What About Them Colored Dragons?

After some requests for it, the color page was put up so that the riders of the Weyr can boast about their color, share experiences with riding that color, or describe the disadvantages (if there are any) to choosing to ride a certain color. These are mainly for Candidates to view to help decide what they'd like in the future! If you would like to contribute a color brag, please @mail your brag to Tilla in-game!

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For a full-size detailed image of the one above, go to this link.

Table of Contents

Let us begin by saying that we all want to believe that no color is better than any other. The rarity of gold certainly lends a certain status symbol notoriety to the color, but we do not choose our goldriders because they are more worthy, better people. We choose all of our dragonriders based on their knowledge of the genre and the game, their ability to roleplay responsibly and legibly (i.e. a fairly solid grasp of spelling, punctuation, and grammar) and their ability to fit in with their weyrling class and the Weyr at large. Your status as a dragonrider will neither promote you, nor inhibit you OOCly; you have to earn your place on staff, just like everyone else. ICly, other than Weyrwoman and Weyrleader, there is no position that a rider of any color cannot fill. Just be positive, stay active and involved in the Weyr, and you never know what might come your way.

Gold

Golds are the largest of their breed, ranging from 80 to 85 feet in length. They are also the rarest, comprising about 1% (or less) of the Weyr's population. They are the breeders, the Queens, clutching between 10 to 40 eggs, depending on the rigors of their mating flight, and the needs of the Weyr. The average gold flies to mate about once every two turns. Riders being so fond of gambling, the leadership of the Weyr generally tends to rest on the golden shoulders of the Senior Queen, her rider, and chance — the rider whose dragon catches the Senior Queen in her mating flight takes the position of Weyrleader until another's dragon catches her. Golds tend to Impress those with leadership potential, though how that potential is expressed (or whether it is ever realized, at all) is entirely up to the individual.

Though Impressing gold at HRW neither requires nor promises a place on staff, there are some OOC responsibilities inherent with the position: we expect a certain amount of dedication to the Weyr, frequent roleplay (and assistance in furthering plots by doing so), and the occasional stint as clutch momma (though your duties during Search might never extend beyond that). Your dragon, in many ways, is not your own, and you may find your character placed in situations you never expected, because it is to the Weyr's benefit (such as who catches your dragon in flights, or finding your character injured and removed from the Weyr when you idle for too long without explanation). You may face more criticism than the riders of other colors, your actions being more closely watched—'tis the nature of the beast. As such, you need to be well-balanced and stable, with an awareness of the game and the players, and the time and commitment to do what must be done.

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Riding gold is always an adventure. From the minute you app gold, you know that you are putting yourself in a position where your fate is not always up to you: it's not about being the best RPer, the most active, the most committed. Everything becomes about the good of the Weyr. It takes a certain kind of player to take on that role and really give all they have to it.

Having a gold dragon gives you an automatic podium off of which to speak and be heard. More than any other color, the gold dragons are the leaders. You need to be able to use that podium and that position responsibly, making sure you're always adding to people's RP and not taking away, to be sure that you are treating other players respectfully. If you can do that, however, an amazing array of RP opportunities opens to you. Especially at HRW, there are very few off-limits topics, and few limits to the kinds of plots imagination can push through.
~ Chey, rider to gold Mynwiyath

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A lot of people say they want to ride gold because it's something totally different from what they are normally used to. They are correct… and yet they are wrong. Because honestly, gold riding, like all the other colors, is exactly what you make it. Yes, you are viewed in a slightly different light, if only because you are /expected/ to be active. If you go idle, it's noticeable and it makes not only you look bad, but the Weyr as well. That's where things leave your hands, and you put your fate to the hands of the Staff and Weyr. Who, I assure you, have no problem incapacitating your character to open up the slot for a new goldrider.

If there is one thing I've learned about riding gold at HRW (and really HT as a whole), it's that you cannot let being a goldrider define you, you need to define it. Everyone can bring something different to the position, making it their own. That's what makes a good goldrider.

Of course, there is that other stuff. Egg sitting (which is honestly dull as all hell), mating flights, positions of power. It's all well and good, but means absolutely nothing if that's all you are looking for! Goldriding can get boring, very, very fast, if you don't have more around it and around the character.
~ Lendai, rider to gold Talicanitath

Bronze

Bronzes are the second largest, ranging from 70 to 80 feet in length. They are slightly less rare, making up about 10% of the Weyr's dragons. They are the most likely to catch gold, having the stamina and power to carry them through a full Fall as well as a grueling flight. This also makes their riders the most ideal de facto Wingleaders. As such, bronzes tend also to Impress those with leadership potential though, again, this isn't always so.

Brown

Browns are the workhorses of the Weyr, making up about 15%. Not quite as large as their bronze brothers, at 60 to 70 feet, they have a comparable stamina and strength, with a somewhat greater agility. They, and their riders, have a reputation for stability and support, which makes them ideal Wingseconds.

Though it is rare, browns do occasionally catch gold, which means your dragon could conceivably father a clutch. Even rarer, if no active bronzeriders are available, a male riding brownrider can be selected as the Weyrleader of the Weyr.

Blue

Blues, at 50 to 60 feet, are far more maneuverable than the larger males. At 25% of the dragon population, they are an asset during Fall, having greater staying power than greens, yet similar agility. As strong receiving empaths (though the average Pernese isn't aware of it, nor would they call it by such a term), they make ideal Search dragons, "sniffing out" candidates with a high empathy rating.

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Blue. Blu. Bloo. BLUE! blue.
No matter how you write it, it's still one of the best colors out there. I'm sure everyone here has read what's been said before. How blue isn't talked about much in the books, so the entire experience of being a bluerider is open to you. And hey, it's true! I came to fall in love with blue after not being Searched when I app'ed for green. I let my character develop and realized that green just wasn't for her. But… neither was brown. And gold wasn't her style. So that left blue. Big, beautiful, bodacious, bootylicious blue.

Valedath is everything that I've ever wanted in a dragon, but I think his color is what makes him him. I rocked up the responsibility ladder! Going from a weyrling to a wingrider to a wingsecond, wingleader, than even had a small bout as the Acting Weyrleader. Then happily found a place as Weyrlingmaster. Do you see what you can all do riding blue? Plus, you get to chase as many or as few greens as you want! Sure, you don't get to be a clutch daddy, but that means no responsibility and no sitting on the sands! I can't tell you how boring sands sitting can get. Instead, you're out there, Searching the candidates, drinking, partying, and running your part of the Weyr (or ruining it if that's your thing! ;)

Blueriders are the most varied out of all the others. The other colors may deny this, but it's true! We've got all types. Good blues, bad blues, mean blues, smart clues, dumb blues. We're also the sexiest. Yep, that's right! Blue is everything and anything you want it to be. It'll change your character in ways you've never expected and open a whole new world for you! If you haven't gone blue, do it!
~ Tye, rider to blue Valedath

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Blue is totally the new bronze: easier to get than gold, but everyone who is anyone wants to ride. We’re that hot. Though blue sometimes carries the stereotype for being silly, the range of personalities really runs the gamut from silly to stolid and everywhere in between; as with any dragon, it is what YOU make it.
~ Shazi, rider to blue Oljeitukodath

Green

Greens are the smallest, at 40 to 50 feet in length. It is a rare green that can last an entire Fall, though their small size grants them the speed and agility to fill in where they are needed most. Greens, unlike their firelizard counterparts, cannot breed. They were genetically engineered that way, though rumor chalks it up to chewing and digesting firestone. This is a good thing. At 50% of the Weyr, greens are far more randy than their much larger sisters. If they clutched every time they flew to mate (every 6-12 months), the whole of Pern would be up to its eyeballs in greens.

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Greens are all about speed, flightiness, and being able to ride a female dragon without the consequences of applying for gold. Sometimes they get looked down upon because, especially on Harpers Tale, there's so many — but it means we come in full force, baby! They tend to have a stereotype of being flirty, dumb riders (*raises her hand meekly*), but I think the largest 'diversity' award can go immediately to us simply because there's so many, and EVERYONE is different. We have quiet dragons, loud dragons, evil dragons, sweet cuddly, fat, thin, just as much as any other color. Riding green is basically like riding in a fancy sports-car, ICly, and OOCly, it enables you the free will to do anything you want in the Weyr outside of immediate IC leadership. If anything though, if greens do have a stereotype they fit *perfect*, it's being EXTREME. The prettiest dragons, the fastest, and always looking for fun. ;)
~ Palia, rider to green Veriameth

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How fantastic is green? It's everything I've ever wanted and more. What I love the most is the fact that with green, you can be anything (apart from Weyrwoman or Weyrleader, but who wants that responsibility anyway?!) - Liza's been a wingsecond, assistant weyrlingmaster, plain old rider… really, your only limit is your imagination.

It's quite sad that there are still people out there who believe that the stereotypical green is the only green. It's so wrong! There are as many different green personalities are there are people personalities, and they come in all sorts of packages too, from tiny pale wintery greens to big bulky hulks of macho-coloured khaki greens. Your green can be whatever you want her to be!

Of course, there's one little bit that sets greens apart from the boys, and that's flights. You get to play proddy, and that can be SO much fun. :D But otherwise? Nothing sets green apart from any other colour, other than what you're willing to do with it. She's your lump of green-coloured Silly Putty, mould her as you want her to be!
~ Liza, rider to green Ikth
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