dragon types

Dragon types

The more normal types:

Amethyst        known for their knowledge.  The only dragons which would re-Bond. Also called Lorewyrms. A first Bond is generally to a draxier of the same sex, but in subsequent bondings they are more interested in a match of personality. Breathe a purple mist causing confusion and reducing the will.

Diamond         black in colour as diamonds of the time were not cut with the brilliant cut later discovered. Also called Spellwyrms.  Reputed to have bred drakelings as their own familiars and pets. Breathe a glittering mist which negates spells and causes confusion inside the mist.

Beryl               Namely for their speed; also known as Speedwyrms.  Typically Bond with humans with good communications abilities, and good memories. No known breath effect.

Topaz              Most of these are female, and these are one of the two colours known to breed, almost always with a Ruby.  Known as Nuture-wyrms, or vulgarly, common wyrms. Orange/red flames for healing dragonkind; can hatch eggs

Ruby               Almost all male. Known for their aggression but not for their reasoning power.  One of the two colours known to breed, usually with a Topaz female. Known as Warwyrms.  Hot red flames, can heal other dragons at a pinch but it’s rough and ready.  Can hatch eggs.

Unusual dragons

Opal                appear to be a bit of jack of all trades, master of none. Have four kinds of flame, all weak. Red dragon-healing flame, can hatch one or two eggs at a time only; blue human healing flame; black mist or smoke of curse-breaking and maroon mist of sleep.

Tourmaline      generally pink and green, healing dragons.  Can manage healing flames of both kinds, with greater strength in healing but not able to hatch eggs.

Onyx               The command dragon.  The dragon ridden by a war leader or judge, able to command Ruby dragons and lead them.  No breath effect, but can exude charisma.

Rose Quartz    Empathic dragons.  Able to diagnose ills, as well as to feel how other dragons or people feel.  No breath effect but can exude a feeling of calm to make people feel good.  Good at discerning what will make a great draxier.

Emerald          Truth telling. Emerald dragons always know if someone is knowingly telling a lie.  Breath effect is a green mist causing the babbling of the truth.

Sapphire          like to bond with poets, artists or musicians.  No breath effect but they can sing, and learn music-magic.

Updated glossary of terms for Bess

Glossary of terms:

Airling             the Tudor equivalent of airhead

Berfrois           A stand for spectators, originally for tourneys, a level above the ground

Bonded           those who have made a mental bond, may refer to a pair, one human one dragon, or to either of the pair.  Written with a capital to refer to those Bonded to dragons, but in lower case if bonded to a drakeling

By my troth    today we should say ‘upon my word!’ or ‘My goodness!’ if used in surprise, or the phrase may be used to express a serious promise eg ‘by my troth, mistress, I shall protect you with my life.’

Certes              Certainly

Common

Wyrms            Topaz dragons, a mistaken name

Coney             the name used at the time for a full-grown rabbit; rabbit was used only for the young, as pig was used for what today we call piglet, hog being the full grown animal.

Coruscation    a flock of drakelings; coined recently.

Dominie          schoolmaster

Dortoir            we’d call it a dormitory nowadays

Drakelings       tiny dragon-like creatures possibly made as pets by dragons in the past.

Draxery           the study and art of dragon care

Draxier            one who has Bonded with a dragon, an honorific even as ‘Doctor’ is

Farthingale      a wide, hooped skirt .

Fie!                  An expression of disapproval, may indicate surprise but in a negative way

Froward          Contrary.

Galligaskins    loose breeches caught under the knee, suitable for working in.

Good lack!      An expression of surprise

Gramercy!       An expression of surprised gratitude

Grow a rose    euphemism for relieving the bladder

Humanism       a belief that the actions of human beings are important individually and collectively, emphasising critical and rational thinking above acceptance of superstition or dogma. Humanists follow this belief.

Jakes               the toilet. Commonly outside, with a seat over a cess pit, dug out by a ‘gong farmer’ twice a year.  Often communal. 

Lackaday!       Also well-a-day, an expression of sorrow or misfortune.

Legr                a lair, or cave for a dragon to live.  When capitalised, it is a collection of legrs in a cliff

Leman             lover

Lorewyrms      Amethyst dragons, known for their knowledge.  The only dragons which would re-Bond

Marry!             An expression of surprise.

Nurture-

Wyrms            Topaz wyrms, mostly female, one of the two colours known to breed

Speedwyrms   Beryl dragons, notable for their speed

Spellwyrms     Diamond dragons, black in colour as diamonds of the time were not cut with the brilliant cut later discovered

Warwyrms      Ruby dragons, known for their aggression. Mostly male, one of the two colours known to breed.

Cast list year 2 for Bess

Cast list

Main Protagonists

Elisabeth ‘Bess’

Marlowe                      Orphaned daughter of dead playwright Christopher ‘Kit’ Marlowe.

Bess is the ward of Master William Shakespeare, playwright and actor, and his wife Anne, née Hathaway. Bonded to Opal dragon Frostfire

Richard ‘Diccon’

De Bercy                     Second son of Lord de Bercy,  a Yorkist family.

Tangwystl Goch           Welsh girl, poverty stricken but claiming descent from Uther Pendragon [father of the Legendary King Arthur]

The faculty

Master Piet Van Huys The Great Master, Principal of the School of Wyrm Lore and Draxery, Flemish, Bonded rider of Lorewyrm, Amethyst Skyshadow.

Savin Kettlewell           Teacher of Alchemy, married to Mistress Amie Kettlewell. Bonded rider of Diamond dragon Deepglim. Does not suffer fools gladly.

Dr. Roger Bray            Teacher of Astronomy and Astrology. Has hidden depths. Has a sense of humour and plays the flute rather well, and is a fine dancer. Bonds 25^th March 1601 with Sapphire dragon.

Elizabeth Carey           Teacher of the Magical Art, Bonded rider of Diamond dragon,, Glitterwing. Head of Diamond House. Decisive and caring.

Amie Kettlewell           Teacher of Apothecary and Herbal arts, wife of Master Savin Kettlewell.  Bonded rider of Topaz Goldgleam. Head of Topaz House. Kindly.

Richard Dowell            Teacher of History and Politics. Eyepatch, served against the Armada.  Bonded rider of Topaz Goldglimmer. A great believer in the maxim that he who would have peace, prepares for war.

Ralph Sackwild            Teacher of Logic and Rhetoric.  Does not like children.  Abrasive.  Becomes tutor of more advanced pupils, Bonds with Amethyst dragon Duskwing. Is shown to be a fine dancer.

Ambrose Crooke         Teacher of Latin.  Bonds with Ruby June 1600. Enthusiastic.

John Coxe                   Teacher of the Arts of War, Bonded to Ruby dragon Firestorm. Head of Ruby House. Not academic but very knowledgeable.

Faculty electives

Josse Attwood             Teaches Mathematics, Bonds with Topaz dragon,  June 1600

Mayhew Parnell           Teaches Physical Sciences, Bonds with Amethyst dragon Dawnhaze, June 1600 and becomes Head of Amethyst House

Othello Parkes             Teaches Languages, specifically French and Italian.

Colin Glasse                Teaches Engineering, Bonds with Ruby dragon June 1600

Adnet Tomkin             Teaches Geography, Bonded with Beryl dragon Blueflash, Head of Beryl House. Something of a dandy.

Lady Anne de la Pole  Teaches Music. Private to the point of secrecy.

Classmates of Bess and friends

Audrey Woolfstone     Beryl House, wealthy and rather fond of herself.

Aloysius Cobb             Diamond House, pale dark sarcastic boy who resents girls learning, Soldier’s son

Jane Evrard                  Diamond House, fond of books and book learning, artisan’s child

John Seymour              Topaz House, well born, but impoverished

Will Smith                    Topaz House.  Gilota Danforth is hiding out from an unwelcome marriage and is dressed as a boy.

Lancelyn Webber        Ruby House, brash and rather loud

Amery Ellis                  Ruby House,  thinks before acting

Hal Pocock                  Ruby House, inclined to be jealous. Despises girls.

Paul Garrard                Ruby House.  A very literal child but also honourable.

Scholars a year more advanced than Bess

Jane Edmonton            Amethyst House.  A humourless girl of limited imagination

Scholars two years more advanced than Bess

Coll Brewster               Amethyst House. Illegitimate son of priest.  Prankster, holds wager book. Bonds 25^th March 1601 to Rose Quartz dragon

Roger White                 initially Amethyst House, son of whitesmith.  Prankster, crony of Coll. In November 1600 he Bonds with Diamond dragon Deepshine.

Katherine Keene          Diamond House, prone to chilblains.  Roger is sweet on her. Bonds November 1600 with Diamond dragon

Alys Thripp                 Beryl House

Scholars three years more advanced than Bess

Hal Shimpling              Ruby House, Bonded rider of Ruby dragon Swiftfire

Lawrence Stephens      Amethyst House, schoolmaster’s son. Bonds June 1600 with Amethyst dragon Nimbus

Ann Wilcox                 Ruby House, plays football with the boys, rather loud and vulgar.  Fancies her chances with Master Sackwild

Leo Ripley                   Ruby House

Bart Moffat                  Ruby House

Gibb Perkins                Ruby House

Lukas Revitt                Diamond, Bonds to Diamond dragon 25^th March 1601

2 boys in Ruby House who are muscle for Perkin Aston [year above]

Scholars four years more advanced than Bess

Matthew ‘Matt’ Tyler   Amethyst House, Bonded rider of Amethyst Dragon Hazedancer. Son of a potter, ran away to gain education.

Tom Michaels              Diamond House, Bonds with Diamond dragon June 1600

Sencey Pargetter          Diamond House, beautiful girl Queen of the May, Bonds with Diamond dragon Darkstar June 1600

Emme Braithwaite       Topaz House, Bonded to Topaz dragon Amberclaw

Pierce Knollys             Ruby House, Ruby Knight, Bonded to Ruby Dragon Flamedancer

[Perkin Aston               Ruby House, wealthy boy who thinks he can buy everything.  Expelled from school summer 1600]

New intake September 1600

Elixabete ‘Lixie’

Lopez [Wolfe]             Amethyst House

Clary Payne                 Diamond House

Walter Aldous              Diamond House

Henry Attenborough    Diamond House

[Henry] Robert

Fitzroy                         Beryl House, an illustrious grandparent

Miles Chettle                Beryl House

Catherine Basset          Topaz House

Anne Carter                 Topaz House

Sarah Morse                 Topaz House

Elizabeth ‘Ellice’

Parnaby                       Ruby House

Harry Thurtell              Ruby House

Francis Waterman        Ruby House

[Martin Howard           Ruby House]

[Will Beaufort              Ruby House]

[Tom Devereux           Ruby House]

+ 1 Beryl, +2 Topaz +6 Ruby not currently named.

Others

John Wolfe,

aka Igon Lopez,           one-time servant to Amethyst House, held hostage by Don Garcia,  later teacher of Spanish

Mitchel,                       Servant

Edward Stoat

Aka Eduardo

Comadrejo, deceased   Spy and saboteur for Don Garcia

Mistress Montague       a stuck up and silly woman.

Lucy Percy                  a woman from court

Real People

Queen Elizabeth, by the Grace of God, Queen of England and the colonies

Sir Thomas Walsingham, nephew of Sir Francis and patron of Master Will Shakespeare

Audrey Walsingham, his wife and Lady of the Bedchamber to the Queen

Sir Robert Cecil, Secretary of State and probably spymaster

William Shakespeare, playwright and actor

Sir Walter Raleigh, sea captain, explorer

Mentioned

Real

Sir Francis Walsingham [deceased] the Queen’s spymaster and patron of Kit Marlowe

John Shakespeare, Will’s father, sometime wool merchant, glover, rogue

Anne Shakespeare, née Hathaway, Will’s wife

Judith and Hamnet Shakespeare, twins, younger children of Will and Anne;[ Hamnet died aged  11]

John Dowland, composer and musician

Christopher ‘Kit’ Marlowe [deceased] Playwright and probably agent of Sir Francis Walsingham [fictionally father of Bess in this series]

Fictional

Don Garcia de Halcon y Veneme, Spanish ambassador to Queen Elizabeth  and necromancer

Doña Violante, his wife