Dragon Rider
Dragon riders are people trained to ride and care for dragons. They are used as guards-for-hire for those crossing the Badlands.
Career
Qualifications
Dragon riders train for years, often from their pre-teen years. This is because of the mercurial nature of the dragons. Dragon riders must be able and willing to adjust to the very individual personalities of their dragons.
Only about 0.01% of the population is a dragon rider. It is a high-risk job with physical, emotional and psychological demands.
Career Progression
After years of learning about the nature, biology and history of dragons, dragon rider apprentices move on to direct care of the animals. They are the physical laborers for the dragon nurseries, caring for expectant females and young, from newborns through weaning.
Once a rider has been recognized for their work in the nurseries, they move on to training weanling dragons. This is arduous work. Since dragons are genetically modified from large housecats, they are not prone to being trained easily. It can be done, but it requires dedication, consistancy, and flexibility to account for the dragon's personality.
If a dragon rider apprentice can successfully train a weanling by themselves, they are promoted to fostered rider. This means they are allowed to ride animals who have become riderless, due to accidents, neglect by the rider, or even retirement by the rider. Fostered riders generally transport small packages and run messages around The City or to nearby Colonial settlements.
After a few years of this, the rider earns enough flight credits to earn a dragon. Thus begins the process of finding a dragon and initiating a bonding. Once bonded, a dragon rider may take on independent contracts.
Payment & Reimbursement
Dragon riders earn both flight credits and "drops." Flight credits are calculated by an equation that accounts for time, distance, load, risk to rider and dragon, and responsibility of others' lives.
Other Benefits
Dragon riders get to travel a lot, they have a fairly isolated job, and the bond they have with their dragons is often as loving as to a pet. It is a popular choice for interverted people and those who experience sensory overload in the bustle of the City.
Perception
Social Status
Dragon riders are respected but seen as rough and anti-social.
Operations
Provided Services
Guards-for-hire while crossing the Badlands is the most well-known service dragon riders provide. However, most dragon riders spend much of their time relaying messages across the City and to Colonial settlements.
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