only breed in Skrull to have hide instead of scales, although the hide is broken up by spines which poke out of the body at regular intervals. The Iron Ore goes into these spines which grow directly from the bone and are filled with the ore. The horns on the King and Queen variety are made from this substance, and are always long and thin. The charge is dispersed at will by the dragons through these in a variety of ways depending on spike placement, charge level and age.
Older dragons, thirty turns or above, generate charge more slowly. Dragons five turns or below generate charge rapidly and require much more food. The ones in between generate at an average rate. They release the charge through the spikes in a variety of ways, but common places for the spikes to grow are beside the claws, giving a short range attack when they strike; on either side of the mouth, resulting in a directed bolt toward a target; on the back or sides, which results in outward arcing shots for a more defensive attack; on the tail, a rarer placement which enables a long-range well directed bolt; finally if the placement is even all over they can generate a field which results in an omnidirectional lightning pulse or an omnidirectional blast. Most only gain two, and the second to last one is only found on the King and Queen varieties who normally gain three. Having the very last can occur on normal ones as well as Royal breeds, but it excludes all other formations. They are immune to their own attacks as well as normal lightning, and the spikes are always symmetrical.
A Sturmgeist will only hatch more Sturmgeists if it is either the Queen, or a male flown by the King. Otherwise, if flown by Shades, they will hatch Shades, Ghosts, Blues or Greens.
---
Shade: Slightly larger than the Bronze it grew from, the Shade is the primary ‘battle’ dragon of Skrull Island. They range from forty to forty-five metres on average, and the wingspan is characteristically large; One hundred and fourteen metres to one hundred twenty five metres. Despite this, the wings fold up relatively small, fitting into specially grown dips in the armour. Their physical appearance is at first similar to a pale Bronze, albeit slightly larger, but in time the bone ridges and scales make them impossible to mistake from normal dragons. Shades are a deep purple in colouring, this and their ability leading to them being called Shades. All Shades are male, and in the event that the King Wraith is too young when the mating season comes a Shade can mate the Queen Wraith, but her clutch will not include Shades or Wraiths; only Ghosts, Blues and Greens. It is unknown why this occurs. The dragonman whose dragon mates the Queen Wraith will serve as interim Weyrleader until the King Wraith’s rider is of age or he is replaced by another Shade rider. Shades tend to impress mostly upon males, with the rarer lyrical Shades normally going to males. The number of Shades at any one time never surpasses one hundred.
Some Shades are mysterious and lyrical, speaking in half-truths and rhyme. They are favoured by those who would have wished to be Harpers but for some reason or other could not. Their minds are cloudy and hard to read, and they great skill at hiding their emotions; understanding that they need to close their eyes to lie. Their riders are often influential speakers, and some rise to be masters of diplomacy. Despite this, the majority of Shades fail to inherit the mystery inherent in the minority of the breed.
Shades fly large distances without passing in Between, as the large wingspan enables them to coast along quite happily if the ground is warm. When they do pass in Between, they tend to arrive at very high altitudes to avoid any problems upon arrival. Wings of Shades consist of seven to nine beasts, including the wingleader, and tend to keep a great distance from each other. This has necessitated the invention on a form of signalling for communication, done by waving various coloured flags. Some more ‘new-age’ riders have taken to carrying a flag-bearer to perform communications for them, but most Shade flyers are older due to the amount of time it takes both Rider and Dragon to learn the signals.
Shades possess two unique abilities as well as the Skrullumbran traits. Shades can fade from sight. Not becoming invisible, merely seeming to fit into the sky or the ground; depending on the angle you view them from. Most of the greater breeds of dragons can still see them, as well as some attentive humans. If the Shade is pointed out to you by another you will be able to see them, until you look away. As well as this power, Shades possess large internal ‘sacks’ which can hold large amounts of the phosphine gasses created by chewing Firestone, giving them the power to store up gas for later. If unused for periods of time the gas is released in the usual fashion.
---
Wraith: Wraiths are big. Very big. Gigantic even. They are sixty-five to seventy-five metres in length, with the King being larger than the Queen. Their wingspan is incredible, a necessity due to the huge amounts of armour they have; One hundred eighty metres to two hundred. They rarely leave the Weyr, but when they do they tend to travel at night to avoid massive panicking when they blot out the sun with their passing. The reason for their size and power is apparent, as there are only ever two Wraiths at one time, and only ever two Wraith eggs. The King will impress only upon a female, and the Queen only upon a male. No matter what your previous status, impressing upon a Wraith will grant you instant promotion to Weyrleader or Weyrwoman for Skrull Island.
Wraiths are the epitome of the Skrullumbrans; patient as a mountain, mysterious in nature, speaking only ever in riddles and never doing anything without purpose. The worry that a Wraith may impress upon an unsuitable person is always unjustified, as the Rider inevitably inherits the patience and intelligence of their partner. The most dim-witted child could impress a Wraith, and would miraculously become highly intelligent. The Wraiths are cautious in all they do, this reflecting in the fact that merely them flying can disturb the flight patterns of other dragons. They also have a universal aversion to harming any other living creature, to the point where even their food must be well cooked. No Wraith has ever left the Island, or even been seen by an outsider. However, this will soon be changed.
Wraiths have all the abilities of the two lesser Skrullumbrans, as well as their own two powers added to the mix. Wraiths create an unconscious psychic field that makes Bronzes, Browns and Golds become lethargic and weak. This only takes effect after a long period of time, and only works on Skrull Island. The second power is a direct effect of their size. Wraiths can go into a hibernation period for months on end, requiring no food, and sleeping constantly although their minds remain working and in contact with their partner. They do this doing the winter months in order to avoid starving all the Island with their appetite.