Forest Dragons

Location: Found mostly in the northern Curra woodlands, Bred almost exclusively at Wivir and Ri'iri.

Physical: Used as a surprise attack and as a sort of backup to the Sky dragon when necessary. These dragons are best used as warnings and defenders of an area, for while they are expert at their work, they are not durable and tend to be shy otherwise. Their large size is not particularly coupled with great strength, their Body Type is around 70 per Length, whereas their size would indicate a far higher rating. Their ability to see is unrivaled even by most Sky dragons, with a Reaction average of 95 or so. Their speed is also remarkably fast, usually over 100.

Eggs: Placed in a sturdy stick and leaf nest, or on the ground under forest detritus, Forest dragons lay the fewest eggs, usually 2 or 3 at a time. These eggs become very hard, and are typical ovoid in shape. They come in white with speckles of many colors, though some are darker. The color of the egg has nothing to do with the color of the dragon within. Both parents usually tend these nests, and fiercely defend them from people they do not know, or even their own Masters. If given the chance, wild Forest dragons will hunt for their young until they are fledged, then they will chase them into another section of woods. Females come into fertility once per year, at most.

Basis and Description: A fairly large dragon, however the Forest dragon is more birdlike in that its structure is somewhat delicate. Often averages 9 man-lengths, and with a wingspan of 14 average. This dragon does not have legs, but has two wings covered with hard colorful feathers. The naga-shaped body is mostly scaly with paler coloration than the wings. They often come in white, pale greens and yellows, with their feathers being multicolored and vibrant. They reside mostly alongside huge trees and in the deep woods, and have been known to nest in tall, sturdy trees. Most are encouraged to do so in specially bred trees near their Master's location, but they also have been known to simply up and disappear into the woods never to be seen again. Their lifespan is around 50 to 80 years, and they are relatively easy to keep close while young, as they are covered in their downy feathers and unable to fly until about age 3 years.

Attacks: Their beak is hard like a bird's, and can deliver a killing bite easily. They can also smother an enemy by mantling with their wings, or encircling with their long body and tail. There is a small chance that they mutate to having small limbs, usually in the form of thin hand-like appendages. Some of them have grown much larger than normal, while others are quite small. In addition to their normal bite attack, they may also rarely develop an acidic bite. The main common power shared by all Forest dragons is the use of empathic fear control. By aiming a careful mental wave at their enemy, a Forest dragon can subdue or even kill by causing mental breakdown or heart attack!

Defenses: The Forest dragon relies upon its speed and ability to hide among the greenery of the deep Curran woods, however if an enemy does penetrate its normal defense, they can also aim a blast of empathic confusion similar to the Mind Numb power. They will use the momentary lapse of concentration of their enemy to quickly get away.

Mental and Psionic Abilities: Forest dragons are not remarkably intelligent, rating at around a 20 Intelligence. They tend to communicate with normal birdlike sounds and posturing rather than using mental words or concepts, and for that reason it does take a very specialized Master to really understand their Forest dragon. In addition to their attack and defense, a Forest dragon has a relatively low but not extremely so empathy, and is often able to use 3 powers. Among the common abilities found, are the ability to sense and locate life, control avian creatures, minor gravity control, and a very rare dream sense or control now and again.

Disadvantages: While the large size of this type of dragon certainly is intimidating, they often have brittle bones like avians, which need constant watching. If they are injured they stand a chance of being downed without any external warning. Another minor but time consuming inconvenience is that some will go through a molt, either annually or every few years. This leaves them without proper flight feathers, and with shabby, hard to tend scales which slough off eventually. The condition lasts for at least a month, at most three. Many Forest dragons are exceptionally meek, and have what could be considered the Fear Disadvantage. They do not like strangers or loud things - therefore training them to attack must be done when they are quite young to overcome this fear. They do not attack machinery, they are too afraid of it, mostly. They also are known (as stated above) to take to leaving their Master if the bond is weakened. Masters of the Forest dragon must pay a lot of attention to their dragon, otherwise they will simply be forgotten and left behind.

Master and Breeder Expectations: Breeders are required to have sufficient space on their Holds to have woodland suitable for nesting and shelter. Forest dragons do not do well in any indoor conditions unlike their smaller or younger counterparts. Not quite claustrophobic, they will be panicky if covered by something other than natural surroundings. Since they rely on their vision, putting blinders on Forest dragons only serves to make them more nervous. Masters must know avian anatomy, and perhaps have some form of flight or air ability to keep up with their dragon. They can however make some money off selling their beautiful feathers if their dragon molts.