About Kemesh Draks
About Kemesh Draks
History
Little is known about why Kemesh Draks are so different from the well known duo-winged draks. One philiosiphy is that the strain of this drak broke away and left the main land thus remained is isolation. Over time, the duo wings were lost and were replaced with a single wing that sail wise, streached the same length as the duo-wing. Scientific evidence has also been able to prove this theory.
Kemesh Draks exsisted in packs, living off the wild animals. Remains of other foes native and well known to Icarus have been found yet no living creatures live there that pose a threat - save the Dark Draks. It is said that the Dark Draks were the ones that drove the other's out of Malla and onto Kemesh. This did not happen until Men arrived. When the Castle and settlement on Malla fell, the draks provided much of the needed transportation to evacuate Thyrayy. They also assisted in the building of Khayr Rukan, which they named after two great draks and means 'start anew' in their ancient tounge.
Over time, some Draks began to stay with humans and help them. Yet, depending on a pack drak is often difficult as they have duties to their pack that must be fulfilled. Some draks abandon their pack and live with their human friend to help them in everyday life. These draks, though not always viewed as honorable by their kind, find much respect by humans.
Colors & Physical Apperance
Wings
A Draks wings are huge aparatus on their body though fold neatly along their backs in a fashion that makes the wings look smaller. There is a hint of the second pair of wings left on their spinal cord yet for all outward appearnce, this is lost (much like a snake's 'legs'). Their is a long, deadly claw on the end of their wings which has maticiatal purposes for the drak.
Body & Build
The drak only reaches a maximum of 16 hands (5-6 feet) at adult age (which is not until they are around 20 years old). Their head and neck are rather equine-ish save the long reptilian mouth. Their is an exceptional hard spot on their muzzle which protects their nose in battle as they often butt their enemy if fire and acid cannot be used. Their eyes are small and horse-like yet very accute and can see distances that no human eye can reach. They are also heat senestive thus make excelent hunters.
Their body is canine-like. Drakes have exceptional strong hind legs which are used to give them lift. Because of this nature, riding a drake is difficult as you must ride on the base of their neck. Take off may not always be achived with out proper lift. For this, most knights and riders will mount their drak on a cliff or the wall of the castle. Otherwise, a mature drak may be able to become sky borne if they've flown often enought to gather the proper strength of the wing.
A Draks tail are long and versital in flight and in battle as they are flexable and strong. At the end is an elegant and beautiful tuff of soft fur which often wraps around a drak when they are sleeping to keep the muzzle and face warm if they are cold.
A draks hide is not scaly, anouther difference, perhaps, from the 'normal' drak. It is a very tough leather like hide. For draks with human friends, hide infections are less common as they have a human to scrub away dirt and other such. Wild draks, though they can bath in pools, often are not able to 'scrub' such bateria and such away. Paired draks often go their human if they become ill or injured.
Pairing and Aspects of Choosing
Icarian Draks Mind Pair - Kemesh Draks do not. This is because of the brain power that a Kemesh drak has. They are equal to the average human (realisticly). This allows for more of a trial and error between humans. Betrayal and such. When you think of the connection a drak has with a human (or sometimes more then one if they are dedicated to an entire family) think of it as two human friends. There is nothing super special about the other except they are a Drak with wings and an accent in the Common Tounge.
Just because you met a drak or are saved by a drak, dose not mean that drak will stay with you. A friendship takes time and it is advised that you do not push one or the friendship will fail. When you write stories on this, don't assume that the drak will choose you at first meeting. Think about how your friends and you became friends. It will take time for that connection. If you set out to pair a drak and push it most likely the drak will turn you down. Remember, they are humans in a drak body! Most draks care deeply for the human race and will often remain in contact with the other. Respect and honesty are held in high esteme for them.
Some drak mothers allow their young to bond right out of the egg. Though clutching is not uncommon, the announcment of an Choosing is a highly publicized thing. The King (other wise known as the High Prince in other places) will send out a Royal Announcment for the event. The Hereld will go around to each Village to announce the lain cluth. Sometimes a ship or drak with excenelt stamina will travel to Icarus' main land to announce this. If a resident drak of the mainland is precent, they will be sent to the other regions of Icarus as they can teleport while a Kemesh drak cannot.
The hatching is the same as any Icarian hatching. The eggs hatch and a few days later (rarely right away) the mother leads the hatchlings forth to greet the humans. Not all choose. When the young draks are brought to Khayr Rukan there is a celebration in which the young draks are allowed to wander around with the people and see if they are willing to befriend one at such a young age. Some Choosings may take days to actually pair off.
When a female comes into heat she lets all males know it. If she is brefriended to a human she will often leave for months on end to breed, lay her eggs and tend them till they hatch. The human counterpart is never affected by his or her draks actions and is often oblivious to the mating and clutch unless it is announced. In the packs, only the Alpha Male and Female mate twice a year. Sometimes, as when the packs are small and nearly extinct, the Alpha may take the Beta or a suborinate as their mate until a sutible mate can be found. With the Wild Draks, few Alphas (male or female) will wait until their appropriate mate comes around and if given the chance, a lower ranking drak will mate to keep the species going.
Female Draks cannot lay over 15 eggs. The larget the clutch, the smaller the offspring as the eggs are smaller when lain. A pregnant female is icabable of flying. It takes 3 - 4 months before she lays her eggs in a den of her choice. Not all dens are heated thus she will often stay with them, build a nest and keep them warm. The entire pack helps out as this is often the Alpha Female's clutch. The eggs hatch a month later.
When choosing a friend at a Cerimony, a drak dose not always choose the same gender as they are. This does not matter here as, unlike Alskyr or Pern, marriage and courtship is the only way two people become a couple. Thus, it is up to the people to choose their leaders as it is up to the Draks to choose theirs.
Naming
Draks name their offspring in many ways though often in the manner of the Draks of the rest of Icarus. Sometimes they will choose random names. These names may come from being 'paired' with a human and they just liked that name. The draks of Kemesh have helped humans record their past and such and the castle of Khayr Rukan has records dating back ages on drak geneology to make sure draks don't interbreed. However, this is often not a problem and the only reason to keep the records are for a pride in the Drak.
There is a strain of Draks that use, initally, two names. The Sun La'Syr is one of them. He race is the proud pack in the south and has often used the beginning of their names (in this case La) as a referance to the father. Her pack has many lines as mutiney and bickerments are common. La'Syr herself came from the Alpha Pair that has been removed for 20 years and it was during their reign that the South prospered the best. She now dwells with the High Pack as the Beta and has paired one of the few female humans in the Legions.
Colors
The colors come in the 12 drak colors that are common to Icarus:
Night (gold & black fur) [male or female]
Day (gold & white fur) [male or female]
Plant (olive green) [male]
Water (blue) [female]
Forest (dark green & brown fur) [female]
Desert (tan or cream) [male]
Mud (blackish brown) [male]
Rain (blue gray) [female]
Fire (molten fire colors & red fur) [male]
Earth (dark gray brown) [male or female]
Wind (molten sky colors & silver fur) [female]
Ore (bronze & gold fur) [male or female]
Some of the other colors are here: Pearl (molten pale colors & white fur) [male or female] Sun (bright gold) [female] Black Night (True Night) (midnight blue) [male] Moon (silver & white fur) [male or female] Mist (molten white, gray & blue) [male or female] Stone (gray) [male] Albino (true white) [male or female] Storm (dark dray & white fur) [male] Air (molten sky colors, very pale) [female] White Day (True Day) (pale yellow & gold fur) [female]
The presonality traits of the first 12 colors are listed at the Icarus Main Page. Here they are again to save you the trip:
Night - serious, thoughtfull, quiet & intelligent Day - uplifting, cheerful, vast humor Plant - humorous, wyr, sarcastic Water - soothing, calm, tactful Forest - energetic, optimistic, positive Desert - good-tempered, honest, little tact Mud - meticulous, think-before-they-act Rain - impulsive & sneaky Fire - hot-tempered (naturlly), faithful, devensive Earth - stubborn, decisive, unshakable Wind - whimsical, tricky, play with minds to confuse them Ore - stable, chose the defense (good for a Knight of KR)
And these are the other personality traits of the other colors:
Pearl - feminestic, flirty, casual Sun - cheerful, bright, always happy Black Night - serious, thoughtfull, quiet & intelligent Moon - mystical, lore-holders, poets Mist - elusive, sneaky, knowlageable Stone - stubborn, decisive, unshakable Albino - not a set personality Storm - moody, tempermental Air - daydreamer, story teller, imaginative White Day - uplifting, cheerful, vast humor
(NOTE: The character's personality may not decide the color if you send them in for me to pick. If you have a hot-tempered person they may not befriend a fire or storm drak. I may choose for them a complementary personality which would ensure a lasting realationship)
The eyes of the drak often depends on the color of their fur but this, too, varies. The images are only available like this unless you request otherwise or you send in your persona for my 'evaluation.
Day & A Life of the Drak
Draks live in packs with three ranking individuals. Two Alpha's and a Beta. As mentioned earlier, only the Alpha pair mate unless population is suffering and the High Pack grants privleages to other females. This often applies to lone draks only.
The Alpha Pair run the show and make the decisions. They are in close contact with the High Pack as well as the King of Khayr Rukan. Like a wolf pack, the Draks operatae the same way. Think of a drak pack like a wolf pack and you have the basic system.
There is no Omega.
The Packs are, wild or not, under the command of the King for the protection of Kemesh. However, the Packs will not come to the aid of the King's Legions unless the High Pack agrees with the cause. Mobs, Dark Draks and other wars depend on a coilition of agreements before an Alpha will (or is allowed to) aid Men in wars. If Kemesh is attacked by Dark Draks, the King needs not to ask for permission and will send out a call for aid. It is truley a sight to see when this happens as the Draks and Legions work together as other draks do in other parts of Icarus!
Wild Draks may live in temporary packs unless they choose to remain in villages or such. Some choose a human to protect and defend. If they choose so, a drak will remain at the human house and get such things as a roof and 'stable' to sleep in. Truly pampered! Others remain in the wild and come when ever they feel like it.
In the castle there are seperate stables where a drak may take up residence. The castle has room for 150 draks in various parts of Khayr Rukan as civilans also harbor their own draks at their homes.
Though humans have the arbaz as a means of transportation, a drak can also be used for labor meant for the arbaz. This would include pulling a card, farming and traveling. Some draks take obvenise to this while others consider it an honor no matter what the rank of the person. Special harnesses and sadles are crafted for the Drak if they are used for such tasks.
A Knight who befriends a drak often remains at Khayr Rukan in case they are needed. A drak becomes the Knights steed and carries them into battle. In these cases, the Drak is trained for battle like any other beast by a trainer, often another Drak.