Species Fact Sheet

Abilities

fire-breath: breath fire

telekinesis: move objects or project one's voice to be heard "out loud"

telepathy: speak using one's mind or relay images

teleportation: travel from one location to anouther

Breeding, Clutching, and Bonding

Dragon clutches are as large as the dragons who flew. If a particularly large female was caught by a large male, then the clutch will be large for two reasons. One being the genetic strength of the two dragons involved, their genetic DNA being able to create large and strong progeny. And the second being as there is more room for larger clutches of eggs to develop inside a larger female then in a smaller female.

During mating flights, which happen whenever a dragon feels like it, normally several months apart, all male dragons take chase if they want to 'win' that female. While the riders of their bonded dragons will feel as delighted in their dragon's sexuality and the emotions of the flight, they won't be entirely affected. It's not uncommon for the female and her dragon to have a preference male, and his dragon will likely win, but if the preference of the male doesn't have a dragon, she can still take to their rooms whomever they want. Sex is fairly inevitable and not hidden as crude or something not for public eyes. The dragon rose for the purpose of it, and for the end purpose of creating more dragons, so the riders should be just as happy to join in the same act with their human choice, be it the rider of the male dragon who caught their dragon, or another. However, should the rider not want to, they can lock themselves in their rooms to be undisturbed during their dragon's flight. Male dragons who don't win may have still 'energized' their riders and, to put it simply, stand-ins in the Caer are normally always available. Some flights won't produce any progeny, so a female's flying doesn't always equal offspring. (If the female is not in heat, ie; it's not the proper time of the month in the female cycle when she decides to fly, then no offspring will be conceived and no eggs lain.)

After becoming impregnated, the female dragon carries the eggs inside her, allowing them to develop for nearly a month. During this time, she is grounded when her belly starts to bulge, and is kept to the Caer grounds. And as you would think the term grounded to mean, pregnant females are not allowed to fly for their own safety as well as the eggs she carries.

When clutching occurs, the female may take several days to lay her eggs, digging holes in the sand so the still soft shells can harden in the heat, much to the same degree her own body kept them at. Dragons could be capable of live-births if they had enough room inside them for all the eggs, but because they don't, the lay the half-formed eggs on the sand where they can fully expand to suit the growing embryo, and mature. Eggs are oval in shape, looking like very large chicken eggs. In color, they will vary with the color of the female that laid them, but are all generally the same color. Primarily, each egg is peach in color, the color darkening as the egg shell gets harder.

The embryos grow, and their shells expand somewhat to accommodate. After another month of waiting, the hatchlings will use an 'egg tooth', found on the tip of their muzzle that will fall off shortly after their hatching, to chip away at the inside of the egg. The egg after splitting reveals the gangly baby hatchling, even though gangly, they're still perfectly proportioned to what they'll look like as adults, save longer and harder claws on their feet, taller neck ridges, and smaller eyes when their muzzle elongates and their head is better proportioned to their body.

Naming Styles

Typically end in "th" though many Island's species have their own ending-styles.

Genetic Codes

I'm rewritting this...i made it better!

The Pernese Method

Because Alskyrian dragons were based off Pernese dragons, due to the migration off Pern during the ‘Cyber Pern-ocalypse’ , I’ve created this alternate code that is based off the Pernese Jeniath Code, with modifications.

The following stays the same:

The “Jeniath Code” Altered

Gender

The gender is the same as any species; X and Y where XX is female and XY is male.

Metallic Hue

The letter G is used to explain the gold metallic color for bronze and gold. Bronzes, which are described as a ‘greenish gold’, need gold pigment in their hide. g is then the symbol for gold pigment. Does this mean XgXg is gold and XgY is bronze? No. Why? If that were the case then there would be only gold and bronze dragons thus we must deviate from what one would expect. XGXg must then be a gold dragon while XgY are the bronzes.

As it stands now, we have as follows:

• Gold: XGXg (33% of females)
• Green: XGXG, XgXg (66% of females)
• Brown or Blue: XGY (50% of males)
• Bronze: XgY (50% of males)

Rank

To flesh out the colors we start adding to the code but no longer connecting them to the gender chromosomes as the deposition of gold took care of that. Enter the R gene, which stands for ‘rank’ (even though rank means nothing in Alskyr).

Again, as a bronze and gold must be able to create all colors of dragons, we need to deviate from the expected. As with a gold dragon, Rr becomes the code that distinguishes the bronzes and golds from the greens, blues, and browns.

• Gold: XGXg Rr (11% of females)
• Green: XGXG RR, XGXG Rr, XGXG rr, XGXg RR, XGXg rr, XgXg RR, XgXg Rr, XgXg rr (88% of females)
• Bronze: XgY Rr (17% of males)
• Brown or Blue: XGY RR, XGY Rr, XGY rr, XgY RR, XgY rr (83% of males)

Now or playing field is starting to take shape. But there is still the problem of the blues and browns.

Browns vs. Blue

Browns still need to be distinguished. To do this we use B (which stands for bilirubin, a copper based pigment). In order to be brown a male dragon must have BB (this being the only allele set that seems to follow the ‘traditional’ expectations of genetics) and be male. [Note: XgY Rr BB is still brown!]

Where the Code Stands Now

As of now, we have a code similar to this: XGXg Rr Bb for females or XgY rr BB for males. (If you realized that the codes are for a gold and brown, congrats! If not, now you know and you can move on. :D)

For more information on Pern Genetics, visit the FGPC WeyrHall.

Sport Dragons (aka Runts)

Alskyr does not have sports or mutations like Ruth but I left the Wd in the code to allow for runts, dragons that are smaller than 30 feet. While I doubt any have hatched yet, with this code it proves it is genetically possible. However, just like with Pernese, you must have all w or d on both alleles – unlike Pernese wb exsists on Y to give a fair chance to males to be runts. Runts never get below 20 feet (so they’re really the length of a Pernese green but to Alskyrians, they’re runts).

In Conclusion to The Pernese Code

Alskyrian dragons differ in that the color will not judge the size (see Size Allele), only the color. There are modifications on the DNA that changes the colors, and genders, of the Alskyrian dragons.

Our code currently looks like this:

Xgwd XgWd Rr Bb

Female green

XGwD YwD RR bb

Male blue

Modifications

Looking at the color chart, we still have black, white, red, cream, and purple to solve a riddle for. Let’s start with an easy one.

Naturally, we would think creams are just diluted browns…technically they are and they can happen that way, but because of this, we have to change how the Pernese code works and it’s possible, though colors don’t even out well.

Below is the table for how the genes work on an Alskyrian Dragon. I’ve added G/g to the Y chromosome, too.

FEMALES	Gold	Silver	Cream	Purple	Green
	XG Xg Rr Bb XG Xg Rr bb XG Xg rr Bb XG Xg rr bb	XG XG rr Bb Xg Xg rr Bb XG XG rr bb Xg Xg rr bb XG XG rr BB Xg Xg rr BB	XG XG RR BB Xg Xg RR BB XG Xg RR BB XG XG Rr BB XG Xg rr BB Xg Xg Rr BB XG Xg Rr BB	XG XG RR Bb Xg Xg RR Bb XG XG RR bb Xg Xg RR bb XG Xg RR bb XG Xg RR Bb	XG XG Rr Bb XG XG Rr bb Xg Xg Rr Bb Xg Xg Rr bb
MALES	Bronze	Blue	Brown	Red	Unknown
	XG Yg Rr Bb XG Yg Rr bb XG Yg rr Bb XG Yg rr bb	XG YG rr Bb Xg Yg rr Bb XG YG rr bb Xg Yg rr bb XG YG rr BB Xg Yg rr BB	XG YG RR BB Xg Yg RR BB XG Yg RR BB XG YG Rr BB XG Yg rr BB Xg Yg Rr BB XG Yg Rr BB	XG YG RR Bb Xg Yg RR Bb XG YG RR bb Xg Yg RR bb XG Yg RR bb XG Yg RR Bb	XG YG Rr Bb XG YG Rr bb Xg Yg Rr Bb Xg Yg Rr bb

The Alskyrian difference

For starters, Gold and bronze now need Gg only. Brown and cream have to be BB – it will override Gg. Blue and silver result in rr. Red and purple result in RR. Green and a unknown color (perhaps these are duds?) are the left overs.

Gold/Bronze

Gold must have XX and Gg; cannot have BB or RR

Silver/Blue

If the dragon has rr, it is a silver. It cannot have BB.

Cream/Brown

If the dragon has BB, regardless of R’s or G’s, it is cream or brown. (These colors are more prominent and I decided on that because they are natural colors. Brighter colors would naturally make camofologe hard and as preditors, being bright red would send up warning signals to prey.)

Purple/Red

Must have RR and no BB (if it has BB it is brown/cream)

Green

Has GG or gg with Rr; if female it is green. The male version is either going to be a dud or something else not in the original color list. (Perhaps teal?)

FEMALES	Gold	Silver	Cream	Purple	Green
	XG Xg Rr Bb XG Xg Rr bb XG Xg rr Bb XG Xg rr bb	XG XG rr Bb Xg Xg rr Bb XG XG rr bb Xg Xg rr bb	XG XG RR BB Xg Xg RR BB XG Xg RR BB XG XG Rr BB Xg Xg Rr BB XG Xg Rr BB XG XG rr BB Xg Xg rr BB XG Xg rr BB	XG XG RR Bb Xg Xg RR Bb XG XG RR bb Xg Xg RR bb XG Xg RR bb XG Xg RR Bb	XG XG Rr Bb XG XG Rr bb Xg Xg Rr Bb Xg Xg Rr bb
MALES	Bronze	Blue	Brown	Red	Unknown
	XG Yg Rr Bb XG Yg Rr bb XG Yg rr Bb XG Yg rr bb	XG YG rr Bb Xg Yg rr Bb XG YG rr bb Xg Yg rr bb	XG YG RR BB Xg Yg RR BB XG Yg RR BB XG YG Rr BB XG Yg rr BB Xg Yg Rr BB XG Yg Rr BB XG YG rr BB Xg Yg rr BB	XG YG RR Bb Xg Yg RR Bb XG YG RR bb Xg Yg RR bb XG Yg RR bb XG Yg RR Bb	XG YG Rr Bb XG YG Rr bb Xg Yg Rr Bb Xg Yg Rr bb
	Bronze	Red	Brown	Blue
	Xg Y Rr Bb Xg Y Rr bb Xg Y Rr BB XG Y Rr bb XG Y Rr Bb	Xg Y RR bb XG Y RR bb Xg Y RR Bb XG Y RR Bb	XG Y Rr BB XG Y rr BB Xg Y rr BB Xg Y RR BB XG Y RR BB	XG Y rr bb XG Y rr Bb Xg Y rr bb Xg Y rr Bb

 

 

Gender Switches

Now, you may go, so, to switch a brown male to brown female you simply change the last X to Y, right?

If you did that it would become cream.

Gender switching is caused by ^x that mutates the last gene to become switched.

Black and White – K and I

Because black and white are listed as being male or female, this is a modification to its self. K is black, I is white and are on the same Allele. To be black KK is needed. To be White, II is needed. Kk, KW, Kw, Wk, kk, kw, and ww will not affect the code and the dragon will not change color.

Conclusion

This successfully covers all the basic colors of Alskyr and with a shorter code than previously, though I can’t vouch for the understandability.

A note about Genetics in Alskyrians

They are HIGHTLY mutatable which is why it’s possible for a dragon who should not genetically be able to produce a red will.

Other Special Effects

I noticed early on that with the loss of the all rare and special white, people who moved to Alskyr adopted modifications to their colorations – black rainbow, silver purple. Some people had markings on their dragons. Here I have devised a way to incorporate these markings into a clutch of hatchlings to be (possibly) carried on. Keep in mind that Alskyrians from the same island have a better chance of breeding these colorations rather than those from different islands.

Dilutions – O

I’ve introduced this gene to give the possibility of some rare ‘normal’ colored dragons. White gold, white silver, white blue…etc. Dilution only makes a dragon’s hide lighter, not darker. There is another gene for that.

 

OO is no dilution

Oo creates pale gold, pale bronze, etc.

oo creates white gold, white bronze, etc.

Darkening (Dragon’s Agouti Gene)

Like most Terran species, the Agouti gene darkens the dragon and may add ‘points’ though never like a bay horse, to the legs muzzle, back, and tail.

AA, Aa – no darkening

aa – agouti

Rainbows

O and a both have a mutation known as rainbow-ing (unofficially). This mutation has only been found on two Caer Talor Cliff dragons so it is unknown if this mutation can occur in other Alskyrian species. o⁺ and a⁺ both create the white rainbow or black rainbow.

Ticking (Alskyrian form of speckles)

Speckles do not work the same on Alskyrian dragons as they do in Pernese. Instead, there is form of ‘ticking’ that occurs and it is very random. Geneticists have not yet been able to pinpoint the color system of ticking though they believe it has to do with the t⁺ and t^- that occurs on the ticking gene. This gene is similar to roaning on horses and creates a dragon like silver purple Khalidalth that was hatched at Brynmor. It is believed this mutation is only available from Brynese dragons.

 

TT, Tt – no ticking

tt – ticking; if no + or – the dragon will be roaned in white

t⁺ - alters recessive gene to become dominate only for ticking purposes. A dragon with Gg will have ticking of GG (or gold).

t ^- - alters a random dominate gene to become recessive. Bb becomes bb and the dragon is roaned in red.

 

Brindle (Striped)

Stripes have, thus far, been seen on Paniyan dragons, such as TolEras’ purple Vastorlax ridden by Sh’en. Brindle, which appears in dogs and horses, creates a stripped, almost tiger like appearance on the dragon of a black coloration and is displayed as S, for stripes.

 

SS and Ss are not stripped

ss is stripped

 

The Semi-Final Code

Xgwd XgWd Rr Bb Ki Oo aa Tt SS

A female green. Diluted once with darkening (because she is diluted, the will have a sable appearance). No ticking and no stripes. Recorded as: green

or

XGwD YGwD RR bb KI oo Aa tt SS

A male red. Double diluted to be pale red (…pink, poor guy), no darkening, no ticking and no stripes

 

I hope those two examples clear up the colors for you. Now to add non-color items to the Code!

Other Genetic Traits

Size

Size is designated by the W and D genes. W determines the range (small, average, large) of the dragon. WW is large, Ww average, and ww small. D only makes itself known if the dragon is ww and if its dd. ww dd produces a runt.

Telepathy

Telepathy is a learned trait. A dragon’s natural range is between 3 and 10.

TT- high

Tt – medium

tt – low

t^x – very low (lower than 3)

Eye Color

Eye color is similar to Pernese dragons, too, with a change of color meanings based on Dee Dreslough’s information. There is no code for eye color anymore.