Blue dragons were the most subordinate males of the dragon species. Though they were the smallest male dragons, they were sometimes described as the «workhorses» of the species.
Characteristics[]
Blue dragons ranged from 35 to 45 feet in length and could be any color blue. They made up around 30% of the overall dragon population, with only greens being more numerous. Blue dragons were slightly less agile than greens, but they had more stamina and were able to last an entire threadfall. Blue dragons were also the fastest straight-line fliers of the dragons. Blue dragons typically impressed bisexual or homosexual men, with heterosexual men being less common. In rare instances, blues could also impress homosexual women, as seen when blue Tazith impressed Xhinna.
Blue dragons typically only mated with greens, as they lacked the stamina to pursue the large queens. Because greens were usually sterile, mating flights usually only served to help satisfy a blue's sexual urges and maintain a healthy Weyr. In extremely rare circumstances where a green dragon was fertile, blues could sire a clutch. This was taken advantage of following the Dragon Plague at the end of the Second Interval to quickly repopulate the dragons.
Role in the Weyr[]
Blue riders normally were in subordinate positions in the Weyr. Experienced blue riders could occasionally serve as Weyrlingmaster, but otherwise they were not seen in leadership positions. Blue riders were assigned to fighting wings upon maturity and served to help fight Thread. Blue dragons would often perform sentry duty, patrol, Search, or other tasks as assigned by their Wingleader. Mating flights with green dragons helped to satisfy the blue dragons' urges and promote a healthy Weyr.
In the Ninth Pass, blue riders would sometimes carry messages and packages from holds and crafts for a fee. They were typically more expensive to use than other methods, and thus many smaller areas still made use of Runners.