None in any great numbers, some forest dragons are found throughout
the galaxy.
Appearance:
Uthar forest dragons are a small, draconian, winged species.
The Dragons are partially quadrupedal, with four legs and a pair of
wings. The forelimbs are shorter and have more delicate claws, and
are usually used for fine manipulation, but the Dragons still
travel on all fours when not flying. They are amphibious flyers,
with a milky white skin with thin black stripes. They have
triangular heads on long necks, with large pale eyes, and a forked
tongue. The Forest Dragons are somewhat chameleon-like, having the
ability to change their skin color from their natural shade to
match their surroundings. The Forest Dragons are mute,
communicating by means of an elaborate physical language that can
convey volumes of meaning with a head bob or tail snap.
Leaders:
Uthar Forest Dragons live in a rather peaceful anarchy, with no
real leaders.
World View:
The Forest Dragons tend to see the universe as a vast stage for
their personal enjoyment, relishing each day as it comes.
Temperament:
Uthar Forest Dragons are serious minded creatures, with a
passion for arts and music. Though they produce little of their
own, they will spend hours in contemplation of a natural vista of
particular beauty, or will follow a singer for days, listening
silently from the treetops. Despite their usually sober and
philosophical outlook, the Forest Dragons have a sense of humor
that runs strongly toward practical jokes. They can spend days,
weeks, even months, setting up practical jokes on each other and
friends, and will get somewhat insulted if the target of their joke
doesn't express his enjoyment of the stunt.
History and Culture:
The Forest Dragons have not developed technically or
governmentally throughout their history. However, their philosophy
and artistic sensibilities have advanced considerably, passing from
generation to generation through oral transmission. Unfortunately,
their sense of humor has failed to develop to those levels, and
rotten fruit remains a staple of Forest Dragon jokes.
Tech Level:
Stone Age on their home world, but they do use technological
devices that are given to them.
Forest Dragons in the Galaxy:
Most Forest Dragons have no desire to leave their homeworld. Those
that do chose to leave are the most adventurous souls of their
race, and they tend to chose professions that match that sort of
personality. For this reason, those that know of Forest Dragon
tend to think of them as being incredibly brave and adventurous
beings, despite the fact that most of them aren't.
A Quote:
(translated)"Wow, Rubber Vomit! And they say that civilization has
no redeeming qualities..."
Spaceships:
None.
Stats:
Attribute Dice: 12D
Attribute Min/Max
Dexterity: 2D+1/5D+2
Knowledge: 1D+1/3D
Mechanical: 1D/2D
Perception: 2D+2/4D
Strength: 1D/3D
Technical: 1D/2D
Move: 8/12, 28/32 flying
Special Abilities:
Chameleon Skin:
The color shifting of the Forest Dragons is a gradual process,
taking three rounds to complete. When it is in place, a Forest
Dragon gains a +3D bonus to his hide skill for as long as he
remains in one place.
Flight:
Forest Dragons are capable of true flight, unlike many other
species that are only capable of gliding. This flight can be
maintained in worlds whose gravity does not exceed 1.8 g. In
worlds up to 2.4 g, the Forest Dragons can glide, with ranges and
speeds that vary with the gravity of the planet. In higher gravity
planets, they plummet like a rock.
Speech:
The Forest Dragons are incapable of speech of any sort. While they
understand basic, they can never learn to speak it. Similarly,
species without very similar body types (in shape, not size,
so a Grimnor Manrat could not learn Forest Dragon, while a
Mildorian Great Wyrm could) can not learn to speak Forest Dragon,
though any race with sufficently sensitive visual perception can
learn to understand it.
Story Factors:
Non-Sapient Appearance:
Because of their diminutive size, their lack of verbal skills,
their unusual body type, and their lack of exposure to most races
of the galaxy, Forest Dragons are often considered to be non-
intelligent by uninformed observers. This often proves a mixed
blessing, as they can avoid suspicion for various crimes, and often
spend a few nights in the comfort of various zoos, but they can
often find themselves hunted for their hides or food by anyone with
a blaster handy.
Three Dimensional Thinking:
Forest Dragons live their lives flying through the thickly
overgrown cloud forests of their homeworld, chasing each other at
high speeds. This training stands them well in space combat, as
they have an instinctive understanding of three dimensional combat
that many non-flying creatures lack. Those Uthar Forest Dragons
that take on service in space navies are superior strategists, and
have been known to rise to fairly high positions in command chains.