dragons

Ah yes, the reason that we’re here…. The Dragons. Dragons come in many sizes and colors, all of which will be listed below. People on Pern think they know about dragons, and have these ideas and notions about them. However, all of that is about to change. The information below will have the dragons ordered from the largest first to the smallest. The information also may or may not be accurate, because it is recorded as those in Rp see it! We might know something different about dragons than they do, but keep in mind it’s a work in progress. New dragons will be added as they are studied, and some of these facts might change over time. So, don’t be surprised to see some information moving around over time!

Dragons have a strong telepathic link with their Rider, allowing them communication to that human as well as other dragons. In very rare cases, there have been born humans who can ‘overhear’ or ‘speak’ to all dragons, even if they do not know what it means or the ramifications of it. Dragons can also communicate, in a small way, through their eye color. If you see a dragon’s eyes close enough to note the color, you can tell how a dragon is feeling. Below is a basic chart.

Rainbow Colors - Impressing to human
Blue - Happiness/Contentment
Green - Excited/Playful
Yellow - Fear/Confusion
Orange - Unease/Irritated
Red and Yellow - Battle/Thread
Red and Orange - Anger
Red - Hunger/Mating Lust (rutting irritation)
Purple - Worry/Concern
White - Danger/Dread
Grey - Pain

golds

Golds are the Queens of the Pern universe. They’re the biggest and the baddest, the ones with the most attitude who really know how to get shit done. It takes someone with a pretty strong willpower to be the Rider of a gold lest she turn into a demanding monster. Golds are the rarest of all the dragon colors, and the most cherished because they’re the ones who do most of the Egg laying and who lay the highest ranked eggs. A gold will only ever Impress to a female candidate, and this is the most common way for there to be any female riders. Fully grown Golds have the power of Command, which allows them to, well, command other dragons around them to do things. However, a younger Gold cannot Command an older one, where as an older Gold CAN Command a younger. The most senior Gold’s Rider in any Weyr is the Weyrwoman, who has near complete control over the political landscape; only deferring to the Weyrleader.

Gold dragons are the only ones who aren’t allowed to breath fire, as the mineral needed makes any dragons able to lay eggs infertile. Golds will take a mating Flight once every three to four Turns, except when Thread is falling, where they Fly once a turn. The average nest laid by them is 15 to 20 eggs.

bronzes

A Bronze dragon is the big boy of the dragon world. They’re the biggest and strongest, but also the most prideful and arrogant. It takes someone who seems to have a huge talent or hidden potential to Impress a Bronze. Bronzes are the second largest dragon, and also the most likely to catch a Gold that takes Flight. A Bronze rider is someone of great respect, and it is very rare for someone NOT riding a Bronze to be the Weyrleader. A Bronze will always Impress to a Male Candidate. Given their large amounts of Stamina, they are the ones who take the brunt of the work during Threadfall since they can fly for hours and hours.

browns

Brown dragons are nothing to sneeze at, being the perfect mix of speed and stamina. They’re the third largest dragon color, and the second largest male color. They’re more common to hatch that Bronzes, but less common that Blues. Browns typically have a more relaxed way of looking at things but are more reserved in speech. They are seen as a solid rock, always there and never flinching. Brown Dragons will rarely catch a Gold, but not as often as a Bronze. Brown dragons only Impress to Males. Given there mix of speed and Browns are often used a Watch Dragons throughout the Holds, but they are also very helpful in Threadfall as well.

blues

The smallest of the male dragons, what Blues lack in size and strength they make up for with sheer dexterity and speed. The only thing faster than them are Greens, but a Blue is able to stay in the air longer than any Green. Blues are the second most common to hatch, only beaten out by Greens. Blues tend to be known as curious tricksters, always willing to get into mischief or eager to crack a joke. Blue Dragons are known to generally Impress to Males, but in extremely rare cases have Impressed to Females. A Blue Dragon will almost never catch a Gold who is in Flight, with only three recorded instances in the entirety of Pern’s history. However, a Blue is much more likely to catch a Green given that they tend to outspeed the Browns and Bronzes.

greens

Greens are the smallest dragons, and the only female sex of dragons aside from Golds. Greens are the fastest of all Dragons, but also the ones who tire out the most quickly. They make excellent messenger dragons over short distances because of this. A Green dragon is generally curious and outgoing, but not very smart. They are full of vim and vigor, however, always eager to please and explore. A Green Dragon will Impress to a Male, but will rarely Impress to a Female. If a Male Impresses a Green, it is likely he is Homosexual.

Greens have been known to take Flight and lay Clutches, but it is uncommon during Threadfall given that the mineral needed to breath fire makes female dragons infertile. However, given the event that they do manage to Clutch, Greens have been known to lay between 3-7 eggs. These eggs will never have anything higher than a Brown inside, and a Brown is a very rare occurrence in of itself.

whites

White dragons are an enigma of themselves, which is why they are written more as a side note than an actual dragon color. White Dragons are extremely rare, and most often than not they are genderless. In the few dozen born in Pern history, all were genderless except for three, and two were male and one female. White Dragons are awkward and quiet, and more than often the egg they are in is often confused for a dead egg on the sands. A white dragon hatching is seen as a bad omen, as they usually die shortly after hatching. A White Dragon can Impress to anyone and don’t seem to discriminate based on gender or sexuality.

The only female recorded took Flight once before she died, and laid of Clutch of three eggs. No one knows what was inside of the eggs, as the Senior Gold at the time smashed the eggs before she killed the White who laid them.