In an effort to produce more dragons after her mother's death, Wind Blossom Ping also attempted to use the Eridani equations on dragonet genetic material. However, she did not have the same grasp of genetics as her mother, and the results of her tinkering were not totally successful.
What hatched from the egs she engineered looked like ugly, malformed dragons, and were dubbed “whers.” Their wings were stumpy pinions that looked functional but were not. They were smooth-skinned and colored like dragons, but that was almost the only point of resemblance.
When full-grown, whers weigh between six and eight hundred pounds, about the size of a small, low-slung horse. Their feet are arranged with two claws, and a single pad supports the body weight; in spite of such bad design, they can move with surprising speed.
Whers are Impressable, and they adore their human mates with the same devotion and empathy as dragons do, though their bond is closer to that of a fire-lizard's than a dragon's. They are also very territorial and, if not properly introduced, will kill anyone they believe is invading their home. As a result of Wind Blossom's attempt to smooth out the faceting of the eyes, their eyes have malformed lenses with countless little facets that aim directly back into the fovea like a magnifying glass. Whers are photophobic and have poor focal length, but they are effective guardians at night, able to see even in total darkness. Their sense of smell and hearing are as keen as their night vision. They are not as intelligent as dragons, but they can serve a purpose, and they breed true.
Whers are solitary and antisocial. If a female hatches eggs away from a human habitation, the young return to the wild. They avoid encounters during the day, but they will kill if disturbed at night. Only a few eggs of each laying mature to hatch, as the mothers do not have the dragons' protective instincts over a clutch.
Wher handling, though rare in the Tenth Pass, is considering a facet of the beastcraft, and not part of dragonhealing. Wher handlers can be supported by a hold or may use their skills with nomadic camps - though the latter has far less succes. If a Hold owns a watch-wher, it is trained to identify guards, the Lords and Ladies of the Holds, and the Blooded children.
At Equinox, wher handlers can be made out of interested cavern folk, candidates that have been passed over by dragons at a hatching, or crafters looking for a change in life. Not all who can afford an egg will be sold one by the few traders who invest in whers, and breeding is kept down by trained individuals.
The easiest method to endear a wher hatchling to one is much the same as a lizard or dragon Impression: clear, contented thoughts. Fear is a great danger to a hopeful handler, as wher attacks can end in the use of limbs or involved the loss of a life. Each wherhandler may have a different approach for prospective candidates to use when nearing a wher clutch, though most will suggest low clickings of the tongue or soft chirps. Speaking directly with the queen or green mother of the clutch also may help.
Wher eggs are roughly the same size a dragon eggs, though look more mottled and have a leathery, wrinkled feel to the touch, even when hardened. Like all other draconic eggs, they must be kept warm until time for hatching; this can be accomplished by either the mother wher or heated sands - the latter being much more effective.
At hatching, wherlings must be fed, and are just as voracious as a newly-hatched dragon. Their teeth however, have not yet come in, and a mixing of oats, grain, water, and blood is generally recommended. A wher will not eat more than its fill, so gorging is not a concern for most handlers. The same concoction should be given to a young wherling for the first three months, or until its teeth come in. Even after the wher has graduated to chunks of meat, the mixture of blood and oats is still recommended once a day until the wherling's second, thicker hide has come in.
It is also generally recommended for a handler to blood with his newly-hatched wher, as it strengthens the bond between the two. When part of a Hold or hold, handlers are to oversee the blooding of Lords and heirs, and any other staff that will be involved with the care of the creature. A wher and handler pair may remain in a Hold as long as the Lord may wish, with the handler being given any and all accommodations as asked for. If the handler lives the rest of his life out at the hold, his surviving wher will be taken in permanently as a watch-wher, with its own den and daily meals in return for night watch with little supervision, as all important staff will have already been blooded.
