Pets

[Bane]

• Firelizards
  
  Firelizards are only acquirable through the Marketplace. Your character cannot have one without you purchasing it.
  
  As of 5-25-08, Metallic and Sport firelizards will only be acquirable through an IC clutch from an owned flit, and sold in the Marketplace. They are by BoD approval and hand-out only. Brown, Blue, and Green firelizards are now free to be had.
  
  However, ocassionally a contest may crop up with a firelizard as one of the prizes. This is perfectly legal within my little set of rules.
  
  There are a few things to know about the firelizards of Nurien. They are no different from the firelizards in the books, so they aren't that smart.
  
  Gold firelizards are very high maintenance pets. They are jealous creatures, and require a lot of attention. Your character will have to be posted interacting with the pet and the pet will have to be posted interacting with the character. A bit redundant, I know, but it gets the job done.
  
  Gold firelizards will not be given out freely. The Weyr and Holds will not be overrun by the shiny creatures. Because they are so high maintenance, a ranking character will more than likely NOT be alowed to have a gold firelizard. These shiny jewels will be given to those who have proven to me and the BoD that they can handle the added posting pressure.
  
  Bronze firelizards, while not as jealous or high maintenance as the golds, are still up their on the scale of high maintenance pets. Like the golds, they will only be given out to those who prove to be able to handle the extra posting.
  
  Brown, Blue, and Green firelizards are not very high maintenance, but will still add to the posting load you will bear for the character.
  
  At the moment, members are not going to be approved for firelizards. This may change, but it's not likely. When you come about the chance to acquire a firelizard, there are limitations:
  
  You are only (at the time) allowed 1 metallic firelizard.
  After that, you are allowed up to 10 non-metallic firelizards, but one character can have no more than 3.
  
  As of 5-25-08, members are allowed up to 3 metallic firelizards. Sport clutching females will be considered metallic. The total flits allowed to one member will be set at 15. However, the 3 per character rule still applies.
  
  
• Runners
  
  Runners are allowed only for those characters that ARE NOT dragonriders. They can be had through BoD approval, contests, or the Marketplace.
  
  Runners will be no smaller than the standard arabian and no larger than the standard friesian. They are only available in the standard Terran color patterns. So no green runners, please.
  
  Depending on the breed you wish to base your runner on, the breaking age will change. For the smaller breeds like arabians, the breaking age will be close to three Turns. For the larger breeds, two is fine.
  
  If you have a mare, and decide she gets bred for a foal, yu must decide what to do with the foal. First, you must be approved to have 2 runners, because when the foal is born you will have two runners. You can decide to sell the foal (post in the Marketplace) or give it to the BoD to sell. Either way, you'll either get Marks for it or you have acquired another runner.
  
  
• Felines and Canines
  
  Felines will be no larger than a puma, and no smaller than your average housecat. They will only be allowed in the natural colors and patterns.
  
  Canines will be no larger than the standard rottweiler, and no smaller than the standard jack russel terrier. They will only be allowed in the natural colors and patterns.
  
  For the time being, the only way to acquire one of these pets is through the Marketplace. As of now, members are only allowed one of each. Dragonriders will not be approved for either a feline or a canine.
  
  If you own a female feline or canine, you will be allowed to mate them either an owned or wild male. The female cannot birth more than 6 kits or pups. You have control over the price, appearance, and other info on the animal.
  

Pets must be posted as often as the minimum requirement for the character that owns them. This does not mean you have to post the pet on its own. But it must be posted. If it's not, the pet can be lost. Firelizards fly away, runners get eaten, felines and canines disappear...

[Bane]

Due to the added workload of Candidates, Weyrlings, and Apprentices firelizards, canines and felines, and runners will not be allowed for these characters. Candidates and Weyrlings will not be allowed canines, felines, or runners. This is due to the fact that the canines and felines would have no way out of an upper weyr, and a runner would beat itself ugly against a wall rather than live near dragons.

Once your Weyrling has reached senior Weyrling status, or graduated to a full Wing, then they may be allowed a firelizard if you happen to have acquired one for them. If you have saved the Marks for an egg, and received one but don't have the character for it, you may hold the egg until you know what to do with it. If you posted for the free eggs in the Marketplace and got it, you don't have to use it right away.

If you want your Apprentice to have a pet, post them and get them to where they can walk the tables as a journeyman. An Apprentice will not be allowed to have a pet, so if they get one when they're journeymen they'll apppreciate it more and have the time to care for it.