Dragonette

Death from above.

Dragons are the alphas in every dragon tribe, but in the areas where their size is an issue, a different kind of dragon rose to become the workhouses of the air, the Dragonette. Dragonette is just smaller versions of the larger Dragons. Similar to the Drake they began evolving in the forest of Nibmu. 
These dragons are connected to the Drake in several ways. During the evolutionary process, the dragons that would become the Drake stopped flying. The dragons that continued flying continued they grew to about the same size, but as the Drake's wings disappeared the Dragonette's wings just became smaller and the tail developed another flap to help the dragon turn. The front arms of the Dragonette did grow weaker along with the jaw muscles.
Where the Dragonette excels is in the air. The Dragonette is smaller than their predecessor and easier to pick off because of that, but the Dragonette is able to call on the same magic and is taught how to battle in the air. The fins on their tail also allow the Dragonette to turn quicker and the smaller form is faster in the air. They are still slower than the more aerodynamic Amphiptere but are also far smarter.

Basic Information

Anatomy

A Dragonette is seen throughout dragon history as the main fighter of the Dragon Wars. Like the Drake, the Dragonette is capable of multiplying much faster than larger Dragons. They also grow to their full size much quicker too. They have two powerful black legs which they use to gain speed before they take flight. Their front legs are less powerful mainly because they are used far less. The front legs are small and only really function in close fighting.
The body of a Dragonette is far smaller than the body of even the Drake. The less weight makes them better flyers. They are lean and their wings are strong for their size. Running down their spine and tail are a number of fins that can shift and turn to allow the Dragonette to turn during combat. 
The ability to take damage for a Dragonette is small. The bones of a Dragonette are hollow. Even if the skin is not pierced it is easy for any predator to take down a Dragonette especially if they strike it while it is in the air.

Genetics and Reproduction

Dragonettes lay eggs once a year. They are fertilized by another Dragonette. The eggs will normally hatch in a few weeks.

Growth Rate & Stages

A baby Dragonette is smaller than almost any other. They will grow into their full size within a few years. Their wings are weak when born, but they strengthen over the course of a few months. A baby Dragonette should be able to glide within three months of being born. 
Over the next few years, various fins will sprout up and the Dragonette will need to learn to control his magic. The Dragonlords value this training as much as Dragon magic training. Dragonettes are also taught their own breed of magic to help them fly faster.

Ecology and Habitats

Dragonettes like the forests. They enjoy climbing trees and jumping off before flapping their wings and flying up into the skies. They can live in the mountains like the other kinds, but they prefer the lush ground and being able to hook onto tree branches when they come down. 
With the dragon tribes the Dragonettes hunts the sky while the Drakes hunt anything on the ground. In the skies they hunt the likes of hawks and eagles. Whenever a young troop goes out they normally bring back something for the rest of the tribe.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Dragonettes are meat-eaters only.

Additional Information

Social Structure

The Dragonette because of the closeness to the full size Dragons consider themselves the second level within the tribe. Among the Dragonettes there is a social class based on wing size, and how fast the dragon can fly.

Facial characteristics

A normal Dragonette has a much smaller and more round face than the other dragon races. It is still larger in the back and more narrow in the front, but the scales are much smoother with almost no spikes.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

The Dragonette is commonly found in the forest areas of Nibmu. They are also pretty common in the grasslands as well.
They can be found in the deserts and within mountainous regions, but this is uncommon

Average Intelligence

In the air the Dragonette is a superior flyer and when groups are together they are some of the best dog fighters in all dragon kind. They are also capable of learning most magics. All that said of the three main civilized dragons (Dragon, Dragonette, and Drake) they are considered the least intelligent.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

A Dragonette's magic is some of the deadliest in the air. Many a god has been turned back just by the number. A Dragonette's most common weapon is a small fireball that fires out short distances. These are used in play against other dragons, a common sport for Dragonette. It is not uncommon for a Dragonette to call on other elements if a dragon begins losing altitude a group of Dragonettes will come and blow wind on his wings attempting to keep him flying. They also entire groups that only fight using thunder magic. 
If that isn't enough Dragonettes have enhanced sight. Generations of Dragonette have been used for scouting, long-range hunting, and on the coastal region's fishing. They can see for such long distances that they can see a field mouse from a mile in the air.

Civilization and Culture

Beauty Ideals

Dragonettes beauty ideas were less about the looks of a dragon, and more about their ability to fly. Faster Dragonettes would get better mates.

Courtship Ideals

A Dragonette's life was spent in the air as much as on land. The courtship rituals could only be done in the air. A male Dragonette would fly up and begin flying around a female Dragonette. If the female accepted the courtship they would attempt to match the speed of the male.

History

The Dragonette's story begins when the Dragons migrated east and found their way into the forest of Nibmu. They found the treetops to be too thick to see below. They began flying low and their wings caught on many trees. Those that continued normally developed offspring that were smaller and their wingspan narrowed. They started flying faster.
Some continued to fly, while others began noticing their legs growing more powerful. The ones that remained on the land turned into Drakes. The Dragonettes continued to shrink in weight, and their bones became brittle. The Dragonlords began noticing the changes within the species. They gained their classification as Dragonette. 
As the generations ticked by the Dragonette's front legs became shorter and claws turning into talons. They began soaring higher and faster-flying circles around their larger ancestor. One challenged their Dragonlord to a contest. He flew all around him tagging him with bolts of fire and lightning. With one swing the Dragon managed to kill the Dragonette. 
The Dragonette became the main scout for every Dragon. Most Dragonlords wanted a group of Dragonettes in their tribe to fly around in search of other tribes. Dragonettes were used to spy on gods.
A war broke out between the gods and dragons. Dragonettes were not common during the first part of the war. The gods only contended with the larger slower Dragons. When the gods pushed into the forests for the first time they saw a number of small flying dragons they were not surprised at them (the mountains did have a few) but the number was far more than they ever contended with before.
The first areal battles between the gods and Dragonettes were a complete route. The gods held only a few that could even get into the air often they were battles of a couple of million Dragonettes versus a few dozen gods. A breed of gods known as a Smith ventured into the air creating a few balloons capable of gaining the skies. Even with thousands of gods firing projectiles into the air, the Dragonettes kept the skies sending their balloons back to the ground.
God-King Havesp grew angry with his forces. The Dragonettes rule of the sky combined with the Drakes ability to attack groups of gods and run kept all his forces from entering the region. Havesp deployed more balloons this time with members of his personal guard. They released blasts of Holy Fire. They tore into hundreds of Dragonettes and managed to create a small dent against the areal army. After a small regrouping, the Dragonettes attacked with a ferocity not seen. They tore the balloons to pieces and attacked the ground.
The attack happened without warning. The Drakes spotted it moments before the Dragonettes swooped down the first time. They received no orders to support the attack, and no Dragon ordered the Drakes too. They watched as the gods rebounded and attacked. The Dragonettes now in lower air couldn't move around with the trees. The gods managed to kill thousands of Dragonettes before the Drakes gathered enough forces to attack. The passion of the Dragonettes was admirable, but this created a dent in their number that the Dragonettes could not recover.
The gods burn the forest down battling the Drakes. The Dragonettes made attempts to keep the skies, but the few gods that could fly now fought battles only outnumbered five to one. The gods could manage the Dragonettes well enough to deliver victories and there was nothing any of the dragons could do. As the gods moved through the forest eventually the Dragons joined the battles adding their power to the speed of the Dragonettes. This did much at first, but the gods quickly reformed and already knew how to keep the larger Dragons from damaging their battles.
End the end, the Dragonettes fell to the same fate as the Drakes. They were hunted down and their nests were completely eradicated.

EXTINCT

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Dragons

Scientific Name

Draco Volucrisidae

Lifespan

Endless

Average Height

12ft

Average Weight

300lb

Average Length

9yd

Average Physique

This dragon is weak on land, and in air. They are fast their lighter weight makes them able to fly faster than most other species even managing to escape attacks from Wyverns. Pound for pound they are stronger than the much larger Dragon, it is known that they are weaker than the Drake.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

A Dragonette's coloring can change depending on the tribe it is born into. Normally it will have some combination on the mother and father's coloring. In the forest this will normally be a darker green with lighter in the wings. The grasslands will have lighter green colors, and the mountains will have a more brown coloring.