Stone Dragons

Location: Among the peaks and exposed mountainsides of Zerin, Curra and Tana. The Breeding houses of Kelis in Stetil and Fi'ir in Tana are known to be the best.

Physical: Medium sized at 6 lengths from nose to tail, and around twice as tall as a man, Stone dragons have remarkable strength for their size. Averaging 90 Strength, most of that is put into solid muscle. They are durable with a Body Type of over 120 per Length! This coupled with their hard skin gives them a tremendous advantage in physical combat. They are short on vision with a Reaction of around 60, but they can sense vibrations at a higher ability. Their lifespan is relatively short, averaging 35 years, and they often die in combat when the odds are greatly against them. They also tend to go missing if they are not watched carefully. Stone dragons are used as guardians and invasive forces to recapture ground locations from the enemy. Since they are large and hardy, yet not so large as to be unwieldy, they can attack in groups better than most other dragons.

Eggs: Don't be decieved by the mammalian looks of this dragon, they are still quite reptile inside. The female chooses a den, preferably a cavern or nook below an outcrop, and lays up to 6 hard dark eggs. They are rarely mottled and they usually have a slick oiled leather feel to them. They are probably the hardest shells to get out of, but the young dragonet has a very sharp beak anyway, and slices through them with ease. The male usually protects the female, but does not really enter the nest without his Master's prodding. Females come into fertility once every year.

Basis and Description: A short, broad lionlike body with a very birdlike head, thick tail tipped with a wide club-like end. That tail is usually covered in either heavy nubs or poison spines. The four paws of this dragon are tipped in hard, stone-cutting claws. The long, slender sharp beak of the dragon is often razor edged, and can be jagged. They usually have some form of shaggy 'fur' on their thick skin, however it is actually not fur at all, but shredded scale cells. They are not colorful dragons, being reds, browns and golden, to blend in with the bare rocks and dead leaves found at high altitudes. Some Stone dragons have been known to have extra limbs (extra tail, or legs, or wings in very rare cases), while others grow heavy armor similar to that of a rhino instead of their scaley-furry skin. They do not have teeth in their beaks, but the edges are so sharp they can almost bite through anything.

Attacks: These dragons are strong, and brutish. Their main attacks consist of thudding with their huge knobby tail, swiping with their gigantic claws, or ripping to shreds anything that gets near their dangerous beak. Their tail is often poisoned, and it is a quickly acting nerve toxin that literally eats away at whatever it touches (rather like ebola…). These dragons rarely have any other kinds of attacks.

Defenses: Their coloration and armor are mostly all they have to rely upon. They are not remarkably speedy, at around an 80 Reaction, but they prefer to fight than run any day.

Mental and Psionic Abilities: With a low empathy as well as a very low intelligence, Stone dragons are pretty much the guard dogs of the dragon world. Their Intelligence converts to about a 5 average, they could be taught to emote or speak in single words, but they usually wind up howling like angry dogs anyway. Their empathy allows them about 3 powers, among which are some strange ones. They can perceive more than most, with a power of life sense similar to 6th Degree mutants. Some have the ability to control stone or metal, while others can use a force field to protect their Master. Very rarely, they can be found to have the Substance Alteration similar to the Minor Environmental power of the same name. How this has occurred is a mystery, and only a couple of them have ever been taught to properly use it. Some do on instinct (when making a nest) but mostly they use their physical force beyond their mental.

Disadvantages: Most Stone dragons require a diet of raw meat almost constantly. This, however, also keeps them very aggressive and openly dnagerous to people outside of their small circle of knowledge. They are notoriously hard to control, rather like Hern Rats, only… really really big Hern rats… They respond well to training, but really cannot be trusted to be shifted to another Master. They do work well in groups when raised together, but distrust other Stone dragons from outside their pack.

Master and Breeder Expectations: Tough. Very tough. A Master of these Dragons must be strong and strong in will. Dominating these angry dragons takes all the time and effort any Master could give, until they sleep, which is rarely. Also a strong ability in stone or high altitude is a plus. Breeders working with Stone dragons are very similar to Animal Masters who deal with guard animals. They usually have 'kennels' which keep the dragons occupied for a while, then when they bite their way out it's time to replace the walls…