Pearlbiter

The **Pearlbiter** is a medium Stoker Class dragon that lives along cliffs.

## Official Description

Pearlbiters are a species that adapts and mimics dragons they are in close proximity with; a Pearlbiter who accompanies a Gronckle may suddenly begin napping more often, while a Pearlbiter pestered by a Terrible Terror may become energetic and easily distracted. Pearlbiters like almost everyone and anything - except for Monstrous Nightmares. There’s never a time where this dragon has been seen making peace with the Monstrous Nightmare.

## Physical Appearance

### Egg

The Pearlbiter's egg is prismatic and metallic in color, with a shell covered in leaf-like imprints. Small crystals cover the shell, but it is unknown if they serve a purpose or are purely cosmetic. Like most dragon eggs, the Pearlbiter's egg is ovular in shape.

### Hatchling to Adult

With an appearance strikingly similar to a modern day moth, the Pearlbiter's head is adorned with long crested feathers and tufted whiskers. Pearlbiters have large round eyes, a short, sharp beak, and plated bodies. The scales around their chest and face are especially thick to protect vital organs. Their wings are incredibly delicate-looking, but despite this, they are agile in flight. They have four legs and a long, plated tail, used for balancing in the air and occasionally, in combat.

## Abilities

### Firepower

The Pearlbiter is able to alternate between a short burp of fire that comes out as a projectile and a flashing breathe of fire in a stream. They have two sets of propellant glands, one in the mouth's membranes, and the other at the back of the throat. From the flame sac connect these glands, allowing the easy switch between these alternating fire types. Their fire is comprised of diethyl ether, giving the fire a red/pink hue, and allowing the Pearlbiter to even set fire to water!

### Adaptive Personality and Mimicry

Pearlbiters are most well known for taking on the characteristics and personalities of dragons they are within proximity to, despite any difference in species. What personality these dragons were born with can be overshadowed by the characteristics of the dragons that surround them, creating a difference in energy, behavior within groups, sleeping habits, eating habits, and even aggressiveness. This mimicry does not extend exclusively to species characteristics, but to the individual personalities of the dragon they are mimicking.

They excel at subterfuge; they may falsify nearly-perfect battle orders, and are able to mimic the voices of their opponents. Half of the time, Pearlbiters use their mimicry abilities for mischief, but the other half use them more seriously and do not take advantage of their gift in the way others do.

Few travelers have claimed that Pearlbiters were able to mimic human voices, but this has been proven false numerous times.

### Strength and Combat

Although not the strongest, these dragons are able to use their surroundings to deceive opponents, often using their mimicry abilities as well, in the case of needing to escape or diverting attention from its flock. When in combat, the Pearlbiter will use its sharp claws and teeth as it swirls around its opponent in a defensive dance, followed by its fire.

Pearlbiters are easily able to fend off a Dreadnaught or Reaper, with whom they often cross territories with due to identical habitats. Due to living in such large groups, these dragons are often left alone, and will only be caught in a fight with another dragon when separated, with the exception of gigantic dragons such as the Bloodthistle Predator, who will attack regardless of flock size due to its larger size.

There has been one recorded fight where two mated Pearlbiters were seen latching talons and spiraling in the air towards a downed Cuban Wyvern, both letting loose streams of fire downwards, creating a double helix of flames, before both Pearlbiters shot fireballs and crashed down, resulting in a fiery explosion. The Pearlbiters were have said to walk out almost completely intact, only a few of their feathers burned off and some body plates cracked. It is unsure whether this is a unique strategy that only those two dragons used, or if it is a commonly used attack by all Pearlbiters.

### Speed and Agility

Due to their strong wings and long tail, the Pearlbiter is agile and adept in flight, able to dodge attacks quickly without being harmed. Its tail is used for balance, so a Pearlbiter with a badly damaged tail or wings will be ungainly in flight, as with many other species of dragon. Pearlbiters enjoy diving off of the cliffs they live on, so it is safe to say that these dragons enjoy their time in the air even as a pastime.

Pearlbiters are able to keep a steady speed of 34-37 MPH, the highest being a juvenile diving, clocking in at 43 MPH.

### Endurance and Stamina

Pearlbiters are able to stay in flight for a good amount of time, and can travel long distances without needing too many breaks. When traveling with their flocks, they tend to push themselves to fly for even longer, out of fear of looking weak to the other dragons.

These dragons are able to take a few arrows and sword swipes before needing to retreat. When it comes to other dragons, they can easily endure bites, fire, and being thrown around. However, they can easily be knocked out if thrown into a hard object, such as a rock or building, due to the lack of armor upon their heads. One Pearlbiter in Maya's care had gotten a concussion after crashing into the side of a boulder, but showed recovery within a week.

### Intelligence

As shown by their mimicry abilities, Pearlbiters are very intelligent when it comes to combat, deception, and even just daily life. These dragons will spend time to perfect their cries, and will even ask for an opinion from the others Pearlbiters in their flock. There have been multiple instances of older Pearlbiters mentoring juveniles or yearlings.

## Weaknesses

### Damaged Tail

When a Pearlbiter's tail is damaged or severed, they have significant difficulties in flight, and will quickly lose balance or become disoriented. In the case that it cannot be healed, it is better to mercy kill than to leave it to suffer. Dragon hunters have been known to chain down Pearlbiters' tails for this very reason.

### Concussions

Due to a lack of armor upon their soft heads, Pearlbiters can easily suffer from concussions if they crash or are thrown into a hard surface or object, such as stone or thick tree trunks. If given proper care, or if not too severe, they can recover fairly quickly, but in extreme cases, it may permanently mess with their frontal lobe, where motion and balance is affected.

### Hatred for Monstrous Nightmares

Although this may not seem like a weakness, hunters have used this hatred to lure in Pearlbiters for capture or kill by setting up a trap with a captured Monstrous Nightmare. When a Pearlbiter enters the vicinity, it almost always goes to attack the dragon, ending up in the Pearlbiter getting captured or killed by the hunters.

## Personality and Behavior

Most individuals of this curious species loathe solitude. Pearlbiters that remain among their own kind frequently generate feedback loops. Their personalities and behaviors are passed from one individual to the next in an lengthy communal games of copycat.

Most flocks contain anywhere between 50-300 Pearlbiter individuals. Mating is kept within their flocks, and they are strictly monogamous. Egg clutches vary in size from 2-6 eggs, which are kept in nests of tall grass, mud, and twigs. Pearlbiters love to make their nests beautiful, and some flocks will even have contests doing so. All nests are kept within one cave within the flock's territory.

The female Pearlbiter often stays to guard the nest, while the males go out to hunt and gather in groups. Hunting groups consist of about 4-7 dragons, and are normally pre-chosen by the Alpha of the flock. They are structured to have one or two large, burly protector(s) in case of an attack, at least 2 gatherers for fruit, and at least one scavenger for bugs. Fruit gatherers are favored the most.

Around half of Pearlbiter individuals lean towards the more mischievous side, more common in juvenile and adult males, while the other half tends to be much more serious, normally the adult females. Oftentimes, females mates will have to shut up groups of their male mates who mimicry and sing together late at night. When a female is irritated with her mate, she will ignore him completely until he brings her a peace offering, most commonly fruit or in some cases, a bouquet of flowers, a trait copied from humans.

Female Pearlbiters will teach their young to fly and play nicely with other dragons, while the males will teach them how to hunt and gather. Both parents participate in teaching them how to hone their mimicry abilities, though this is done around the age of one year.

Pearlbiters are infamous for their ongoing hatred against Monstrous Nightmares, although no one is certain why this feud exists, or where it originated from. Many speculate that it evolved from a centuries-old feud between a Monstrous Nightmare and a Pearlbiter, which ended up being mimicried and adapted from the rest of its flock. Since some Monstrous Nightmare individuals have been known to hold grudges, its assumed that this hatred stemmed down socially from generation to generation. Of course, there is only speculation, and there will most likely never be a real answer to this behavior.

Other than Monstrous Nightmares, Pearlbiters are incredibly friendly with other dragons, animals, and people. Dragon trainers and researchers have been able to approach individuals or even walk into flocks without any issue, as long as they stay far enough from their young. Pearlbiters are very curious, and may even try to play copycat with other species, including humans! (Many don't get a response though)

## Training

Due to their friendliness, it is surprisingly easy to tame a Pearlbiter. Gathering and offering a large assortment of fruit is more than enough to gain one's trust. However, unless a trainer is willing to put in the work to train their Pearlbiter to separate from its flock, it serves little to no purpose to tame a Pearlbiter for personal use or as a mount, since they will be extremely reluctant to leave their flock.

Your best bet is to tame a small group of them, perhaps up to 6 individuals, then separate that group from their flock, so they won't be completely alone. However, if you can't manage or handle six dragons at once, it's probably best to look for another dragon - unless you just want to befriend them. Pearlbiters can always use more friends and playmates!

## Trivia

* All Pearlbiters are left-handed.
* Female Pearlbiters actually prefer smaller and shorter plumages on males. Looks like bigger isn't always better!
* Pearlbiters have pink saliva, due to the common Rose Icots they eat, which have a red tinted juice that stains easily.

## Image Sources

1. Mother of Pearl Dragon by Kayas-Kosmos on DeviantArt
2. Pearl Dragon Egg by BuBuBijou on Etsy