Sky Dragons

Location: Mostly on the grasslands across Tana, Curra, and northern and south-eastern Kiran. Windy areas are the best for these winged dragons, and they are often bred in high-altitude areas but then moved to grasslands with great endurance results. Some of the best Sky dragon breeding houses are Pin, Tomi, Emnta, and Woth.

Physical: The largest of all the dragons, Sky dragons most greatly resemble the terrors that were betrayed by the first captured invaders' minds. Monsterous beasts, they tower over most Zekiran Holds, and are not the prettiest things in the world. With a typical height of over 6 lengths, a nose-to-tail length of more than 11, and a wingspan of 17 or more lengths, Sky dragons are truly the terror of the enemy. Their Strength equates to more than 100 in human terms, and they are very healthy and durable, with a Body Type of over 140 per Length. They live on average 65 years, though they are the quickest to be retired or killed off in combat, so it is remarkably rare to find a Sky dragon who has gotten that old. They can see and hear with an average ability, Reaction of around 80. Their speed is high, though, with a Reaction of over 90. They are used almost exclusively to combat alien aircraft, as they are large and fast enough to do so.

Eggs: Largest of the dragon eggs, these thick shelled eggs are leathery but harden over time and become brittle eventually, similar to a turtle's eggs. They are usually laid in large, sandy pits scraped out by the huge ostrich-like feet of the dragon female. The male pays little attention however he can be coerced into fetching food. The female actually visually guards the eggs, but rarely sits upon them. They average around 2 spans wide, and are mostly round though when laid they are rather oblong. Their color varies greatly, from deep rust to pale cream, but rarely any other kinds of colors. As they mature, the dragonet inside can be felt or sometimes even seen (by candling with a very large light) to move. At hatching time, the hatchlings break through with their hard wing-wrists or kick out with their strong legs, rather than pecking at the shell. Females in estrus have been known about once every two years, and if they lay a nest, they will skip a full season.

Basis and Description: With a long, heavy tail and huge running-legs, these airborne fighters have large leathery wings with a single finger on the edge. Often the wing flap extends to almost halfway down the tail, giving better lift but slightly poorer turning ability. They have a long thickly muscled neck, and a fin crest on their head to provide better aerodynamics. They are not covered in feathers like the Forest dragon, rather they have a thick coat of iguana like scaled skin everywhere but their wings which are heavy, smooth skin. Their great talons on their feet are useful for running to get takeoff speeds, and are usually what they use to hunt their food. They usually come in two-toned colors, complimentary ones of dark on their back, and light on their belly (like a jet fighter plane or most birds/fish) but they are known to have very spectacular color mixes as well. Some mutations of Sky dragons have small forelimbs, rather like 'raptor dinosaurs, while others amazingly grow even larger than normal (rarely smaller). Some rare Sky dragons also have armored skin, rather than scales, but they are somewhat heavy and lose a bit of air movement rate.

Attacks: With their huge clawed feet, they can kick or swipe at things on the fly, as well as striking things with their muscular balancing tail. However their common power and inborn ability is to breathe chemical fire. A side effect of their chemical aggression, once they are in the air, their stomach begins producing a combustable substance that they then belch out, and upon reaching the air it ignites in contact with oxygen. The results are quite spectacular.

Defenses: While they have good strong skin, normally, the armor mutation could come in handy. Mostly they rely on their move speed, their camoflaged coloration, and their ability to naturally resist a certain amount of burning damage. Lasers have a bit more effect on them, however bullets or other small projectiles must be very well-aimed to do any harm. The aliens are developing acid-based weapons.

Mental and Psionic Abilities: Among the smartest of the dragons, Sky dragons have an almost Human intelligence, averaging 50. They speak in sentances mentally, but add emotional responses at will. They have a strong sense of honor and duty to their cause, and seem to actively dislike their enemy. Their Empathic ability is strong, able to use 4 powers most of the time. Among the powers they can use are powers of the air and flame protection/attack, weather sensing, and force field or levitation/telekinetic power.

Disadvantages: They are large, and require the most space of all the dragons to keep. They prefer being in rolling hills and valleys, where their coloration can be hidden by reeds and dust until they take off. However they are known to have bone and joint disorders on occasion, and as they age, a dragon with one of these must be taken off active combat duty before they injure themselves. Though most dragons are passive about mating, these Sky dragons occasionally become remarkably… horny. A randy male surrounded by his peers can set off a mating frenzy among nearby dragons. When a female comes into her cycle, rather like Zekiran Hyperfertility, all the males around will pose and posture for her. She will simply choose a mate among those whom she likes, however, there is no fighting involved. A more rare disadvantage is that the dragon may have very little or no sense of direction and must always be in contact with their Master to figure out where they are in relation to things (like the ground, their home, etc). This is not just an annoying problem, it could be disasterous if not tended properly. On more than one occasion, a Sky dragon grown to their full adult size has accidentally crushed their Master or another human. Most amazingly of all, they feel genuine remorse over this event and mourn before either turning mad or giving up. In rare cases when a Sky dragon's Master has died and they are still well, they may be moved on to another Master, but will never quite be the same.

Master and Breeder Expectations: Altitude and wind are the enemy of most Masters. Some brave souls actually ride their Sky dragon into battle, however most of them prefer to remain on the ground watching through televiewers. Some have fit their dragons heads with remote video equipment. Breeders of these great dragons must have lots of space, and mostly in the grasslands. Also, they must have food aplenty. Sky dragons will eat nearly anything, by the way, so keep those Steed farms safely monitored. Bravery and sanity are the key to good Sky dragon Masters. They must be willing to literally throw their life away for their people and planet. Most Zekirans cannot do that.