THE BUILDINGS OF DRAGONSDALE

The whole valley in which the farm lies was called Dragonsdale in ancient times, before the dragons were domesticated, and retains the name.

Dragonsdale House

Where Cara and her father live. It has a large kitchen with a big wooden table. It is always warm, because of the black wood-fired range and constantly boiling kettles, fresh baking etc. The household is run by the housekeeper, Gerda. 

The Stable Yard

Large cobbled area surrounded by the various buildings of Dragonsdale. It can be reoofed with canvas for the Yuletide celebrations.

Stables

Stone buildings, clay tile roofs on bog-oak beams. Contain no straw as dragons would burn their own beds if it were used! Instead dragons lie on beds made of pumice in individual stalls or boxes. These have horizontally split iron doors - smaller at the top, larger at the bottom, and brass name-plates for dragons resident at the stud above the doors.

Guard Tower

In the Northeast corner of the stable yard – a lookout point for beacons calling for help from Dragonsdale and spotting the arrival of visitors.

Hatchling Sheds

Contain incubation pens with a hypocaust heating system to keep the dragon's eggs warm on a bed of sand until they hatch, and pens for the dragonets, which remain here until they become yearlings.

Bunkhouses 

Where the stable hands live. Resident riders live in Dragonsdale House.

The Forge

Where Wayland the Forgemaster works at his furnace.

The Well

This lies in the centre of the stable yard.

Nursery Hollow

The lowest part of Dragonsdale, where the youngest riders and their dragons are trained. 

Parade Ring

In front of the house, where dragons are shown off to prospective owners and riders and dragons gather for hunts and other social occasions. 

Practice Ring

A fully equipped showing arena for the ring flying exercises. This doubles as the show arena for local flying events.

Pylons

There are four of these, marking the Northwest, Northeast, Southwest and Southeast corners of the notional “box” used for aerobatic event training.

Various Outhouses

These include: Feedstores, Backrooms, Storerooms.

Meadows and Pastures

These are used to graze the sheep and goats on which the dragons feed. Dragons also eat plants, sometimes from this pastureland, but more often from the swamps and bogs of Lakeland to the North.

THE CAPACITY OF DRAGONSDALE

Stabling - 3 blocks with capacity of 15 stables each, total 45 stables 

Guard flight - 9 dragons regularly fly in guard flight / hunting parties 

Beginners/novices - 8 dragons and riders*

Juniors/Intermediate - 8 dragons and riders* 

Senior - 8 dragons and riders*

Racing -  8 dragons and riders*

Hack / Messenger - 4 dragons

*including private owners and their dragons kept at Dragonsdale.

DRAGONS OF DRAGONSDALE AND THEIR RIDERS 

Skydancer (Goldenbrow) - Cara

Moonlight (Darkeye) - Breena

Breezeskimmer (Silvertip) - Mellan

Bumble / Pollenbloom (Splaytail) - Wony

Valeweaver (Finback) - Hortense

Cloudbreaker (Firecrest) - Hortense

Nightrider (Ridgeback Charger) - Galen

Starseeker (Greenback) - Imar

Dawnspinner (Ridgeback Charger) - Tord

Silvercloud (Bearded) - Hortense

Starskimmer (Not Given) - Orla

Leafscatterer (Not Given) - Nessa

THE GUARD FLIGHT OF DRAGONSDALE

Flight leader.................. Galen 

Wing leaders................. Galen (Nightrider), Tord (Dawnspinner), Imar (Starseeker)           

Wing riders (Left)........... Caley (Swiftwing), Dolan (Windcatcher), Mellan (Breezeskimmer)                       

Wing riders (Right)........ Aidan (Spitfire), Tomey (Highglider), Breena (Moonflight)                                           

The Guard flight doubles as the hunting flight when not required for guard duty.

In an emergency, any sufficiently competent junior or any senior rider can be called upon to augment the guard flight. 

RIVAL STABLES AND DRAGONMASTERS

Wyvernwood...............Dragonmaster Bain

Wingover.....................Dragonmaster Hoyt

Drakelodge..................Dragonmaster Lunn

Clapperclaw................ Dragonmaster Adair

 

STABLE COLOURS

Wyvernwood............... Purple

Wingover.................... Blue

Drakelodge................. Brown

Clapperclaw............... Scarlet

Dragonsdale.............. Emerald Green 

Lord Torin................... Powder Blue, Lilac Facings