P H Y S I O L O G Y

Eyes - Almost blind in daylight, Wher's eyes are designed to work best at night. Rather than seeing light, they see heat signatures, much like a snake or reptile would. They still have the same multi-facited design as dragons and fire-lizards, but they have an entirely different function.

Watchwhers do not see in normal sight like normal Draconics. Their sight is more a registering of heat. There are tiny pits just under their lips that sense heat in the world around them, much like some Tunnelsnakes. Light sources that are softer or that the Watchwher has had time to become accustomed to in the night time, generally will not bother a Watchwher. However, a light source other than glows thrown into their dens, when they are not expecting it, tend cause them much pain. Like other draconic their eyes change color with their mood.

Wings - Stunted, Whers wings are not large enough to fly with. Glides are possible if the Wher's got enough of a jump, but not much more than that.

Hide - Watchwhers hide is much thicker than Dragon and Firelizard hide. It was designed to be as low maintenance as possible. Watchwher hide is thick and does not need to be oiled. It does do to wash them once, possibly twice, a week. Oiling only need be done for special occasions, or when called for, for health reasons.

Internal Structure - Watchwhers were created from the same genetic material as dragons. Therefore their bones are made from the same boron based material. Their skeleton is comprised of plates that easily glide over one another, just the same as the dragons. A Watchwher’s ribcage is also made up of one single piece, just like a dragon. The piece is highly flexible and Watchwhers have the characteristic large diaphragm. A Watchwher can inflate its lungs up to double normal size, and as well hold their breath for an amazing 20 minutes. When a Watchwher breaths its lungs give a full 80-90% gas exchange as opposed to a humans 20-30%. This gives the Watchwher the ability to run, or fly farther, harder, and longer. This is a trait they also share with the dragons.

Watchwhers do not have the ability to sit upright for long periods of time. A Watchwher can sit upright on it‘s hind legs, but only for a short time, much like a canine. Their skeletal system is designed for running or flying on all fours. Their wing structure also does not allow for much more than gliding during the daytime. At night however, or even in cooler climates, such as high reaches, Watchwhers can take to the air quite well and gain quite a bit of altitude, getting as high as at least the lowest level of a fighting Dragon.

Watchwhers are highly muscled uniformly. Their head and neck makes up a fourth of their length as well as their body. Their tail makes up a keen half of their full length. Their Muscles are silvery grey in color due to the ichor that runs through their veins. Like human muscles, which become redder, the Watchwhers muscles will become greener where the ichor supply is richer. Watchwher’s legs are the same length giving them the ability to move gracefully on all fours as opposed to dragons.

Watchwhers are warm blooded and their temperature stands around 95 degrees Fahrenheit. This is slightly warmer than dragons due to the fact that a Watchwher cannot raise its body temperature by laying out in the sun. Instead of blood, like humans, running through their veins, Watchwhers have green copper based ichor, like their draconic cousins. Over the turns Beast crafters have studied the slaughtered remains of Watchwhers and know a great deal about the internal workings of the creatures. This includes the fact that Watchwhers have two hearts. It is theorized that dragons have two hearts as well, though it is considered blasphemous to even think about dissecting a dragon.

Teeth Watch Whers are not born with teeth, they need a mash to eat when born. A Watchwher’s teeth are specifically designed for the Watchwhers lifestyle. In the front are sharp pointed incisors for ripping flesh from the bone. Next are the large Deadly canines which the Watchwher uses for hunting. Behind the Canines are the premolars, which the Watchwher uses to cut and slice meat. The next teeth are the molars, which are for shearing the flesh into easy to swallow pieces as well as crushing bone. Watchwhers like dragons have one more set of teeth. These teeth are for the crushing and grinding of firestone. These are called the stone molars.

A Watchwher has 5 sets of teeth that will grow over its life. This is to prevent any one set becoming worn out from chewing firestone. Every 100 turns in will go through a time where it will be nearly toothless for around a turn. This time usually falls thankfully during a time of the year when thread is not falling. This is when its teeth fall out in mass to make room for a completely fresh set of teeth. In the end of their 4th century of life a Watchwher will go through its final tooth molting. This last set that grows in will be the final set that will grow in. Watchwhers do not produce much saliva, like their draconic cousins. This is to prevent reactions when Watchwhers consume firestone. Their mouth’s like dragons have thick skin that is flame resistant, to prevent burns when the Watchwher breaths flame.

Watchwhers like their cousins have two stomachs, one for food and one for the digestion of firestone. The first, for the digestion of food, is just like any typical stomach in any other creature. A Watchwher has a normal Digestive system with all Eliminating being done through sphincter at the tip of the tail. The second stomach does not work like the first. It only digests firestone to create the flammable gases that ignite when exposed to oxygen. A Watchwhers flame varies from Watchwher to Watchwher, but will always be as big as their head. Queens and Bronzes can produce a flame around 3 meters in range. Browns can reach a healthy 2 and a half meters, and blues and Greens 2 meters. Where Blues and greens lack in range they make up for in their ability to sustain flame. They can easily sustain their flame for a full minute. Browns have the ability to get up to around 30-45 seconds. Golds and Bronzes however are limited to around 15-30 seconds. When the Watchwher is done fighting thread they will regurgitate the odorous ash that resulted from the digestion of the firestone. Usually this will be used as fertilizer in fields near the Wherhold. Unlike dragons Watchwhers were not engineered to become sterile when chewing firestone. Therefore, Greens and Golds may chew firestone without worry.

Wher sizes:
Gold - 4' 8" to 5' 4" in height, 13 - 16 feet long
Bronze - 4' 7" to 4' 9" in height, 12 - 14 feet long
Brown - 4' 5" to 4' 7" in height, 11 - 13 feet long
Blue - 4' 3" to 4' 5" in height, 10 - 12 feet long
Green - 4' 1" to 4' 3" in height, 9 - 11 feet long
White - 3'9" to 4'3" in height, 7 - 9 feet long

S O C I O L O GY

Whers here at Sapphos have an interesting Social structure. They still answer to the Weyrleader and the Weyrwoman, however they also have a duty to The Weyr or The Hold they are at. They are night guardians as such they live in groups that many call packs, they themselves call them Runs. These groups are lead by a Senior Gold Pair or a Senior Bronze Pair either will do, gender of handler defines nothing, rank in a Run is assigned based on the way the group works.

C O M M U N I C A T I O N

Communication among the whers of Basalisk's Burrow is incredibly complex. There are three levels:
• Physical - clicks, whirs, and other sounds, each with an individual meaning
• Psychic - mental speech that humans can understand
• Instinctual - emotions, pheromones, and a hidden psychic language that humans can't understand
  
  Of these, psychic is the method that does not come naturally. Bonded kits are capable of learning their handler's name and their own name, but nothing else is learned at birth. To learn to speak, they must be taught. This is a burden shared by the elder whers and the handler, though the elder whers will stop if the handler makes no effort to teach the kit.
  
  Whers are incredibly intelligent; some argue that they are somewhere between wyverns and dragons. They are capable of speaking on a normal level, if taught; however, they detest mind-speak, seeing it as a weak, tame thing to do. How they speak is a greater indication of bond than their names, for their names are often a symbol of vanity rather than bond (bonded whers that detest their handler or do not respect him or her, however, will not take an -sk name, out of spite).
  
  Also, whers do not use words like "please" or "thank you", nor do they care to use proper conjugations of "be". They already use your language; they'll correct their grammar if they damn well feel like it.
  
  A wher that respects the person to whom it is speaking will speak as such:
  You fight well, though perhaps hold your sword better? It better for blocking.
  A sign that you are lesser than her in rank, or that the wher outright disrespects you:
  Hold sword right, idiot.
  
  They only speak psychically when their instinctual or physical methods do not convey their meaning, or to be polite.
  
  WARNING
  
  Fanon interpretation of whers is NOT CANON on this site. If your whers speak like such:
  Whersk go get for Whersk's
  Please go douse yourself in cold water right now. Those sorts of whers are NOT to be played. Also, remember that whers are wild animals, and not dragons. Whers learn English at the same rate as human children. I suggest you go look up a development chart now.
  
  Also, I advise learning how very young children speak before stating that whers speak like very young children. As someone who has worked with kids for years in an NAEYC-accredited day care, I can assure you that while their grammar isn't perfect, kids have a very good grasp of the English language. And I'm using two-year-olds as reference, here. (AS written by Lucius)

WHER LANGUAGE: If you choose to use the verbal method

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This was made by Motzart, from Advertise Your Weyr.

Carcara: A sound of irritation. This sound can generally change meaning from situation to situation.
Cooup: The crescendos pitched sound that is The gathering call.
Crreffah: Go Check. Usually used when informing to Check something to Greet a coming visitor before they get too close, ect.
Crruup: A greeting of a Run member to a non run member.
eearar eeararar: A sound made by a wher or handler to another Wher announcing the presence of one of equal rank.
eeerrewarr: Move at double pace.
Graa: Asking permission
Gruu: A sound usually made when describing pain or simply when in pain.
Karrch: I don't under stand what you are saying.
Kikiriki: A sound eluding to Climbing up or down a cliff or ascending or descending a staircase.
Kwew: Close call in an oops sort of manner. Usually accompanied by an apologetic tone.
Keel: A firmer form of lay down. usually accompanies Kruff in a full "heel" command.
Keerril: Teach/Learn
Krrik: You don't understand?
Kruff: A sound much like 'Heel' for a canine the sound made by one informing another that they are stepping out of line.
Krrorvisk: Handler
kukuru: A sound made by one who is feeling fearful, sad, unsure, in pain, or other negative emotion, and they simply want their handler.
Kweh: Numbers (Basically counting, short sound is one slightly longer is ten) Mostly the Metallics can count up to twenty.
Nekette: Lay down, Relax, At ease
Oarvisk: What are you doing?
orrruogh: A sound made by one acting in an arrogant, haughty way. Usually made by golds or bronzes stating their rank
phhft pfft: You should have been expecting this.
Rikkitirri: The order to not kill
rrroorrroo: A sund used to calm Wherpups. Handlers and other Whers alike use this. The sound can also be used by a handler to calm their Wher or by another Wher to calm a run member.
Rrux: A request for food. This can be given with any number of Tones from Polite and friendly to Demanding to a Grudging request.
Wark: A sound of suprise.
Wuuark: Hold on, Grip, or grab. Can be used to inform a handler to hold on to the whers harness or to tell them to grab something that is falling. Usually the Wher will give a sound denoting the harness or other object.

Height: 4' 8" to 5' 4"
Length: 13' - 16'
Gender: Female
Color: Dark goldenrod to bright yellow to nearly white
Clutch: Yes, 5-16 eggs

Although every female wher, save Phoenix, has the ability to clutch, gold whers still keep their position over the others. Golds clutch more eggs, and with far less duds. They are also the only whers that can clutch another gold. Larger colors appear far more frequently in gold clutches than any other color. Naturally, a gold's word is law: no lower ranked wher will disobey a gold. There is a natural power, a natural force behind a gold's words, and no other color would dare go against her. Golds are also the largest whers, and the only ones contained in shiny golden eggs.




Height: 4' to 5'
Length: 13' to 16'
Gender: 75% female, 25% male
Color: Gold, with markings of reds or oranges
Clutch: No

This mutation comes from golds, a fact that is undeniable. Much like the fighter golds of dragons, however, Phoenixes seem to be infertile. They will run, just like any other wher, but will be the one color that never clutches. In size, they are approximately equal to that of a gold: 13-16 feet long and 4-5 high. Although their lengths may equal that of any gold, they tend to be somewhat short. Perhaps it is part of their mutation as well, as almost all of them are prone to short, stubby limbs. They tend to be rather stocky and muscular in build, even for a wher. Their differences don't end there, either. Instead of being pure gold like fighter golds, they always have hints or markings of reds and oranges. They are beautiful creatures, if one can overlook their burly figure. There's something else odd about them as well--one of every four Phoenixes born will be male.




Height: 4' 7" to 4' 9"
Length: 12' to 14'
Gender: Male
Color: Brass to light tan

Bronzes are, without a doubt, the wher-kings. They are large, in length and height as well as width. Most whers are bulky and muscular, but these males are certainly the bulkiest, the most muscular. They are built for strength and stamina, and as a result, they are usually the ones that catch gold whers. Although these kings look forward to gold runs as much as their bronze dragonkin, bronze whers are known to chase the smaller colors as well. Bronzes can be a range of colors, from warm shades close to orange or even red, to a dulled, ancient greened-bronze.




Height: 4' 7" to 4' 9"
Length: 12' to 14'
Gender: Male
Color: Any shade of gray, often with other colors

Tiger Irons are large males, much like bronzes, but they lack the metallic hue. They can be any shade of gray, tending towards the darker side of the spectrum. Usually, they are streaked with reds and browns. Rarely, there will be yellows, and rarer still, they can be a single solid color. These males are incredibly intelligent, usually about that of a green dragon. There are, of course, exceptions, both less intelligent and more intelligent.




Height: 4' 5" to 4' 7"
Length: 11' to 13'
Gender: Male
Color: Near-black to light caramel

While metallics are strong and smaller chromatics are agile, browns have the best of both worlds. They are large, but not too large. Like bronzes, they have enough strength and stamina to chase a gold. The larger ones could even end up winning. Like blues and greens, however, browns lack the massive bulk attributed to larger colors. Instead, their muscle build is lean and compact--or at least as lean and compact as a wher's muscle build can be. Browns can take on almost any task they aim for, chase any female they please, or rise to any rank that suits them.




Height: 4' 2" to 4' 6"
Length: 11' to 12'
Gender: Female
Color: A highly metallic silver or gray, no darker than medium gray
Clutch: Yes, 5-10 eggs

Although these females are smaller than browns, their hide tends to take a metallic quality. Usually, their hide is shinier than that of a gold or bronze, in that it seems to have a slightly reflective quality. Colors of light will refract off of their hide, causing patches of hide to glow faintly rainbow. These colors will never have forms, or never be very prominent. The only exception will be when one runs. Her 'glow' can be seen quite literally. Her hide's reflective qualities increase, so that her hide almost seems to glow with colors. When a female grows close to running, faint blurs of her environment can be seen in her hide, rather than just light. In color, Mercuries range from a deep, somewhat dull gray, to a pale, nearly white silver. While faint tinges of blue are not unheard of, their hides are usually monochromatic. Mercuries are always female, and capable of clutching the same amount as a green. Due to their larger size, however, they often clutch more eggs and can (rarely) clutch up to bronze. It should be noted that they are very possessive mothers, even more so than golds.




Height: 4' 3" to 4' 5"
Length: 10' to 12'
Gender: Male
Color: Any shade of blue, occasionally with purple hues

Although blues are smaller chromatics, they generally have much more stamina and strength than greens. That being said, they don't have enough to participate in Gold or Phoenix runs. Instead, blues chase the smaller females, and blue is the color most often chosen by greens, due to their similarity in strengths. These males have a wide variety of attitudes, though most are quite loyal. Blue whers are thick and burly compared to other smaller whers.




Height: 4' 1" to 4' 3"
Length: 9' to 11'
Gender: Female
Color: Any shade of green
Clutch: Yes, if kept fertile, 5-8 eggs

Greens are the smallest of the original colors, and only bigger than whites. While green dragons are sterile, green whers are not. Much like green fire lizards, however, they often clutch duds, and they may misplace their clutches. As a whole, greens are high-strung and flighty, though there are many exceptions. Greens are the most common color, and tend to have thinner builds than the other colors. Compared to other whers, green whers are some of the most agile whers.




Height: 4' 1" to 4' 3"
Length: 9' to 11'
Gender: Female
Color: Rainbow, colored with at least 3-4 colors, usually bright
Clutch: yes, 5-8 eggs

Although Rainbow Topazes can lay as many eggs as a green, they don't clutch as often. They have spotty fertilization, and only clutch about 25% of the time. These brilliant females are the same size as greens, but colored with every color of the rainbow. Their personalities, too, are bright and vibrant. They tend to be very hyperactive and energetic, and can be a real handful to whoever they bond to. In comparison to other whers, these females are very social and friendly. They thrive around others, and seem to enjoy conversation and physical contact.




Height: 3'9" to 4'3"
Length: 7' - 9'
Gender: Male, Female, Neuter, Hermaphrodite
Color: Any shade of white or pale gray
Clutch: Yes, 1-4 eggs

Whites are the smallest of the whers, a title they took from greens. This being said, they are not nearly as common as greens; instead, they are as rare as some of the higher colors. Whites are often a pale, bland white in color, though markings are not unheard of. Often, shimmers or overtones of color can be glimpsed in their hide. Whites are unique in that they can have any sex. They can be male or female, as most whers can be, both, or neither. In the event of an intersexed (being both male and female), they can clutch the same amount as a female.