Fast Facts

Speed	Subtract 50% from travel time.
Size	20-25 feet long, 5-7 feet high at the shoulder, 20 foot wingspan, 200-250 pounds.
Carrying Capacity	Can carry up to twice their weight, in addition to their regular rider.
Mount Type	Dragonling
Associated Dragon	Drathaidir

Appearance

Gaithir are considered beautiful by most, with sleek white and gold scales. They also have white and gold feathers on their wings, chest, neck, and legs. Their tail ends in a long gold spike with a feathered quil. Their tops of their heads are a hardened silvery color, and their jaws have more feathers on the bottom.

Lifespan and Development

Gaithir hatch from large eggs made out of gold. These eggs are soft-shelled and very fragile, and as such are usually disguised, hidden among decoy eggs or buried in treasure. None of this is a necessity for the Gaithir to hatch, however. After hatching, Gaithir reach majority in three years and can live for up to two centuries. In their last few years of life, their scales began to dull and lose their color, and the Gaithir are prone to depression, especially if they feel neglected.

Abilities

Gaithir are not a particularly powerful Dragonling and lack much of the raw offensive or defensive power of their kin. Even their hide is comparitively soft. However, they have two abilities to help make up for this. The first is that their feathers can catch, magnify and relfect the light around them, letting them blind opponents with them. The second is their breath, a quickly cooling gold that can encase someone if caught in it. While this isn't hard to break out of, even for the encased person, it will generally hold them long enough for the Gaithir either escape or gain the advantage. Finally, one thing that isn't a combat ability but is noticeable is that Gaithir aren't built to be ridden in the traditional way one rides a mount. Owing to their low slung and long body, they are actually built to be lounged or laid on, rather than sat upon. This generally leads their riders to employ some unique saddle designs that take advantage of this.

Temperament

Gaithir are cheerful, affectionate, and vain. They know that they are considered beautiful by most and love to show off, but despite this, they are not particularly arrogant nor mean-spirited. They are as like to draw others into their showing off to show them off as well, and they can be downright playful. They get along well with most people and are even relatively good with kids. They do, however, hate to get muddy or dirty and will get pushy about a bath if they feel they are insufficiently clean.