Drake

Native to all parts of Teth, Drakes are a very unusual family of lizard-like creatures that have a pair of bat-like wings in addition to four legs and a tail. Drakes are thoroughly unique in a number of fashions; they are generally reptilian in nature; they are covered in scales, have forked-tongues and reproduce by laying eggs, but they have warm blood and, including the wings, have six limbs rather than four. Although there are many species of Drake, all fit this broad pattern and there are no other Drake-like animals to fill the gap between Drakes and genuine reptiles.

In Amethgare there are six common breeds of Drake; the Shen Grai, or Common Grey Drake; the Dorai Khen, or Forest Drake; the Gethen Brae, or Yellow Desert Drake; the Gethen Lare, or Red Desert Drake; the Tora Bae, or Little Drake; and the Neth Be’Yan, or Great Northern Drake.

Dorai Khen are common all across Southern Amethgare and a frequent sight in most forested areas from Lonas to Thalas. Slightly larger on average than the Shen Grai, Dorai Khen normally grow to about 60cm long. Dorai Khen are carnivores – feeding mainly on rodents and small birds – although they also scavenge other predators kills and will steal eggs whenever they can. Dorai Khen are capable of quite swift flight when hunting or fleeing from larger animals but they can only stay airborne for short periods – preferring to walk or climb unless the need for flight is urgent. Forest Drakes vary more in colouration than most species; various shades of green are common – from a muddy, swamp green through to a rich leaf-green but browns, dark oranges and even dusky reds are all possible. The Gethen Brae are the most sociable species of Drake, normally living in groups of five or six but occasionally gathering in great flocks of thirty or more animals. Gethan Brae appear to be more intelligent than most species of Drake and have a complex social hierarchy, in addition they hunt or forage for food in groups and pass on knowledge of particularly good feeding or watering grounds from one group to another. Unlike most other Drakes, Gethen Brae are also keen flyers – with their mating rituals involving complex aerial displays. As their name suggests, Yellow Desert Drakes are normally a sandy yellow or orange colour. They average around 40cm in length, making them notably smaller than the more common Shen Grai or Dorai Khen. In contrast with their yellow cousins, the Gethan Lare or Red Desert Drake is a clumsy flyer at best and is larger than most Drakes – second only in size to the Great Northern Drake. Gethan Lare are keener predators than most Drakes, rarely scavenging and capable of bringing down relatively large prey. Although capable of flight, the Gethan Lare normally only takes to the air to reach ambush position in trees or on other vantage points and never uses its wings in pursuit of quarry. Gethan Lare range in colour from a deep orangey brown to a rich sunset red; typically they show their brightest colours only during the mating season when bright red females call out from low branches or ridges to attract mates. The average length of a Gethan Lare is around one metre from nose to tail. Litte Drakes, or Tora Bae as they are more properly known, are common in many coastal areas of Amethgare. These tiny drakes are very nimble flyers and are well adapted to catching both insects and tiny fish. Unlike most Drakes, who are generally considered a nuisance or even a sign of ill omen, Tora Bae are considered by many sailors to be lucky and perhaps even sacred, messengers of Bethtarr sent to guide sailors back to shore. Superstition aside, it is certainly true that Tora Bae like to land on ships close to shore and that this behaviour is often a welcome sign of nearby land when weather is bad. Little Drakes are generally pale blue or pale green in colour with a whitish underbelly, they average around 20cm in length. The Neth Be’Yan, or Great Northern Drake, is found all along the North coast of Amethgare, and has been sighted as far South as Ylaris. Neth Be’Yan are very large drakes, flightless and quite dangerous predators. Great Northern Drakes have a very strong mating bond, they normally mate and pair for life and generally hunt as a pair – unless one of the pair is guarding eggs. As with most drakes, Neth Be’Yan are happy to scavenge food, but they are also capable of bringing down reasonably large prey with their large, strong jaws. Neth Be’Yan grow as long as two metres from nose to tail and tend to have stripped or patterned colouration featuring greys, browns, black and white.