Dragonbacks.
That’s what they call them.
Soldiers that ride those… those things. That’s all the citizens of Drakon see. Even the standard military personnel look at the Dragonbacks and see only lizard-monsters, and the people who somehow trust them.
And those people who somehow trust the dragons… you have just become one of them.

Every month, two new recruits are taken into the Dragonbacks, and given their own hatchlings to raise. Every month, a strange new life begins for two new apprentices, as their mentor guides them through training in flight, combat, and dragon-care. For many years, that is all life in the Dragonbacks has been. Peaceful bonding between human and dragon.
But now, for the first time in decades, there is a threat on the wind.

Then again, as new apprentices, you don’t have to worry about that. All you have to worry about is bonding with your baby dragon, training it, getting to know it.
And gathering the skills you’ll need to live as a Dragonback.
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Your dragons are still babies; only a few days old.
Someday, they will look like this.

But right now, the poor scraps look a little bit more like…

… and are roughly half the size of a small cat. They can not yet regulate their body temperature, and are all but helpless without the care of either you of their birth mother.
In this case, it will be you.
Dragons can come in almost any color (so dragon-players, be creative!) and with almost any patterns; the most common being tiger-like stripes and cheetah-like spotting. They have a mild neurotoxin in their fangs at birth, which will paralyze anything they deem a threat for about ten minutes; long enough for them to run or find a hiding place. This venom goes away as they get older, and become large enough to cope without it. Their claws, too, are extremely long and sharp, and can be used as weapons from the moment they hatch. Some dragons have spikes on the ends of their tails which can make even that end dangerous. What did you think all the thick leather in the uniform was for; show?
And you don’t have to worry about getting burned. By the time a dragon develops its fire-breath, it’s old enough to know better than to just attack anything that startles it.
Still, in spite of the danger, dragons are very social creatures. Once you have gained the trust of a dragon, even a hatchling will defend you with its life. They become highly loyal companions, and many Dragonbacks take great delight in the deep, rumbling purr of a dragon that is being scratched in the right spot.

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Now, today is your first day among the ranks of the Dragonbacks. First, you will meet your mentor; a trusted member of the Dragonbacks who has seen many years with her dragon, and several battles. She will give you your standard equipment; gun, sword, and armor. These will keep you alive throughout your training, until you earn the right to find your own personal weapon-preference.
The gun is semi-automatic, and will have no affect against the scales of dragons, if you miss. It’s only good on the flesh of humans; which is usually the only thing you have to fight. This weapon is something you will not carry with you; you will take it out only when you are ordered to do so.
The bastard sword has to be worn across your back; it’s too big, especially for kids your age; to wear anywhere else. Each sword is in the range of five feet in length.
The leather armor won’t do you good against flames or bullets. But against the teeth, claws, and tail of a baby dragon, it will keep you safe.
Finally, once you have received your equipment, it is time to collect your dragon. The incubator room is kept dark and silent; and you should be quiet, too, while the staff in the nesting room collect them for you. Especially if you don’t want to startle a few restless mother dragons who are sitting on their nests.
For your hatchlings, it will be the first time out of the nesting room. They will be nervous, which usually means a lot of biting, scratching, and crying. Don’t forget to wear your gloves and armor while handling them for the first few days.
When you finally leave the incubator room, there will be lots of loud noises, bright lights, strange scents for them to deal with. Try to find a way to make them feel more comfortable; both while you’re transporting them, and once you and your fellow apprentice have been taken to the dorm room you will share throughout your lives as Dragonbacks.
And yes, they are babies. They will cry at night, they will want to be fed.
Try to get as much sleep as you can; training starts the next day.

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Characters will not be determined on a first-come, first-served basis. I will wait for several characters to be submitted. Whichever ones I like best will win out in the end.
And yes; before anyone asks, dragons do speak. Full-blown English, since that’s the language of the rp. But they speak baby-talk at first; a few spurts of sentences, learned while their mothers talked to them in the egg. Where they can speak fluent Drakon, they must learn more English little by little.


Apprentice Skeleton –
Name:
Role: (1 or 2?)
Gender:
Appearance: (with picture and description, both)
Personality: (full description, not just a bunch of adjectives)
Likes:
Dislikes:
Fears:
Life Goal:
Roleplay Sample: (several paragraphs in the 3rd person, to get an idea of the dragon’s personality and your roleplaying style)

Dragon Skeleton –
Name:
Role: (dragon 1 or 2?)
Gender:
Description: (scale and eye color, patterns, spikes and horns and claws and anything you can think of)
Personality: (not just a string of adjectives, full sentences and go pretty deep)
Spot: (where it likes to be scratched)
Likes:
Dislikes:
Fears:
Life Goal:
Calming: (what can you do to calm it down?)
Roleplay Sample: (several paragraphs in the 3rd person, to get an idea of the dragon’s personality and your roleplaying style)