Chapter Text
This is a comprehensive list of all the dragons mentioned in the canon that I intend to refer to in this fic. The information here has been taken from the original books by Naomi Novik or from the useful wiki which can be found here: http://www.temeraire.org/wiki/Main_Page. All copyright goes to Naomi Novik – I am only borrowing the incredible world that she created.
For those of you that love the books as much as I do, please remember that this fic is only based off the books and I have made some changes of my own. I intend to add my own breeds of dragon in later chapters, which I will reference separately and I have changed some aspects of the dragon’s natures and abilities. I hope these changes fit in with the genre, however if there’s anything that looks out of place please let me know.
Dragons of Temeraire
Britain
The British are renowned for their famous Regal Copper breed, which is the largest known breed of dragon in the world, and for their Winchesters, which are the fastest. They also have one of the most virulent acid-spitters in the world. However they have a very limited breeding stock when compared with the French and have yet to successfully breed a firebreather. Due to this they are faring badly in the war despite having superior tactics and are in desperate need of more; and greater varieties of, dragons.
Grey Widowmaker – were once very nearly as common as the Reapers, though are now rarely to be found. Are violently intractable and prone to stealing domesticated cattle which has led to them being hunted nearly to extinction. Some individuals may be found living wild in isolated mountainous regions, particularly in Scotland. Some have been coaxed into the breeding grounds to preserve as basic stock. Cross-bred with the more even-tempered Winchester to produce the Greyling breed.
Appearance: mottled grey in colouring, which is ideal for concealment while flying.
Weight: Small in size and aggressive by nature. Rarely exceed 8 tonnes. Lightweight/Feral.
Winchester – known to be more even-tempered than the Grey Widowmaker and so were bred with it to create the Greylingbreed, they are renowned for their speed. Winchesters are said to fly so fast that passengers sometimes feel they are in danger of blowing off the dragon’s back. Because of their high speed and manoeuvrability, Winchesters are used mostly as couriers, but if necessary can also be used as lightweight combat dragons. Tend to fly shorter courier routes, leaving the longer journeys to Africa, India and the Americas to Greylings. Are usually amiable and humble in nature.
Due to the small size and high speed of the hatchlings, Winchester eggs are usually incubated indoors. Due to their small size, Winchesters do not commonly require a crew, often fly with just their Captain on board and are usually harnessed by aviators in their early teens. They are considered unattractive prospects for experienced officers, as the Captain of such a small dragon would be unable to gain seniority, partly due to the lack of men under their command and also due to the tendency of dragons to respect size and power over human notions of rank.
Appearance: colouring ranges from brown to purple with notable variation between individuals. Although lacking the characteristic grey colour that allows Greylings and Grey Widowmakers to avoid detection, their small size and bland colouring also lend themselves to stealth.
Weight: Winchesters are amongst the smallest breed of dragon and as such rarely exceed 7-8 tonnes. They have a proportionate wingspan and are the fastest dragons in the Corps, allowing them to double as combat dragons or scouts as needed. Lightweight/Courier.
Greyling – a small but incredibly fast breed of dragon, the result of breeding between Winchesters and Grey Widowmakers. They are often used as couriers or lookouts and can stay aloft for long periods of time. They achieve this by beating their wings only rarely – sometimes only once or twice for every hour of flight time, allowing them to fly in some cases for over 14 hours without stopping. Used for longer courier routes whilst the less-common Winchester takes the shorter routes.
Appearance: Their colouring rarely various between individuals and is uniformly pale grey, sometimes with white markings. Greylings are small like the Winchester but are never used for combat. Their colouring instead allows them to serve as lookouts, as they are fairly difficult to spot against England’s skyline.
Weight: Are slightly larger but more streamlined than the Winchester, rarely exceeding 8-9 tonnes in weight. Courier.
Longwing – instantly identifiable on the battlefield and impossible to decoy due to their unusual proportions. The breed was originally considered intractable and some consideration was given to their destruction as they were too dangerous to be left unharnessed. Instrumental in the defeat of the Spanish Armada. Their venom is so potent as to be properly termed acid and of a strength which could be turned against other beasts and targets on the ground. Infamous for only Calling female aviators.
Appearance: Their wing colour is particularly dramatic, shading from blue to orange with vivid black and white striations at the rims. They also possess unusual orange-yellow eyes and have exceptionally good eyesight.
Weight: They can reach up to, but rarely exceed, 60 feet in length and wingspans of 120 feet are not uncommon among them. It is due to these unusual proportions that they are so distinctive on the battlefield. Middleweight.
Yellow Reaper – found everywhere. Often regarded with contempt due to their familiarity. Generally quite hardy and not fastidious in their diet, untroubled by all but the worst extremes of heat or cold. Almost invariably good humoured in character. Have contributed to almost every bloodline in the Isles. Clannish and prefer to work with other Yellow Reapers.
Appearance: mottled yellow in colour. Sometimes have white tiger-striping along their sides and wings.
Weight: Fall squarely into the middleweightrange, although can vary within the breed more than most. 10-17 tonnes, usually 12-15 tonnes. Length of around 50 feet, with a nicely proportioned wingspan of 80 feet. Middleweight.
Malachite Reaper – most easily distinguished from their more common cousins by colouration. Generally believed to be the result of unguided interbreeding during the Anglo-Saxon conquests between Yellow Reapers and Scandinavian Lindorms. Prefer cooler climes – Generally found in north-eastern Scotland.
Appearance: A more muted yellow-brown colour than the Yellow Reapers, with pale green markings.
Weight: Fall squarely into the middleweight range, although can vary within the breed more than most. 10-17 tonnes, usually 12-15 tonnes. Length of around 50 feet, with a nicely proportioned wingspan of 80 feet. Middleweight.
Regal Copper – Unquestionably the greatest triumph of the British breeding grounds. Very large and capable of sustained flight over distance. Not prolific – only 4 or 5 Regal Coppers are born every generation. Have extremely large air sacs in order to support their own weight. Are badly farsighted requiring nearly their own body length between themselves and an object in order to see it. When on the ground they rear back on their hind legs in order to see things at their feet. Generally reluctant to pick fights with smaller dragons. As they rarely meet dragons of similar size to themselves, fights are unlikely.
Appearance: Dramatic in colour, shading from red to yellow with much variation between individuals. On average the female of the species is slightly larger than the male. The male develops forehead horns in maturity and both genders have a marked spiny column along the back which renders them particularly hazardous targets for boarding operations.
Weight: when at full maturity can reach up to 50 tonnes in weight at 120 feet in length. Heavyweight.
Other breeds in the Corps include:
- Grey Copper – most likely the result of breeding between the Bright Copper and the Grey Widowmaker. Fly in formation and are greenish-grey in colour. Lightweight.
- Anglewing – a small breed of dragon known for adroit manoeuvring. Slightly larger than the Yellow Reaper, they fly in formation and are yellow-gold in colour.Middleweight.
- Parnassian – also used by the French. Although native to Britain, during a time before the Napoleonic wars the two nations often traded eggs to increase breeding stock variation. Not as large as the Regal Copper breed, they are cream and black in colouring. Heavyweight.
- Chequered Nettle – not native to Britain, possibly a relation to the French Defendeur-Brave breed. Are gold and brown in colour and have a spiked tail. Not as large as the Regal Copper breed. Heavyweight
- Celestial – an incredibly rare and powerful breed of dragon. See under Chinese dragons. Heavyweight.
France
The French have a wide pool from which to select their breeding stock, and this shows in the excellent variety of their dragon breeds. Not only do they have the infamous Flamme-de-Gloire, a firebreather, but they also have the Fleur-de-Nuit, a Heavyweight which can see in the dark. Due to this they are beating back Britain’s Aerial Corps by outnumbering them two-to-one in practically every encounter.
Pascal’s Blue - a small breed of dragon which is renowned for being nervous and difficult to control, even for an experienced Captain. Due to their size they are most commonly used as scouts or couriers. Due to their high number they are also used in combat, although they are ineffective and rely on strength in numbers.
Appearance: Despite their size making them ideal for stealth missions, their bright colouring means they are most often used are couriers. Colouring in silver-grey with blue and black patches and varies between individuals.
Weight: They are amongst the smallest and fastest dragons in France. Rarely exceed 10 tonnes and have a larger wingspan that the British Winchesters and Greylings. Courier/Lightweight.
Flamme-de-Gloire – name means ‘Flame of Glory’. They are amongst the most dangerous dragons in the French arsenal due to their ability to breathe fire, an ability which no British dragon currently possesses. The French often dispatch several similar-looking dragons, such as Papillon Noirs, to fly around and distract enemy dragons from the Flamme-de-Gloire so it is less of a target. Wreaks havoc on British ships, who currently have little defence against its potent flame.
Appearance: Areparticularly difficult to tell apart from other breeds of French dragon, such as Papillion Noirs, which often have yellow painted over their stripes. Colouring varies from green-brown, although they all have distinctive yellow markings.
Weight: Middleweight dragons who generally grow up to 14 tonnes, although there have been known to be some considerably larger than this. Middleweight.
Fleur-de-Nuit – name means ‘Flowers of the Night’. They are a nocturnal breed by nature, they are instrumental to the French military due to their ability to see in the dark. A tactic most commonly used by the British to counter this is a flash of bright light, which temporarily blinds them as their eyes are very sensitive, however the French have recently bred Fleur-de-Nuit that have eyes which are less light-sensitive. They make excellent scouts or spies as their colouring makes them virtually invisible at night. They have adapted to beat their wings at the same rate as the Yellow Reaper, meaning other dragons cannot distinguish the two breeds by sound alone.
Appearance: The true strength of the Fleur-de-Nuit lies in its unique colouring, which range from deep blue to pitch black, making them essentially invisible during the hours of darkness. This, plus the ability to see in the dark, makes them excellent night fighters.
Weight: Are heavily built and muscular, upon reaching maturity they can generally reach 30-38 tonnes in weight and have a wingspan to match. Heavyweight.
Other breeds utilised by the French include:
- Plein-Vite – an extremely fast breed of dragon which is pale brown in colour. However, they have little endurance and are not used in combat. Courier.
- Pou-de-Ciel – name means ‘Louse of the Sky’. They are a lightweight combat dragon which is adept at diving and flipping between attackers, more than making up for its small stature. Several of these dragons attacking together can easily confuse or disable a much more formidable enemy. Lightweight.
- Pecheur-Couronne – name means ‘Crowned Fisherman’. They are one of the most common French breeds (the other being the Pecheur-Raye). Used in formation and also for breeding light- and middleweight combat dragons. Has a vivid blue colouring. Middleweight.
- Pecheur-Raye – means ‘Striped Fisherman’. They are one of the most common French breeds (the other being the Pecheur-Couronne). Used in formation and also for breeding light- and middleweight combat dragons. Colouring varies from light to dark blue, although most of the breed has distinctive yellow markings, similar to the Flamme-de-Gloire. Middleweight.
- Papillon-Noir – name means ‘Black Butterfly’. Although not a remarkable breed in its own right, the French have developed a tactic where they paint over its natural blue colour with yellow stripes. In so doing, it is virtually identical to the Flamme-de-Gloire and helps prevent enemy dragons from targeting it.Middleweight.
- Honneur-d’Or – name means ‘Golden Honour’. They have a distinctive gold colouring with red and blue stripes. One of the three breeds used to create the Longwing breed. Middleweight.
- Chanson-de-Guerre – name means ‘Warsong’. They are one of the most common French heavyweights. Colouring ranges from marbled orange to brown, with some individuals rarely branching out into gold and yellow, on brown-and-ivory. Heavyweight
- Petit and Grand Chevalier – name means ‘Small Knight’ and ‘Large Knight’. Petit Chevalier are slightly smaller than their brown-and-grey coloured relatives, and are pure grey with very little variation or markings. Neither can grow as large as the Regal Copper, although the Grand Chevalier is the only known breed other than the Celestial that can rival some of the British breeds for size. Heavyweight.
China
The Chinese are legendary for their expertise in breeding dragons. Despite this, they guard their breeds jealously and many of them are unsuited for combat. The rarest of all – the Celestial – usually Calls only members of the Imperial Household, usually the Emperor himself, and the Chinese were greatly outraged when the newest egg Called to an Englishman. Amongst China’s greatest achievements is successfully breeding the Yu-Lung, which can achieve top speeds of 120mph.
Celestial – a legendary breed of Chinese dragon which is also exceedingly rare, with perhaps one hatching every other generation. They alone are able to use a skill known as the ‘Divine Wind’, and up until recently only ever Called members of the Emperor’s family. Are the result of breeding between two Imperials or a Celestial and an Imperial and the two breeds are very similar in appearance. They are incredibly intelligent and retain language acquisition and memorization skills, which most dragons lose within a few weeks of hatching, for their entire lives. The ‘Divine Wind’ is a form of ‘sonic scream’ which is capable of great feats of destruction and is particularly useful against enemy ships, which are made largely of wood. Can also be used to confuse other dragons.
Appearance: When young or mature dragons, Celestials are dark in colouring and can range from navy blue to black, although as they get older this colour will gradually fade until they are pure white. All Celestials have tendrils which sprout from their face at around 6 months of age and a ruff around their neck which is raised during moments of stress or during battle and is instrumental for their ‘Divine Wind’ ability. They have five talons on each foot and have six spines on each wing where most other breeds have five. They are unique in that they can hover in the air by beating their wings backwards and forwards.
Weight: Although nearly as tall as Regal Copper dragons – around 110 feet in length – they are only half their wright at around 25 tonnes. This means that although they still class as Heavyweights, they have greater speed and manoeuvrability than other breeds of a similar size. Heavyweight.
Imperial – a breed of dragon almost as rare and prized as the Celestial, Imperials often Call to members of the Chinese upper-class. They are similar in appearance to the Celestial and due to this it can sometimes be difficult to tell the two breeds apart. Despite their seemingly close relationship, Imperials do not share the Celestials ‘Divine Wind’ ability.
Appearance: colouring ranges from dark blue to navy, but fades with age to become almost colourless. They are similar in appearance to the Celestial, however they lack that breeds ruff and tendrils which are instrumental to the ‘Divine Wind’ ability.
Weight: Range from 100-110feet in length and weigh around 25 tonnes, although most are slightly lighter than this. Heavyweight.
Other Chinese breeds also include:
- Yu-Lung – breed means ‘Jade’ in English. An incredibly fast breed on dragon which travels in bursts of speed that can reach 120mph. A breed which can rival the English Winchester for speed and the Anglewing for manoeuvrability. Colouring ranges from light to dark green with bands of gold. Courier.
Russia
- Ironwing – Russian breed from which the Longwing developed. Not as venomous as their British counterparts, they have wings of a similar length and shape to the Longwing, although are a steel-grey in colour. Middleweight.
This list may be added to or modified as additional chapters are completed – I may decide to include dragon breeds from the canon which I haven’t listed here, most notably the Japanese or additional Chinese breeds.