Whers of Hollow Mountain

Golds, the rarest of all wher colors, are, in every sense of the word, Queens. They are strong in body and strong in mind, ruling over their dens with the power and glory that their shining golden hide grants them. Golds are the mothers of the wher dens, laying large, strong clutches with very few duds. They are the most intelligent of the ranks by far, speaking with a practiced ease not found in any of the lower ranks. Golds are able to force any of the lower colors into obedience, placing them firmly underneath their mental hold until they bow down to their will. With their strong will comes rebellion, though, and a badly-trained Gold will often butt heads with her Handler. However, if she is bonded to someone who is patient, intelligent, and just as strong-willed as she is, a Gold can become the most valued wher in the den.


Bronzes, whose hides are anywhere from a green-gold to a bright, shining coppery shade, are the largest of all the male whers, and the most intelligent. They are also the rarest of the males, making up a very small percentage of the wher population as a whole. They are almost as strong-willed as Golds, and certainly as arrogant. A Bronze requires a strong-willed partner that has no qualms about putting their bond-partner in their place, because they will have to do it. Likely multiple times, in fact. While a Bronze dragon is confident in his place as a Gold's favored color, a Bronze wher knows that he isn't guaranteed to catch his lovely quarry - a Brown is just as likely. So before a Gold runs, they tend to get only more arrogant and show-offish, making certain that they are noticed by their female of choice before she takes off into the night. This can, unfortunately, result in a few fights for dominance among the Bronzes, and even among the lower male colors as well. A Bronzehandler would do well to keep track of the resident Gold's cycle... Just in case.


Browns are colored anywhere from a light, near-white tan to a deep, near-black shade, reminiscent of dark chocolate. They're the powerhouses of the wher dens, with a high muscle density that lends them stamina rivaling that of Bronzes. They have a strong work ethic and a pack-oriented mindset, determined to do all they can to aid Weyr and pack. They tend to be the best contributors to the survival effort, going out and hunting when the pickings are slim, picking up the slack when another wher isn't available... All in all, these boys will go the extra mile to see that everyone continues living well and happily. They're usually warm, friendly sorts, though there are, of course, exceptions. The ideal bond for a Brown is somebody with the same sort of work ethic as they have, though they have been known to bond to the lazier Candidates, presumably to balance them out a bit.


Blues are, like Greens, made for speed. They have a bit more muscle than their verdant sisters, giving them a bit more stamina, but they have nowhere near the staying power of Browns. Their hides can be anywhere from a clear, icy blue, to a deep, dark, near-black shade. Like their hides, Blues are some of the most varied whers, personality-wise. Only Greens have more random personalities. These whers can be lazy, hard-working, irritable, friendly, depressing, annoyingly happy... Almost anything. The only thing that most of them share is their strong sense of right and wrong, and not even all Blues have that. Still, most Blues, however different, will answer to the rules of their conscience as readily as those of their handler. Since their personalities are so unique to a wher, there is no 'ideal' handler for a Blue. One might recommend someone with the same sense of justice as they do, but a Blue might bond to an unscrupulous person just as readily, seeking to balance out their handler's ruthless nature.


Greens are the most common of wher colors and, unfortunately, largely considered the least intelligent. For some, this is an accurate statement - there are quite a few Greens who make rocks look like award-winning scientists. However, there are a few out there that are at least as intelligent as Golds, even if they can be ordered around by said Golds just as easily as the other wher ranks. They make up for this sad lack of intelligence and rank by being, by far, the most individual of all the colors. Greens can be anything - unscrupulous or honorable, kind or cruel, hateful or loving, motherly or indifferent, brave or cowardly, vain or modest... The list goes on and on. If you can think of a personality trait, there's a Green out there that has it. And their handlers are, of course, just as varied. Some think that the random personalities of Greens are quite a good thing for the color - after all, there are only so many handlers that fit a certain personality type! There is literally no ideal handler type for a Green - they can bond to almost anyone. Whether the bond fits, well... That's up to how those two particular individuals fit, now, isn't it?


The rarest of all the colors. They're even scarcer than Golds, only showing up in a clutch once in a blue moon. Whites are completely infertile, and, indeed, seem to have no definite outward gender indications. They do, however, tend to have their own gender identity, which their voice usually echoes. A White can be male or female, yes, but it will never Chase or Run like its brethren. They are also amazingly intelligent, just as smart as a Gold or, on some notable occasions, even more so. Most Whites speak with perfect grammar and diction, and those that don't usually only make the occasional lapse. They understand abstract concepts, such as past, future, and present, and quite often are found pondering the possibilities that might lie in the future. They are less pack-oriented than most other whers, and don't seem to have as much of an instinctive understanding of things. They might even have to be taught just how to hunt properly, and it's quite possible that they might refuse to unless made to do so. Since Whites are so rare, there simply isn't enough known about them to tell if a specific personality type has more of a chance of Impressing to one. People do tentatively think that the scholarly or the socially awkward might be more likely to Impress them, but they're so rare that it's really not likely that one will show up in their entire lifetime, let alone a clutch they're Standing for...