Difference between revisions of "Firelizard"

Firelizards are a native species of Pern, present before its colonization. Being very much like dragons, they share many of the same abilities.

Characteristics

Colors

• Like their big cousins, firelizards come in Gold, Bronze, Brown, Blue, and Green.

Anatomy

• Firelizards are about the size of a large bird. They have three sets of eyelids, the innermost being a transparent membrane that allows the lizard to see where it is going while its eyes remain protected from harsh environments, such as space. Depending on how awake they are, all three can be open.

Impression

• Unlike dragons, men and women can Impress any color of firelizard, and they do not need to be a certain age to do so. Also, a person can Impress multiple fire lizards.

Mating

• Both green and gold firelizards are fertile and rise to mate. The mating, however, does not as strongly affect their partnered humans as a dragon-human bond does. Participants may choose to indulge in their firelizards' flights or not. Green firelizard clutches rarely survive because the greens hide their clutches in random locations that they cannot remember later, or they leave their clutch in an unsafe area. Gold firelizards clutches do hatch and can produce a gold egg.

Communication

Firelizards cannot communicate in words but do have limited success telepathically communicating pictures and thoughts. They are, however, strongly affected by emotions and events around them, to the point of hysteria. In Triad, firelizard speech is ~~showcased in these~~.

Socialization

Firelizards are very sociable creatures, who travel in fairs (a "fair" is as group of firelizards) and love to sing. There seems to be a group consciousness, on a basic level, that allows all firelizards to experience large events. For example, the new firelizards of the Ninth Pass knew about the volcano eruption at Landing, even though they were not alive for it. There has also been speculation that firelizards are immortal, or so long lived as to appear so, as they don't appear to age and no one has ever seen one die of old age or disease.

The Fire Lizard Song

The little queen all golden

Flew hissing at the sea

Against each wave

Her clutch to save

She ventured bravely.

As she attacked the sea in rage

A holderman came nigh

Along the sand

Fishnet in hand

And saw the queen midsky.

He stared at her in wonder

For often he'd been told

That such as she

Could never be

Who hovered there, bright gold

He saw her plight and quickly

He looked up the cliff he faced

And saw a cave

Above the wave

In which her eggs he placed.

The little queen all golden

Upon his shoulder stood

Her eyes all blue

Glowed of her true

Undying gratitude