About This File
Inspired by the Dragonriders series by Anne McCaffrey, this download contains three ztd files: Gold Dragon (with Bronze male and brown young), Green Dragon (with Blue male and blue-green young) and Ruth, the White Dragon.
The Dragons of Pern
Starting with the planet's fire lizards, the Pernese Dragon was genetically engineered to be large enough to carry a person on its back. This was so that they could fly and burn "thread", spores from the erratic Red Star, from the skies before it reached the earth and destroyed everything it touched. These dragons form a lifelong telepathic bond with one person, thenceforth their rider, at the moment they hatch.
There are five colors of dragons on Pern. Gold queen, bronze male, brown male, green female and blue male.
Pern Gold (and Bronze and Brown) Dragon
The golden queen is the dominant ruler of the species. She only mates with the dragon that is clever or quick enough to catch her during the mating flight. Usually, only the bronze, largest of the males, meets these requirements. There was one case of a brown that might have been large and strong enough to last through the exhausting flight, but the queen tragically died before the flight could take place.
Pern Green (and Blue) Dragon
The Green females are normally unable to reproduce, as the chewing of firestone - needed in order to produce the flame they use to scorch thread - renders them infertile. Since the final passing of the Red Star, however, the greens that do not chew firestone have started producing small clutches. Greens are only able to produce the "lesser" green, blue and brown dragons - they cannot produce bronzes or golds.
Pern White Dragon, Ruth
In all of Pernese history, only one white dragon has ever been produced - Ruth, the White Dragon. Ruth is special in many ways, not the least of which is his unusual coloration. In the certain lighting, one can see that Ruth actually sparkles with all of the dragons' colors.
Ruth was hatched under unusual circumstances. All dragons are born by shattering their shells from the inside. In Ruth's case, however, his shell was tough and thick, and the little dragon was unable to break free on his own. Unable to stand watching the little egg and the fruitless struggles of it's inhabitant, a future Lord Holder jumped to the hatching grounds and beat the egg to crack the shell, then cut the sac inside to free the little dragon. Impression between the two was immediate. This was the first time that a Lord Holder had ever impressed, and a great blow to Jaxom's guardian, Lytol.
While Ruth is the most intelligent - and most unique - dragon Pern has ever known, he is also "stunted". Never having fully matured, Ruth is unable to reproduce.
Pernese Dragons are carnivorous, preferring nice fat wherries or herdbeasts, but will take any meat offered to them.
*Original Red Dragon graphics by Lehner. Thank you very much for allowing us to use your graphics, Lehner!
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