Firelizards

The origional draconic denizens of Pern.  They have become at once more common and less common over the turns.  It is not uncommon to see them around.  It is not too uncommon for people to have them.  Getting ahold of an egg, however, is rather difficult.  Without thread they, too, have slowed their breeding cycle down.  There are legitimate firelizard breeders and the wild lizards continue to lay; however, over turns of closer association with humans, many of the wild ones are learning how to better conceal their clutches from curious humans so they do not get stolen.

While no where near as regulated as Whers, there are registered, legitimate firelizard breeders, and while the 'friend' system is still in effect and individuals who wind up with gold eggs still sell the eggs.  Firelizard breeders are the most common source of eggs.  They also frequently have very long waiting lists, that are usually prioritized by rank, and exactly how much the person is willing to pay above and beyond the base price.   A firelizard egg costs roughly twenty five full marks.  If it is thought to be gold or bronze that can go up to as much as Fourty marks.  These prices are for eggs from a Gold's clutch.  Eggs from a green's clutch usually go for 20 marks, as long as there is a guarentee of another egg should it fail to hatch.  Any egg of suspected origins, without such a guarentee go for much lower prices, and usually do not hatch at all.  Breeders will usually NOT sell eggs they strongly suspect are Gold except to another breeder.  It is impossible to /truely/ tell with firelizard eggs, but some people are more accurate with thier guesses than others.

Firlizard golds rise roughly once a year and will usualy lay between 5-10 eggs, only rarely going as high as 12.  Greens rise every nine months, and even breeders have trouble keeping track of the the eggs they lay.  Golds will frequently hide thier clutches, but canny breeders will usually provide safe sandy spots.  It doesn't always work to attract the golds, but the Golds are not stupid.  The 'adopted' ones know that it's safer to have their offspring sent off with humans than to let them loose to risk werries and other things that might try and eat them for lunch.

Most normal people do not have firelizards.  Roughly about one in 500 people of 'normal' rank (that is apprentices, residents, drudges, etc.) will have a firelizard.  PC wise this means, if you're not a journeyman or positioned person please carefully consider where your character would have gotten their firelizard.  One is fine, two if you have a good enough story, more than that will have to be directly sorted out with list staff.  If you want to play a firlizard breeder, that will also be required to be sorted out with list staff.