Species: Zsoni

This is not a complete write-up.

zsoni, resemble smallish Western dragons, quadrupedal with long muscular limbs, deep chest and slimmer waist, long muscular tail, long arching neck, proud draconic face, all heavily scaled (belly scales are softer, more like snakeskin, but other scales are plate-like and anywhere from .5" to 2" in diameter), massive grasping clawed talons (five digits on each foot, innermost digit is a thumb to grasp rocks more easily when perching/landing), long and wide draconic wings (seemingly huge, but really just large enough to support their considerable weight), series of curving spines/spikes from back of head (two large enough to be considered backwards-pointing horns) along spine to tailtip (which is forked and spiked); most notable is the huge claw-shaped spike between shoulder-blades - is only way to tell gender visually, as males' spikes curve backwards and females' spikes curve forwards, come in four breeds: silvers (smallish, slender, smooth and sleek, long-bodied and -tailed, very swift and agile), greens (almost gaunt, tall and lean-muscled, long-legged, hard-edged), reds (very stocky and muscular, short-limbed, heavy - the worst flyers, but the best on the ground), blacks and whites (both are large, proportionate, 'average' in build, balancing strength and speed, weight and wings). Silvers, greens, and reds can be either gender, but all blacks are males and all whites are females; whites are the largest, closely followed by blacks, then greens (for height) or reds (for weight), then reds/greens, then silvers are the smallest and lightest. Even silvers are large enough to bear a human-sized-or-slightly-larger rider, while whites are almost twice as large and can carry up to three human-sized people. Silvers are ~5' at the shoulder and ~10' long (+ ~12' of tail); greens are ~7' at the shoulder and about as long as silvers with a longer tail; reds are ~6' at the shoulder and about as long as silvers with a shorter tail; blacks and whites are ~7-9' at the shoulder and ~20' long (+ ~25' of tail). whites and blacks breed together, while the smaller three can interbreed (hatchlings will never mix colors, will always be just one color/bodytype); whites can have clutches of up to a dozen eggs, while others have 3-8 eggs. whites can produce any color, but green/silver mothers can only produce green/silver/red, and red mothers only very rarely produce white/black.

zsoni'hala are on Jemit, humans partnered with zsoni ('hala means companion); zsoni'hala have a three-year training period before graduating and being partnered with a single zsoni; some go on to an additional two-year program to become jy'hala, "highriders" to humans and "treasured companions" to zsoni. jy'hala often have two or three zsoni that they regularly work with, and some of the most accomplished and experienced jy'hala will have a zsoni of each color, in order to have the most effectiveness and flexibility in any given situation. 'hala ride by perching behind the main spike that protrudes from between the shoulderblades, sitting on their heels with their knees to either side of the spike; for this reason alone, females are much easier to ride than males, as males' spikes present a large sharp tip right about level with a human heart (or throat, for a large black); the males' 'hala use a metal or leather cap for the spike tip. zsoni'hala use saddles of a sort, just enough to pad their shins from the scales; their riding gear consists of heavy leggings with padded knees and soft, supportive footwear, as well as gloves and headwear (either a translucent scarf or goggles and a heavier opaque scarf. some zsoni and their 'hala are part of the Coalition.

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