Here you will find listed information written by Fortian riders about the colors they ride. What makes their color good? What makes it bad? All the information you ever wanted to know about the dragon colors is to be found here, written by Fortians, for Fortians and any or all curious players!

Anyone is welcome to add their own comments to this page, either named or anonymous. Comments can also be @mailed to Th'ero on game. You do not have to be currently riding a color to comment! The only rules we ask are:

  • Keep comments clean, polite, and constructive.
  • No naming names or specific scenarios that may pinpoint other players or areas

Dragon Colors: Gold | Bronze | Brown | Blue | Green |


Gold

  • Elara and Gold Wiyaneth:

Gold carries with it a lot of responsibility. You are an essential part of your Weyr, and you are expected to be active and be around. People automatically look up to you OOCly as someone who knows their stuff and who knows what is going on. ICly you also carry a lot of responsibility as you're seen as a representative of your weyr, more than any other color.

You may be called upon to run flights, as well as clutches, so you must be ready for that. If you just want to run flights though, I suggest going for green. There's more to goldriding than fun flights and clutches. You do not automatically get respect because you ride gold. You have to earn it, and sometimes riding gold brings your actions under closer scrutiny than riding another color.

However, I find it to be a very rewarding color to ride. It requires a lot of patience and can be a lot of hard work, but if you enjoy helping people, this is a great color. You have to understand though, at least OOCly, that you serve your Weyr, and not the other way around. It can sometimes be a thankless job, but as long as you get pride out of helping people, this is a great color for you.

  • Tarish and Gold Seviadith

Riding this color can be a marvelous blessing… Or a terrible curse. Sometimes it rides the middle, but very scarcely does becoming a goldrider not put a "giant target of sorts" on your back. You are either given overwhelming attention because of it, or denied it by others. Some people will listen to your opinion exclusively, others will shun it, simply because of the color you ride. Atop of all the responsibility, you have the hard task of learning to deal with how differently you will be treated based on the position of your character.

This isn't such a problem on PW because of the amount of golds on the game. But, there are still expectations and responsibility, and neglecting them can cause hard repercussions. It takes a good head on strong shoulders to not abuse or neglect the IC and OOC "power" that comes with it. If you think you can handle it? It's a ton of fun. Just don't be surprised when it's expected that you're selfless, helpful, friendly, and can do everything yourself. It comes with the knot.

  • Dtirae and Gold Zuvaleyuth

I’ve seen all aspects of riding gold. It’s not an easy color to want or to go after, you get judged harshly for wanting power and you get judged even as a Candidate. Sometimes, there’s bad things like people backstabbing you or simply talking bad about you because you decided to go gold. It can be hard, being torn apart by people simply for something you decide like this. Sometimes, it isn’t that bad. Sometimes, people just let you be and go about your business but, one should be aware that picking gold does put a target on your back sometimes. You shouldn’t, however, let other dictate what you want to do with your character.

Moving on from the bad: I love riding gold. Zuvaleyuth is my second and both dragons are unique. I picked gold because I liked Fort and I wanted to be an active part in the area, and I wanted to help the area out. Of course, you can always do that with other colors, but I was looking for the challenge that it would have presented Deitra at the time.

But, regardless of the bad and the good: you must always keep in mind that gold on PW does, sometimes, lead to a leadership position. In Fort, however, we try to make it so that some goldriders only need worry about the IC aspect of things and not worry about the OOC responsibilities. But, the possibility is still there. You need a level of maturity so not to hurt anyone or cause the area to suffer. You have to play nice with people you don’t like and RP with someone you might not always want to RP with. It’s about being selfless.

Riding gold does not mean you are playing for yourself. You are playing for your area. It’s not about how the Weyr can serve you, but how you can serve the Weyr.

Bronze

  • X'y and Bronze Raeyth:

To ride bronze means many things. OOCly, you are expected to at some point in time want to be a leader. OOCly, new players look at you as an authority, even if you aren't staff. OOCly, people expect you to be a good roleplayer, well spoken, well posed, and well typed. OOCly, the responsibilities that loom with the dragon are intense, if not immediate. ICly, you'll end up being a leader more often than not of something. ICly, your dragon isn't the greatest at search. ICly, your dragon is a juggernaut (sp?) in the skies, so forget those barrel rolls. ICly, you're stereotyped into a horn-dawg. ICly, you'll probably end up fathering a dozen kids in a year. ICly, the mood-swings brought on by dragon-hormones are as intense as though you were going through menopause!

Now the good: Bronze means you can be a leader. It means you get to help others more readily settle in. It means you get to be a clutch daddy with the potential of a gold egg.

If you want to seek leadership in the future. If you want to be a clutch poppa with the possibility of a gold egg. If you want a big big big dragon, then go bronze.

  • A'rtomus and Bronze Nemmenth

Of all the dragons my characters have ridden, I would have to say Bronze is the most troubling. No matter what anyone says about the color not really meaning anything on PW, players do still have expectations that, when not met or fall short, can be frustrating to deal with. Players will page you for help, whether or not you are staff. They will scrutinize you, whether you're in RP or idling on your ledge getting OOC work done. And they'll talk about it. Not always pleasantly. And /never/ with you available to offer a word in your own defense.

Riding Bronze does not instantly guarantee IC promotions or an OOC staff position. In fact, you may never achieve either unless your character or you personally prove your capability. So if it's a hunger for power and glory you have, you'd better be ready to sweat your butt off to get it.

By the same token there is a certain satisfaction to a job well done, no matter how small or unimportant seeming. Assisting some sweet new player get his or her feet under her at the Weyr, managing to come up with an idea the area leaders like and use in their next TP, getting a page from a stranger complimenting your set or your last pose, all of these things, IMO, make having impressed Bronze all the more fulfilling.

Yes, everything I've described can all be done by another player, regardless of riding status or dragon color, but that /you/ did it and succeeded is much like renewing a vow. You promised to be there when you sought out to impress and that promise has not been forgotten. That's how I see it. If it doesn't sound like much to look forward to, I can only say you're right, it doesn't /sound/ like much. The demands and the gratification are both much /much/ greater.

  • Th'ero and bronze Velokraeth

Oh, what is there in riding a bronze that makes it so different than the others? Not much, really. In fact, it's one of the least flexible and more restraining of the other colors to RP. Sure, you get that shot at Weyrleader and possibly even clutch daddy but that's the biggest thing to keep in mind: you get a shot at it. Just because you have The Big Shiny does not mean you'll ever get WL or even be picked by a Junior Goldrider as a clutchsire. So what then, if that's all you had set as your goal for riding bronze?

Not much. There's Weyrsecond, Wingleader/second, Weyrlingmaster, etc but on PW you could easily attain that riding any chromatic. Canonically, they don't often Search and neither do they win many greenflights. So… Why did I go for bronze? I went strictly for the RP. I wanted that limitation for Kelthero, wanted him to grow into it and also fight the stereotype that most bronzeriders are lumped into. It presented the best character development for him, looking beyond the Big Knot of Weyrleader. I knew it was a possibility to consider but it wasn't my focus or goal.

Which comes to a few points that previous players have pointed out very well above. OOCly, there IS an expectation of you as a bronzerider. You're expected to be a strong, reasonable RP'er and player and active. You're expected to one day be a possible Leader. People automatically look up at you and scrutinize you. If you are set on trying for WL some day or OOC Staff, as A'rtomus so cleverly put it: be prepared to work for it.

Riding bronze comes with it's downfalls, just as any other but it comes with many upsides too. It's up to you to decide in the end if you're willing to take it all in, the bad and the good and still keep it fresh and FUN for yourself without hitting a brick wall and burning out. Consider all your options and if it still seems that your character would be best on bronze, then GO for it! Just always keep in mind that riding bronze is more than just Power. Riding bronze is anything but and even if you RP your bronzerider for years, you may never attain IC Leadership, so it's best to think beyond it.

  • Ha’ze, Bronze Kainaesyth

Okay, so, yes. Just to face the elephant in the room: When you ride bronze people expect you to be ambitious, and to want to be a ranker. You’re going to fight against that preconceived notion every single time you RP with someone new. But the cool thing about the way rank works is that there aren’t a lot of spots. So there is a niche to play someone without ambition. Just because you ride bronze doesn’t mean you have to play a character that seeks after advancement. If that’s your jive, cool. But playing something out of the norm can lead you down paths that never could be followed otherwise, and it always leads to surprising and unexpected RP.

With that said, riding bronze is awesome. Being able to fly gold and greens is a little like being able to stand for candidacy again. There is the trill of the unknown- will you win? Will you not win? What is going to happen after? Plus, your dragon is pretty much built for anything except (and it depends on the writers) really fancy flying. The world is open. Oh, and that shiny bronze? Even if you don’t play an ambitious player, it’s totally something your character could use to finagle things, because of the aforementioned preconception people are going to have.

Brown

  • Kel'ec and Brown Beydesseth:

My expirience with brown is probably pretty rare considering. As far as I can tell, I was the first brown Weyrleader on Pernworld, aside from Domuta's temporary stint way back in the 90's. My brown was.. to put it mildly, a perfect fit for my character. He was a playful child to Kel'ec's quietly all business manner, and he brought out the boy and the smiles in the, I daresay dull, 24 turn old Guard. Without Beydesseth, Kel'ec wouldn't have grown into the very complete character he became, and enabled him to come out of many different situations on the better side. That, paired with my first staff position that eventually turned into almost 2 years as Weyrleader over two, technically three Seniors, made riding brown an incredible ride that even though crashed and burned at the end, I wouldn't trade for any thing.

Note: New rules on PernWorld now forbid Brownriding Weyrleaders, unless no Bronzes are available. They are very rare.

  • Th'ero:

I've not had as much experience playing a brownrider but the few that I have held were a blast. They present a wide variety of options, with only minimal stereotyping from the books. There's flexibility with them to a degree and not to mention you've got a lot of choices of where you can take your brownrider as far as rank goes here on PW. Browns should never, ever be considered the runner up to bronze (or gold, even) or the secondary prize as they're not! They're a league of their own and offer great RP opportunities for the players willing to work out those challenges and explore all the potential their or any brownrider can (and does) present! You're not limited as you would be riding Gold or Bronze. Browns can Search, they can win greenflights and have far more freedom to them. If you're looking more for RP and growth possibilities with a larger dragon, then brown may very well be for you!

My best brownriders were both female brownriders, which is permitted on PW and I must say provided a very unique and different RP perspective. It was fun and it certainly opened up a lot of doors character growth wise. Be it a male or female rider, browns are definitely RP focused with the chance of ranked positions IF you chose. Even if you don't, it's still awesome and fun! Browns can be a great color to play with and are, sadly, often under appreciated for their possible potential.

Blue

  • Anonymous:

By far the coolest color. Does it do cool things? No. You will never be clutch daddy, never be Weyrleader, probably not picked for green-flight wins often, and well… Let's face it. ICly, they're only remarked as being the "best Search dragons", which doesn't mean TOO much when Impression is based on a SearchCo.

So why do I say they're cool? Because of the lack of awesome things that automatically come with the color, they have enormous potential in character. By picking blue, you automatically say "I'm so awesome, I don't need <Thing Listed Above> to make me better." Every bluerider I've ever met has been an original, insanely fun and unique character, and their dragons are always these amazing creatures that make me seethe in envy. They're just that cool.

  • Elara:

I've had a bluerider on another game, and I adore riding blue. They're very versitle and fun. You can do just about anything with them except chase the golds (and greens are more fun to chase anyway! *wink*) They're truly the role player's dragon, because they're not very clearly defined in the books. They're excellent Search dragons, which means you can get a lot of RP that way. They're also so nimble you can really do some great aerobatics with them. They're just tons of fun and very versitle.

  • Tia and Blue Viambath:

I've been fortunate enough to have two incredibly well written blue dragons in my time. The first, and the first dragon I'd ever Impressed incidentally (I was blue/green), was so great I even based a character off of him. And not once have I ever regretted getting Viambath over some silly green. I think blue will always be my favorite color to ride because I'm free to do anything I want with my chracter what so ever. Male or female; gay, straight or bi sexual; crafter, wingleader or just a rider. Your level of engrossment is totally up to you and completely flexible with your RL schedule. But you have to have either a very strongly written dragon personality to pull one off, or /know/ your character very well to play a great blue rider. Because you don't get the crutch of stereo type to either play with or against. Blue is the most free form of the dragon colors and when properly played.. Blues have all the fun!

  • Th'ero:

Blues are AWESOME! No, really, they are! Out of all the colors, they are the most flexible of all when it comes to personality and stereotypes. You're offered so much freedom with riding blue, as a male or female rider, RP and growth wise. You've got one of the most agile of all dragons, they're known for being exceptionally keen on Searching and they chase the pretty greens. OOCly you have the option of ALL positions, even Weyrsecond! How awesome is that? They're tons of fun and offer a variety of challenges and opportunities. The only downside to blues is… well, sometimes too little of something is a bad thing. Without any set 'guidelines' or stereotypes to really fall back on, you need a good solid character and then a personality for the blue to really mesh together or else there is little to work off of.

Green

  • Diz:

I've played two greenriders in the past, and I knew after my first that they had become my favorite color. For someone who is looking for the fun of playing a female dragon without the hassles and headaches of being a weyrwoman, green is the way to go!

ICly, you are limited only by your green's lack of stamina. Otherwise you're able to do it all— you can flame, you get to play being proddy and hold flights and you can run circles around every other dragon out there (except for other greens, of course!). Additionally, while there are certain stereotypes to be found among the ranks, green is as versatile a color as blue in that you can find every nature and demeanor under the sun in Pern's green dragons…and their riders.

But that brings us to the potential downside to playing greens. There are people who will stereotype greenriders as flighty sex machines or temperamental spitfires just looking for a dramatic fight. There are others who believe their only purpose is to be there when the bigger male dragons are getting antsy and need some female company. I've come to believe that half of the fun of playing green is in blowing these stereotypes away. You are limited only by your own imagination with this color.

  • Anonymous:

Soooo much fun. You get a female dragon, without the hassle of being a goldrider. Small, speedy, and tons of potential. I have to say, the most odd, crazy, entertaining character I've ever played only fit well with a green — there's something innately /insane/ about them. They can be mild tempered, too, but they can be angry, they can be sweet, or flirty, or any other color of the rainbow in terms of personality. But dull? Never. Expect to have "WooHoo" with random people three or four times an IC Turn. Come on. If that doesn't promote entertaining RP, I don't know what does.

  • Th'ero:

Greens have FAR more potential to them than just the classic stereotypes, though those can be fun to play with as well is played well. My first ever dragonrider was a greenrider and I still have very fond memories of the RP I had with her. It was fun and almost liberating! They're flexible for personalities, you don't have to go with the "canned" stereotype if you don't think it will mesh with your character. You get the fun of playing a female dragon and the flights without having to worry about any stress or hassle with hatchings. Rank wise, the sky is the limit again! Greens can hold almost any position, even Weyrsecond. You're not bound to only the option of Wingrider and little else. And as Diz said above, half the fun of playing green is to play outside of the box with them.