Temeraire/1805

* Choosing
* Greetings
* Training

### Appearance

glossy black hide with opalescent blue and pale grey markings on the edges of his wings

## Military

### Status

* Alive
* Exiled from Britain
* Active

## Book Appearances

### Books

* *His Majesty's Dragon*
* *Throne of Jade*
* *Black Powder War*
* *Empire of Ivory*
* *Victory of Eagles*
* *Tongues of Serpents*
* *Crucible of Gold*
* *Blood of Tyrants*
* *League of Dragons*

### Hatching

The French ship *Amitie* is transporting the Dragon egg as a gift to the French emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte.  After months of ill luck, *Amitie* is intercepted by the *HMS Reliant,* then under the command of Captain William Laurence, who takes the egg as a prize of war.

Realizing that the egg is close to hatching, Laurence has all the officers draw straws to see who would have the duty of harnessing it, a choice that fell to Midshipman Jonathan Carver.

When Temeraire hatch's; he ignores Carver, instead inspecting the ship and finally settling on Laurence as his companion. Temeraire spends his next few weeks aboard the Reliant eating, sleeping and growing. During his second week aboard the ship, the Reliant is struck by a viscous storm while Temeraire and Laurence are out on their first flight. Gordon, one of the ship's hands who has helped fish meals for Temeraire, is thrown overboard, though they are able to rescue him. From then on Temeraire spends every day of the remaining voyage flying and catching his own meals.

The Reliant eventually comes into port at Funchal, the capital of Madeira. Being forced to remain on the island until they receive formal orders from the Aerial Corps. Laurence and Temeraire explore much of the island, eventually making the acquaintance of Sir Edward Howe, a dragon expert, who incorrectly identifies Temeraire as an Imperial. Shortly after this, Temeraire, for the first time, meets another dragon: Volatilus and his captain: Langford James. Less than a day later, Captain Portland, his dragon Laetificat and Lieutenant Dayes arrive in Madeira, intending to supplant Laurence with Dayes, a plan that doesn't go over well with Temeraire, who insists on keeping Laurence. Captain Portland then leads them to a Dragon Transport that will take them to Aerial Command, where they are ordered by Admiral Powys to proceed to Loch Laggan for their formal training. Laurence and Temeraire stop at Nottinghamshire while en route, where Temeraire makes the acquaintance of Laurence's mother: Lady Allendale.

### Loch Laggan covert

Temeraire and Laurence proceed to Loch Laggan, where they meet their training instructor the dragon Celeritas. Celeritas begins their training with formation flying, learning aerial maneuvers and signals and acquainting Temeraire with a crew. During the first few weeks at Loch Laggan, Temeraire prove himself different from the other dragons through his love of reading, swimming and having his harness off whenever possible. He also meets Lily, a Longwing, and Maximus, a Regal Copper, who become his formation partners and close friends. He and Laurence also meet Levitas, a small and poorly neglected courier dragon.

Temeraire and Maximus, are sent off to support a Parnassian dragon, Victoriatus, who is injured in a battle near Aberdeen. Temeraire arrives before Maximus because of his greater speed and just in time to relieve the two smaller dragons that are attempting to carry Victoriatus to the covert medical center. Before Maximus arrives, Temeriare is gravely injured by Victoriatus claws which also damaged his harness. With the harness damaged, his crew is in danger of falling including Laurence.  Temeraire is ready to drop Victoriatus and his crew to catch Laurence, but Granby comes to Laurence’s rescue which becomes the turning point in their relationship.

Temeraire is assigned to Lily and Captain Harcourt's formation, alongside Maximus, the Yellow Reapers Messoria and Immortalis, the Grey Copper Dulcia and the Pascal's Blue Nitidus.

Temeraire gains his full growth and maturity when his Ruff and whiskers grow in which makes him even less like the other British Dragons and causes him to become a bit more lacking in self-confidence. But his speed and agility is noted and at one point Laurence clockes him as traveling twenty-five knots. But Edward Howe sends Temeraire a book of Chinese stories translated into English and on the cover is a picture of the Yellow Emperor, a Celestial Dragon that looks just like Temeraire.

A new dragon arrives at the covert and the dragon is given precedents over Temeraire which he did not like at all. It is the impetus for Temeraire to push his rights of precedence in feeding by joining the others without invitation.  When the two largest dragons do not dispute it, everyone goes along with the new order and Temeraire joins the other, large dragons in eating first. The new dragon is Praecursoris, captained by the French royalist Jean-Paul Choiseul.

To help keep boredom from setting in and to give Temeraire a challenge, Laurence and his crew begin experimenting with and designing their own aerial maneuvers, which become of great interest to Celeritas. Demonstrating these maneuvers; however, has to wait as Lily's formation is deployed to the Channel, replacing Mortiferus's formation, who has gone to fight the French fleet.

### Dover Covert

On their way to their new posting at Dover Covert their wing is attacked by French dragons. Temeraire and Laurence has their first encounter with French dragons: a battle near the Channel against a Fleur-de-Nuit, Pecheur Couronne and a Grand Chevalier. During the battle Temeraire is able to successfully defend Lily from the attacks of the Grand Chevalier, though she was still badly injured. The battle is won upon the arrival of Excidium, another Longwing. Afterwards Temeraire laments on the pointlessness of the battle, though Laurence assures him he had fought well and honorably.

Only a few days later Temeraire, along with Nitidus and Dulcia are ordered to trail Excidium's formation on the first led of their Channel patrol, whereupon Temeraire teaches the other two dragons how to fish. The next couple of weeks are quiet for Laurence and Temeraire, allowing them both to rest and read.

When Temeraire hears noises in the night, Laurence goes to investigate and discovers Choiseul trying to kidnap Harcourt and Lily.  When Choiseul is executed for treason and Praecursoris shipped to a breeding colony Temeraire, Maximus and Lily consoled each other, but Temeraire expresses his views that Preaecursoris was just as much to blame for letting Choiseul attempt the kidnapping and betrayal. Temeraire enters into an agreement with Maximus and Lily: that if any of their captains are ever scheduled for execution, they would all band together to prevent it.

### Battle of Dover

Almost immediately after Levitas's death is the Battle of Dover; which Temeraire's formation participates in, under the overall leadership of Admiral Lenton and his dragon: Obversaria. The battle primarily consists of the British dragons trying to destroy Napoleon's dragon troop carriers, most of which are carried by middle weight Pecheur-Raye's. The battle is decidedly won by the British when, for the first time, Temeraire uses his unique Celestial ability: The Divine Wind, to great effect, shattering several of the French dragon transports and causing the French Marshal to retreat. Several of Temeraire's crew: Lieutenant Johns, Midwingman Challoner, Midwingman Wright and Midwingman Collins are killed during the battle.

### Epilogue

After the battle, Temeraire and other members of the Covert attend a musical performance organized specifically for them, wherein he is visited by Sir Edward Howe, who informs him and Laurence that Temeraire is a Celestial, the rarest breed of dragon in the world.

*See also: William Laurence*