#cloudcutter dragons

[saint-nevermore]

Smaugust day 29 - Leucistic

A tame white Spiny Cloudcutter adorned in jewellery and Drakkenin makeup,

(The prompt was for Leucism, but I did something a little different)

As with other animals, some dragons are born or develop atypical colouration, including a lack of pigment. Dragons have multiple types of pigments in their scales and/or feathers. The Cloudcutter depicted here is a kind of Amelanistic colouration- it lacks melanin, but still has the pigment responsible for reds and yellows.

Though a rare occurrence, pale or white dragons, false or true, are considered sacred to many Dragonborn, due to their resemblance to the deity Drakken. Because abnormally coloured dragons are normally abandoned or pecked off quickly, if found alive there's usually no trouble taking them and imprinting them. They are pampered, and decorated with golden jewelry with teal tumbled gemstones and golden face paint. These white dragons are far and few between, and Dragonborn community with one are places with high tourist density. Even if you're not religious, it's cool to see a tame, stark white dragon, with exaggerated horns and scar-free hides from all the good eating and care.

Melanistic Dragon | Spiny Cloudcutters Courting

[saint-nevermore]

Smaugust day 25 - Drakkenfell

The boys checking out an old cloudcutter skeleton in a pine forest.

Large dragons tend to have long lifespans, especcially for mesothermic animals. That combined with the frequently solitary nature results in adult dragon corpses being uncommon. A fallen dragon is called a Drakkenfell, and can be compared to whale falls.

The larger the dragon, the harder it is for other animals to move the body - even other dragons, which aren't often good at carrying heavy weight in flight. As a result, their skeletons rarely scatter far. They feed local people and animals for years until they're pecked clean, and then the hollow pneumatized bones become homes for wildlife. A Drakkenfell is hard to miss, and the discovery of a fresh one is a cause for celebration, providing people with a huge supply of dragonhide, feathers, meat, and other materials. It can take centuries for the skeleton itself to be taken by nature, so many Drakkenfells or large dragon bones are often landmarks.

[saint-nevermore]

Smaugust day 6 - Courting

A Male Spiny Cloudcutter attempting to court a large Female on a breezy morning.

Cloudcutters are one of the few families of heavy-headed dragons who are still fully adapted for powered flight, being highly acrobatic in the air and built for speed. Although the females are usually larger than the males, the opposite is true for the largest species, the Dusk Cloudcutter.

The spines and colouration are display features in male Cloudcutters, especcially for the aptly named Spiny Cloudcutter, which has extremely long quills. These spines are derived from feathers and structurally similar to porcupine quills, and as a result can easily snap off if they get stuck in something. During courtship the male will write the tip of their tail, causing the spines to rattle and scrape against eachother. Males with mostly intact spines are selected for, as these are individuals who know best when and how to stay out of trouble. The display consists of the quills rattling, vocal rumbling, wings being shown off, and bursts of dragonfire.

If successful, the pair will mate for life and produce a small clutch of up to 5 eggs, with only one dragon living to adulthood.

Dusk Cloudcutter Dragonhunt

[saint-nevermore]

Smaugust day 18 - Wyrm

A lesser Wyrm created from a Cloudcutter.

I wanted something a little more interesting than "big snake". When the Hydrite from a Hydra is removed, it can be used to revive other beasts. The method is very difficult to get right, requiring exceptional knowledge of a dragon's anatomy, control of powerful magic, and a strong stomach. If done right, the sorcerer will be rewarded with an almost unkillable regenerating monster under their command, with innate control over powerful magic. Wyrm are the product of any drakoniform revived with Hydrite, and always lose the limbs during the transformation process.

Wyrms do not die with age. When first created, they will closely resemble the rotten corpse of the dragon used to create them. Over time, the Hydrite's restoration works it's magic, and the beast will slowly become enveloped in a black, tar-like substance. Lesser Wyrm are when they are not covered completely in this faux skin, with Greater Wyrm being fully covered and visually different to the dragon skeleton underneath. With time also comes free will - with Elder Wyrm having long slain their own sorcerers and becoming their own being. Not innately evil, and often jaded, Elder Wyrm are prone to using a lot of gallow's humour.

[saint-nevermore]

the hunt

[saint-nevermore]

the dusk cloudcutter, a fairly large dragon with a dark colouring. the males have sections of irridescent rosette markings along the sides. aerial predators, adult dusk cloudcutters hunt at night, patrolling high in the skies above plains and areas of low vegetation, and diving any small prey compared to their size such as deer or cattle, including lone juveniles. occasionally, they are known to forage for small prey or fruits on the ground using their strong sense of smell.

I'll figure out somewhere to shove all this worldbuilding as I get closer to working on the comic with nevermore!