Time to answer your burning questions about dragons!

About the Author

What was your inspiration to start writing this series? ?~ Cristy Hulsz

I blame my kids. Serious, it is their fault. Way back when, we were having pizza at the local pizza buffet, talking about stories and what I might write in the future. One of them started down the rabbit trail of ‘What if there were dragons?’ which led to a discussion of how they would live with people, the governance structure, the kinds of dragons there might be… Suffice to say, we followed that shiny bunny into what became Jane Austen’s Dragons. You can read more of the story here.

My husband and kids are great sources for ideas that I would not have come up with on my own. Lady Russel was entirely my husband’s notion and most of the reason those two books got written!

If you could create your own Dragon Friend, what type of dragon would you choose and why?` Jessi Lowery

If you had to choose one of your many dragons to befriend in real life, which one would it be?~Diana

Well, we have a polydactyl cat who I’m pretty sure is a tatzelwurm, so there’s that. But I’d probably find myself with a cockatrix rather like Cait, I’m afraid.

How much of your dragon info is based on historical lore and how much is purely your imagination? Robin Gabriel

I have leaned on dragon mythology for many story inspirations. The Mordiford Dragon, the Lambton Wyrm, Dewi the Welsh Dragon, Uther Pendragon, and the dragon of Loschey Hill, all inspired aspects of Jane Austen’s Dragons. (If you want to read more about the actual myths I’ve used, click HERE.)

I have also turned to mostly European dragon mythology in establishing dragon species and abilities. For the most part, the existing myths are my starting point and I liberally add my own creativity from there.

I also rely on the natural history of real-life animals for inspiration. The azure striped forest wyrms developed out of a research rabbit hole on poisonous and venomous reptiles/amphibians.

About Future Books

Will Northanger Abbey be making an appearance in the future of the Blue order????~ Benjamin Fife

Are the Dashwood girls ever going to meet the dragons?~ Judi Maxson

I’d like to see the Dashwood ladies make an appearance. Can’t decide whether Mrs. Jennings would be a Hearer or dragon-deaf; she might drive dragons mad! ~ Maureen

As of right now I’ve got a plot in mind for each of Austen’s novels, except Emma, which I continue to wrestle with. Exactly where those will fall in the series, I’m not positive yet. I know that there will be at least two more books before I’m able to start tackling those, at the earliest.

As for Mrs. Jennings, with her love of gossip, she sounds like a fairy dragon Friend to me.

Will you be updating the Blue Order Dragon Index to reflect some of the additions (e.g., May, Corn & Wall, the quartet of forest wyrms introduced in Beyond the Pale)? ~ Maureen

Yes! If you don’t subscribe to the newsletter yet, here’s the link to do that. Click HERE. I’ll release the new index to the newsletter subscribers shortly after the book is released.

About the Dragons

How do you assign which kind of dragon to your characters?~ Robin Gabriel

How do you choose who becomes a Dragon friend?` Isabelle Leung

Dragon hearing is a genetic trait that runs along family lines. So characters with dragon-hearers in their family line are more likely to hear dragons.  Land owners are more likely to be dragon hearers than the average person because much of the land belongs to the major dragons and those who hold dragon estates must hear dragons.

The assignment of dragons to characters relates to (1) whether or not that character is the holder of an estate or their spouse. Only land holders are connected to major dragons. (2) The population distribution of the dragons themselves. Firedrakes and amphitheres are the least common major dragons, wyverns and wyrms are the most common.

Fairy dragons are the most common minor dragon. Minor wyrms are the next most common, but they do not make good Friends. Minor drakes and tatzelwurms are the next most common dragon Friends.

I also try to take into consideration the kind of territory available when assigning major dragons. With minor dragons I consider the lifestyle of the individual involved and what opportunity they would have to meet a minor dragon, as well as how their life would appeal (or not) to a particular kind of minor dragon Friend.

Okay — why are so many dragons ill-tempered? Do they REALLY think humans are stupid? If they’re so stupid, how is it most of the keepers seem to do a good job “Keeeping” while managing an estate? Asking for a friend. ~Jack

For the most part, it is the major dragons who have a reputation for being ill-tempered.

From their perspective, they put up with a very great deal, giving up a great deal of freedom living under the Pendragon Accords. As apex predators, they see how they are physically more powerful than the humans around them, at least in the sense of one-on-one combat, and chafe at restraining their instincts in deference to Blue Order Law.

Many Keepers manage the land effectively, but fail to adequately attend to the estate dragon’s needs, or even to meet minimum requirements of the estate charters. So not only are these dragons having to restrain their instincts, but they are not even getting what they have been promised. So they’ve got some solid reasons to be grumpy. They really have to put up with a lot.

You often write about the, er, aroma of some dragons as unpleasant. Are the dragon-deaf scent-sitive to these smells? Pun intended. ~Diana

If the dragon-deaf notice these scents enough that their attention is drawn to figuring out where they are coming from, dragons can persuade people either that the scent is coming from something altogether unrelated to the dragon in question, or that the scent really is not bothering them, or that they do not notice it at all. Dragon persuasion is handy that way.

Why didn’t the shepherding drake at Kellynch know that Kellynch was no longer hibernating. Can a major dragon persuade a minor dragon? ~Diana

No, dragons cannot really persuade other dragons. Persuasion relies upon the fact that dragon voices are outside the hearing range of most human beings, but people are able to understand their meaning at an unconscious level. Since dragons can hear other dragons, they cannot use draconic persuasion with one another.

Kellynch simply knew how to fool Shelby into believing he was still hibernation.

Why does Cait put up with Lady Catherine? ~Diana

They are very similar creatures, and while they bicker a great deal, there is mutual respect and admiration. They ‘get’ each other.

What are the life expectancies of the various dragons – does it vary by size? type? ~ Maureen

The largest dragons, the firedrakes are the longest lived, with a life expectancy of 500 years or so. The smallest major dragons, wyverns and wyrms may live 200-300 years.

The smallest, the fairy dragons, are the shortest lived with a life expectancy in the range of 50 years. Minor wyrms are similarly lived. Cockatrice and small drakes often live 100-150 years.

Do dragons ever bond or marry with other dragons that are not their level of dragon? Do dragons marry within their kind of dragon? ~Kathy Buxton

Dragons do not marry. They do take mates, and some mate for life. Some that mate for life also live with their mates, some do not. Minor wryms are known for their pair bonds and traveling in pairs. Amphitheres mate for life but do not live with their mates for long periods of time.

Fairy dragons, for whom males are outnumbered 3 to 1 by females, live in harems with a single male and three to five females. Cockatrice (males) outnumber Cockatrix (females) 3 to 1. Cockatrice/trix are solitary creatures who do not live in groups. Females are very selective about their mates. Once settling on a superior male, the female may choose the same one over and over. Alternately she may select a different one each time she mates, even driving them to fight amongst themselves for the priviedge of her company.

Dragons can form friendships with other dragons of different types and may share territory with those dragons. Minor dragons that live together in a household with their Friends are an example. Territory instincts of major dragons generally prevent them from sharing territory with another major dragon, especially if that dragon is not their mate.

Cross-species mating does not generally occur in dragons.

A question that’s always plagued me is besides dragon deaf who find out about dragons. Are there any dragon deaf who become dragon friends without knowing.~ Jon Dawson

Yes, that is essentially what happened with Rumblkins and Mrs. Hill at Longbourn. They are definitely Friends, but she has no idea her cat is a dragon (tatzelwurm).

Rumblkins is not the brightest of creatures. Laconia is exceptionally smart. Granted that there is a spectrum of intelligence across all creatures, is it possible that Laconia developed his abilities from hanging around Wentworth who is no intellectual slouch and Rumblekins, who didn’t hang around warm bloods much until he met Elizabeth, didn’t have much chance to develop his? ~Diana

There is certainly both nature and nurture at work in tatzelwurm intelligence.

About the Blue Order

How long did it take Arthur, Dewi et al. to draft the Accords? (I assume it took years.) Do they get updated, amended or added to very often?~ Maureen

The initial treaty was put together fairly quickly. It sketches out the general terms of peace between men and dragons and the formation of the Blue Order. The Accords go into much greater depth and took years to hammer out.

Dragons are very reluctant to amend the Accords for fear that touching them will break and already faulty system even more. Major dragons in particular largely feel they have given up more that the warm-bloods in the Accords and do not want to risk losing even more. Minor dragons though are largely unprotected by the Accords and unrepresented in the Blue Order. They would welcome changes to make them a part, but it may be a challenge to make that happen.

Is Lady Elizabeth Darcy not considered a member of the Blue Order *Council?* Why is she left out of so much of the governance? ~ Rachel

The Blue Order Council is the highest governing body of the Blue Order. Led by the Chancellor, the Secretary and the Minister of the Court (humans and dragons) make up the Council. The Chancellor has some latitude to act independently, but for the most part, it is the Council that makes the highest level of decisions. The other Blue Order officers are not members of the council. They are responsible for specific areas of governance within the Order, but not executive decision making.

Advisory committees may be formed as necessary, but the decision-making power resides, in most cases, with the Council.

Some issues, as set forth in the Accords must be decided by a vote of the Dragon Conclave, which consists of all the major dragons of England who are present at any particular conclave meeting.

A question I have is what happens if a dragon hates her keeper or keeper abuses her dragon what steps can conclave take ?~ Nikita Sridhar

Can a dragon change its Keepers? ~ Nikita Sridhar

If there is serious conflict between dragon and Keeper, the dragon can file a complaint with the Blue Order who will investigate. If terms of the charter are not being met, the Order can assign a steward to the estate to protect the dragon’s interests.

If a dragon is abused, or serious violations of Blue Order law are found, the Order can remove the Keeper from the estate and replace the Keeper with a more acceptable candidate. The exact terms of the removal depend on the nature of the Keeper’s transgressions.

If a dragon is abused, or serious violations of Blue Order law are found, the Order can remove the Keeper from the estate and replace the Keeper with a more acceptable candidate. The exact terms of the removal depend on the nature of the Keeper’s transgressions. This is a very serious move though, not an option that is casually invoked.

That being said, Keeping an unhappy dragon is not a pleasant experience, so most Keepers try, at least, to maintain civil working relationship with the dragon that owns their lands.

So with Cownt Matlock as Grand Dug does that now make him higher ranking than Cornwall? What’s Cornwall’s reaction (or do we see this in the new book?) ~Megan

Cownt Matlock ranks below all the Dug/Duges of the kingdom. But, he is Chancellor of the Order along with his Keeper Lord (Earl) Matlock. In ordinary times, this disparity between his actual rank and his authority is not a problem. But with the recent unrest, there has been a strong potential for higher ranking dragons to challenge his authority over the Blue Order. In order to prevent this, Matlock was elevated to Grand Dug, a largely administrative title which give him administrative authority over all but the Brenin himself. Dug Cornwall, so far has not been inconvenienced by this change, so has not reacted to it. Like his Keeper, he is far more concerned with his own pursuits than the administration of the Kingdom. At the point when Matlock interferes with that, it is likely that Cornwall will object vociferously to Matlock’s elevation in rank.

As an aside here, it is the firedrakes, who make up all the dug/duges ranks and most of the cownt/cowntess ranks, who are most benefited by the Blue Order. As the largest dragons, they need the most territory, and they have the most difficult time remaining unseen/unnoticed by the human population. As such, prior to the Pendragon Accords, they were the most likely to be hunted down and killed by terrified mobs who would have likely driven them to extinction. The peace and structure of the Blue Order has permitted them to continue their existence, even if in a restricted sort of way. So they are the most committed to the Blue Order and its laws. So, even if Dug Cornwall were to challenge Matlock’s authority, most, if not all the other firedrakes would side with Matlock, understanding the damage Cornwall could do to the Order and their way of life.

About the Books

What happened at Lizzy’s Cotillion? Stated that she only got asked to dance one time due to Bennet stating Lizzy was to marry Collins but was there more? (seems like it based off the dragon tea party)~Megan Bettag

It was a pretty awful experience for her. Her father ‘economized’ on everything. He rented a dress she hated and did not fit her properly. The dance master only taught the minuet and nothing else, so she did not know most of the dances. Her father made it well known she was already intended for the heir to the estate, so there were few young men interested in meeting her. The other girls at the Cotillion made fun of her dress, her dance and her manners, making her rather miserable and seeking the companionship of the dragons there, which only made things worse. She did greet all the dragons perfectly, which impressed the dragons, but only made matters worse with the other young people at the dance.

Will we ever find out more about the history of the poison-warded maps at Netherfield Park?

• Did Longbourn himself provide the venom?
• Was the map-making-master-of-Netherfield paying him off with smuggled salt?
• Was the original Netherfield dragon involved? Didn’t he emigrate to France more than 100 years ago?
• Was the map-chest warded partly because it contained details of the myriad of unknown/uncharted English Dragon-Tunnels?
• Does the uncharted tunnel system exist for secret dragon-reasons?~ Rachel

What (if any) was Longbourn’s involvement with the wyvern poison in the map room at Netherfield?~Megan

I’m not sure when of if we’re going to get back to those poisoned chests at Netherfield. So I hesitate to say too much because these stories have a funny way of wrapping back to earlier events. I will answer a few though. The poison was Longbourn’s. The original Netherfield dragon was involved and he did go to France sometime during the 1700s. The chest was warded with venom because of the maps of dragon tunnels.

Did Sir Walter lose his title, or just his estate? ~ Rachel

Because of his transgressions against Kellynch, Sir Walter lost his estate and with it his source of income. The widely circulated story was that his estate was seized by debt collectors and sold in payment of his debts. The legal removal of a title is complex and difficult to accomplish.

Is Elizabeth Elliot still unmarried? ~ Rachel

Having lost her dowry with her father’s debts, Elizabeth Elliot remains (as of book 8) unmarried.

Did Sir Walter Elliot end up married to Mrs. Clay, or did he desert her when he lost his estate?

Despite what she told Sir Walter, she was not with child and when he lost his estate, she decided he his title alone was not enough to win her affections, so she left.

In Dragons Beyond the Pale it reads “How few knew what the encounters with that particular angry dragon had actually cost her” (Elizabeth) – besides court in Bath – were there other encounters? ~Megan

Elizabeth had dealt with several angry dragons. Cornwall was the encounter in Bath. He was angry of Kellynch’s theft of what he considered his hoard. Netherfield (before he became Netherford) had been angry when he took her captive while trying to protect himself from Wickham and other perceived dangers to himself. Then there was Longbourn who was angry about her refusal to follow the agreement he had with her father about becoming the next Keeper at Longbourn by marrying Mr. Collins.

And last but not least:

Here’s one I’ve wondered for a long time: How did White meet the Crofts and decide to become their Friend? Unless the Admiral’s crew was 100% hearing, it would have been difficult at sea. I’ve a couple of scenarios floating around, but wonder what the true story is. ~Diana

 Why did Mr. Bennet marry a dragon-deaf woman? (I don’t remember; but I think it was not an arranged marriage)~ Pat Floss

Both of these are far to interesting to answer in a few lines, so watch this space for the next couple of weeks for “The Benefits of Sea-Bathing” and “Worth her Salt”, short stories which will answer these two delightful questions.

Has this answered all your burning questions, or are there more? Leave them in the comments below and I’ll come by and make sure they’re answered!