Desert Dragons
Location: Found primarily on Kiran, across the desert shared by all three Areas. Major Breeding centers include T'dal and Reant.

Physical: They are suited to close range combat and are considered an 'infantry' type dragon. Because of their small size, and their genetic background, they are usually gone through quickly and should not be gotten attached to for any length of time. Their lifespan is approximately 20 years. Their low mental abilities are balanced by their very compact size and their disproportionate strength. Though they only range from human sized to about 3x human, their strength is often equatable to 70-80 Zekiran Strength! They are all muscle. They are fairly durable, with a Body Type of around 90 average per Length. Their small size and physical make up means that Desert dragons are very fast when they need to be. Their speed equates to an average of 95 Reaction.

Eggs: Desert dragon eggs are relatively soft, and very small comparatively. They are pale tan in color and almost totally round. The female will dig out a shallow nest bowl, lay her eggs, and occasionally bury them again. She visits but infrequently, and there are many more Desert dragons out there than most people realize because sometimes they just abandon them. While the eggs may still hatch, depending on their location and surroundings, they may mature into wild dragons. Females come into fertility about once every half year, and if they have born a nest of eggs, they will wait one full year.

Basis and Description: Their genes are based on cobra-like snakes. Their skin is a scaley, flexible type, and is colored with browns, reds and yellows, often with striking patterns on their back and pale on their bellies. Many of them have multiple tails, and typically they have a cobra-like hood on their neck which fans out when they are attacking or feeling distressed. They have a very small head, comparatively speaking, with a sharp muzzle and dangerously sharp but very short fangs. Some of the Desert dragons have a poison bite, while others use their tails to constrict their opponents. A semi-common mutation is that of a "hydra", with not only multiple tails, but up to 4 heads!

Attacks: The attack which all Desert dragons share is that of hypnotic power. With their hood spread and their shifting tails, they ensnare their opponent with a psionic hypnosis that acts rather like the Zekiran power of Mind Numb while they are concentrating on it. Once this concentration is broken, the opponent will come out of the hypnosis, but by then the other Dragons around should have taken care of them… or the Master has done so.

Defenses: A main defense is their ability to bury themselves into the sands of the desert and lay in wait for their enemies. Even expert eyes might miss a Desert dragon when they want to remain hidden.

Mental and Psionic Abilities: Most Desert dragons are of a medium animal intelligence, equating to a Zekiran score of about 11-25 Intelligence. They can think clearly, however most of the time they are thinking about what to watch next or which rock is best to bask on. They are simple minded, and fairly aggressive. Their empathic ability is very low, equating normally to the use of 2 Zekiran type powers. Among the powers they have, however, they are very adept and when trained at a young age, they can do some amazing things. Empathy, fear control, invisibility, control over heat (not fire), invisibility and surprisingly enough psychometry are among their main powers.

Disadvantages: Desert dragons are never expected to fight machines. They obviously have no effect on creatures when they are farther away than about 10 Spans, so they are very close-range indeed. Since they rely on their hypnotic powers, they must encounter an alien at least once before going into combat, so they can be trained to use the power on only the enemy. Their perception is fairly limited, their vision being based on movement and heat sources. Though they can see into the infrared spectrum, their sense of smell is far better than their weak eyes. A waving tongue is always seen, and if they lose it, they are effectively done for in combat. A common disadvantage among Desert dragons is the requirement for warmth. Above and beyond that of needing heat to digest, some Desert dragons need a long warm-up period before they are able and willing to go out into combat or training. Usually those dragons do not have the heat control power. They are also remarkably aggressive, an equatable 110 on the Zekiran scale. When they are used together, or trained from youth with other Desert dragons, they operate as a team, but if this training does not come when they are very young, or they have difficulty with another of the dragons in their team, they will fight - often to the death.

Master and Breeder Expectations: Breeders of Desert dragons have attempted to balance the aggression with some kind of cutoff, that being their small size. A much larger dragon with that type of aggression problem would be a danger to far more than the enemy. Coloration is never altered, for their stealth relies upon natural patterns. Masters of Desert dragons must be able to withstand the heat of the desert - all the time. They are also required to be patient. Desert dragons are certainly not the easiest dragons to work with under any circumstances, and they sleep a lot when not needed in combat. Other activities for Masters of Desert dragons should be quickly accessable, because once that dragon falls asleep it'll be a while before they wake up.