Air dragons

Look at me, am an Air dragoness being all majestic and important. Feh. They are too full of themselves. All it takes is a good hit and they will crumble into a pile of moaning scales.

Crimson Rosebush Fertilanborn Matriarch of Mud dragon Wheel tribe after recent negotiations with Air dragons

Considered by many to be the oldest draconic species of all Midrast Wain, Air dragons take great pride in their heritage from Sun Dragons, one of the two proto-dragon species. The most prominent sign Air dragons can boast with are their lithe bodies and great wingspan, allowing extended capabilities for flight, acrobacy and most importantly, hunting from air.
While sexual dimorphism is not very apparent amongst them (females are only slightly bigger than males), Air dragon society is extremely biased towards females and the highest positions of power, Queen and Advisors, can be attained only by a dragoness.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Characteristic colors of most Air dragons are yellow, brown or orange. Air dragons can be unicolor or have differently shaped and colored stripes and streaks across their form, most of which is decided genetically on their parents. Some have fur growing down their spine and rarely even on chins, ears, tail tips and/or undersides.

Genetics and Reproduction

Air dragons can breed at any time of the year. Females enter stages of increased and decreased fertility similar to humans and varies based on the individual in question. Air dragonesses lay 1-3 eggs after 4 weeks of gestation, which must be stored in a secure and warm area. Eggs hatch after 60 - 75 days, revealing a furred hatchling. Fur is important in the early development of hatchlings as it helps them maintain body warmth.

Growth Rate & Stages

A golden dragon is considered adult usually at his or her 13th year or when he or she is accepted as a fully trained Wingbinders or Clawstoppers. Sexually capable are males starting from their 9th year and females from 12-13th.

Furred adults

Fur is usually lost during maturity, although some breeds retain some of it in various shades of brown, orange, black, grey or more rarely - crimson red even into the adulthood. Adults with a lot of fur are thus viewed as not serious or childish, even though its just their appearance.

Ecology and Habitats

Mountainous or hillside areas with easy access to open terrain, allowing them to swoop down onto their prey. A colony of Air dragons will eventually carve out a complex cave system within any area they inhabit.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Omnivores. Primarily hunt mountain goats, sheep, antelope, reindeer, vegetables and other plant life, fish.

Additional Information

Social Structure

1. Queen is the head of all Golden dragons, she can decide on a fate of anyone, anytime she wants. Mother's Skull is a symbol of her office. Current queen is Oitonkath Pulchrana.
2. Advisors, who are the second in rank after Queen have limited control over Clawstoppers and other females and complete control over males. Should Advisor's order contradict Queen's, Queen's order takes precedence. Officially, Advisors have so far always been females. Advisors need at least a third of all votes to approve a duel for Queen's throne.
3. Wingbinders are somewhat secluded, they can order anyone whom they deem unhealthy or injured, even Queen and Advisors, but outside of treating maladies, they possess no real power over anyone.
4. Queen's female offspring have limited control over females and full control over males and are usually given a small part of mother's territory to maintain on their own to learn statecraft.
5. Queen's male offspring are traditionally used as diplomats, messengers or those that decide to become Clawstoppers, are likely going to quickly rise in rank up towards becoming a Clawmaster in their respective region.
6. Pregnant, females with eggs or hatchlings younger than five years cannot be ordered by anyone to do anything except for the Queen.
7. Clawstoppers can order regular males or females to obey them, except for anyone above. They cannot order anything that is in direct contradiction with Queen's, Advisor's or any of Queen's offspring order.
8. Females retain all the standard rights and laws. They may choose a male to start a family with and break up with the male whom she had taken as a mate if/when she so desires. Females can be appointed as an Advisor by the Queen. They may also challenge their Queen to a duel to seize the title of Queen if they have backing of at least a third of all Advisors.
9. Males retain some standard rights and laws. They may become Wingbinders or Clawstoppers. Once they are considered adult, any female can decide to take an unclaimed male as a mate and have him sire a clutch with her. They cannot become Clawstoppers once they sired a clutch. A male must remain loyal to his female until their offspring is at least five years old or until the female decides to break up with him, whichever comes first. Unclaimed male can be ordered to do anything that will not endanger their lives by anyone above.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Their long claws are sometimes harvested by other draconic species, specifically Mud dragons or Fire dragons to construct Third claws.

Facial characteristics

Thin white horns, long ears and snouts.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Vast majority of them live in the area of Three-Talon Peaks. The main ruling and religious body resides within The First Tribe.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Good sight, good hearing thanks to prominent long and pointy ears.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Air dragons have strict naming convention. The hatchlings are given their names immediately after hatching and they will keep it until the end of their life. All dragons hatched within the Queen's territory have suffix -th on the end of their first names. Exiled dragons hatched outside of the Air dragon society do not use the suffix -th.
Male names always start with a consonant - e.g. Sayeth. Female names start with a vowel e.g. Ayliith.
Second (family) name tends to be shared within a family and is passed down from mothers to her offspring. Both siblings Sayeth and Ayliith have surname Aether. Their mother is Amanth Aether. Male mates do not adopt their female partner's surname.
Nicknaming is fairly common amongst friends, family or partners. However, it is considered rude to use nicknames for others when not addressing someone who does not consider him/herself any of the aforementioned things.

Beauty Ideals

Females with long tail, long claws, long ears and muscled form are considered beautiful.
Male with short claws, tail, long ears and lithe athletic form are considered handsome. Some dragons and dragonesses also prefer males with some fur, which gives them a youthful and cute visage.

Gender Ideals

Females manning a high enough station, such as Advisor, Queen's daughters or Queen herself. Females are expected to be the dominant ones, strong and knowing what they want.
Males specifically skilled in any physical labour or skill (tanners, hunters, historians, Wingbinders or diplomats) are always sought after the most. Calm, collected, introverted and submissive individuals are also good drawbacks females look for in males.

Courtship Ideals

Very little real courtship is actually performed in Air dragon society. When an unclaimed male seeks to find a mate in higher circles, their best bet is to follow said female, courteously and willingly offer his services to her and hope that she will eventually notice him. More often than not, females know several years in advance whom they will select as their mate though.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

Reaching adulthood is generally celebrated where parent(s) meet with each offspring who has achieved this milestone and apply red and white body paint on them.
A pattern of circles and stripes is traditionally drawn when parents wish them to live a good and comfortable life. A pattern of waves trailing from their wings up towards their rump is drawn when parents wish luck and success in their future endeavors - less common but generally applied when difficult times are ahead of them.

Common Taboos

Seeking relationship with a Clawstopper obviously. Perhaps even greater taboo is an interracial relationship as hybrids are looked down upon by all Air dragons.

Common Myths and Legends

Legend about Sun dragon Tyrth who lead his people in a fight against the Moon dragons and established dominance of his species over the rest of the Continent.
Air dragons revere Tyrth specifically as a majority Religion, however, the smaller tribes on the outskirts tend to also revere other gods.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Mostly looked down upon. Only recently have relationships with Water dragons thanks to the efforts of Sayeth and Shark improved, but not yet to a point where forming a family between the two species would be considered normal.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Dragons

Genetic Descendants

• Hybrids

Scientific Name

Midrast Draconius Aerth

Origin/Ancestry

Sun dragon - 95%, Moon dragon 5%

Lifespan

70 years

Average Height

1.8 - 2.3 m

Average Weight

90 kg

Average Length

3.5 m (including 1.5 m long tail)

Average Physique

Lithe, slim, well-built.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Primary colors are yellow, orange or brown.

Spoken Language

Traditional - Primary
Traduun - Secondary