Difference between revisions of "Wher"

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Watch-whers were a form of life that resulted when Wind Blossom tried to improve on dragons.
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<div style="column-count:2;-moz-column-count:2;-webkit-column-count:2">
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__FORCETOC__
  
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==Canon==
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Triad canon does not accept Todd's retconned Wher abilities of flight at night. Instead, whers cannot fly at all and their communication is similar to firelizard emotions and images and vocalizations. Images are unclear due to their limited vision.
  
== Physiology ==
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In character, wher speech is formatted like firelizards with ~~these~~ and are mostly just emotions and images with only a few words.
Watch-whers were modified from fire lizards, just as the dragons were, so they share many of the same basic characteristics. They have six limbs, four legs and two wings. They also have smooth skin, and the same colors as fire lizards. They are able to eat Thread, a fire lizard ability that dragons don't have, but are unable to chew firestone. They have tridactyl claws, like the original fire lizards, though their feet are reversed, with two articulated toes in front of one fixed claw.
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Beyond that, there isn't much resemblance. Their head knobs are so short as to be barely noticeable. They are short and hunched, and weigh 600-800 lb. Their skin seems too tight against their bulging muscles. Their feet each have only a single pad, yet they can move somewhat fast.
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Wher names do not always end in -sk
  
Watch-whers are nocturnal, to the point that they can't even go outside during the day. Their wings are so small they can fly only in the colder, denser air at night. Their eyes are large and see mostly in the infrared range, the lenses are faceted. This causes them pain when they try to go out in the day.
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==Origins==
  
They are also well-suited to their secondary job as guards. They can recognize everyone in their hold, and are territorial enough to attack anyone who isn't introduced to them by their handler. They are also commonly used in mines. They can smell explosive gas or stale air long before it can kill a human. They are also strong enough to carry loads twice their own weight, which makes them very good at digging out trapped miners after a cave-in.
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Watch-whers were a form of life that resulted when Wind Blossom tried to improve on dragons.
  
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In an effort to produce more dragons after her grandmother's death, Wind Blossom Ping also attempted to use the Eridani equations on dragonet genetic material.  However, she did not have the same grasp of genetics as Kitti Ping, and the results of her tinkering were not totally successful.
  
== Psychic Abilities ==
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What hatched from the eggs she engineered looked like ugly, malformed dragons, and were dubbed "whers." Their wings were stumpy pinions that looked functional but were not. They were smooth-skinned and colored like dragons, but that was almost the only point of resemblance.
  
Watch-whers are more empathic than telepathic, but they can still communicate telepathically with images. The only time they "speak" is when they communicate their names with their handlers, and even then it's somewhat less clear than when dragons speak telepathically, and some handlers may think the name is their own idea.
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When full-grown, whers weigh between six and eight hundred pounds, about the size of a small, low-slung runner. Their feet are arranged with two claws, and a single pad supported the body weight; in spite of such bad design, they can move with surprising speed.
  
Watch-whers' bonds are more like fire lizards' Impression than dragons'. If they do not bond with a human after hatching, or their handler dies, they will not go between. In fact, they can bond with a second handler if their first dies, or even switch handlers without their first one dying. "Wild" watch-whers who have never bonded with a human are able to bond regardless of age.  
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==Impression==
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Whers are "Impressible," and they adore their human mates with the same devotion and empathy as dragons. They are also very territorial and, if not properly introduced, will kill anyone they believe is invading their home.
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Unlike their dragon cousins, whers do not 'have' to Impress. They can live their life without the bond that is so essential to their cousins. These wild whers are solitary and antisocial. They tend to be untrustworthy, unreliable, vicious animals. Without a human there, the wher hatchlings will leave their mother and go wild. Generally, if a wher hatched from a domestic wher does not bond with a Handler, they are killed. Otherwise, they will become vicious and unpredictable, quite often turning even on those who feed them.
  
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===Naming===
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Whers do not following a naming pattern in the way that dragons do. They are named by their handler in the same manner that firelizards are named by their owners.
  
in:
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==Limitations==
Article stubs, Watch Wher, Fauna
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*A persona cannot have both a dragon and a wher.
Watch-wher
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*Persona must be a beastcrafter and journeyman or above to have a wher.
EDIT
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*Persona must be employed as a Wherhandler at a Hold or Mining operation for purposes consistent with that employment. Holds would typically only need 1 watchwher at a time.
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*Whers are never pets. They are working beasts.
COMMENTS
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*Wher must be at least 18 turns younger than handler (due to journeyman minimum age of 18).
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*As with dragons and firelizards, members are limited to one gold wher.
SHARE
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Watch-whers were a form of life that resulted when Wind Blossom tried to improve on dragons.
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Contents[show]
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== Physiology ==
History
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First Pass
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Wind Blossom engineered watch-whers from fire lizards after Kitti Ping died.  They were considered by most to be an attempt at another batch of dragons. 
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After the Second Crossing at Fort Hold, Tarvi Andiyar, Cobber Alhinwa and Ozzie Munson extolled the watch-wher's virtues to Paul Benden, Bay Harkenon, and Pol Nietro. The watch-whers were extremely useful in subterranean exploration, both with their night vision and their infallible instinct for finding hidden dangers, and were used heavily in the construction of Fort Weyr. They could also carry more than their body weight, and they ate anything, thereby keeping the pest population down. Cara Telgar adored the latest hatching, which would follow her around the hold and keep watch at night. (Dragonsdawn, p.349)
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Watch-whers were modified from fire lizards, just as the dragons were, so they share many of the same basic characteristics. They have six limbs, four legs and two wings. They also have smooth skin, and the same colors as fire lizards. They have tridactyl claws, like the original fire lizards, though their feet are reversed, with two articulated toes in front of one fixed claw.
  
However, they were actually intended to fly Thread at night. Wind Blossom encouraged the belief that they were a mistake to maintain the illusion that Thread fell only during the day. Eventually, however, people noticed their watch-whers went missing at night and began keeping them chained. One of the first to do so was Lord Malon of Tillek Hold. Wind Blossom explained the watch-whers' purpose to him, and he agreed to release Tilsk, but it wasn't long until no one remembered the purpose of the watch-whers, and almost all of them were kept chained in their holds.
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Beyond that, there isn't much resemblance. Their head knobs are so short as to be barely noticeable. They are short and hunched, and weigh 600-800 lb. Their skin seems too tight against their bulging muscles. Their feet each have only a single pad, yet they can move somewhat fast. Watch-whers are nocturnal, to the point that they can't even go outside during the day because of their photophobia. Their eyes are large and see mostly in the infrared range, which causes them pain when out in daylight. Unlike dragons, whers are not well suited to being ridden due to their shape and size.
  
First Interval/Second Pass
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The DLG says their wings look functional but are not, however, they can move with surprising speed.
Towards the end of the First Interval, they didn't want to go on any more underground explorations, which their handlers said that there was dangers that humans could not see.
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Second Interval
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Whers are also well-suited to their job as guards. They can recognize everyone in their Hold, and are territorial enough to attack anyone who isn't introduced to them by their handler. They are also commonly used in mines. They can smell explosive gas or stale air long before it can kill a human. They are strong enough to carry loads twice their own weight, which makes them very good at digging out trapped miners after a cave-in.
During the Second Interval, the watch-wher population was severely reduced. Most dragonriders, especially Weyrleader D'gan, believed them to be useless. At one point, they only had one queen: first Aleesk, then Nuellask. Several wherhandlers formed a wherhold to protect the last queen watch-wher. The inhabitants of the wherhold became somewhat paranoid, believing that the dragonriders intended to eradicate watch-whers, and would attack anyone who approached. After Aleesa died, and Aleesk with her, Nuella bonded with a newly-hatched queen. At the suggestion of Fiona and the Igen Traders, they formed a permanent wherhold near Plains Hold, where there was a river from which they could get gold.
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Third Pass
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Wild Whers avoid encounters during the day, but they will kill if disturbed at night.
By the Third Pass, Nuella had organized the watch-whers to fight Thread. For the first time, wherhandlers not only knew where the watch-whers were going at night, but actually rode them to fight Thread. Dragons were willing to cooperate with watch-whers during a night Fall, and acknowledged that they were related to them, as they were to fire lizards.
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Sixth Pass to Ninth Pass
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== Psychic Abilities ==
By the Sixth Pass, they are kept chained; dragons do not like to 'talk' to them for their simple minds. Also at the end of the Eighth Interval, watch-whers were usually kept chained again. \ Most dragons were extremely insulted at any comparison between them and watch-whers.
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Physiology
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Watch-whers bond similarly to firelizards. If they do not bond with a human after hatching, or their handler dies, they will not go between. In fact, they can bond with a second handler if their first dies, or even switch handlers without their first one dying.
Watch-whers were modified from fire lizards, just as the dragons were, so they share many of the same basic characteristics. They have six limbs, four legs and two wings. They also have smooth skin, and the same colors as fire lizards. They are able to eat Thread, a fire lizard ability that dragons don't have, but are unable to chew firestone. They have tridactyl claws, like the original fire lizards, though their feet are reversed, with two articulated toes in front of one fixed claw.
+
  
Beyond that, there isn't much resemblance. Their head knobs are so short as to be barely noticeable. They are short and hunched, and weigh 6-800 lb. Their skin seems too tight against their bulging muscles. Their feet each have only a single pad, yet they can move somewhat fast.
+
== Reproduction ==
  
Watch-whers are nocturnal, to the point that they can't even go outside during the day. Their wings are so small they can fly only in the colder, denser air at night. Their eyes are large and see mostly in the infrared range. Wind Blossom had attempted to give them simple eyes, and partially succeeded, but the lenses remained faceted. This caused all light to be focused on the fovea, which made it extremely painful for them to be out during the day. Nuella asked the Smithcrafthall to create sunglasses so watch-whers could fly Thread during the day, but the first ones made were only dark enough to work as the sun was setting. Their hearing and smell are also excellent.
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Watch-wher mating runs have a similar effect on humans to those of dragons.
  
They are also well-suited to their secondary job as guards. They can recognize everyone in their hold, and are territorial enough to attack anyone who isn't introduced to them by their handler. They are also commonly used in mines. They can smell explosive gas or stale air long before it can kill a human. They are also strong enough to carry loads twice their own weight, which makes them very good at digging out trapped miners after a cave-in.
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Watch-wher eggs are smaller than dragon eggs. They are also wrinkled, rather than smooth, and only a few eggs of each laying mature to hatch.
  
Psychic Abilities
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The breeding of whers is typically controlled by the Beastcrafter Hall. Occasionally, a mating run may occur at Hold, but are unusual since there tends to be such a limited population of whers at a Hold.
Watch-whers are more empathic than telepathic, but they can still communicate telepathically with images. The only time they "speak" is when they communicate their names with their handlers, and even then it's somewhat less clear than when dragons speak telepathically, and some handlers may think the name is their own idea.
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They are also able to go between, but it is not an instinctive reaction.  While dragons and fire lizards will go between if restrained or to avoid a collision, watch-whers will not go between unless trained to do so by their handlers. Since they see in a different visual range than humans, it is difficult for humans to visualize their destination in the same way the watch-whers see it.
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Watch-whers' bonds are more like fire lizards' Impression than dragons'. If they do not bond with a human after hatching, or their handler dies, they will not go between. In fact, they can bond with a second handler if their first dies, or even switch handlers without their first one dying. "Wild" watch-whers who have never bonded with a human are able to bond regardless of age. Aleesa theorized that queen watch-whers needed a human handler, and would go between if unable to bond immediately after hatching or the death of their current handler.
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Watch-whers are not known to have ever used telekinesis, but according to AIVAS, any creature that is capable of telepathy and teleportation should be capable of telekinesis.
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== Reproduction ==
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Watch-wher mating flights have a similar effect on humans to those of dragons.
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Wher mating does occur in the wild but whers hatched away from human contact return to the wild.
  
Watch-wher eggs are smaller than dragon eggs. They are also wrinkled, rather than smooth.
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<br><br><br><br>
  
Unlike dragons, where the hatchlings choose the rider, it is the queen watch-wher that chooses who can take her eggs. Anyone who wants a watch-wher egg must attempt to approach the queen, and if she allows them, they can take an egg.
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[[Category: Fauna]]
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</div>

Latest revision as of 18:53, 30 August 2026


Canon

Triad canon does not accept Todd's retconned Wher abilities of flight at night. Instead, whers cannot fly at all and their communication is similar to firelizard emotions and images and vocalizations. Images are unclear due to their limited vision.

In character, wher speech is formatted like firelizards with ~~these~~ and are mostly just emotions and images with only a few words.

Wher names do not always end in -sk

Origins

Watch-whers were a form of life that resulted when Wind Blossom tried to improve on dragons.

In an effort to produce more dragons after her grandmother's death, Wind Blossom Ping also attempted to use the Eridani equations on dragonet genetic material. However, she did not have the same grasp of genetics as Kitti Ping, and the results of her tinkering were not totally successful.

What hatched from the eggs she engineered looked like ugly, malformed dragons, and were dubbed "whers." Their wings were stumpy pinions that looked functional but were not. They were smooth-skinned and colored like dragons, but that was almost the only point of resemblance.

When full-grown, whers weigh between six and eight hundred pounds, about the size of a small, low-slung runner. Their feet are arranged with two claws, and a single pad supported the body weight; in spite of such bad design, they can move with surprising speed.

Impression

Whers are "Impressible," and they adore their human mates with the same devotion and empathy as dragons. They are also very territorial and, if not properly introduced, will kill anyone they believe is invading their home. Unlike their dragon cousins, whers do not 'have' to Impress. They can live their life without the bond that is so essential to their cousins. These wild whers are solitary and antisocial. They tend to be untrustworthy, unreliable, vicious animals. Without a human there, the wher hatchlings will leave their mother and go wild. Generally, if a wher hatched from a domestic wher does not bond with a Handler, they are killed. Otherwise, they will become vicious and unpredictable, quite often turning even on those who feed them.

Naming

Whers do not following a naming pattern in the way that dragons do. They are named by their handler in the same manner that firelizards are named by their owners.

Limitations

  • A persona cannot have both a dragon and a wher.
  • Persona must be a beastcrafter and journeyman or above to have a wher.
  • Persona must be employed as a Wherhandler at a Hold or Mining operation for purposes consistent with that employment. Holds would typically only need 1 watchwher at a time.
  • Whers are never pets. They are working beasts.
  • Wher must be at least 18 turns younger than handler (due to journeyman minimum age of 18).
  • As with dragons and firelizards, members are limited to one gold wher.

Physiology

Watch-whers were modified from fire lizards, just as the dragons were, so they share many of the same basic characteristics. They have six limbs, four legs and two wings. They also have smooth skin, and the same colors as fire lizards. They have tridactyl claws, like the original fire lizards, though their feet are reversed, with two articulated toes in front of one fixed claw.

Beyond that, there isn't much resemblance. Their head knobs are so short as to be barely noticeable. They are short and hunched, and weigh 600-800 lb. Their skin seems too tight against their bulging muscles. Their feet each have only a single pad, yet they can move somewhat fast. Watch-whers are nocturnal, to the point that they can't even go outside during the day because of their photophobia. Their eyes are large and see mostly in the infrared range, which causes them pain when out in daylight. Unlike dragons, whers are not well suited to being ridden due to their shape and size.

The DLG says their wings look functional but are not, however, they can move with surprising speed.

Whers are also well-suited to their job as guards. They can recognize everyone in their Hold, and are territorial enough to attack anyone who isn't introduced to them by their handler. They are also commonly used in mines. They can smell explosive gas or stale air long before it can kill a human. They are strong enough to carry loads twice their own weight, which makes them very good at digging out trapped miners after a cave-in.

Wild Whers avoid encounters during the day, but they will kill if disturbed at night.

Psychic Abilities

Watch-whers bond similarly to firelizards. If they do not bond with a human after hatching, or their handler dies, they will not go between. In fact, they can bond with a second handler if their first dies, or even switch handlers without their first one dying.

Reproduction

Watch-wher mating runs have a similar effect on humans to those of dragons.

Watch-wher eggs are smaller than dragon eggs. They are also wrinkled, rather than smooth, and only a few eggs of each laying mature to hatch.

The breeding of whers is typically controlled by the Beastcrafter Hall. Occasionally, a mating run may occur at Hold, but are unusual since there tends to be such a limited population of whers at a Hold.

Wher mating does occur in the wild but whers hatched away from human contact return to the wild.