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Male Riptide (Maize/Gold Eyespot/Basic Tert)
Female Riptide (Soil/Ice/Basic tert)
Hatchling (Fire/Magenta/Banana underbelly) and it's special event egg, the Marren's Purse.
Obtained: Special Event
Rarity: Uncommon
Breeding Cooldown: 25 Days
Diet: Meat, Seafood, Plants, Insects
Overview
Riptides are heavily-built aquatic dragons that spend most of their lives roaming the oceans around Sornieth alone. Every few decades they come together in a Grand Haul-Out on some unsuspecting shore, arriving in their thousands. The most recent Haul-Out has brought them to the Sea of a Thousand Currents, and to the attention of the rest of Dragonkind for the first time in centuries. Riptides are amiable and friendly, but have short tempers and a might-makes-right attitude. Though they can be hard
Physical Attributes
Riptide dragons are medium-sized dragon (3 - 6 m nose to rump) suited to an aquatic lifestyle. They remain dangerous on land but are far more deadly in the water, though they have lost the ability to fly. Their wings have evolved into sturdy flippers that allow them to coast just below the surface, looking for food without expending much energy. For bursts of speed they bring their powerful tails to bear as well. Riptides eat anything organic, and sometimes come on to land to hunt or forage when foul weather disrupts their ability to navigate. Riptides living near coastal regions also like to haul out to bask and warm up before returning to the sea. They can breathe air but tend to huff and snort quite a lot. The main difference between males and females are the array of facial fins on the male's chin and jaw - the more he has and the larger they are, the better his chances of attracting a female's attention. Both genders have a pair of horns that resemble long, conical snail shells.
Social
Riptides make friends quickly, likely owing to the fact that their nomadic lifestyle does not leave much opportunity to socialize. Because of this, they tend to have (by some standards) atrocious manners, crude humour, and a quarrelsome nature. Riptides love to debate, although "argue" or "bicker" might be more apt words, with disagreements frequently spilling over into out-and-out brawls before one side concedes. No feelings are hurt over these disputes, and a willingness to fight for one's opinion, no matter how trivial, is seen as a mark of one's strength of character.
Grand-Haul-Out
Riptides are usually solitary when out at sea but gather in great numbers every decade or so to exchange news, find mates, and engage in contests of strength in a Grand Haul-Out. These noisy events last for about a month at a time, the final day ending with the Melee, a free-for-all combat whose ultimate victor is said to be blessed by the Tidelord with good fortune. Riptides that lay eggs "out of season" tend nests of their chosen element like any other dragon. The eggs laid during Grand Haul-outs, called Maren's Purses, are altogether different. These leathery cases are made to endure terrible storms, freezing seas, and the desiccating sun, keeping the unhatched dragon safe for years until conditions are safe enough to permit hatching out. On the flip side, they allow the egg to hatch very quickly if it winds up in a safe environment, such as a shallow tidal pool, or an adoptive clan's lair. This ensures that the young riptides will have a fighting chance when they hatch, since the parents do not care for their young after a Haul-Out.
Lairs
Riptides are native to the oceans around Sornieth, and have only recent swum upriver to the Sea of a Thousand Currents. They are oceanic nomads for most of their lives, cruising the currents in an endless search for food. They only remain on land to tend eggs, and choose sandy beaches to hide their eggs from nest thieves. Riptides who join mixed clans seek out water, be it salt or fresh, and tend to excavate burrows underwater for a little privacy. Because they can sometimes be prankish, thirsty clanmates can become the targets of their jump-scares. Riptides that infiltrate Ridgeback aquifers are especially fond of taunting their larger victims, who rarely pursue them beyond the water's edge.
Tactics
Riptides have sharp claws and powerful tails, but their biggest weapon is their bite. Massive jaw muscles lock up once they have a hold of something, and the riptide will hurl its body in a deathroll-spin to inflict massive damage to the opponent. They fare poorly against foes that attack at range, and will avoid engaging them unless they can catch them unawares. Magic use is uncommon among Riptides, since their nomadic lifestyle is not condusive to arcane study, but those that do tend to become pack leaders, supporting their allies with much-needed ranged attacks.
Male Riptide (Maize/Gold Eyespot/Basic Tert)
Female Riptide (Soil/Ice/Basic tert)
Hatchling (Fire/Magenta/Banana underbelly) and it's special event egg, the Marren's Purse.
Obtained: Special Event
Rarity: Uncommon
Breeding Cooldown: 25 Days
Diet: Meat, Seafood, Plants, Insects
Overview
Riptides are heavily-built aquatic dragons that spend most of their lives roaming the oceans around Sornieth alone. Every few decades they come together in a Grand Haul-Out on some unsuspecting shore, arriving in their thousands. The most recent Haul-Out has brought them to the Sea of a Thousand Currents, and to the attention of the rest of Dragonkind for the first time in centuries. Riptides are amiable and friendly, but have short tempers and a might-makes-right attitude. Though they can be hard
Physical Attributes
Riptide dragons are medium-sized dragon (3 - 6 m nose to rump) suited to an aquatic lifestyle. They remain dangerous on land but are far more deadly in the water, though they have lost the ability to fly. Their wings have evolved into sturdy flippers that allow them to coast just below the surface, looking for food without expending much energy. For bursts of speed they bring their powerful tails to bear as well. Riptides eat anything organic, and sometimes come on to land to hunt or forage when foul weather disrupts their ability to navigate. Riptides living near coastal regions also like to haul out to bask and warm up before returning to the sea. They can breathe air but tend to huff and snort quite a lot. The main difference between males and females are the array of facial fins on the male's chin and jaw - the more he has and the larger they are, the better his chances of attracting a female's attention. Both genders have a pair of horns that resemble long, conical snail shells.
Social
Riptides make friends quickly, likely owing to the fact that their nomadic lifestyle does not leave much opportunity to socialize. Because of this, they tend to have (by some standards) atrocious manners, crude humour, and a quarrelsome nature. Riptides love to debate, although "argue" or "bicker" might be more apt words, with disagreements frequently spilling over into out-and-out brawls before one side concedes. No feelings are hurt over these disputes, and a willingness to fight for one's opinion, no matter how trivial, is seen as a mark of one's strength of character.
Grand-Haul-Out
Riptides are usually solitary when out at sea but gather in great numbers every decade or so to exchange news, find mates, and engage in contests of strength in a Grand Haul-Out. These noisy events last for about a month at a time, the final day ending with the Melee, a free-for-all combat whose ultimate victor is said to be blessed by the Tidelord with good fortune. Riptides that lay eggs "out of season" tend nests of their chosen element like any other dragon. The eggs laid during Grand Haul-outs, called Maren's Purses, are altogether different. These leathery cases are made to endure terrible storms, freezing seas, and the desiccating sun, keeping the unhatched dragon safe for years until conditions are safe enough to permit hatching out. On the flip side, they allow the egg to hatch very quickly if it winds up in a safe environment, such as a shallow tidal pool, or an adoptive clan's lair. This ensures that the young riptides will have a fighting chance when they hatch, since the parents do not care for their young after a Haul-Out.
Lairs
Riptides are native to the oceans around Sornieth, and have only recent swum upriver to the Sea of a Thousand Currents. They are oceanic nomads for most of their lives, cruising the currents in an endless search for food. They only remain on land to tend eggs, and choose sandy beaches to hide their eggs from nest thieves. Riptides who join mixed clans seek out water, be it salt or fresh, and tend to excavate burrows underwater for a little privacy. Because they can sometimes be prankish, thirsty clanmates can become the targets of their jump-scares. Riptides that infiltrate Ridgeback aquifers are especially fond of taunting their larger victims, who rarely pursue them beyond the water's edge.
Tactics
Riptides have sharp claws and powerful tails, but their biggest weapon is their bite. Massive jaw muscles lock up once they have a hold of something, and the riptide will hurl its body in a deathroll-spin to inflict massive damage to the opponent. They fare poorly against foes that attack at range, and will avoid engaging them unless they can catch them unawares. Magic use is uncommon among Riptides, since their nomadic lifestyle is not condusive to arcane study, but those that do tend to become pack leaders, supporting their allies with much-needed ranged attacks.
