This is going to be something that will drive me crazy forever and ever. Right when I think I have it right, the humans are too big. x_x It's just.. bleh.

Smaller Dragons (Current Size)


Medium


Large


Alrighty guys.. what do you think? They are lined up from gold to green.. I just didn't feel like coloring them again. x_x

I'm sure McCaffrey would prefer the large one, but my vote goes for Medium. :)

I like Medium, too. That seems right to me.

I think it would be easier to get the two or sometimes three people mentioned in some books (and our own posts) on the larger dragon size's backs.

What fun would it be if it was easy? LOL

Yeah but I see what you mean. I'm almost wondering if we should go between the medium and large.. make the hoomans on the medium one just a wee bit smaller, but not quite as small as the ones near the large dragon.

I think it's between medium and large, but probably large, for me. Becuase, as was already pointed out, there has to be room for multiple people, even on the blue- and green- searchdragons. =)

Well, even green at medium size can hold an extra passenger. When they've mentioned riding dragons in the past, it's usually cramped when there's more than two people and with a passenger it's just like having a second person on a horse.

With McCaffrey putting 3 or 4 people on Ruth.. well.. ridiculousness to say the least. Also, one thing I didn't think of is that in flight a dragon has their neck lowered, which allows for room for another passenger. The riders are supposed to be on their 'neck' and not on their shoulders, lol. I can see dragons holding a rider on more toward their neck for extra passengers. For threadfighting and single passenger riding though, the rider would be situated to allow for freedom of neck movement since there's lots of waiting a-dragonback that is necessary to have a comfortable position so that the dragon can raise its head.

Also remember that a dragon can usually carry as much as he -thinks- he can in the air because of their telekinesis, so it's usually only a matter of what you can fit on him space wise =P


So, we are looking as something slightly between medium and large size dragon, and I'm slowly beginning to think that it really doesn't matter to be super specific as long as we aren't so differently envisioning the dragons, one person seeing them like.. the size of a commercial airliner and another person seeing them as only slightly bigger than horses. lol.

I was all in favor of the large size, mainly due to weight restrictions on riders. My argument was that on the smaller dragons there is NO way they can carry a human behind their head on the neck... They would be dragged down. However, Nako raises a good point with the telekinesis.... Hmm....

I would still go with the larger sizes, just because i think it is much closer to McCaffery's original intention. If we wanted to go with a purist's definition, I agree that greens would be rather 'quished by big bronzes... But thats why the critters are nimble! Meh, whatever. I'm too tired to make cohesive arguments.

lol, I know that this is just terribly frustrating. =) Trust me, I'm feeling it too. I'm thinking that imagining something between large and medium is a good compromise, and I can even see humans being able to ride directly the neck of even the greens.. even in medium size honestly. Riders don't ride right up onto the neck. I'd imagine they'd be maybe 2/3 back onto the neck, then start packing onto the shoulders and even one onto the back, they'd just have to put their feet over the wing joints maybe.


Another argument with the wing joints; dragons are powerful creatures, and in McCaffrey's respects she viewed them slightly like horses, which are also quite powerful. A horse can carry quite a bit of weight, and I don't think a scant 100-250 pounds being between their wings (with only the legs directly on the wing shoulders, which if you think about it is the strongest point of the wing. If the weight was on the tip of their wings, it would make more of a difference, but it's not. I just think we are underestimating our lovely dragons just a wee bit. =)

I think we might play with the telekinesis thing in the far, far future. I still consider it canon but it's potentially quite a powerful thing... kind of like HAD. x_x which makes it scary.

I was looking at the cover for Morretta and she is definately RIGHT behind the head. I suppose it would be possible-- and probable-- that riders could move further down, but it was on my mind and i checked.

Indeed, but let us remember that covers don't necessarily reflect canon. =)

In canon they are behind the last two ridges. My excuse is they have a ridge further down behind the wings. Also, for threadfighting the -normal- position should be a bit further back because the dragon needs to be able to turn his head for more firestone.