Sauras?

[Kira]

Beca stepped forward, trying to see what was in the satchel. "Wha'ts that?" she asked curiously, craning her head forward. "And why in Lys would an old man have this? Can we trust it? I mean, yeah, it might be some old Record for his Hold, or it could be something dangerous, like plans for some kind off attack, or, they could just be some proud drawing of his grandchild," she said.

[amaranth]

Sanaa shook her head. "If it really is that Mordican guy, I doubt it'd be anything sentimental like that. He's more likely to have something regarding a random attack."

[praetorian]

ooc: *nudges a mod who can approve charries towards Baten Fitz*

[amaranth]

((Oh... I am a mod, aren't I? Huh. I forgot.))

[praetorian]

ooc: Thanks Amaranth.

[Avi]

Her hand shook slightly as she finished reading the newer parchment with shock. She turned the skin, and on the back was the most beautiful drawing of a runner with wings. On the left hand corner was a small note: 'Arcenciel.'
"I don't think he had this originally." Kila began slowly. "No blind man can draw." She began to pass around the newer parchment, it first going to Beca, and this is what it read:

When John Remor first engineered Lys’ dragons, a batch of eggs went wrong, and a throwback emerged. Although the strange mixture of horse and dragon died within the hour of hatching, he was determined to recreate the odd specimen as an alternate way of Fighting Thread if needed. He wasn’t able to try until after dragons were created, in which he took the DNA of some of the newly hatched Golds and Bronzes to pursue his goal.

The first attempt was unsatisfactory. Although none of the odd specimens, who had been christened the Sauras, died, neither did any of them have the capacity to chew firestone when small tests were performed. The second batch was able to breath fire, but lacked large enough wings to carry them. Now Remor used the genetics of both of the two batches plus a little more of a dragon’s to produce a successful batch, which Impressed as the two groups before them.

But as they grew, a problem became apparent. None of them could lay eggs, although about a third were female. Although they could have live-birth children by a ‘regular’ horse, the breed would not survive without their version of a Queen. Remor, frustrated at what to do, remembered the old tale of the Greek Pegasus. Hopeful as he started the process, using a mixture of different bird DNA and only that of an Arabian mare, a single, flawless egg was produced. It hatched, a beautiful chestnut mare with a black mane and tail and brilliant rainbow wings. She Impressed to a crippled girl named Naomi, and almost immediately asserted authority over the herd although she was a foal. And the more surprising part was that they listened.

But now the Saura race no longer is in contact with humans, but they roam wild in the Sky Mountains.

She didn't quite understand some f it, about genetics and such, as that knowledge had been forgotten a long time ago. All she understood was that the Saur-as were not natural. And there was more:

Sauras Colors


Arcenciel-

The highest Princess and one of the most beautiful, the Arcenciel are proud and commanding Sauras. They know their position and know how to use it. Despite this, they are very caring and warm, and will do anyhting for their rider. Arcenciel is French for rainbow, due to the Princess' rainbow wings. Arcenciels always have black manes and tails with multi-colored feathers mixed in, which also ring their black hooves. They have the softest hides, more like a light covering of down than just the normal hair of a runner.


Minuit-

Ranging from dark gray to black, with black tails and manes, the Minuit (French for Midnight) is the highest ranking male Saura, a Prince. They can chase all different types of Sauras. Minuits always have a white face marking and some type of white stocking, with black hooves. Their wings are a dark blue and gray, but may be speckled with black. A rare coloration on Minuit is that of a blanket Appaloosa, with the hind end white and dotted with the color of the rest of the hide. All have the build of a Lipizzaner.


Entincelle-

The lower Princess, Entincelles have rather short tempers, but beautiful colorings. Their wings are fiery, like something you'd expect on a pheonix, feathers streaked with reds, oranges, yellows, and rarely white-blue. Enticelle is the French version of Spark. These Princesses are curious and easily distracted, or easily amused. It's uncommon, but not rare, for males to be born of this hue, and when they are they have orange dragon wings tinted with reds and yellows. All Enticelles have white to cream manes and tails, and range in color from chestnut to buckskin to red roan to gold, in which they are a Palomino.


Riviere and Foret-

The Sunsets and Sunrises. Both Princes, and always found within the same egg with rhyming names. They tend to look like opposites, but with alike personalities. Rivieres and Forets are laid back and calm, going through life without rushing. They are level-headed, and don't suggest any crazy ideas. They chase all ffemales. Rivieres are blue roan to black to dapple gray horses with only topaz stockings or socks in common. Their wings are dark blue with blue-gray and topaz streaks, which may sometimes be amber. Forets range in color from chestnut to red to gold, all with black stripes on their legs and wings colored in crimson, orange, pink, yellow, and light blue. These Princes have builds similar to a Morgan.


Rosee-

Rosee is French for dew. Rosees are the shyer females, and the highest non-Princess ones. Their hides are pure white, but they may have any color of mane and tail. Rosees have silvery hooves and dragon wings, along with a silver marking on their face. They have the build of a Thoroughbred. They rarely ever Rise, being faster on the ground than in the skies. They are calm and serene Sauras, usually looking at life with a perspective that most don't.


Pluie-

Pluies are downcast, pessimistic Sauras that always manage to see the bad side of something. Named for the rain, no marking on their body distiguishes them from others, only the somber blue, grays, and pale greens of their wings. Pluies have the build of a Friesian, with a heavy mane that hangs into their eyes to make them look even more sorrowful. They may chase all Sauras excpet for Arcenciels.


Montagne-

The mountains. Strong and steady, these males almost never crumble. This coupeld with the fact that they are extremely stubborn, and are not easily persuaded. They never chase on ground, but always in the air. They can catch anything from Rosees down. The're hides are either dappled bay or dappled gray, and their strong wings are tan mixed with green and blue, sometimes white. They have the build and height of a donkey, with the long ears and bristly tail.


Ombre-

The Shadows of the Sauras; the mighty fighters. Ombres have excellent night vision, and are the most obedient Sauras. Ranging in dark brown to black to dapple gray to bay, they are identified by their shiny black wings, which seem to reflect light, not absorb it. These wings shimmer with little rainbows, and colors never before seen anywhere on Terra or Lys or Pern. Although this is mainly a male race, females are not unlikely, just uncommon.


Brise-

Brises are outgoing, breezy Sauras. They talk more than they video to people and other Sauras, and jump from one great idea to the next. You can't trust them that well in a time of crisis, aas they will panic and not know what to do, unless it's Thread, in which they think it's a game to flame. Brises all have white hooves, but may have any color of hide, mane, and tail. Their wings are mainly blue, but with slight pink tints and a silver sheen. Brise is French for Breeze. They have the build of a Haflinger.


Nuage-

These are odd Sauras, and may be either male or female. Their wings change to match the color of the sky overhead, but their bodies are striped black and white. No two Nuages have the same markings, and a rare coloring is white on black instead of black on white. They temperaments change with the sky; when it's sunny, they're happy and optimistic, but when it's rainy, they're stormy and pessimistic. They have the build of a zebra, and are named for the clouds above.


Albino-

These Sauras are too tiny to ride, with the size and shape of a Fallabella. (About thirty inches). They all have unfaceted ruby eyes and pure white hide and dragon wings. Their hooves are a clear, glass red, like large garnets. Albinos are the rarest. They are any gender, and may Rise or Run, but cannot chase if they are male. Any livebirth from them is always another color besides Albino, but they retain the red eyes and size of Albinos, plus the same rules about Rising and Running.

"Running?" she murmured.

[fearbefore]

"So...what does it say." K'aos asked looking from Kila to Beca.

[amaranth]

"Running? What's that?" Sanaa asked at the Weyrwoman's words, peering at the parchment in Beca's hands. "Sauras? Wow!"

[Avi]

"I've no clue." she answered truthfully. She checked the bag for another skin- and found one.

Sauras are odd. They aren't quite the Pegasi we imagine from Greek myths. The ones who don't clutch have dragon wings, along with stockier legs, fangs, and faceted eyes. They eat meat, killing their prey with hardened hooves. Their hides are tough but soft, like that of a regular runnerbeasts overlaid on top of wherhide.

The Princesses, named for their attitude close to a queen's but smaller stature, are the clutch mothers. Instead of being heavy, they are light, with hollow bones and thin build. Their manes and tails have a mixture of both feathers and hair growing in them, with feathers around the tops of their hooves. Their wings are large and not as sturdy as the other Sauras', but beautiful, and a feather from one is said to bring good fortune. The Princesses have light builds and still manage to retain an Arabian shape with an arched tain and dished face, although they have different coloring.

Sauras are extremely smart, and have the capacity to have limited mindspeech, although they usually use a form of 'video.' For example, if a Saura wants to be fed, they send their handler a clip of them getting food given to them. They create the images themselves, and they are not put together from previous images. Sauras have the depth to dream and remember what they dream, and give these dreams to their riders as 'presents'. The best gift a Saura can ever give is one of his or her dreams, since as soon as they tell someone, the dream disapppears from memory.

Like dragons, Sauras Rise, but also may Run. In a Rise the Saura has to be caught in the air, but in a Run the Sauras compete for the female on the ground, racing towards her without the helps of wings. Runners may join in the runs, and the result is a live birth instead of a clutch. Live births may take on their father's coloring in what not, but it does not diltue the Saura bloodline. This is the only way for a female who is not a Princess to birth. Princesses may also choose to Run, but this is rare.

After reading, she handed this one to Sanaa.

[amaranth]

"Well, that's what a Run is, then," Sanaa said conclusively, showing Coralth the paper as she clamored near her knees. "This is... this is wonderful," she told Kil as the dragonet stared at the page. "Another species of Thread-killers? Amazing. If, that is, they haven't gone extinct."

[Avi]

"I doubt the coot would have given it to K'aos if they were," responded the Weyrwoman.

[amaranth]

Sanaa shrugged, then frowned. "Coralth wandered off a few days ago, and she told me that she saw "really, really big birds flying around and throwing fruit at each other." I disregarded this- you know Coralth!- but maybe she saw Sauras. By the mountains, she said."

[praetorian]

ooc: Mordikhan: *writes down the Weyrwomans name next to K'aos* Thats two I have to beat for calling me a "coot"

[fearbefore]

"These Saura things sound really interesting..." K'aos mused after reading each parchment over shoulders.

[Kira]

Beca's eyes were wide after skimming the papers. "Wow. So... That old coot just handed these over to you, K'aos? That's rather odd. I mean, these Sauras sound rare. Why would he just hand over everything people probably know about them?" she asked.