Post by HG on Sept 20, 2010 5:19:07 GMT -5
Watch-whers are similar to dragons in many ways, but drastically different in others. A full grown wher can weigh anywhere from 600 to 800 pounds, and will generally be as tall as a pony or small horse. Their skin is colored like dragons (green, blue, brown, bronze and gold), however the hide is thick, strong, and does not flake. Therefore watch-whers do not have to be oiled like dragons, just scrubbed. However, their hide is sensitive immediately after hatching and it takes a few months before they develop a tougher second coat. Whers also have the same green ichor that dragons and firelizards have for blood.
Whers are more muscular than dragons, and do not have the prominent ridges down their spines that their draconic cousins have. Their bodies appear to be badly designed, with feet that only sport two claws and a single pad for balance. However, this actually allows watch-whers to move with surprising speed and agility. Their senses of smell and hearing are keen, and they are able to effectively see in the dark. Their sight is not night-vision, but rather infrared. Because of this, the heat of the sun hurts their sensitive eyes and drives them to hide during the day. Other light sources that are dimmer and that do not generate as much heat, such as glows, tend not to bother whers as much. Whers' eyes also change color depending on their mood like dragons and firelizards.
They have wings that appear to be functional, and there have been a few rare cases of watch-whers actually flying (sometimes even with a rider) in the evening when the air is heavier. However, most watch-whers' wings are clipped early on so as to prevent flight. There have also been a few rare cases in which whers have gone between like dragons and firelizards. Watch-whers can go between on their own, or with directions from a human.
Whers are very vocal creatures and can make a wide range of noises. While they can speak to dragons and vice versa through telepathy, they are not quite as empathic as dragons. More intelligent than firelizards, watch-whers communicate telepathically through images and feelings with their bonded humans, but tend to vocalize more often. Watch-whers can communicate with a wide range of clicks, chirps, grunts, and many other noises. Watch-whers are intelligent enough to understand human speech and often make up their own noises that translate into human words. (Example: Ewerll = "stale"; such as stale air that can be dangerous in a mine.) A watch-wher and its bonded human often develop a set of code noises in which they communicate. (This is most common with watch-whers that serve in mines.)
It is common for persons of certain bloodlines to be more likely to bond with a wher than others. If an individual's mother or father was able to bond successfully with a wher, then that person is usually a suitable candidate to bond with a wher as well. Also, watch-whers that guard major Holds will always bond with members of the Lord/Lady Holder's bloodline. The colors do not seem to be restricted to certain genders of humans like dragons, and males and females can impress any color.
Sometimes a watch-wher will out-live its human companion and can actually re-bond with another human. Therefore some watch-whers can actually go through several different handlers in their lifetimes. Watch-whers can also switch handlers while their current human partner is still alive if both humans involved in the switch so wish it, and the watch-wher is agreeable. These kinds of switches are rare, however.
Un-bonded whers can be given any name. However, whers who are properly bonded to a human have names that always end in the letters 'sk'. These names are always a variation of their human partner's name, and the more similarity between the two names, the stronger the bond. (Example: Kindan and Kisk; or Nuella and Nuelsk.) Watch-whers that guard major Holds will always take the name of the Hold they protect. (Example: Lemos/Lemosk.) Whers do not announce their names upon Impression like dragons; instead the wher's bonded human will simply 'know' the wher's name a short time after hatching.
There are some whers that live in the wilderness, and if a wher hatches away from humans it will return to the wild. Wild whers are solitary and anti-social, and will kill at night if provoked. Generally wild whers will avoid encounters during the day because of their heat-sensitive eyes.
And a special thanks to Laura H. from www.islandsofpern.org who was kind enough to compile this information from The Dragonrider’s Guide to Pern by Jody Lynn Nye and Anne McCaffrey as well as from Dragon’s Kin by Anne McCaffery and her son Todd McCaffery.
Whers are more muscular than dragons, and do not have the prominent ridges down their spines that their draconic cousins have. Their bodies appear to be badly designed, with feet that only sport two claws and a single pad for balance. However, this actually allows watch-whers to move with surprising speed and agility. Their senses of smell and hearing are keen, and they are able to effectively see in the dark. Their sight is not night-vision, but rather infrared. Because of this, the heat of the sun hurts their sensitive eyes and drives them to hide during the day. Other light sources that are dimmer and that do not generate as much heat, such as glows, tend not to bother whers as much. Whers' eyes also change color depending on their mood like dragons and firelizards.
They have wings that appear to be functional, and there have been a few rare cases of watch-whers actually flying (sometimes even with a rider) in the evening when the air is heavier. However, most watch-whers' wings are clipped early on so as to prevent flight. There have also been a few rare cases in which whers have gone between like dragons and firelizards. Watch-whers can go between on their own, or with directions from a human.
Whers are very vocal creatures and can make a wide range of noises. While they can speak to dragons and vice versa through telepathy, they are not quite as empathic as dragons. More intelligent than firelizards, watch-whers communicate telepathically through images and feelings with their bonded humans, but tend to vocalize more often. Watch-whers can communicate with a wide range of clicks, chirps, grunts, and many other noises. Watch-whers are intelligent enough to understand human speech and often make up their own noises that translate into human words. (Example: Ewerll = "stale"; such as stale air that can be dangerous in a mine.) A watch-wher and its bonded human often develop a set of code noises in which they communicate. (This is most common with watch-whers that serve in mines.)
It is common for persons of certain bloodlines to be more likely to bond with a wher than others. If an individual's mother or father was able to bond successfully with a wher, then that person is usually a suitable candidate to bond with a wher as well. Also, watch-whers that guard major Holds will always bond with members of the Lord/Lady Holder's bloodline. The colors do not seem to be restricted to certain genders of humans like dragons, and males and females can impress any color.
Sometimes a watch-wher will out-live its human companion and can actually re-bond with another human. Therefore some watch-whers can actually go through several different handlers in their lifetimes. Watch-whers can also switch handlers while their current human partner is still alive if both humans involved in the switch so wish it, and the watch-wher is agreeable. These kinds of switches are rare, however.
Un-bonded whers can be given any name. However, whers who are properly bonded to a human have names that always end in the letters 'sk'. These names are always a variation of their human partner's name, and the more similarity between the two names, the stronger the bond. (Example: Kindan and Kisk; or Nuella and Nuelsk.) Watch-whers that guard major Holds will always take the name of the Hold they protect. (Example: Lemos/Lemosk.) Whers do not announce their names upon Impression like dragons; instead the wher's bonded human will simply 'know' the wher's name a short time after hatching.
There are some whers that live in the wilderness, and if a wher hatches away from humans it will return to the wild. Wild whers are solitary and anti-social, and will kill at night if provoked. Generally wild whers will avoid encounters during the day because of their heat-sensitive eyes.
And a special thanks to Laura H. from www.islandsofpern.org who was kind enough to compile this information from The Dragonrider’s Guide to Pern by Jody Lynn Nye and Anne McCaffrey as well as from Dragon’s Kin by Anne McCaffery and her son Todd McCaffery.
