Lytes – scales that sparkle, usually on the more protected parts of the body, under wings, for example. Traditionally, too many lytes were considered to detract from a male dragon’s potency. Some have been known to rip lytes off or ‘weather’ them to make them darker, though opinions are changing.
Mapper – a dragon who maps out territories, especially beyond the boundaries of the domayne. A good mapper can ‘record’ the layout of a land mass from a variety of heights or directional approaches and reproduce it accurately, in the form of an i:mage, for other dragons to see.
Matrial – an honorific title for a female dragon who has had wearlings.
Mutt – Hom name for a dog.
Myss – (or wearmyss) a young female dragon.
Nibbler – Hom name for any kind of small bug.
Per – an honorific title given to a dragon who mentors a younger dragon or one of lesser status. Older dragons (usually, but not exclusively, males) experienced in the techniques of flying, phasing, i:maging, fighting, mapping, daily grooming and courtship, are expected to pass on their knowledge to their younger counterparts, particularly if the parents are absent for any reason. Pers are also teachers and historians, charged with chronicling the events of the past and keeping traditions alive.
Phasing – the ability to move through time during flight. One of the most potent weapons in a dragon’s armoury is the ability to surprise (or escape from) an opponent by briefly ‘skipping’ time. Under the right conditions a phasing dragon can close (or extend) a gap between itself and another point in space in the exact time it would take to think of the movement, thereby appearing to ‘jump’ the gap. The technique is an advanced and sophisticated form of i:maging, in which the dragon must be able to ‘see’ itself ahead of time and then ‘dissolve’ into the dark energy of the universe as if it were no heavier than a breath of wind. Many dragons never master it. Some even die in the process.
Plentyn – a word from the old dragontongue meaning ‘child’.
Prime – an elder who is also the supreme leader of a dragon colony.
Pupp – Hom name for a young mutt (dog), but can be used for any young creature.
Queen – female dragon who has hatched wearlings and brought them safely out of the birthing cave.
Roamer – a young dragon who has reached sufficient maturity to be allowed to ‘roam’ where he or she pleases, within reason. Nearly half of a colonising Wearle will be made up of roamers. Most will be allotted simple duties, such as carrying messages or assisting the elders. Many become scouts, sent to the far edges of the domayne and beyond to report back anything they find to the mappers or the Veng.
Sawfin – fine scales in a ruff shape behind a female dragon’s ears.
Scorch line – the line charred on the ground to separate the colony’s domayne from the Hom, who must not cross it.
Scratcher – Hom name for a mouse.
Settle – a resting place. In mountain regions a dragon will settle anywhere high. Barring caves (which are reserved for elders or others of high importance) the most sought-after locations are rocky outcrops (where the dragon can proudly display its outline against the sky) or ledges.
Shimmy – Hom name for a fish.
Sier pents – term meaning ‘green fish’, used in a derogatory way to describe the Veng.
Skaler – Hom name for a dragon.
Skrike – the cry of a young wearling.
Slitherer – Hom name for a snake.
Snorter – Hom name for a pig.
Spiker – Hom word for a pine tree.
Spiracles – breathing holes in a dragon’s body, most notably along the sides of the throat. A valve close to each hole aids the intake of oxygen when fire is being formed and helps relieve air pressure during the expulsion of flame. The spiracles are heavily shielded by ‘spiracites’, small hardened scales that can be closed independently over the holes. If the spiracles become damaged or clogged, a dragon can become severely impaired.
Sweeper – a dragon who patrols the scorch line, checking for incursions or threats.
Tada – a word for ‘father’, from the old dragontongue.
Transference – the ability to transfer huge amounts of information and even some powers by commingling. A very rare gift, possessed by only a few dragons. Females of the Astrian bloodline are many times more likely to have transference skills, for reasons as yet unknown.
Turn – a Ki:meran year.
Tywyll – a fabled fallen wearling of Godith, a black dragon born without a third heart, whose eyes reflect no light. In the old tongue, Tywyll means ‘the darkness’. For all their power, dragons can be superstitious creatures. Nothing troubles their dreams more than the thought of the Tywyll rising.
Vapor – a floating dragon spirit, a ‘ghost’.
Veng – a particularly fearsome class of fighting dragon, used as security for a colony. The Veng rarely breed outside their own class. As such, there is minimal genetic variation in their colour (bright green), temperament (aggressive) or physical composition (thin, strong and very agile). The Veng are the one dragon class most other dragons fear.
Wearle – a large community of dragons. A Wearle would number more than a wyng, but anything more than a hundred dragons would be considered a fixed colony. There were twenty-four dragons in the first Wearle to visit Erth, sixty in the second.
Wearling – a young dragon of either gender.
Webber – Hom name for a spider.
Whinney – Hom name for a horse.
Wyng – a small group of dragons with a common purpose (e.g. a fighting wyng).
For Christopher
The best present I can give
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Chris D'Lacey, The Erth Dragons Book 1: The Wearle
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