Kanthami

Homeworld/plane: Kanembri.

Climate/terrain: the kanthami prefer to live in the sub tropical parts of the world, usually in large canyons and in the mountains where it's possible to build their hives.

Mental abilities: while as intelligent as humans, the kanthami have a greater tendency to be warlike-- particulary when they feel that their hive or those they consider friends or allies is in danger. And while lacking wings, they have more than once proved their worth in war due to their strenght, speed and their skills with blades spesifically crafted for them.

Special Abilities: in addition to telepathy and empathy, kanthlamis have the ability to manipulate stone and metal, shaping and strenghtening it as they see fit. This ability have also earned them a reputation for crafting weapons and armor far superior to anything made by other races.

Society: while the kanthami are often seen as war-like and easily angered, they are relatively sociable beings-- and most are born with a inate talent for the crafting of weapons and building. However, the kanthemi are territorial beings who will defend their hives to the death, so combat training is something that all youngsters have to learn once Bonded.

Description: native to the sun tropical regions of their world, the kanthami is a race of scaly and wingless dragons. Of appearance they resemble the chinese-type dragons, but their bodies are shorter and their legs are stronger-- making them well suited for their prefered terrain of river canyons. A kanthami's head is much like that of a horses, but with the jaws of a crocodile, their eyes are large and catlike-- comming in a wide range of colors. The thick neck is relatively long and a ridge of long spikes run all the way down the spine to the tail, which ends in a scissorlike pincer large enough to cut a man in half. Skilled climbers, the kanthami may spend considerable amounts of time hunting in the cliffs of their prefered ranges, and it is certainly usefull in the tedious work of constructing the hives in which they live. Every bit as complex as a insect hive, the hives of the kanthami is made of metals and rock fused together, and they contain nurseries for eggs, larva and younglings, food chambers and private chambers as well as meeting halls. Some kanthami hives can be nearly a kilometer long and a kilometer tall if the terrain and conditions allows it-- a large hive is a impresive sight due to its complex construction and the multicolored material which it is made of.
However, while they do not have a hive mind mentality, all kanthami Must bond to a humanoid(usually a pharie) shortly after emmerging from the larvae-state-- this due to the decition of the magic-user who created them millenias ago. A kanthlami who cannot find the right person to Bond with, will die shortly after it has emmerged as a youngling. Pharie cities are almost always built close to kanthlami hives, so the younglings will have a easy time making their way there to find someone to Bond with.

Pearl; 20-25 meters long.
The largest and smar-*test*-('") of the females, pearls are the Queens of the kanthami. Usually clutching 25-30 eggs, they are also the most productive-- although they rarely care for their young due to that they have to concentrate on their duties as leaders along with their riders. Relatively rare, only 4-5 pearls are hatched every year, the younglings are also watched very closely and receive strict training.

Topaz; 19-22 meters long.
Kings of their kind, topazes are second in rank only to pearls. Slightly less rare than the pearls, their training is no less strict-- especially due to that topazes are often required to lead a hive along with their pearl mates.

Opal; 19-21 meters long.
There's three types of opals--
- Fireopals are fertile females, capable of producing 5-10 eggs in a clutch. They live for combat and often make good leaders out on a war field.
- Black opals are also female, but they are unfertile. However, they are better telepaths and magic-users than most other kanthami.
- White opals are male, usually prefering to take other opals as their mates.

Jade; 18-20 meters long.
While certainly not the largest or the most powerfull, these males tend to be relaxed creatures, and their love of knowledge can make them good teachers. However, due to their quick minds, they are likely to loose patience with those who have slower thought processes than themselves.

Obsidian; 18-20 meters long.
These are the last of the fertile females, capable of producing 2-7 eggs in a clutch. With their dark scales and strong yet elegant bodies, obsidians are extremely quick and agile-- making them very good hit and run fighters.

Ravenstone; 15-19 meters long.
These males are black with a flickering blue and green sheen to their scales when standing in sunlight, their color bearing the same name of a stone with a similar appearance. Ravenstones are quick and slightly cheerfull dragons, and they do tend to be a bit vain as well.

Sapphire; 15-18 meter long.
Gracefull and slightly too spindly of build, sapphires are infertile females who make excellent teachers due to their patience, determination and ability to make their students see that knowledge is important as well as fun.

Quartz; 12-17 meter long.
The quartz kanthami are males, their smooth crystalline scales giving them a almost otherwordly appearance when they stand in sunlight. They have a keen eye for details, and they are well known for their crafting abilities wether it's for a hive, a weapon or a piece of art.

Tigereye; 12-15 meters long.
The most numerous females of their kind, tigereyes makes excellent guards, fighters and hunters. While perhaps not quite as smart as the larger colors, they are always well meaning, and they have a uncanny ability to know when one needs someone to talk with and the right things to say.

Sunstone: 12-15 meters long.
Most numerous of the males, the swiftness and keen eye of the sunstones makes them talented scouts and hunters. They love running, and whenever possible a sunstone and his rider may go on long trips away from the hive, to explore and enjoy the ralative solidarity of the wilds.

Size at birth: larvae are roughly a meter long, younglings are 2-6 meters.
Size at maturity: listed in colors.
Time to maturity: 11 years.

Combat: agile and extremely fast, kanthamis are taught to use their natural weapons like talons and tail in combat, but they also make use of crafted weapons: the kah'nemthi-- a light and curved sword and the sl'rah-- a poisoned blade attached to their hind feet. Efficent fighters, even a single kanthami may be nearly impossible to kill for any humanoids, and a entire troop of them is a frightening sight.

Race weaknesses: once a kanthami has chosen a rider, the Bond between them is for life. If a kanthami's rider is killed, the kanthami will either drop dead in the same instant, or end up still breathing, but mindless.