An Insurgence of Dragons is a fan and roleplaying group based around the Temeraire novels by Naomi Novik. The Temeraire novels primarily follow the adventures of the dragon Temeraire and his captain, William Laurence, during a re-imagined Napoleonic War setting during the 1800s. In the Temeraire series, not only does each country have an Army and a Navy, but each also possesses an Aerial Corps. In this way, the tide of the Napoleonic Wars takes an interesting new perspective of aerial tactics and combat aboard dragonback. Dragons in this novel series are fully intelligent, thinking creatures, able to speak and communicate their thoughts. From birth, dragons choose a handler or their "Captain" - and henceforth, for the rest of their lives, Dragon and Captain are bonded, come what may. The larger dragons often have crews who help "man" them with rifles and bombs, like flying airships. You can find the novels of Temeraire and his adventures with his Captain Laurence on the "Temmy Resources" page. 

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Set in the same universe (i.e. a re-imagining of history with dragons) is the An Insurgence of Dragons group. An Insurgence of Dragons is a re-imagining of the American Revolution if dragons existed and were part of the Continental, British, French/Spanish, and Native American forces. The current year of the war is 1776, and time passes in the group each year parallel to that in the past. (So, if the current date is April 20, 2019, then it is April 20, 1776 in the universe of IoD). The setting is Colonial America embroiled in the bitter trenches of war for liberty and right to freedom, and players are welcome to join any one of the four major factions of the war: The Patriots (Continental Aerial Corps), the British/Loyalists, The Franco-Spanish Alliance, or the Native American Tribespeople (Cherokee/Iriquois Confederacy). 

 

Although it is highly recommended that you read at least half of the first book in the Temeraire series, "His Majesty's Dragon", before making a character for "An Insurgence of Dragons", it is not necessary. You will get more enjoyment out of the group by having read more of the series, but summaries of each book exist on Wikipedia if you wish to quickly understand the general story.

 

Vocabulary unique to the "Temeraire" universe that will be used in the group is as follows: 

dragonet - a baby/hatchling dragon. Dragons typically mature in 7 months to 1 year and reach full growth at maturity. Dragonets hatch speaking language, as they learn language in the shell. 

harness - a leather body fitting put over a dragon that allows humans to latch onto the dragon using carabiner straps. A captain and dragonet are considered bonded when the dragonet willingly allows a human to put a harness on them. 

leftenant - an archaic British pronounciation of "lieutenant". Considered the "second-in-command" to a Captain in the crew. 

covert - A fortress and grounds used for housing, training and maintaining Captain-dragon pairs. 

breeding grounds - a large stretch of land used for housing unharnessed/Captainless dragons in Western territories, usually populated by forests, a river, and caves.

ranks - Crew ranks include: cadet, ensign (signal ensign, lookout ensign), midwingmen (bellman, bombman, rifleman), and leftenant. Other parts of a dragon crew include harness masters and surgeons. Senior ranks include captain, senior captain, commodore, and admiral. 

aviator - Any person who works and flies with dragons - this includes crew members and captains. It is the general word for people in the aerial forces, similar to "soldier" describing those in the army and "sailor" describing those in the navies. 

crew member - A non-Captain who works in a dragon's crew. See examples of crew member ranks in the FAQ page!

Captain - a Captain in the Temeraire Universe and IoD is a name for a person bonded to a dragon. In the European armies, this person is given the rank of "Captain". Captains typically are listed as "Captain William Laurence on Temeraire" where "Laurence" is the name of the captain and "Temeraire" is the name of the dragon. 
 

lightweight - the smallest class of dragons, weighing from 2-9 tons. (One ton = 2,000 pounds = ~907 kg). The smallest lightweights are generally around the size of Asian elephants. These dragons usually have higher agility and flight speed, but little strength. They can typically carry 1-3 people with relative ease, and can carry up to 7 people under strain. Lightweights are typically used as couriers or light combat dragons. Lightweight dragons do not have crews.
 

middleweight - the main fighting class of dragons, weighing from 10-18 tons. Most dragons are middleweight, with average agility and strength. They can typically carry 10-20 people, and can carry up to 100 people under strain. In IoD, middleweights are allowed up to 3 people per crew. 
 

heavyweight - The largest class of dragons, ranging from 18 - 35+ tons depending on the breed. (They can be up to 50 tons, though this weight has been recorded by only the most gargantuan Regan Coppers). They are the strongest of dragons, able to bowl through the ranks of middleweights and lightweights like a cat through a flock of pigeons, though typically have the least maneuverability in the air and slowest flight speed. They typically carry 20-30 people or more, and can carry over 200 people under strain. In IoD, heavyweights are allowed up to 7 people per crew.

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SIZE CHART PROVIDED BY J-HASKELL