For about a week before a female dragon is ready to
mate, her hide will begin to shine more brightly; it will look more
polished. Male dragons will pay more attention to her. Her rider will begin
to experience mood changes. She might become irritable, more emotional about
small things, distracted, and so forth.
Dragons will never rise during a 'fall. The day before, or the day after,
certainly, but never the day of. The warmth of the sun is the impetus for
flight, so mating flights just won't happen at night. Also, dragons do not
between during Flights. In their mental state, they might never
return.
Dragons mate much like eagles. When a male catches a female, he digs his
talons into her shoulders to hold her. She will fold her wings, and he does
the flying for the two of them. However, if the pair are falling too fast or
the female is too close to the ground, she may feel the need to check their
speed by opening her own wings. This is one of the reasons it's so important
that a gold flies as high as possible before being caught. They are falling,
and if he does not have time to properly impregnate her, the chances of
producing a greater clutch are small. When the act is done, they separate.
Greens
A green rises to mate 3 or 4 times a turn. She doesn't need to blood, unless
it’s been a while since she's eaten, in which case she will blood as many
beasts as she would eat: 3-4. There is no need for her to fly far and fast
like the golds—she's just mating for the pleasure of it. Green mating
flights are generally fast and furious, and males usually win them by
outlasting them. The dragons don't usually form a lasting attachment,
although it is not unheard of. Male dragons don't have leftover emotions if
they don't win the flight. They just go on about their business, although
they'll probably need to rest. Green dragons are not territorial, and two of
them can rise at the same time without fighting over suitors. Greens
are generally flown by browns and blues. The only time an green will clutch
is when there are no gold queens, and then only one will do so. A
brilliant failsafe engineered by Kitti Ping.
Golds
Gold dragons, on the other hand, only mate for procreation. Golds rise to
mate only once or twice a turn, and gold flights are longer, more
spectacular, and have a greater pull than green flights. The males, being
smaller than their queen, must often win the flight through a combination of
trickery and stamina. The higher and longer the flight lasts, the larger the
clutch will be. A short flight isn't long enough to produce a gold egg. A
gold will blood 4-5 beasts, maybe 6 if it’s been a while since they've
eaten. This is to provide them with the fast energy to maintain a long
flight. It is important that they don't eat the beasts they kill, because
this can weigh them down and shorten the flight. The female's rider must
maintain telepathic contact with the dragon and force the dragon to only
drain the animal of blood. Likewise, the bronzeriders must do the same as
their bonded blood their own kills. Though the pull of the gold flight is
strong, males aren't forced to chase.
Golds are extremely territorial about their matings. When one gold rises to
mate, all the other mature golds in her Weyr must depart for another
location until the flight is over. Should two or more golds rise to mate at
the same time, they will fight each other for the pursuing bronzes.
Similarly, Weyrlings are sent to the depths of the Weyr where they won't be
affected by the flight and create complicated situations. Golds are
generally flown by bronzes, occasionally browns, and very rarely determined
blues.
Humans
When the dragons mate, their riders are so consumed with their dragons'
passions, that there's really only one way to vent it: enjoying the sexual
act themselves. The double whammy is something incredible. Since most green
riders are male, and most blue, bronze and brownriders are also male, the
obvious need not be stated. Stand ins are only allowed rarely.
Many of the Candidates are Weyrbred and accustomed to such demands and think
little of it. It's the main bone of contention between the hidebound Halls
and Holds and the Weyrs, for the Halls and Holds don't really 'like' such
innovations.
Often the one bonded to the rising dragons have no idea who has won the
flight of their dragon until after the fact. While the flight is occurring,
the men usually gather around the rider of the female dragon in a circle. A
small building is provided for the riders thus engaged. The mating flight is
a concession a rider must make to their dragon. Weyrmating because of mating
flights is not common and riders understand that it just happens.
STD's don't exist on Pern.
Greenriders rarely get pregnant, after riding fighting dragons for so long
and betweening. In the event a child is born of a flight, the child
stays with its mother for approximately two months, so she can nurse him,
but among riders, the child is usually fostered after that time. Fulfilling
dragon rider responsibilities takes up all of a rider's time, and there just
isn't the time left over to care for a child.
Note: In roleplay, the player of the female dragon will decide the winner of
the Flight. Also, if you own a green and you would like to have her Rise,
feel free to let her loose whenever you like. Only golds require permission.
