Books on the Drakkar

Clutches and Hatchlings

Mates and Mating:

Drakkari are not naturally monogamous, even when their society was at its peak. When mating, Drakkari females look for a mate with good coloration and who can impress them both verbally and physically.

A Drakkar's mating flight begins long before the female rises from the ground. The males must approach and speak with the female, trying to impress her with their intelligence and knowledge. Many males who approach will be discarded from the running, and will not be permitted to chase when the female rises to fly.

Drakkari try for long and involved flights, as the longer a flight is, the more chance there is of many healthy offspring.


Clutches:

Drakkari females will build a nest in a safe, guarded location to have their clutch - caves, defendable gullies, and other such nooks are preferred. They will lay between three and five eggs at a time, about once every three years. The eggs are heated with their bodies. Males have nothing to do with the clutch outside of bringing food to the female, who will not leave the nest until her eggs hatch.

Drakkari who are bonded will permit their riders access to the nest, especially if they are bonded to a two-foot, as they have found that allowing someone with dexterous hands to shift the eggs around can be benefitial to the wellbeing of the offspring.


Hatching and Hatchlings:

Hatchings are small affairs, usually witnessed only by the parents, their riders (if they have them), and any potential bonders. Bonders must not approach too closely, or else the mother will likely injure them. Instead, they must wait for the hatchlings to approach them.

Hatchlings are relatively small, about the size of an adult housecat, and very ungainly. They have short, stubby tails, small heads with undeveloped crests, and very undersized wings. They are not initially capable of very complex speech, and often don't name themselves for at least a year. During this period of namelessness, they go by "clutch names", which are often just descriptive words based on either their element or something that occurred during their hatching.

Examples of Clutch Names: Shocker, Flame, Bat, Blood.

Hatchlings grow relatively slowly, needing care and attention for about two years as they grow into their proper proportions. During this stage their hides are much thinner and can be damaged without much trouble. Drakkari females traditionally care for their young alone, but any Drakkari that bonded are often handed off willingly to their bonder, so that the female may dedicate more care to whichever hatchlings remain with her.