Pyralspite Dragon

Pyralspite Dragons were released on September 20, 2014, into the Alpine, Coast, and Volcano biomes. There are three varieties, one for each biome, with each one having a different appearance, name and description. The pyrope variety is relatively common, and the almandine and spessartine varieties are quite rare.

They were designed similarly to a character in the webcomic Homestuck.

Egg
"This egg feels like polished stone."

Hatchling
"Aww... It’s a cute baby dragon. It likes garnets, but only certain kinds."

Mature Hatchling
"Aww... It’s a cute baby dragon. It likes garnets, but only certain kinds. And look! It has grown wings! It must be close to maturing."

Adult (Almandine)
"Pyralspite dragons are small, swift dragons that can breathe an intensely hot flame. They get their name from their resemblance to and affinity for garnets of the pyralspite family—they hoard such gems, preferring garnets that match their variant, and can tell the type of garnet from how it tastes. The red-violet variant is referred to as Almandine. Almandine Pyralspites are more aggressive than others of the same breed, and are very witty and love to mock or insult their opponents. They inhabit mountainous areas."

Adult (Pyrope)
"Pyralspite dragons are small, swift dragons that can breathe an intensely hot flame. They get their name from their resemblance to and affinity for garnets of the pyralspite family—they hoard such gems, preferring garnets that match their variant, and can tell the type of garnet from how it tastes. The dark red variant is known as Pyrope. They tend to be fiercely loyal and noble, and have a stronger sense of justice than other Pyralspites. They live primarily in volcanic areas."

Adult (Spessartine)
"Pyralspite dragons are small, swift dragons that can breathe an intensely hot flame. They get their name from their resemblance to and affinity for garnets of the pyralspite family—they hoard such gems, preferring garnets that match their variant, and can tell the type of garnet from how it tastes. The orange variant is called Spessartine. These Pyralspites are more fun-loving and mellow than others, and are optimistic as a whole. Their preferred habitat is coastal areas."

Sprite Artist(s)

 * TheCompleteAnimorph (All)
 * Process (Adults)
 * Fiona BlueFire (Eggs)

Additional Information
This information was written by the concept maker and one of the spriters, TheCompleteAnimorph.

"TheCompleteAnimorph"

- "Pyralspite dragons are on average 4 to 7 feet tall at the shoulder- Spessartines tend to the smaller end of the range, Almandines to the larger, Pyropes tend to the middle. Females tend to be smaller in height, but are more powerful and are usually dominant- though in this species, dominance is not sex-linked, and there are both dominant females and dominant males.

These dragons tend to form close bonds with a single mate, maybe a small harem, and maybe one or two other friends, and do NOT enjoy large 'packs'- they are not good at sharing. They attract mates with their long, patterned tails and displays of fire breathing.

At hatching, they have the solid color of what will be their marking color later in life, which fades as they age. The oldest Pyralspites are purely the lighter under-color, and very sharp, clear markings are desirable, as is more contrast between marking and under-color. Because Almandines and Pyropes have similarly-colored markings, it is difficult to tell their hatchlings apart.

Pyralspites usually live high on cliffs in shallow alcoves, with just enough space to keep their gems safe in the back. They are mostly carnivorous but will opportunistically take fruit, and Almandines and Pyropes usually divebomb large prey at high speed from a high altitude. Spessartines often consume large amounts of fish, which they scoop up from the water's surface, rather than striking large prey.

Their wings are extremely powerful, both long and broad, and Pyralspites are rather agile in the air. The spines on their backs and their exceptionally hot fire breath are mostly a deterrent for any larger dragons or creatures that might try to prey on them. They also will use the spade on their tail as a stabbing weapon in a fight. They are more likely to take their gems and move than fight over territory, but if provoked enough while being chased out, will attempt to get rid of the aggressor with lethal force.

Pyralspites are somewhat neglectful parents, known to shove their own gemlike eggs into their garnet hoards and forget about them, and their eggs are very hardy and the hatchlings already fairly independent as a result. Hatchlings are allowed to share their parent's alcove until they can hunt on their own, at which point they most often leave willingly."

TheCompleteAnimorph also made a free-to-use set of avatars of the three varieties of Pyralspite, available in the news topic for the release.