#seriously-again

I've been thinking of the different dragon types as breeds, like dogs or especially horses, since they take the place of horses in the world of Brookscale, but I've also been debating whether there should also be separate species with different breeds among the species, kinda like adding in donkeys. Haven't decided yet, but if I do go that way, it would probably be that there were a few wild species of dragons that were domesticated in different areas and had breeds created from there. For now, I'm saying they're all breeds of the same, original wild dragon species that was domesticated back in ancient history and most current wild dragons are actually, technically, feral dragons.

Lesser wedgetails are the first ones I designed, cuz Floyd was the first dragon added to the story (it's his and Junior's fault this story exists). They are medium to large dragons (bull moose to bull elephant-sized) with heavily armored heads and necks and a tail that widens towards the tip, which is where the name comes from. They tend to come in darker colors, lots of blacks, greys, and browns, but with brighter colors on the armor plating like red, orange, and purple. They're strong and calm, and tend to be used for draft animals, though smaller ones like Floyd are ridden too. They have good night vision, which makes them useful for people traveling as they can fly at night if need be. They are also very social and often nest together, raising their young as a group. It means they're good dragons to have in a herd because they will break up disagreements between other dragons to keep herd unity, even with other species.

These are some pics of Floyd showing kinda how I picture the armor scales on the head and neck, plus Junior for scale (who is about 6 ft tall). The 'wedge' on their tails is made of individual, but connecting barbules similar to a feather and makes them fairly maneuverable, especially for their large size.

Greater wedgetails are like the lesser ones, but bigger (elephant to beaked whale size) and there's probably a color difference, but I honestly haven't thought too much about it yet. They're also known for being calm and have good night vision like their lesser counterparts, but are almost exclusively draft animals rather than riding animals. While they are pretty social with their own breed, they're not as prone to peacekeeping with other dragons the way lesser wedgetails are. They won't get into fights, but won't stop other non-wedgetail dragons from getting into fights either.

Cloud reapers are very large dragons (beaked whale size at the smallest and somewhere around blue whale size for the very largest) and usually have one main color, often very dark like black or midnight blue, with a brighter, secondary color for markings on the face, legs, and occasionally bodies. They're used as draft animals or as riding animals for distance travel, as they have good stamina, and full grown ones are unlikely to be attached by predators. They do well in herds, but prefer to nest separately, rather than communally like the wedgetails.

This is a pic of Blaze, Mr. Brookscale's dragon with a rough person for scale. Blaze, despite what my notes in the pic say, isn't gigantic for a cloud reaper, but he's not tiny either. A lot of the cloud reaper length is in the tail, and they have a double row of horns that shorten into spikes and then raised nubs as they progress down the neck to the body, merging into a single line where the tail starts.

Alabaster crests are large dragons, but max out around humpback whale size, rather than blue whale like the cloud reapers, and most don't even get quite that big. They are two-legged dragons. However, their wings have claws on the wrist joint, enabling them to walk on all fours (if I go for multiple species as well as multiple breeds, the alabaster crests will be a separate species from wedgetails, reapers, and other four-legged dragons). They are usually entirely white with a reflective sheen to the scales in various colors, best seen in sunlight.

This is the concept I'm working on for the alabaster crests. I want to do something more with the tail, but haven't figured out exactly what yet. They aren't as social as wedgetails or reapers, and do better with smaller herds, otherwise they get into squabbles over herd hierarchy, but can be housed with other dragons without fuss. The name comes from a thick ridge that runs down the center of their heads from nose to partway down the neck, larger/higher in males than females (picture would be a female).

Banded jumpers are medium-sized dragons and are two-legged like the alabaster crests. Their name comes from the banding on their tail (think raccoon or ring-tailed lemur, but slightly less regular, with some bands wider and closer together or narrower and farther apart). Haven't decided the full range of possible colors for their scales, but their eggs are a pale lavender with brown speckles, and young dragons have freckles that they grow out of as they age. This usually happens around the time they fully fledge, but you'll sometimes have newly flighted dragons that still keep their freckles for a month or two, even close to a full year after fledging. They prefer to bury their eggs and don't always co-nest like wedgetails. However, first-time mothers will usually be mentored by an older female if one in the herd is nesting the same year.

Fintail drakes are a medium to large species, but other than that, I don't have many specific. They're supposed to be a breed that isn't really common in the Meadowglen area, where the story is taking place, and the only plot relevant one I have currently is in Rooster's childhood memories, which he tries not to think about, so I haven't had to make up a lot of the details yet. Wait, no, I lied. There was one that rampaged, but it was a wild one, so still not a lot of details. They're a draft breed, but have been used as guard animals too, which is unusual for dragons. I'm thinking of having their name be from a vertical fin on their tails.

[Dracos] are small to medium dragons, probably pony and horse sized. They have sharp claws and are very quick. They're another species I haven't put as much detail into yet, but I'd imagine they're a racing breed or used for travel, probably for messengers or other people who need to move short distances quickly. I should reread my notes more carefully before typing things. They are apparently a hunting breed (though I think I'll keep the racing/messenger thing too). They have a natural affinity for teamwork and make good pack hunters in pairs or groups of three, which is often how they're kept by either smaller farms or people in rural towns. They come in bright colors with lots of patterns, usually tri-colored at minimum and often more than that.

Also, I was going through my sketchbook to get pictures and found these guys.

Apparently, I also have a breed called wavebacks who hadn't made it onto the reference doc yet. They look too big and sturdy to me to work as how I was envisioning [dracos], so I'll keep them as their own thing. Very spiky and named for the shape of the spines that run from their nose to almost the end of their tails. Single row of backwards curling spines on head and neck splitting to a double row down the back and tail, with room to sit between, though you'll want a properly fitted saddle to prevent abrasions. The tail has a spade-shaped tip. I'm thinking they're riding animals, possibly more for ground travel than flight.