The Dragons of White Lightning Weyr

The largest of the fertile queens, the largest gold dragon is currently 25 meters (75 feet) long, with a wingspan of 20 meters (60 feet).  Legend has it that gold dragons tend to be haughty and commanding, and that a command given by a golden queen was impossible for any of the lower ranked colors to disobey.  Gold dragons are said to choose the most regal, strongest willed women for their riders.  

Impress to: women only
Percentage of Population: 0% (extinct since the dragon plague)
Rise: once a Turn during a Pass, once every 3-5 Turns during an Interval
Mated to: Bronzes, rarely Cobalts
Size Range: 65-75 feet (length) by 50-60 feet (wingspan)
Color Range:  Pale, lemony gold to deep, burnished brass.  Always with a metallic sheen.
Clutch Size: ~30-40 eggs during a Pass, ~10-20 eggs during an Interval


Of roughly equal size with the bronzes, the Titaniums are the newest breeding queens of Pern.  The color of their hide appears somewhere on the spectrum from bright silver to gunmetal grey, and it always carries a distinctive metallic blue sheen.  Titanium queens (nicknamed Titans, though they’re never directly addressed as such) are stereotypically known for two things.  One, they are fiercely protective of their eggs, up until they hatch and two, they are otherwise as fickle and unpredictable as dragons come.  Some say that the Titans go out of their way to be difficult.  Some say that that’s just how their riders are.   Though they cannot command the other colors the way that golden queens are said to do, the force of a Titan’s will packs a significant punch, and a group of Titans, united, will carry enough force to deter many single dragons from disobeying.   In addition, the few Titanium queen hatchlings  have tended to gravitate toward the most strong willed candidate on the sands, regardless of whether that be man or woman.  Currently, there is one living Titan queen, recently graduated from Weyrlinghood.  

Impress to: women or men
Percentage of Population: unknown at this time
Rise: 2-3 times per Turn during a Pass; once per Turn during an Interval
Mated to: Bronze, Cobalt and Brown
Size Range: 50-65 feet (length) by 35-50 feet (wingspan)
Color Range: bright silver to gunmetal grey, always overlaid with a metallic blue sheen
Clutch Size: ~20-30 eggs during a Pass, ~8-15 eggs during an Interval


Shadow dragons are a new phenotype.  To date, only two exist  They hatched out of unremarkable eggs, but upon their Impression, their dam announced that they would be fertile females, and should not chew firestone.  While further study will be required, so far two facets seem to stand out about the shadows.  The first is that they seem to have an incredibly volatile and violent temper, so much so that they project a type of malevolence that can be quite unsettling to the uninitiated.  Despite this departure from the traditional dragon bearing, the shadows do seem to bond as completely to their Impressed riders as their clutchmates.  The second data point is that the shadows, like their smoke brethren, seem to grow incredibly fast.  At three months of age, they are already the size of a dragon ready to make their first flights.  Indeed, the two extant specimens did exactly that, though not without some consternation on the part of their Weyrlingmaster.  

Impress to: women or men
Percentage of Population: unknown at this time
Rise: unknown
Mated to: unknown
Size Range: unknown
Color Range: deep charcoal to inky black
Clutch Size: unknown





The largest of the traditional males, bronze dragons remain the undisputed leaders of the Weyrs.  Bronzes Impress only to men, and as they’re the traditional mates of the Golden queens, Bronzeriders are generally groomed for leadership early on.  For this reason,  Bronzeriders command an amazing amount of respect from the Holders and Crafters of Pern, who generally dislike dealing with the riders of “mutation” colors.  Bronzes are encouraged to chase after the Titanium queens, due to the pervasive belief that bronzes will sire more traditional colors than Cobalt or Brown sires will.  Among weyrfolk, bronzes are stereotyped as being rather stuffy primadonnas, who are nevertheless extremely arrogant and competitive. For better or for worse, the bronzes are the Old Guard, and the clever bronzerider will find a way to make that reputation work for him.  

Impress to: men only
Percentage of Population: 1%
Chase: As often as possible
Mated to: Golds, Titaniums, Scarlets and Greens
Size Range: 50-65 feet (length) by 35-50 feet (wingspan)
Color Range: Deep, burnished copper to light greeny-gold.  Always with a metallic sheen.


The largest male mutation, Cobalts tend to be just slightly smaller than their bronze bretheren, but they make up for it with sheer drive.  Cobalts don’t know how to do anything halfway.    The few Cobalts that have Hatched so far have, without exception, required a rider who can withstand and control their intense competitive and aggressive drives.  Interestingly enough, aside from preferring riders as driven as they are, Cobalts don’t seem to have any other criteria for their choice. Cobalt dragons resemble the Titan queens in that they always have a bluish undertone to their hide.  However, unlike the grey-toned Titans, a Cobalt’s hide will be much darker in tone.  In truth, the Cobalts resemble nothing so much as a very large, very aggressive, very dark Blue with a metallic sheen. They have so far Impressed equally well to men and women.  

Impress to: women and men
Percentage of Population: unknown
Chase: As often as possible
Mated to: Golds, Titaniums, Scarlets and Greens
Size Range: 50-60 feet (length) by 30-50 feet (wingspan)
Color Range: Gunmetal to nearly black, but always with a bluish, metallic sheen.




Smoke dragons are a new phenotype.  To date, only two exist  Like their shadow sisters, they hatched out of unremarkable eggs.  As of yet, the smoke dragons have not shown any personality tendencies, at least, not that their riders are sharing.  They do seem to be incredibly watchful, calculating dragons, so far.  Like their shadow sisters, the smokes seem to grow incredibly fast.  At three months of age, they are already the size of a dragon ready to make their first flights.  Unlike their shadow sisters, however, the two extant smokes were circumspect enough to wait until being given permission before trying to fly on their own.  

Impress to: women and men
Percentage of Population: unknown
Chase: unknown
Mated to: unknown
Size Range: unknown
Color Range: soft dove grey to darker gunmetal, but without a sheen of any kind.



Scarlet dragons have been, in some ways, the most welcome of the mutation colors.  Slightly larger than the greens, Scarlets are more comparable to a brown in size.  This allows them to have the stamina to last a full Fall, and several Weyrleaders have been heard to remark that it is helpful to have a mid-size, fighter-type female.   Appearance wise, Scarlet dragons are almost without exception extremely sleek, with hides that run the gamut from violet to red and everything in between.  It is said that a Scarlet dragon has one of two things on her mind: either flying to mate, or flying to fight.  An ongoing myth has it that the more violet a Scarlet’s hide, the more randy she is.  Myths aside, however,  they have a reputation as fearsome aerial tacticians, one which was fairly earned.  As the Scarlets chew firestone, they are sterile fighters and do not lay eggs.  However, the rumor persists that they could lay eggs, if they didn’t chew firestone.  No one has, as of yet, tested this theory.

Impress to: women or men
Percentage of Population: unknown
Rise: 4-6 times per Turn during a Pass or Interval
Mated to: Cobalt, Brown, Blue.  Rarely Bronze
Size Range: 35-50 feet (length) by 20-35 feet (wingspan)
Color Range: lavender violet to blood red and everything in between


In current  Pern, the midsize Browns are often described as the “mainstay” of the Weyrs.  Their midrage size and stereotypically steady temperament make them common choices for Wingsecond, and a wise Bronzerider will groom his Brownriders well and empower them to help make his wing the best it can be.  Typically, Brownriders are seen as steady, easygoing individuals, who perhaps lack ambition, but more than make up for it in loyalty and dependability.  

Impress to: mostly men, but few women
Percentage of Population: 15%
Chase: As often as possible
Mated to: Titaniums, Scarlets and Greens
Size Range: 35-50 feet (length) by 20-35 feet (wingspan)
Color Range: Light, sandy tan to deep mahogany


While the Scarlets have begun to make a name for themselves as expert fighting dragons, the truth is that no Scarlet can match a Green for speed and agility.  In a dead sprint, a Green will beat out every other color, every time.  Green mating flights are a fearsome thing to behold, consisting of heart-stopping aerial acrobatics that the other dragons could only dream of emulating.  Appearance-wise, Greens can appear in any shade of their signature color, with lighter or darker markings… or none at all.  Greens, also, do not lay eggs, due to their firestone use.  

Impress to: women or men
Percentage of Population: 50%
Rise: 4-6 times per Turn during a Pass or Interval
Mated to: Cobalt, Brown, Blue.  Rarely Bronze
Size Range: 20-40 feet (length) by 15-25 feet (wingspan)
Color Range: pale mint green to deepest forest and everything in between.


Currently the second most populous dragon on Pern, Blues now hold numbers close to those of their Green sisters.  Though slightly smaller than the Scarlets, Blues have the stamina to compete with the violet-red beauties in the air, oftentimes catching them during their frequent mating flights. Stamina wise, the rare large blue can last a full Fall, but most Wingleaders will spell them out at about the three-hour point, thus giving them an overlapping coverage of the smallest traditional male color. Blues are said to have a preference for talented or craft-trained individuals, but this is mostly an apocryphal tale with little evidence to support it.  What is more likely is that someone thought that Harpers should ride Blues, and so told a story that it was so.  


Impress to: 60% men, 40% women
Percentage of Population: 30%
Chase: As often as possible
Mated to: Scarlets and Greens
Size Range: 25-45 feet (length) by 20-30 feet (wingspan)
Color Range: pale sky blue to deepest midnight blue and everything in between


 

Once, the legend goes, there was a white dragon who was unique.  He shouldn’t have survived his hatching, but he did, assisted by his rider.  This particular white dragon was known for a unique trait of always knowing when he was in time.  There had never been one before him, and there would never be another after him.  

Until the mutations were hatched.  

The Quartzes, as they’re known, are slightly different than that legendary white dragon.  For one thing, they hatch just fine on their own, healthy and energetic from their first appearance.  For another, they’re not remarkably smaller than their clutchmates, though they’re not any larger than the largest green.  They’re no longer unique.  In fact, they’re now the second most populous mutation color of dragon, behind only the Scarlets.  But some things do match the legend.  Quartz dragons, unlike other dragons, do not have a separate sexual identity from that of their rider.  In fact, they seem to be completely asexual, never rising to mate or chase.  The Quartz dragon will assume the same gender identity as their rider, which is unlike any of the other dragon colors.  In addition, each Quartz dragon will have some unusual and likely unique trait or ability that will, at some point, come to greatly benefit their rider in some way.  So far, the Quartzes have tended to exhibit a cheerful, easygoing and completely unambitious personality, though this tendency may change as more Quartz dragons Hatch

Impress to: women or men
Percentage of Population: unknown
Does Not Rise or Chase
Mated to: N/A
Size Range: 10-30 feet (length) by 10-20 feet (wingspan)
Color Range: White, always.  Usually with a bit of an opalescent sheen visible in full sunlight, although matte white Quartzes do exist.

 

Quartz Lolath - Can sense the strongest desire of persons within 2 dragonlengths, as long as said person is not consciously thinking of something else.