THE SKYTER DRACOID ("BROWNIE DRAKE")

There are many names for these dracoids among the people living around or in the Goltherlon Forest. The common folk that live in the foothills of the High Fores and against the Ancythrian Sea see these dracoids more than other humans do and refer to them as "Skyters". This comes from the original name "Sky Terrors", though it has been combined by the slurring sailor's tongue. The name came from the fact that they are creatures of the skies and they look somewhat like the serpents of the sea that terrorize the sailors, yet their size of course doesn't live up to that. Among researchers, they are referred to as "Brownie Drakes" in some cases as some have been lucky enough to spot a dracoid with a rider while studying these animals. Among the Brownies they are known as "rrLL" (lit: "dragon"), a name coming from the Llaoihrr founder who heard of great winged creatures while traveling and believed the dracoids fit that description. The original name that the Aohu'o gave these beasts seems to be lost in time as they have given their mounts another name and refer to all of these dracoids by that name.

Appearance.
The Skyters' fur covered bodies grow to be about forty-five nailsbreadths from the nape of their necks to the base of their tails, which extend another thirty-five nailsbreadths behind them. The long tail that flows out behind these animals serve as one of the few weapons it has. This slender addition can act like a whip when the drake is flying through the air, helping to throw off would be attackers and giving the creature a chance to get away or turn and fight.
When situated on their sturdy legs, these beasts average at twenty-three nailsbreadths at the shoulders, but when they lay down and press their chest down, the distance between the ground and the base of their neck is only eight nailsbreadths. Strong legs keep it steady when it is on the ground, but on four legs they are rather clumsy creatures and their home is clearly the air. Each foot has four toes and four small, but sharp, curved claws. Because of these, the only dracoids that have ever been seen taking off from the ground were the mounts of the Aohu'o Brownies. Sharp claws and long legs are used by those that find themselves on the ground, to climb up the trunk of a tree so that it can gain height before taking off.
The point between the front of the shoulders and long neck is where a rider might be found, but one is more likely to see a wild dracoid before one with a little rider. Their necks are about fifteen nailsbreadths long, connecting their bodies and slender, snake-like heads. On either side of their long heads, small, round eyes peer out. The colour of their eyes can be any of the same colours as their fur, but doesn't always match. One dracoid might have pale green eyes and brown fur or pale gold eyes and grey fur. Their eyes will slowly darken with age. A hatchling with pale grey eyes might have smoky orbs, filled with all the darkness and danger of a stormy sky in adulthood.
These dracoids' flat, triangular heads are probably the most dangerous part of the animal. At five nailsbreadths long, it wouldn't seem all that dangerous, but on either side of the drake's head, three quills of varying length can be found, the longest being two nailsbreadths longer than the head. Until a dracoid reaches three years of age, these quills are curled at the ends and pretty much harmless, but as they develop, so do their defenses. When fully developed these quills are not something to be taken lightly, they have barbed tips that stick into the skin of the creature that the tips might become embedded in. When a quill is lost, another will grow back in its place and within a month it will be as dangerous as before. The quill has little hairs or roots that break when the dracoid pulls away from a creature that a quill is stuck in and another quill will begin to grow from the roots. The growth of these quills is akin to the teething of a toddler and they will rub their heads up against a tree or rock until the quill breaks through the skin again. Though the Brownies have learned that the quills can be cut, without causing the dracoid pain, and they won't grow out again. Once a quill is full grown it will not grow again unless it is pulled completely from it roots, so cutting it near the skin keeps it from growing back.
Rows of sharp teeth made for tearing and holding flesh line both upper and lower jaws of these dracoids. While these dracoids are not the largest predators in their environment, they still prove to be a foe worthy of respect to those larger than them and deadly to those smaller. While they don't attempt to take down the larger predators of their home, many of the smaller animals have fallen to them and are carried away by strong jaws.
Perhaps the most important feature of these beasts is its wings. The one thing that changes them from the clumsy ground animals they obviously are, to the majestic flyers of the sky. The average wingspan of these creatures is about eighty nailsbreadths. Like all other measurements given for this creature, that might be a bit bigger or smaller (give or take a couple of nailsbreadths). Unlike most of its larger 'cousins' this dracoid has feathered wings, like that of the hawks and falcons that it hunts and is hunted by. Unusually strong muscles allow these creatures to soar through the sky almost effortlessly, much to the pleasure of some who might be able to see the colourful dracoid's aerial stunts from a distance.
These creatures come in five known variations of colourings. Each dracoid has its own random colouring though the majority of its fur is light with seemingly haphazardly strewn patches of darker fur. All of the different colourings have their own mark that is consistent among the shades. While all of the colours are quite lusterless, they are still able to capture the attention of anyone that has had the privilege to see these creatures. The following colours are listed in order of rarity, the first being the most common.

Special Abilities.
The Skyters have a few abilities that help them survive in a forest with dominant predators in the trees and on the ground and these make them ideal mounts for the Aohu'o Brownies that live in the southern part of the Goltherlon. Their agility seems to be the most important when attempting to stay alive as they are able to outsmart the herín and evade the snapping jaws of the horned wolf when flying near the ground. Their aerial acrobatics also mingle with their intelligence, allowing them to use the foliage around them to hide themselves from view when there is a threat of attack. This is the reason that they haven't all died out since they seem to think toying with the herín is fun and a way to show their superiority.
They also use their strength and endurance to help them survive. This enables them to fly a good distance while carrying a certain amount of weight. Obviously the amount of weight would determine the distance it is able to fly during the day, but there is also a cap on the weight. No one knows for certain what this cap is, but some have seen a dracoid eating their catch on the forest floor instead of carrying it back to their nest when they take down a larger creature.
These abilities are the main ones that their Brownie riders are concerned with, but these abilities do more for these dracoids. Strength and endurance also help the young and foolish as they can stay between the reach of the herín and the exposure of the area above the trees for long periods of time, staying in the air so that they cannot be caught unaware. Another reason this is considered a special ability is because a set of parent dracoids could lift their nest from its position in the treetops and carry it off to a new location if their young are in danger.

Territory.
Wild Skyters make their homes at the tops of the trees in the Goltherlon Forest. The weight and size of these nests with the parent dracoids (and in the spring time, eggs) prevent them from being at the very tops of the trees like the dracoids prefer, but they are built as high up as possible. These creatures can also be found on the eastern slopes and foothills of the High Fores, living in caves, niches, and sheltered shelves. Skyters won't really venture far into the mountains or away from the trees often as they are susceptible to attack and the trees are their main protection.

Habitat/Behaviour.
Skyters make their nests up in the treetops of the Goltherlon Forest and the eastern slopes of the High Fores. The nests are made of branches, vines, twigs, grass, leaves, and moss. Branches, vines, and twigs are woven together by the creatures to produce sturdy nests that are then lined with grass, leaves, and moss. They might build their nest off the ground so that they can work with their materials easier. Once it is finished they move it to a safe perch in the treetops or a cave, niche, or sheltered shelves on the mountain side. Those that build or put their nests in trees use vines to keep them from moving or slipping when the winds shake the tops of the trees. They strap the nest tightly to the surrounding branches and limbs so that it won't move.
These dracoids are not really the ferocious type. The only thing that really provokes this beast's anger would be going near its nest. They are very protective of their young and that is what get most potential"'rraooheerrLL" (or "dragonrider" in Tharian) killed. During the time that the eggs are in the nest they will be most protective and leave their young only if they must. This makes it difficult for a Brownie to get a hold of an egg, but eventually they will leave for a short time to hunt for food or fly over to a stream to drink. The rest of the time the Skyter is usually a mischievous creature.
Apparently, appearance is everything for these dracoids, and I don't mean their looks. They spend most of their young adult life showing off for the others, placing themselves in harms way just to prove that they will make a better mate than another dracoid or prove their superiority. When they are not tormenting heríns and proving their bravery, they tend to be a bit of trouble for the Brownies. Their idea of a good time is to dive into a random group of Brownies just to watch them scatter or drop harmless things from above. Some have compared it to a town's top bully, proving their worth to their peers by tormenting those smaller than them. One of the main differences is that these dracoids rarely cause harm. They usually have little like for the crunchy little people that the other predators enjoy, but should they catch one alone, they won't hesitate to gobble it up. Other than that they really mind their own business.
From their first flight until they hit the adult phase of their lives, these dracoids are always getting into something. Most of the time their agility serves them well as they push their luck to the limit when teasing the cats, wolves, Brownies, and other creatures of the area but flying just outside their reach or dropping harmless things on them. More often than not, the reason of death before reaching adulthood is the fact that they mercilessly taunt these creatures, putting themselves in harms way for a reputation. Some of the people that have observed these creatures believe that the shows of bravery and foolishness are necessary as those that do not mate during their years as a young adult, do not find a mate for the rest of their lives, and females choose the bravest for their mates.
One thing that really befuddles researchers is the natural death of these dracoids. From what they have been able to learn on their own, and notes that have been pried from the clutches of the secretive Brownies, these animals just give up on life. One record shows that a dracoid of about eleven years of age went up into the air with its unit one day, and was a half a blink behind the others in its maneuvers, slowly lagging further and further behind and the others continued to leave him behind. When the dracoid returned to the ground that night it fell asleep and in the morning it didn't wake. The riders noted that the dracoid was lagging that day and that was the only clue they had as to why this happened.
Other riders have reported similar things according to notes on the subject and some think they have the answer to this mystery. They believe that the dracoid's lifespan is actually longer than the twelve years that it has been recorded at, but when they start to slow down, they just end their lives. In the wild, showing signs of old age is showing signs of weakness and weakness gets others killed. So it is believed that these dracoids give up their hold on life when their age begins to catch up with them so that they wouldn't burden others. Whether this is true or not may never be determined, but that is the only answer that is available on this subject at the time.