Dragonewt Eggs from Meirion Hopkins on 2000-03-23 (Glorantha Digest Vol 07)

From: Meirion Hopkins <Meirion_at_ukgateway.net>
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 2000 23:16:38 -0000

> Joerg
> Which leads me to: what are dragonewt eggs like? Do they have a hard,
> chalky shell, or are they soft tissue, more like newts' eggs, which can be
> opened without being broken?
>
> When a 'newt hatches, what happens to/in the egg?

I had always assumed that the eggs remained within their home nest awaiting the return of the soul of the dragonewt for its next rebirth. This was why the losses sustained in the run-up to the Dragonkill War were so devastating. A 'newt which died and had no egg to return to was lost forever.

Having just checked, these two points are covered in the RQ3 Glorantha Book (p24): the eggs are leathery and remain intact after each birth. Since the 'newt emerges as an intact adult they are probably quite large (but since that would be logical they could equally be relatively small).

> Would it be correct to say that the individual 'newt only is the mobile
> manifestation of the developing egg, much like a dream dragon?

I can't say whether its true or not but it's such a weird idea it ought to be!

The egg could start off relatively large, containing most of the essence of the dragon. Through the evolution of the individual towards draconic perfection more and more of this essence would be transferred to the 'newt and so the egg would shrink. With the final transformation of a full priest/ruler into a true dragon the last vestige of the egg disappears.

> Peter:
> >The Ralian 'newts have no inhuman king so it is difficult to see how
> >they might reproduce. I assume it's related to their former human
> >ancestry (they were originally reptile hsunchen) and so captive
> >humans might be necessary for successful reproduction (even if
> >only as an unwilling host).
>
> Joerg
> The Ralian 'newts were immigrants from Saird, 2nd Council mercenaries
> paid in land. While it is possible that some of the reptile Hsunchen got
> assimilated, Broken Council suggests that the Ralian reptile Hsunchen
> stepped in for the 'newts when the Council broke apart.
>
> As for the necessary fifth sex - maybe a true dragon might replace a
> dragonet in this function?

A true dragon would not require the assistance of 'newts to produce eggs: another dragon might be required, but who knows?

The Ralian 'newts may have brought their eggs with them from their home nests when they relocated. If this is true, then without an Inhuman King they may have no means of reproduction.

Meirion