Daggerfly, Insect Mount
Daggerflies (Volinech(a) in Nolrin) are huge dragonfly-like creatures domesticated by the people of the Splintered Lands region. These creatures are utilized as a vehicle for air transportation and trading goods throughout the many countries here.
Daggerflies are trained to fly with additional carrying weight from the moment they turn one year old. As they train, the additional weight increases every month. Once they are able to handle the weight, a humanoid will ride and train it, typically done by a halfling or smaller child. After a few months to a year of riding with a trainer, they are considered ready for use of a courser, the professional name for a Daggerfly rider.
Transportation Information
Younger Daggerflies complete short-distance travel and package delivery, typically between close cities. When Daggerflies reach around 6 years of age they grow large enough to deliver heavier packages within shorter distances and lighter packages within long distances. From this point onwards the Daggerfly no longer grows larger but will become accustomed to carrying heavier weights as time progresses. The time it takes to become capable of carry heavier weights varies from Daggerfly to Daggerfly. In one day a Daggerfly can travel up to 50 miles (~80 kilometers), but requires rest at least twice in that time frame. The average Daggerfly can also carry around 700 lbs (~318kg) while retaining its optimal flight speed and maneuverability. Broadflies, a subspecies of Daggerfly, have larger thoraxes allowing larger cargo to be transported. Using a Broadfly to transport goods is very expensive as they require extensive upkeep and two skilled coursers to operate safely. Due to this, Broadflies are a form of transportation used only by the extremely wealthy and governments within the Splintered Lands. Warfare Information
A relatively newly bred subspecies of Daggerfly called Boltflies, do not grow larger than to allow a single courser to mount it. Their bladed tails are significantly longer than their Daggerfly counterparts. They are notoriously difficult to breed and train as they have an expanded diet which includes land based animals such as humanoids. Boltflies were bred for warfare and combat and require special training. The trainers are known as Bolt coursers, who are part of the respective kingdoms military. Bolt coursers are incredibly effective in battle and are often equipped with destructive tools such as fire magic or harmful gasses that are dropped on enemies. Domesticated Behavior
Daggerflies and their subspecies all form incredibly strong bonds with their courser. This is thought to be due to their wild instinct to hunt in pairs, seeing their courser as their partner. When Daggerflies hunt with their courser it is common for Daggerflies to leave leftovers for their courser. Utilizing proper signaling coursers have found a way to work around this. When Daggerflies grow old they are retired and assist in the training of the next generation of Daggerflies. Courser tradition calls to use Daggerflies from the offspring of their last/favorite partner. Etymology and Cultural Impact
The origin of the name "Daggerfly" is suspected to come from either their dagger-like appearance while flying, or from their bladed tail. The name Volinech (Voli-nesh) translates roughly to Flying (Voli) Knife (Nech) or Flying Blade. The heart formation created by Daggerflies and Dragonflies while mating has been adopted as a symbol of love in the Shattered Lands. Daggerflies have been used as a deterrent for bugs and harmful bug-related diseases. Infections rarely harm people within large cities due to their presence. Daggerflies and Dragonflies are currently seen as a symbol of good health in the Splintered Lands. As a result of the symbolism with Daggerflies and Dragonflies, they have become increasing in popularity and said by some priests to be the aspect of Krach, the figure of worship in the splintered lands. A nation, Aimona, which borders the splintered lands has come to view Daggerflies and Dragonflies as a symbol of death and murder due to the use of Boltflies in combat against them. In this nation Bolt coursers have gotten the derogatory name Murder Bird and the name has started to spread into the Splintered Lands. Biology
Anatomy
As most bugs, the Daggerfly is split into three sections, the head, the thorax (body), and the abdomen (tail) (See Image on Right Sidebar). Daggerflies have 2 sets of wings, fore and hind wings. The Thorax is split into large segments which the males tend to have more of and the females tend to have fewer, but longer segments.The retractable blade on the end of their tail is called the Blade. Appearance
Daggerflies range in a variety of colors, but they all have the same pattern on their thoraxes (body). This pattern can be described as areas of extreme metallic vibrancy and swirling colors which are sectioned off by slightly thick black lines and stripes that reach around the thorax (body). The Abdomen (tail) of a Daggerfly is almost entirely a single vibrant color with a thick black stripe going from the thorax along the top of the tail until it reaches the blade. Diet
Daggerflies are carnivorous, but they tend to only eat other flying creatures like bugs and birds. Coursers and Daggerfly trainers feed domesticated Daggerflies special Bug Bars. Around the Splintered Lands there are many other large insects which are hunted and turned into foods and delicacies such as Bug Bars for use by coursers. Behavior
Daggerflies usually hunt in pairs, a male and female, and are very protective over their partner. To hunt they typically cut off paths to prey and once they are caught the blade is used to ensure the prey is killed before eating. Daggerfly pairs will then split the meal and move onto the next hunt. Wild Daggerflies are territorial and will respect one another’s hunting grounds unless rival Daggerflies think they can best them in combat. Strangely, while used to hunt prey, Daggerflies will not utilize their blade on other Daggerflies. It is suspected they do not use their blade because its primary use with other Daggerflies is mating. Reproduction and Lifecycle
Daggerflies reproduce very similarly to dragonflies on Earth. Their reproductive organs are on the ends of their bladed tail. The offensive capabilities of the blade allow the Daggerfly to protect their reproductive organs and eggs. The way Daggerflies reproduce is by finding their mate and retracting the blade. The Male will then grab the Female on the back of the head to match specific grooves in the front of the thorax. If the female accepts, she will begin to fly and put the end of her abdomen (tail) on the middle of the male’s thorax (body), forming a heart shape. The female's eggs will be ready for deposit in a few weeks. During this time the male is the one who protects and finds the majority of food for the female. When the eggs are ready the female will find a spot near a lake, usually in large dead trees, or in thick mud and hollows out a spot for the eggs to be deposited. During this time it is the male’s job to defend the vulnerable female from predators, and rarely other Daggerflies who wish to take their spot. Between one or two months after the eggs are laid they hatch into a grasshopper-looking creature about 5 inches long. They remain in this phase until they grow about a foot long and enter a cocoon stage. The cocoons develop small bladed edges similar to hundreds of small razors making them very difficult for predators to attack. The cocoon extends to around 2-3ft long and one of the razors on the cocoon grows larger and sharper throughout the next month. Afterwards, the Daggerfly hatches and the large razor becomes the blade on the Daggerfly's abdomen (tail). A few hours after hatching the Daggerfly's wings open and it is able to fly. Over the next six years, the Daggerfly will grow until it reaches adulthood, anywhere between 25 and 35 ft in length. This is also the point when Daggerflies can begin to deliver heavier packages short distances and light ones long distances if they were trained to do so. During adulthood the growth of the Daggerfly slows, but continues until they reach between 35 and 40 ft in length. Some Daggerfly subspecies are known to grow up to 60ft, but they are now labeled as the Broadflies mentioned earlier.
Younger Daggerflies complete short-distance travel and package delivery, typically between close cities. When Daggerflies reach around 6 years of age they grow large enough to deliver heavier packages within shorter distances and lighter packages within long distances. From this point onwards the Daggerfly no longer grows larger but will become accustomed to carrying heavier weights as time progresses. The time it takes to become capable of carry heavier weights varies from Daggerfly to Daggerfly. In one day a Daggerfly can travel up to 50 miles (~80 kilometers), but requires rest at least twice in that time frame. The average Daggerfly can also carry around 700 lbs (~318kg) while retaining its optimal flight speed and maneuverability. Broadflies, a subspecies of Daggerfly, have larger thoraxes allowing larger cargo to be transported. Using a Broadfly to transport goods is very expensive as they require extensive upkeep and two skilled coursers to operate safely. Due to this, Broadflies are a form of transportation used only by the extremely wealthy and governments within the Splintered Lands. Warfare Information
A relatively newly bred subspecies of Daggerfly called Boltflies, do not grow larger than to allow a single courser to mount it. Their bladed tails are significantly longer than their Daggerfly counterparts. They are notoriously difficult to breed and train as they have an expanded diet which includes land based animals such as humanoids. Boltflies were bred for warfare and combat and require special training. The trainers are known as Bolt coursers, who are part of the respective kingdoms military. Bolt coursers are incredibly effective in battle and are often equipped with destructive tools such as fire magic or harmful gasses that are dropped on enemies. Domesticated Behavior
Daggerflies and their subspecies all form incredibly strong bonds with their courser. This is thought to be due to their wild instinct to hunt in pairs, seeing their courser as their partner. When Daggerflies hunt with their courser it is common for Daggerflies to leave leftovers for their courser. Utilizing proper signaling coursers have found a way to work around this. When Daggerflies grow old they are retired and assist in the training of the next generation of Daggerflies. Courser tradition calls to use Daggerflies from the offspring of their last/favorite partner. Etymology and Cultural Impact
The origin of the name "Daggerfly" is suspected to come from either their dagger-like appearance while flying, or from their bladed tail. The name Volinech (Voli-nesh) translates roughly to Flying (Voli) Knife (Nech) or Flying Blade. The heart formation created by Daggerflies and Dragonflies while mating has been adopted as a symbol of love in the Shattered Lands. Daggerflies have been used as a deterrent for bugs and harmful bug-related diseases. Infections rarely harm people within large cities due to their presence. Daggerflies and Dragonflies are currently seen as a symbol of good health in the Splintered Lands. As a result of the symbolism with Daggerflies and Dragonflies, they have become increasing in popularity and said by some priests to be the aspect of Krach, the figure of worship in the splintered lands. A nation, Aimona, which borders the splintered lands has come to view Daggerflies and Dragonflies as a symbol of death and murder due to the use of Boltflies in combat against them. In this nation Bolt coursers have gotten the derogatory name Murder Bird and the name has started to spread into the Splintered Lands. Biology
Anatomy
As most bugs, the Daggerfly is split into three sections, the head, the thorax (body), and the abdomen (tail) (See Image on Right Sidebar). Daggerflies have 2 sets of wings, fore and hind wings. The Thorax is split into large segments which the males tend to have more of and the females tend to have fewer, but longer segments.The retractable blade on the end of their tail is called the Blade. Appearance
Daggerflies range in a variety of colors, but they all have the same pattern on their thoraxes (body). This pattern can be described as areas of extreme metallic vibrancy and swirling colors which are sectioned off by slightly thick black lines and stripes that reach around the thorax (body). The Abdomen (tail) of a Daggerfly is almost entirely a single vibrant color with a thick black stripe going from the thorax along the top of the tail until it reaches the blade. Diet
Daggerflies are carnivorous, but they tend to only eat other flying creatures like bugs and birds. Coursers and Daggerfly trainers feed domesticated Daggerflies special Bug Bars. Around the Splintered Lands there are many other large insects which are hunted and turned into foods and delicacies such as Bug Bars for use by coursers. Behavior
Daggerflies usually hunt in pairs, a male and female, and are very protective over their partner. To hunt they typically cut off paths to prey and once they are caught the blade is used to ensure the prey is killed before eating. Daggerfly pairs will then split the meal and move onto the next hunt. Wild Daggerflies are territorial and will respect one another’s hunting grounds unless rival Daggerflies think they can best them in combat. Strangely, while used to hunt prey, Daggerflies will not utilize their blade on other Daggerflies. It is suspected they do not use their blade because its primary use with other Daggerflies is mating. Reproduction and Lifecycle
Daggerflies reproduce very similarly to dragonflies on Earth. Their reproductive organs are on the ends of their bladed tail. The offensive capabilities of the blade allow the Daggerfly to protect their reproductive organs and eggs. The way Daggerflies reproduce is by finding their mate and retracting the blade. The Male will then grab the Female on the back of the head to match specific grooves in the front of the thorax. If the female accepts, she will begin to fly and put the end of her abdomen (tail) on the middle of the male’s thorax (body), forming a heart shape. The female's eggs will be ready for deposit in a few weeks. During this time the male is the one who protects and finds the majority of food for the female. When the eggs are ready the female will find a spot near a lake, usually in large dead trees, or in thick mud and hollows out a spot for the eggs to be deposited. During this time it is the male’s job to defend the vulnerable female from predators, and rarely other Daggerflies who wish to take their spot. Between one or two months after the eggs are laid they hatch into a grasshopper-looking creature about 5 inches long. They remain in this phase until they grow about a foot long and enter a cocoon stage. The cocoons develop small bladed edges similar to hundreds of small razors making them very difficult for predators to attack. The cocoon extends to around 2-3ft long and one of the razors on the cocoon grows larger and sharper throughout the next month. Afterwards, the Daggerfly hatches and the large razor becomes the blade on the Daggerfly's abdomen (tail). A few hours after hatching the Daggerfly's wings open and it is able to fly. Over the next six years, the Daggerfly will grow until it reaches adulthood, anywhere between 25 and 35 ft in length. This is also the point when Daggerflies can begin to deliver heavier packages short distances and light ones long distances if they were trained to do so. During adulthood the growth of the Daggerfly slows, but continues until they reach between 35 and 40 ft in length. Some Daggerfly subspecies are known to grow up to 60ft, but they are now labeled as the Broadflies mentioned earlier.
Weight: 50-100lbs (~30-45kg)
Length: 30-40ft (~9-12m)
Height: 7-8ft (~2m) (Excluding Wings)
Wing Span: 35-40ft (~11-12m)
Carry Capacity: 400-800lbs (~181-362kg)
Rough Sketch of a Daggerfly wearing its harness and light delivery gear.
Length: 30-40ft (~9-12m)
Height: 7-8ft (~2m) (Excluding Wings)
Wing Span: 35-40ft (~11-12m)
Carry Capacity: 400-800lbs (~181-362kg)
Drawing was great to immediately contextualize what you got in info. Also not very often you seen some tamable insects, and dragon flies no less. Very cool!
Thank you very much! There is much more to come from this world and is my take on a more realistically worldbuilt fantasy world.