#Dragon Hunters

[ifideliadaworld-blog]

Self-perception💪🏼🤓

[thewatcher0nthewall]

Big men

[yzegem]

The Dragons:

When dragons arrived to the continent where the main story happens, a great crisis ensued. At that time, the continent was mostly under either direct control or in the sphere of influence of the Sun Empire (provisional and generic name). This empire rules over many ethnicities, religions and cultures in a tense peace held together with complex and pretty ineficient burocracy.

The first effort to kill a dragon made by the empire was a great failure rooted in miscomunication. A dragon landed near one of the northernmost frontier fortresses of the empire and made it's nest inside of the central tower.

Since comunication with this fortress was cut off and the empire had not yet noticed the dragons, it was asumed that the fortress had been invaded. A platoon of soldiers arrived to retake the fortress, hoping to find an invading tribe inside of it, unable to hold a siege.

What they found was a massive dragon mother that had just layed eggs and was very territorial and so the whole platoon of heavy infantry was killed.

News from the dragons kept coming to the capital, myth mixed with reality about how they ate cattle, people and even ships.

Platoon after platoon of imperial soldiers were sent to manage the dragons but they were either unable to track them or all killed uppon contact.

Many rural societies collapsed, and only those that could hide inside city walls were safe.

Soldiers sent to face the dragons usually deserted, and it was clear that the Empire didn't have the necessary tools to face the dragons.

Out of desperation, the empire offered an unusual reward: They would give away land and titles to whoever killed the dragons.

The dragon hunters ended up being the nomadic tribes of the northern steppe of the continent.

They used to live a life of herding, hunting megafauna and raiding southern settlements and were a constant nuisance to the empire.

Many times these tribal confederation tried to conquer the more fertile lands of the empire but were unable to hold any taken territories wich were quickly reconquered by the Empire.

Their territory was greatly affected by dragons and basically became their homeland. Dragons lived in the steppes hunting megafauna and seasonally came to the south to raid cattle.

The slaying of a young dragon.

These tribes were very used to hunting megafauna and knew very well how to track an animal like a dragon and live off the land while they chased it.

They were also very motivated to get the reward and finally hold land and also getting rid of the dragon. These dragon unting groups were usually familial units with a very intuituve and respected hirearchy.

As they killed dragons the balance between these beasts and humans shifted. The hunters became more and more specialized and powerful after claiming the rewards. On the other hands, killing the dragons reduced intraspecies competition so the surviving dragons became very big, smart and weary of humans.

This is how one of these late specialiced hunts would go.

A very large group of hunter would be needed, about 12 hunters per se plus their replacements and squires. Also, a large but mobile caravan. Scouting groups would be ahead while the rest of the caravan follows them at a distance and gathers food and such.

The main strategy is to tire out the dragon until it can't fly off anymore and then try to kill it on the ground.

Here are some specialized types of hunters.

On the left: A grappling lancer. They use these lances with a frail tip, meant to break off after penetrating the skin of the dragon and remain inside the wound. The metalic tip is tied to a strong rope with a net or hooks at the end of it. The hooks are ment to get tangled to the rest of the body, branches or the ground. This way, if the dragon tries to run away, fly off or simply move, it would pull from the wound and be very painful and disorienting. A single one is not going to immobilize the dragon but 10 or 15 might.

On the centre: A blunt unit. These are meant to strike the wings of the dragon with a long mace to break their bones and also carry a blade to lacerate the wing membrane. Since they come very close to the dragon, they are very well covered against its acid.

On the right: A shocker. Their pourpose is to distract the dragon and overwhelm it. Their horse is decorated with bells and colorful feathers. They play horns and wistles and carry hand cannons. (I will talk about the technology of the world in another post) The cannons would be preloaded and they would shoot all of them as quickly as posible, aiming to the eyes or neck. These would not kill the dragon, but they would be painful, bright and noisy. This unit plays a semi-religious role and have the riskiest position since the other ones attack and retreat to prepare for the next attack while the shocker always stays closer to the dragon. They sometimes attack semi or fully nacked since they embrace the danger and death during the hunt is considered very noble.

Archers would also be present but I didn't draw them.

The fatal blow is done with a strong lance and usually reserved to the tribe chieftan.

The religion of these nomadic tribes is polytheistic but the tribes that specialized in hunting dragons shifted to prioritizing their godess of the hunt.

When a dragon is hunted it's skull must be given to imperial officials to prove it was hunted and so that it can be measured since the reward depends on the size and age of the dragon. Carrying the skull back to civilisation is sometimes more dangerous than hunting the dragon since many people would want to steal it.

Once these tribes settled into castles, the dragon skulls are kept in shrines, next to the skulls of those that hunted it. This is because in their religion, they believe thet the beasts their ancestors hunter would guard them in the afterlife. This is also meant to show off the power of these clans.

In the image we can see a dragon skull being used as a shrine for a sacrifice meant to bless a future hunt. On the left there is a statue of the godess of hunt and abundance and on the foreground a simple protective bear statue.

In conclusion, after about a century since they first arrived dragons became extinct and power in the continent shifted fro the centralized power of the emperor to local dragon slaying feudal nobility that coexist with the emperor in a strange balance where the nobles hold most of the military and agricultural power while the lands of the emperor legitimize the noble's power and also dominate in trade and religion.

If you read this all the way thank you and sorry for the chaotic writting. I hope you enjoyed these and ideas and questions are eagerly welcome.

[tesnuzzik]

Came across a meme that made me think of Gwizdo :)

[gracefulserpent1207]

Ninjago Dragons Rising Memes (S1 and 2)

(Spoilers)

[revive-the-fandom]

Compiling some designs for fic purposes.

Berk:

Berserkers:

Outcasts:

Drago:

Hunters:

Flyers:

[kartosh77]

😭

[theantiazdarcho]

The Grand Seastone Dragon

[liebelesbe]

I've always been confused about why nobody ever posts about Dragon Hunters on here when other media about dragons is so popular, so I looked the show up and apparently it's French?? Do Americans not know Dragon Hunters??

Lian-Chu and Gwizdo AND HECTOR. I used to have a little Hector McDonalds toy...

I saw the movie at the cinema and it changed my life!! The floating islands are literally the coolest thing ever!!

[misterrttegrimborn]

Oh yes...they both

(my edit)

[aldersky]

Adult Zoe in her unrealistic fantasy armour because they live in an unrealistic fantasy world

[hermesserpent-stuff]

New idea to obsess over that has no basis in canon whatsoever other than all the dragon hunters have the same character model

So I've mentioned before that i like to headcanon that the dragon hunters keep their wives and kids back on their home island until a certain age and that's why we dont see anyone the dragon riders age in their ranks.

Im going to go a step further.

What if in Viggo's tribe, premature babies (or runts like they call hiccup) are revered when they survive? What if they are seen as sort of magic/sorcerers that were Seiðr practitioners? able to speak more easily to the gods and use manipulative and divination magic and trained up in those skills.

all that to say, they are highly respected in the hunter community and I'm obsessed with the idea that if they met Hiccup earlier or if Hiccup ended up on the hunter island for a bit there would be some awe and respect there.

They think hes able to bond with dragons due to that magic.

idk just something fun, feel free to run with it!

[thewatcher0nthewall]

Drago Bludvist

Httyd fandom seems to be alive again, and i'm really happy to see this happening 🙏🏼

[cherryblossom-arts]

Shit, I'm not good at making scenarios, so it's just going to be like this...a white background.

I prefer to imagine him as a cat, but I felt like drawing him as a squirrel, I already have an idea of what he would look like if he were a cat.

[tesnuzzik]

Something about faeries and contracts (au stuff)

[noctusfury]

The Use of Dragonskins (HTTYD/RTTE)

Hello, my fellow Furians! Welcome to another article! Today, we'll be talking about dragonskins and their usage.

In the HTTYD books, dragonskins are used to make fireproof items and are even commonly used to make fireproof suits. It's also meant to be worn as a type of body armor. Either it can refute arrows or cuts, or it was used to defend against dragon fire (since in this world, Vikings used dragons as hunting companions and steeds of war like how one uses horses and dogs). According to "How To Twist A Dragon's Tale", the Lava-Lout Tribe were particularly famous and distinctive for always wearing dragonskin suits to protect them from fire and heat, since they live on a volcanic island.

In the TV series, it's quite different. There are no scenes that provide evidence that dragonskin have anti-fire properties. At best, Eruptadon saliva does that. While Buffalord saliva is the only known cure for Odin's Scourge. However, it's also true that there hasn't been any evidence AGAINST the dragonskins used by the Dragon Hunters and Flyers having anti-fire properties. Considering their occupations, it's logical to assume that the dragonskins they wear provide some if not complete protection against fire.

Interestingly, though, in the last two films, HTTYD 2 and HTTYD 3, there are clear signs of dragon scales and dragonskins being used as direct fire protection agents.

Also, the dragonskin gear that Dragon Hunters and Flyers wear must have anti-dragon protection since they keep returning in following episodes like Stormtroopers. Though that could just be your typical DreamWorks Dragons cloning technique. 😂

That being said, though, it kinda defeats the purpose of fire protection if most of your skin and flammable clothes are exposed to flame. 😂

However, unlike in the books, in the TV series (and in the films), dragonskins also have another purpose: a statement of status and fashion.

Aside from the fact that they look aesthetically pleasing to wear, it's also a show of one's prowess and status as a man and as a warrior. As Hiccup had even said in the first film:

"Killing dragons is everything around here. A Nadder head is sure to get me at least noticed. Gronckles are tough. Taking down one of those would definitely get me a girlfriend. A Zippleback? Exotic. Two heads, twice the status. Then, there's the Monstrous Nightmare. Only the best Vikings go after those."

As such, in Archipelagoan society, even if we discount differences between the Inner Isles and the rest of the Archipelago, there is a hierarchy or meritocracy that is based on what dragons you kill, and how many of them. And it's also based on how difficult these dragons are to kill. Speaking of which, Mildew was mentioned to have been an excellent dragon slayer in his younger days.

In fact, the "Deadly Dozen" who pursue and hunt the Gang in S5's "Dawn of Destruction" and the two-part "Wings of War" episodes are all wearing dragonskins from these dragons, signifying their status and prowess as elites.

Hiccup goes on to saying this:

"No one has ever killed a Night Fury. That's why I'm going to be the first."

Night Furies were considered by many to be the ultimate prey — the coveted prize to fame, glory, and fortune. While no one on Berk had ever seen a Night Fury let alone slain one, Hiccup was desperate to kill one in order to be accepted as a Viking like the rest of his community. (Only for him to wimp out in the end and become friends with one. lol 😂😉) Had he gone through with it, he would've had a luxurious dragonskin that would've boosted his status among the many famous Viking heroes in Archipelago and Berkian history.

Interestingly, in HTTYD 3, Grimmel, the villain, and a contrasting portrayal of what Hiccup could've become, says this:

"When I was a boy and I came up on a Night Fury, I killed it where it slept. That simple act of courage made me a hero in my village."

Strangely though, he doesn't wear anything to show his prowess or achievements. For somebody who boasts about having practically slain every Night Fury in existence (a declaration that I doubt in itself since it's technically impossible in this era), he doesn't wear anything to represent that, like a Night Fury dragonskin cloak, or outfit, or Night Fury claws or teeth. Nothing. Just... boring old leather. 🙄

However, it's different with Drago from HTTYD 2. As you can see from the picture below, he's wearing a cloak of dragonskin which he uses as both a status statement and also as something to shield him from dragonfire.

Of course, as much as I'd like to declare that to be Night Fury skin, there's no proof of it being so, and could easily be some other type of dragon. But if it is, it could be the skin of an older Night Fury. It looked darker in the film, but whatever.

So in conclusion, dragonskins are used for their anti-fire properties (to protect them from dragonfire and from fire in general), as a fashion statement, and most importantly as a status symbol that showcases their prowess and accomplishments as warriors. Dragonskins make good tent material, apparently, as evidenced by the Dragon Hunters.

I hope this was somewhat enlightening. It certainly was for me. Thank you for reading, and see you in the next article!

Long Live the Night!

— Noctus Fury