Lookylookylooky! *bounce*

Samber · Post by **Samber** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 2:30 pm

The result of two month's careful reading and three hours of doodling.

LakotaWolf · Post by **LakotaWolf** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 3:18 pm

This is muchly how I always imagined them, with the longy ears. Nice work! I love how you positioned them.

::glances behind her::

WATCH OUT! It's Anne McCaffrey! She's here to sue! O_O RUN!

Samber · Post by **Samber** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 3:24 pm

Aaaah! *hides behind her dragons*

The funny thing about the ears is, I'd never imagined the dragons /having/ ears, so when I came across a mention of such, I had to totally revise my mental image of them. I'm much too attatched to the cover arts, I am.

Starburst · Post by **Starburst** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 3:24 pm

Nice work! *skitters away to read a Pern book in a box*

LakotaWolf · Post by **LakotaWolf** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 3:27 pm

Yiss, I know what you mean :D

Maaan, back when I was in grade school I'd read EVERY SINGLE ONE of the Pern books to tatters, literally. Read them so often my covers fell off and the spines disintegrated. I loved most of the cover art (especially The White Dragon's ::slobbers love onto Ruth::) but in some of the other coverarts, I thought the dragons looked ungainly, unbalanced, and downright ugly. ::sad::

Ya know what's funny? Back in the day, I loved Anne McCaffrey's books. I wrote probably 5 complete novel-sized stories about my own Pern dragons and whatnot. Now, I can't stand her writing. :/ To me, it seems presumptuous, dry, and the pacing is soooo slow. She just comes off as arrogant to me, even in her writing :{

Post by **StarFyre** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 3:27 pm

Hrm.. where did it mention the ears? It's probably just because of my weird method of reading, but I don't remember ever noting that.

-StarFyre

jess d · Post by **jess d** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 3:34 pm

That's okay, I reread them regularly and I don't remember any mention of the ears either. Where does it mention the ears?
Though I do like the way they look. I always wondered why they never showed the forked tail part, but I like the way you did that.

LakotaWolf · Post by **LakotaWolf** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 3:40 pm

Wait, forked tail? I don't remember a forked tail. I thought I remebered something about their adult "bits" being in the tail o_O

Samber · Post by **Samber** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 3:44 pm

The 'OhmigoshtheyhaveEARS!!!! *shock*' bit for me was in Dragonquest, there's a bit where Mirrim grabs Canth by the ear and drags him out of the weyr. Quite amusing, actually, but I kinda got stuck on the ears. *goes off to look it up*

Ah, here we are...

The last thing Brekke saw as F'nor obediently followed Mirrim out of the sleeping room was Canth's surprised look as she bore down on him, reached for his ear and began to tug.

There are various other scattered references, too, but harder to find.

Now I have to return my brother's paperback without him noticing... ehehe....

Lakota: It's the, er, end-of-the-digestive-system bits in the tail, actually. And there are numerous references to tailforks, can't think of any off the top of my head though.

Skysong · Post by **Skysong** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 4:05 pm

Hee, those are awesome ^__^

I know the forked tails are mentioned in Dragonsdawn when they're studying the firelizards - it's described as a vent for waste or something. I'm not sure if the dragons have the forked tails or not, though.. haven't read the books in forever >_>

Samber · Post by **Samber** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 4:10 pm

Well, Kitti Ping didn't change much, just size, claws, and fertility in greens/no firestone chewing in queens. I don't think it would've made sense to alter the digestive system, that would have been way too much trouble and would probably have had disastrous results. After all, they needed the 'dragons' as soon as possible, and which end the dung comes out of isn't important when you're fighting Thread.

Skysong · Post by **Skysong** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 4:12 pm

I think they mentioned something about Kitti Ping and the tail, but I honestly can't remember for sure because it's been so long ^_^; Or I could be going crazy.. work has a tendency to make one go maaaaaaad..

Samber · Post by **Samber** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 4:13 pm

Hmm. I'll have to go reread that one... I'm pretty sure dragons have the fork, though.

Shard · Post by **Shard** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 5:13 pm

I'm confused about the ear thing too. The DLGTP doesn't mention them at all, that I know of. It's in storage, I can't check. That's where about 90% of my experience comes from in pern though

That and defunct rpg's. The forked tail = correct!

The image that I first saw in relation to Pernese dragons was in this horrific illustrated kid's fantasy book. It had *nothing* to do with the description that was given, this was for the ... whatever chapter they reprinted as a sample, a hatching. I have a pic I drew from it somewhere online.

They look really nice. Maybe the blue's an adult and the queen's a hatchling

Silver Midnight · Post by **Silver Midnight** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 6:08 pm

Um, one thing though--in Dragonlover's Guide to Pern, the images were drawn under McCaffery's guidance, or so I hear. I never recall Pernese dragons having ears, rather just the headknob things which are rather ugly and often left off...but yeah. McCaffery could have meant the knobs.

I like the ears, though, and the forked tail myself. It's nicer than the spade--though I don't recall that either. I'm not a Pern fan, myself.

Drakiera · Post by **Drakiera** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 6:33 pm

I agree; I think the headknobs are their 'ears'. They hear through them, at any rate. Reading that quote, it might also be talking about Brekke (or Mirrim) grabbing for F'nor's ear, but not having the book, I can't double-check the context.

As for the spade ... I believe that the tail end is forked, but shaped like a spade; the spade splits open into the forked shape. I think. Whether it opens vertically or horizontally, I have no idea. Gender bits are under the tail, where they would be in most animals.

*retreats back into her homework and updates and ... bah! Can't resist a good Pern discussion. Yes, I know that's an oxymoron.*

jess d · Post by **jess d** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 6:46 pm

Did anyone ever play the dragonriders video game? I believe McCaffrey had a lot of input in that, and they didn't have external ears in the game. (Of course, they weren't the most attractive of dragons either....)

Samber · Post by **Samber** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 6:54 pm

There was a video game?

(Why yes, I HAVE been under a rock for the past sixteen years! lol)

jess d · Post by **jess d** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 7:00 pm

Yeah, on pc and dreamcast, Dragonriders: Chronicles of Pern.
I had it on dreamcast, til my brother sold it. I liked it, though it was a little slow. It was also one of the few games I've ever managed to beat. It was hard for me to find when I got it. I'd like to find it again, as there were a few things I missed the first time through

Rachael · Post by **Rachael** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 7:46 pm

I own the PC version. Now I just need to, you know, go find the Queen Candidates. =D

The Nexus

Lookylookylooky! bounce

Lookylookylooky! bounce