#there's a rainwing among us

[retoldflames]

Retold Flames: The Dragonet Prophecy (part 2)

Spoiler Warning for mentions of blood, melting faces, bone breaking, burning dragons, and a bit of mild body horror.

Here with the third piece of Retold Flames. For a bit of AU world building: Sky Kingdom Towns use arenas to enact a criminal's sentence through combat as well as function as a court of law, being maintained by a town's leader to do so; organizing matches and court cases as well as hiring a Ringmaster and Judge respectively to assist in running things. Another position of the arena is that of an Arena Champion, assisting in enacting punishments of criminals, act as an executioner, as well as help make sure matches are entertaining to those watching matches; Having certain privileges over the Ringmaster and Judge such as being able to accept or deny matches happening as well as being able to act as a Champion Shield (denying a dragons sentence) or Champion Blade (denying a dragons innocence) for an individual on trial, having a match organized and agreed upon by the Town Leader, Ringmaster and Judge that the Champion must fight and cannot deny for them to get what they want for the individual they are acting as a blade/shield for. Dragons may also be hired to help maintain the arena, function as security, as well as provide entertainment such as perform mock battles and plays organized between matches to help lighten the mood; This also extends to whenever the arena is being used for festivals and other big events.

Should a dragon's crime be severe enough, they will be sent to the Sky Palace Arena to face the judgement of the Royal Family. Facing punishment until they finish their sentence or die, usually the latter. During the rule of Queen Scarlet, she would have only arena matches, bringing in more and more prisoners to from around the Kingdom to satiate her desire to see others suffer; Giving fighters the only options of killing and or painfully mauling their opponents to the satisfaction of Scarlet to win and live another day.

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Scarlet as well as Tsunami: With Scarlet capturing four of the Dragonets of Destiny, she would use them to make her former arena champion Kestrel suffer for her own hatching day enjoyment; Making plans for them to kill of the dragonets one by one as they are unable to do anything to stop, finishing with them getting a slow and torturous execution as a final gift for her hatching day.

About a day or so after being knocked out and captured, Tsunami would be quickly thrown into battle by Scarlet in an attempt to kill her. Leading to Tsunami battling to survive, being spurned on by the crowd to brutally kill her opponent once she has the upper hand on them; Instead choosing to instead quickly killing them with a snap of the neck, earning Tsunami the win. She would be sent into another match the next day and lead to a similar result and end as the day before, getting the attention of Scarlet who would get Tsunami to personally meet her in private. Tsunami would show a great deal of anger at Scarlet for what she did to them as the Dragonets of Destiny, only to back down when Scarlet makes threats against the other dragonets should she try anything. Scarlet would give Tsunami a deal that she’ll let her, and the other dragonets go if she continues to fight every day and defeat her champion, even promising that she’ll not have the other dragonets fight if she provides very thrilling matches and persuading Tsunami into accepting the deal.

Over the next few days, Tsunami would be put into multiple matches, attempting to put about a show as she quickly ends her opponents with a snap of the neck; Making a bit of a name for herself among the crowds of the arena, but not thrilling Scarlet with how it isn’t that brutal. This would lead Starflight to be sent into a match by Scarlet against a dried-out Gill who would be sent to not kill Starflight but instead slowly and painfully tearing open his wings webbing to the point of being unable to fly and claiming victory for it. This would lead Tsunami to become more ferocious, so Starflight won’t be put in another match, leading to her to fight more in the arena while taking up using her flashing scales to temporarily blind her opponents and snapping more than just their neck, Pleasing Scarlet enough to not send Starflight into another match for now and even get a few fans for her brutality.

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Glory: With the Queen Scarlet capturing the other dragonets and Kestrel, Glory (evading capture from being invisible) would follow the queen and her guards; Using the Skywing colors that she would regularly use to blend in, going under the Skywing name of Ptarmigan. Getting herself into a situation of being a new recruit under Princess Ruby so she can get into the Sky Palace itself to help figure out a way to free the other Dragonets.

During her time as a recruit under Ruby, Ptarmigan would find the training much better than what the Minders gave her under the mountain; Finding companionship and motivation in her fellow recruits as well as Ruby’s lieutenant in training Carnelian, making sure all of them are at their best and ready to fight. Ptarmigan and the rest of the recruits would be given time off from training for a few days by Ruby herself, making preparations in secret to overthrow her mother Scarlet with the help of Carnelian, Princess Burn arriving the day before Scarlet’s hatching day and High Queen Moorhen who would arrive a week before Scarlet’s hatching day. This would give Ptarmigan the time to be able to check up on Clay, Tsunami and Starflight from the crowds of the arena, watching with shock as Tsunami would break the bones of her opponents and ending them with a snap of their neck and being cheered on for it; Continuing to watch as she would witness Peril for the first time in action as well as Clay during his first fight.

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Clay (our perspective) and Peril: After being knocked out, Clay would eventually find himself waking up under the sun with a warm back, a nasty headache with the feeling of a small indent, very hungry and bound atop one of the spires of the Sky Palace Arena while barely spotting Starflight and Tsunami on their own spires far away from him. Just in time to see Peril and her fight against Sandwing Horizon, turning into the Sandwing ending himself by holding onto Peril and not letting go as he burns himself to nothing but a chard corpse. This would leave Scarlet unsatiated, leaving Clay to unfortunately by selected for a final match for the day to satiate the Queen’s boredom (as well as to enjoy an appetizer to Kestrel suffering); Being sent up against Icewing Fjord who would be quick in trying to kill Clay in an attempt to get the fight over with, despite Clay’s pleas for them not to fight. It is only with Tsunami trying to get down to Clay to help him, causing a distraction that would allow Glory as Ptarmigan to attack Fjord with her venom without notice in the crowd (melting away the face and neck of Fjord who would scrape away at the venom, leaving them in a half blind and barely alive state that would please Scarlet enough to keep them around to suffer) and giving Clay the victory for this. Leaving him mortified as he is brought back to his spire, losing his appetite from what he saw.

Later that night, cold with a worry for the other dragonets and an empty stomach along with pain from his injuries making it difficult to sleep, would get a visit from Peril (having her own curiosities about the Mudwing). Peril would admire how he was able to cause destruction as easy as she could during his fight with Fjord, living her whole life believing that she is only good for destroying things and finding joy in meeting another that can seemingly destroy as easy as she can. Something that he wouldn't agree with and say how he wasn't the one to use venom, something Peril wouldn't be convinced of as the conversation would shift to Clay's wounds and how battered he looks (having scratches, bruises and some frost/venom burns with a sprained wing as well). Following this, Clay would ask Peril to put her scales against his, thinking that since fire can help mend his scales then fire scales should do the same. It would be a bit of a painful experience for Clay, especially whenever Peril passed her scales over his venom burns, but he would power through with both soot and a few indents in his scales where Peril pressed a little too hard on a wound with her own scales to show. Peril would leave not long after, having thoughts of how she helped heal another dragon with her scales instead of just destroying them (among other thoughts personally involving Clay), leaving Clay a bit sore from the process but in less pain than before to the point where he can get comfortable enough to get rest (helped by being warmed up by Peril’s Fire Scales).

In the morning, Clay would get visited again by Peril who would be carrying some coal with her to go, asking him to hide her under his wing. Clay would question why, getting an explanation of how she was told to not to go to the stadium that day and found that odd since she is never told to not go to the stadium, only ever to stay away from it whenever she isn't allowed there as well as having her own curiosities since a previously well know champion is apparently being put on trial (overhearing the conversations of others out of habit since she normally has no one to talk to). The conversation would shift to Clay asking why Peril is eating burnt looking rocks, giving an answer of how she gets them from Scarlet as she needs to eat them to survive and how she once got sick from not eating them for too long. Causing Clay to recall a bit of an embarrassing memory where he got the idea of eating rocks when he was younger, swallowing pebbles and biting into a rock a bit to big for him and getting his jaw stuck biting into it (recalling as well how he lost a tooth or two from the attempts made to get his jaw free). Peril would ask if she wanted to eat some of her coal since he’s giving them a pretty hungry look, being declined by Clay saying he’ll wait for when he’ll get a meal only for her to point out how it will be quite a while before the guards give out meals for the prisoners. After a bit of thinking, as well as some hunger pains from not eating for a few days now, Clay would decide to take up Peril’s offer of having some coal to at least fill his belly (having a dusty taste). There would a bit of coal ash left on both their tongues of which Peril would use her flame breath to burn away the ash on her tongue with Clay trying the same for his own, getting surprised by the sudden flame of the ash igniting and coughing a bit from the flame’s smoke (getting a bit of a chuckle out of Peril from it).

Inevitably, Queen Scarlet and her son Prince Vermilion acting for the prosecutor as well as Former Arena Champion and Guard Osprey acting for the defendant would make their way into the arena for the upcoming trial, leading to Clay wake up Peril napping under his wing due to staying up late (thinking) and getting up early to have enough time to get coals to eat and get to Clay before the trial (not knowing when it would take place). The trial would begin once the defendant Kestrel (still bearing her scarf) has been put in her spot for the trial, surprising Clay both that she is alive and that she was an arena champion of Scarlet's in the past (only really knowing that Kestrel knew his fierce aunt Sora). Vermilion would be the first to give his case, saying how nine years ago Kestrel had an egg as part of a breeding program to regrow the kingdom's population. This egg turned out to have twin Flame Scale and Featherwing dragonets and by tradition as well as orders from Scarlet, these dragonets were to be killed. Something Kestrel would commit treason against by running away with these dragonets, making it clear that she is guilty and deserving of punishment. This would stir questions in Peril who would find it an odd coincidence that it would fit the time frame for her but wouldn't believe it as her whole life she has been told by Scarlet that she saved her from her biological mother attempting to kill her; Something Clay would find odd for Scarlet to do with what he has seen her do.

With Vermilion finished giving his case against Kestrel, it would be Osprey's turn to give his defense of her; Beginning with while Kestrel did attempt to escape with her dragonets, she was caught fleeing by Scarlet and a group of guards with himself as one of the guards. Osprey would go on to tell of how Scarlet gave Kestrel the option of killing one of the dragonets to go free with the other, an option Kestrel would take and throw her newborn dragonet into a nearby river to drown. However, Scarlet would go back on her deal, forcing Kestrel to flee with her Fire Scale dragonet in her talons to survive; Unfortunately leading to her talons burned and dropping the dragonet to be left to the fate of Scarlet. Scarlet herself would mockingly question Osprey of what proof does he have that what he said even happened, only to get the response of her fire scale champion is proof enough. This would bring forth a revelation that would shock Clay and especially Peril, as well as leave Kestrel in wide eye confusion at this. Scarlet, however, would not be thrilled by this and in anger would end the trial there, sentencing Kestrel to death by fire scales for treason and have Osprey join her in this. This would lead Peril to spring into action, quickly soaring down into the arena and partially melting some of the metal wires binding Clay on the way down, calling on as a Champion Shield for Kestrel and Osprey. Scarlet would angerly question how she would know such a thing, quickly coming to a realization and accuse Osprey of teaching Peril more than just fighting; Leading to Scarlet lunging at the old Skywing and painfully tearing into his wings, lifting him high up into the air and ripping open one of his wings as she drops him to plummet to the ground. Peril would be quick to act, desperately griping reaching out for one of his talons to grab and slow his descent, only to end up just being able to reach his torn wing; Griping hard it in desperation, only to end up finishing Scarlets dirty work, causing his wing to be burnt in half. Ending with a nasty crack as Osprey crashes into the ground with the severed piece of his wing landing not that for from his broken body, leaving Peril to silently grieve for him. Only to be interrupted by Scarlet agreeing to allow Peril to take up the Champion’s Shield Challenge for Kestrel and tell her to get back to her cave, her majesty getting a glare from Peril who would begin dragging herself back to her cave to grieve in private; Passing by Kestrel who give a faintly sympathetic look to Peril passing her, only to get a response of wanting answers once she is free before leaving. With that, Scarlet would officially end the trial and have Kestrel be sent back to her cell as well as have Osprey’s body be dealt with. Leaving Clay to be stuck with his thought, waiting for his meal like the rest of the spire prisoners.

Later that day as night draws near, Clay would take notice many of his fellow prisoners looking towards the horizon. Turning his gaze towards where the others are looking to see an entourage of Sandwings flying towards the Sky Palace, being led by the battle hardened Sandwing, Princess Burn; Wearing an armored crown with metal plates worn over the front of her neck, bearing scars old and new across her scales. With her appearance, the prisoner watching guards would make preparations and inspections to make sure the prisoners won’t make any attempts at escape, doing a quick job so they can get to the soon to begin festivities now that Burn is here as soon as possible. Taking their leave once they find they’ve done a good enough job, allowing Clay to take the chance to check his bindings; Finding the ones damaged by Peril’s Flame Scales and attempt to break them, only managing to bend their shape with the exception of one he does manage to snap apart. Now wielding a piece of metal wiring, Clay would attempt use it to saw through his other bindings, only managing to create the sound of metal roughly sliding against metal. Taking a break to rest his arms, Clay would notice that those chained to the spires next to him gazing at him and his work, having a downtrodden look that he would notice that many if not all the prisoners have as if they’ve given up hope. This saddening sight would lead Clay to recall his fifth hatching day, one of the worst days everyone under the mountain had.

Things didn't start well that day; The weather being a down pour of rain, Tsunami waking up not feeling well and couldn't do much, Dune would not have much luck while hunting and everyone would have to have a light breakfast because of it, Kestrel was in more of a bad mood than she normally is, Glory and Starflight would get into a small argument about the latter's collection of scrolls getting everywhere, and Webs hasn't returned from his latest trip. Things would only get worse as the day went on with the rain having no end in sight, Starflight and Glory getting into more and more small argument, escalating into throwing some pretty awful insults about Rainwings and Nightwings at each other; Dune would get into an argument with Kestrel, something about the dragonets and going outside for the day; And Kestrel wouldn’t return on time with supper, leaving Dune to watch over an exhausted Tsunami pushing herself to not rest with Sunny and Clay comforting a regret filled Starflight with Glory hiding away herself. With everyone down, Sunny would ask Dune if he could help sing a song to cheer everyone up; Something that he would be reluctant to do at first but would cave in with Sunny giving him a please face. Giving a performance of a desert song that while not that good, would help get everyone's minds somewhat off of how bad the day was. Things would get quiet as the rain passes and the night draws near until the front cave entrance could be heard opening, leading to Clay being sent to check if it's Kestrel; Finding that it is her with a pretty big pile of dirty prey and Webs by her side with supplies and trinkets, both looking beat up and covered in mud as if they were in a fight. Clay would get a greeting and apology from Webs for being so late to his and the other dragonets hatching day, the two making their way to Dune and the others with Kestrel going elsewhere. Once reaching the others and getting a joyful greeting from Sunny, Webs would begin checking up on Tsunami while Clay would head back to Starflight to find him doing a bit better. Clay, Starflight and Sunny would be asked to go find Kestrel by Webs who would send Dune to get some of the medicine he got to help Tsunami. Eventually they would find Kestrel, washing off the pile of prey she caught and drying it with her flame breath (slightly cooking the prey in the process). Clay would go to grab some to eat some of the prey with Sunny and Starflight, quick to fill his belly with satisfaction after a whole day with little to eat; Being joined by Kestrel finished drying the prey and Dune as well, leading to Clay deciding to pick up and take some prey for Webs and Tsunami while leaving some behind for Glory. Making his way to where Webs and Tsunami are, Clay would find Glory with them; Having herself look like a Skywing while being comforted by Webs, giving some of his meal to Glory so she can eat. Once everyone had eaten, Webs would take Clay and Glory back to the others so they can let Tsunami rest; Coming to find an odd and slightly amusing sight of Sunny, Kestrel and Dune flicking the mud dragged in by Kestrel as each-other in a sort of play fighting way while Starflight would be using said mud as makeshift paint on a wall nearby. Webs would leave soon after, leaving behind a good chunk of the mud he dragged in with him. Clay would join Starflight in mud paint and bringing Glory along to hopefully help make amends with one another as well as not ruin Sunny’s happy moment. The three would spend quite some time mud painting, leaving once they find themselves tired and finding that the others have left; Making their way back to their sleeping cave, going to sleep the same as Tsunami.

Snapping back to the present, Clay would fondly note how things got better that night. Looking at his bent wire bindings and getting an idea, bending the wires into an orderly fashion and sharpening his snapped off one. With wires prepared, Clay would begin using them like a string instrument, playing a melody of ‘the dragonets are coming’ song; Slowly being joined by the other prisoners in a chorus, expanding until all who are able to sing are doing so together. The music would be abruptly cut short as an angry looking Scarlet wearing more elaborate jewelry would come in with a small group of guards to grab Tsunami and imprison her elsewhere, finding her an annoyance she doesn’t want to deal with right now; Clay would also be taken with Tsunami after it was found one of his bindings was snapped and the rest bent up, but not before he was able to hide his sharpened wire under one of his wings and held by its wing binding. The two would be dragged along for interrupting the festivities with their racket and thrown into Peril’s cave after she was kicked out of it and sent to burn any prisoners that make another ruckus by Scarlet who would give Peril an angry glare after looking towards a pile of ash and a destroyed frame of a picture, getting a glare in turn from Peril who would give a quick affectionate looking gaze at Clay before leaving towards the arena. Scarlet would have a pile of coals lined across the cave entrance and prepare to have them ignited, but not before being joined by Princess Burn telling Scarlet how this wouldn’t have happened if she had guards watching the prisoners. Scarlet would say how her hatching day is more important than some lowly prisoner, pointing out how she already dealt with the troublesome prisoners; Causing Burn to look at these troublemaking prisoners and note with a bit of surprise how they are a Seawing and Mudwing, ignoring Scarlet who would become annoyed at Burn for focusing on the dragonets instead of her. Burn would at first question the two on why they are in prisoners, especially Clay considering his tribe is her ally, and come to a conclusion of them being the reason there are rumors about the dragonets of Destiny being around then give a good riddance in that case; Getting a response from Tsunami how there should be rumors considering they are the Dragonets of Destiny. Giving a comeback to Tsunami, Burn would give a weak look of feigned surprise of how there are five dragonets, dropping the surprise look and saying how she must be blind then since there are only two dragonets in front of her. Continuing on to say how it doesn’t matter either way since there should only be fou-, getting interrupted by Scarlet igniting the coals along the cave entrance to trap the dragonets with flames and give a hissy fit how Burn is ignoring her; Leading Burn to leave back the way she came with all the present guards following behind her with a grumbling Scarlet trying to get her focused attention while right next to her.

With Burn as well as Scarlet and her guards gone, Clay and especially Tsunami would embrace in joy; Enjoying their reunion that would soon be joined in it by Glory appearing in front of flame blocked cave entrance and bring further joy, especially for Clay. Following this, Glory would bring up the idea of breaking the two of them out of there, finding disagreement in Tsunami who would deny herself a chance of escape as she would stick out like a sore claw and could easily get them caught, not giving her whole reason; Agreeing that they can get Clay out of there but noting how they still have a problem of getting him through the flame wall blocking the entrance. This problem would easily be solved by Clay jumping though the flames with Tsunami and Glory being a bit surprised by this action, taking no noticeable damage thanks to his scales with only a bit of a sting from touching the flame. Followed up by Clay being embraced by Glory, a gesture Clay would return wholeheartedly and warmly from being heated by the flame barrier. Clay would leave with a farewell to Tsunami and give a promise of getting her, Sunny and Starflight out of there, being told by Glory to call her Ptarmigan so as to not raise suspicions. The two would make their way through the Sky Palace, passing guards and other dragons, eventually finding their way through the Great Hall where many dragons are there with Scarlet, Burn and High Queen Moorhen there as well with many statues and portraits of Scarlet there in celebration of the Skywing Queen's hatching day. Making their way through the Hall, Clay and Ptarmigan would cross paths with one of Ptarmigan's fellow recruits who would be curious of who her Mudwing friend is, leading into Clay kindly introducing himself to them who would introduce themselves as Ptarmigan’s friend Cinabar. Said friend would pull away Ptarmigan for a quick conversation, leaving Clay to blend in; Finding a buffet table and take a chance to indulge himself for a bit and decide to give a look around the hall and spotting Burn talking to a Skywing general, an annoyed looking Scarlet talking to what looks like the Mudwing Queen, and Sunny in a cage hanging high above the hall. Making a promise to Sunny on rescuing her, only to be pulled away by a flustered Ptarmigan walking away from Cinnabar who would amusingly tell them to have fun. Leading Ptarmigan to move quicker, pulling along Clay who for a moment thought he saw a burning Skywing entering the Hall.

Clay would continue to be pulled along by Ptarmigan who take him into a cave with a water fall and telling how it is an outside hidden tunnel that is meant as an emergency back exit, being noted by Clay as having a faintly awful smell that would lead him to unfortunately learn from Glory that it is also used as a bathroom. Clay would be quick to try and leave through the waterfall, wanting to get away from the smell, but would stop short after noticing Glory is staying back. This would get Clay to ask if she is coming with him, getting a response of how she is going to stay undercover so they can figure out how to help Tsunami, Starflight and Sunny escape. Something that Clay would find not to be the full truth, showing a kind concern that would lead to him figure out how Glory finding her time as Ptarmigan nice. Clay would note how it has been a pretty eventful few days since they were captured, only to learn from Glory that it has been half a month. This would shock Clay with how long it has actually been, only to be interrupted by Guards coming in and capturing both of them. Clay would notice Peril close by and Scarlet who would have an eerily thrilled look as she leads the guards dragging away him and Glory. Eventually the dragging Clay would split off from the rest of the group, taking him to imprisoned next to Kestrel who would awoken by the ruckus. Clay would attempt to take a chance to talk to Kestrel, only to be told to wait till morning to talk, something he would be all too familiar with her saying. Leaving Clay to try and find a good position to rest, eventually falling asleep.

Clay would be awakened by the smell of cooked food, finding that it is his and Kestrel’s breakfast. He would be quick to dive into his while Kestrel would be slower with hers, leaving the two with the sound of them eating. Inevitably, Clay would finish his meal, leading him to start a conversation with Kestrel. Something Kestrel sees herself getting out of with how adamant he is about it, plus not wanting to be left in silence until the inevitable. After a bit of thinking, Clay would ask her why she was willing to give herself up to let the dragonets go free back under the mountain; catching Kestrel off guard for a moment with that being his first question before giving her answer of not letting the years being a minder to the dragonets go to waste, griping her scarf in remembrance. Knowing that Kestrel grips her scarf whenever he asked about Asha, leading Clay to ask what was Aunt Asha. Seeing no way out of the question, Kestrel would tell how she was a fierce fighter that would give even herself a run for her treasure as well as a kind and mother sly sister; Saying how she would have made a great minder to the dragonets, quickly stoping herself after realizing what she just said. Prompting Clay to ask what happened to Asha, leading Kestrel to tell that story of how Webs, Dune, Asha and her Icewing partner Hvitur (the story being momentarily stopped by Clay surprised that his Aunt was in a relationship with an Icewing) would be tasked with being minders to the dragonets with Webs bringing Tsunami’s egg, Dune bringing Sunny’s egg, Morrowseer bringing Starflight’s egg, leaving Asha to acquire his egg and Hvitur to acquire the Skywing egg. (The story being momentarily stopped again by Clay questioning why they have Glory if Hvitur went after a Skywing egg, Kestrel questioning if he wants her to finish the story before answering his question by saying that Hvitur was killed with the egg on the way back to Under the Mountain. Getting a Rainwing egg would be Webs idea, traveling to the Rainforest and stealing Glory’s egg.) Asha would come back with his egg but have severe wounds that would cause her to pass away not long after, the earring attached to her scarf being the only thing left of her. This would make Clay question why Kestrel didn’t mention herself as one of the minders, only to learn with surprise that Kestrel wasn’t supposed to be one of the the dragonets minders. Being tasked with keeping the dragonets and minders safe, only taking up the role of Minder after the deaths of Asha and Hvitur. This would get Clay to recall how Kestrel wouldn’t treat them well, especially during her training sessions, but would recall how she mellowed out a bit during latter years under the mountain (particularly after the dragonets fifth hatching day). Clay would follow this by telling Kestrel she was a bad minder that can do better, leading Kestrel to question why he would think that, only to be caught of guard with him answering how she did try to be less awful to the dragonets. Their conversation being ended by guards coming in to take them to the arena, chaining them and giving both a muzzle before pulling them along.

Eventually Clay, Kestrel and the guards pulling them along would be reach the arena where the two would be chained next to but just out of reach of Scarlet and Burn’s thrones with Kestrel being chained on Scarlet’s side and Clay being chained on Burn’s side with a crowd of onlooker consisting of Skywings, Sandwings and Mudwings. Clay would notice Burn giving Scarlet a dirty look and notice a few gems in her helmet that weren’t there before, keeping her distance with Peril between the two. Looking towards Scarlet, Clay would notice with horror that she is wearing the body of Glory like a cloak, having a painful white color with gems and ornamental metals digging into her scales with her mouth bound shut and head ornamented and worn like a crown atop Scarlet's own head. Scarlet would begin things for the arena by acting as an announcer for her hatching day greeting resident Skywings, visiting Mudwings and honored Sandwing guests. Continuing with how it is going to be a thrilling day as the arena favorite Tsunami has agree to do multiple matches for the day, even having a shot at becoming champion, bringing a cheer to the crowd as well as a curiosity to newcomers and Clay who would have a mix of worry as well about this.

The crowd would go silent for a moment as everyone’s attention would be drawn to a tunnel entrance in the arena leading to the palace, erupting back into cheers as Tsunami would walk in with conviction, wing bindings and a glare directed straight at Scarlet as she flashes her scales directly at the queen. The crowd cheering further at this display, dying down after a bit and allowing Scarlet to ask a question. Said question being what is the worst possible way a Seawing can die, getting answers such as tearing off their limbs, being boiled alive, being drowned (the last one getting a response of how that would be the most embarrassing). With the crowd giving all their answers, Scarlet would give her own; Saying how the worst way for a Seawing to die is to be dehydrated, slowly losing their mind without body drying up until they are nothing but a mindless beast. The crowd going silent as Tsunami’s first opponent would be brought in, being introduced by Scarlet as Gill the Seawing; Looking dried up and feral without a hint of conscious behind their eyes, bearing splotches of blood over their gills, mouth and scales. Only responding to the words of Scarlet as she would call for him and Tsunami to have claws up, ready… And fight! Gill being first to charge at Tsunami who would attempt to back up and use her flashing scales on him, only to be tackled onto her back as they would attempt to bite down on her knock and pin one of her talons. Only being stoped as Tsunami pushes back his face with he free talon, claws digging into their face with one ending up going into their right eye. Causing them to stagger back in an attempt to get away from the pain, only to pull Tsunami with them as she would use her now freed arm to punch him; furthering their stagger backwards until her talons detach from their face, allowing Tsunami to get back up as they would try to close up their bleeding eye with their right talon. With barely a moments rest, Tsunami would quickly strike at Gill, knocking their left talon from under them and holding a good grip onto it as they fall over; Using the momentum to painfully dislocate their talon, the crowd getting a cheer out of Tsunami taking the advantage. It wouldn’t last long as Gill would quickly remove their right talon coated in blood from their bleeding eye and smack it in Tsunami’s face and cause their blood to splatter over her face, temporarily blinding her as she wipes away the blood and allowing Gill to get up on his legs and blood covered right talon with his left talons hanging limply. With blood wiped from her eyes and smeared over her face and talons from doing so, Tsunami would quickly charge at Gill; Thrusting her wing into the bloody side of their face, splattering blood over her wing and staggering her opponent from the impact. Using this to gain an advantage, Tsunami would grab Gill’s right talon out from under them and continue to hold it as she puts her weight on his back to hold them down, dislocating their right talon from the momentum as her weight would hold them down with their legs kicking around and trying to push Tsunami off. Tsunami would attempt to reach Gill’s horns but would be blocked by their flailing wings, leading her to grip on to one of their wings as she puts her weight and footing on the center of their back. Using her strength to pull the held wing out of its socket as a snapping sound can be heard from Gill’s back from the force of her weight on them, their legs going limp and no longer moving with a painful roar. Tsunami would move him Gill’s body, putting her weight on his moving wing to keep it down as she grabs onto their horns. The crowd would grow into a chant to snap his neck, be it for the brutality or to put Gill out of his misery, a chant Tsunami would answer in turn as he answer and end Gill. The crowd buzzing into a cheer with Tsunami the victor and Scarlet being eerily pleased at the battle’s end with Clay being in horrified silence at what he witnessed Tsunami do with Kestrel sharing that silence in shock.

A short break would pass as the crowd would mingle, Gill’s corpse being cleaned up and moved away by arena guards, Tsunami wiping most of the blood off from her face and talons with only smudges remaining, and Clay processing Tsunami’s fight with Gill. The break ending with Scarlet starting things for the next fight, talking about the mysterious Nightwings and how they all get the chance to see one in action today. Getting Clay to look towards Starflight who would have guards taking him down to the arena, noticing a lifeless looking fjord on a spire and a cloaked scavenger with something gold sticking out of said cloak sitting on another. Being put in the arena and the guards leaving Starflight in the arena where Clay would get his first look at Starflight since they were captured, noticing with shock their wings torn up horribly to the point of being unusable for flight. Scarlet would introduce Starflight the Nightwing to the crowd before before starting the fight with claws up, ready… And fight! Only for neither to do such as Tsunami would walk towards and attempt to talk to Starflight scurrying away from her in fear with what she did during her other arena fights. The crowd and Scarlet becoming a bit bored at Tsunami’s attempt to talk to Starflight, this would change with everyone slowly noticing a black dragon flying towards the arena. The crowd would realize it to be a very big Nightwing and for Clay to recognize them as Morrowseer as the lands in the arena, claiming to be here for Starflight. This would confuse Clay on why he would only be here for Starflight, becoming even more confused when Morrowseer and an annoyed Scarlet talking like they personally know each other. Their conversation ending with Morrowseer promising Scarlet a ‘gift’ so that he can take Starflight without issue, having a couple Nightwings seemingly emerge from his shadow. Going over the to all the imprisoned Icewings with the exception of Fjord and quickly yet painfully kill them, returning into Morrowseer’s shadow as he would grab Starflight who would struggle in his grasp before flying off. Leaving the arena in a tense silence until Scarlet would call for the arena to be cleaned up and ready for the next match.

Something that wouldn’t take very long as a group of scavengers carried by guards would be dropped into the arena with Tsunami, having all exits blocked off for them. Scarlet would say how it is an appetizer to the final event, the guards using its time to clean up the Icewing corpses. Scarlet would begin to initiate the fight with claws up, ready, only to stop in silence and confusion as everyone else in noticing a wind is building up. Clay coming to realize it is blowing towards the cloaked scavenger on a spire, now standing up with a golden scepter, leaping off the spire with a running start, right into the arena below. Burn would quickly launch at the falling scavenger in anger after noticing the scepter, seeking to strike them in midair; Only to be knocked down to the ground from a powerful gust as the scavenger is swinging their scepter to slow down, forcing Burn to land with the ground cracking under the impact. The cloaked scavenger would land on Burn's head and use it as a springboard, jumping to the ground where they would throw their scepter at the ground where it would create a gust of wind on impact that would slow their fall and create a cloud of dust that would obscure them and Burn. The cloaked scavenger would be the first to be seen running out of the dust cloud with their scepter, squeaking at the other scavengers who would join them in running towards the tunnel leading to the palace. Some guards would try and stop the scavengers, only to be knocked away by a powerful gust of wind and allowing the scavengers to pass through. Burn, blowing away the dust cloud with the flap of her wings, would attempt to charge after the scavengers, only to be denied as the cloaked scavenger would cause a gust with enough force to cause the tunnel to collapse behind them. Leading into Burn many of the guards, including those cleaning up the Icewing corpses, to fly with her into the palace to hunt down the scavengers. A large portion of the crowd would leave as well with everything that has transpired with most feeling unsafe, leaving many of the dragons that chose to stay to feel agitated about what will happen. Scarlet herself being greatly annoyed as she would order her remaining guards to clean up the arena and prepare for the final match, having them bring Tsunami to talk with her in private. Leaving her throne to do so and leaving everyone in a tense silence only broken by the murmurs of the remaining crowd.

Among the silence of the arena, Peril would move closer to Clay, cutting a thin and barely noticeable line in his muzzle so he can open his mouth enough to talk to her. The two would still stay in a somewhat awkward silence until Clay would decide to ask Peril why she followed him and Glory last night, getting an answer of how he is the only other dragon besides Scarlet and Osprey who had treated her more than just a dragon that destroys, showing her that she can help. Promising that she will get him free once she frees Kestrel with her match, confusing Clay for a bit as Tsunami would return to the arena with Scarlet returning to her throne and tell Peril to head down into the arena. Making Clay realize to late that Peril and Tsunami are going to fight to the death as Scarlet would say claws up, ready… AND FIGHT! Tsunami would begin to charge at Peril with her flashing scales ready to blind her opponent while Peril would charge at her in turn with their eyes closed so as to not get blinded, only for Tsunami to pivot on her talons and bring her tail around to smack Peril right in their face, sending them skidding across the ground passed her with tail singed from the strike. Peril would be quick to get back up and lunge at Tsunami who would quickly move to the side where she would dig at the ground, picking up dirt into her left talon and throwing it into Peril’s eyes as they lunge at her again. Blinding Peril as they wipe away the dirt and allowing Tsunami to get into a position where she can bring her tail around to smack Peril again, knocking them to the ground with more of a singe in her tail and quickly reaching for a grip on their horns. Tsunami would attempt to get into a position where she can hold onto Peril’s horns without touching their fire scales, allowing Peril to wriggle out of Tsunami’s grip and bring their head up to smack into her jaw that would be burnt. Allowing Peril to reposition themselves and fire their flame breath at Tsunami, forcing her to back away with a singe. Shifting the match into a chase of Peril attacking Tsunami who would do her best to avoid their attacks but begin to quickly lose her ground. Worrying Clay not wanting to see Tsunami die, feeling something shift under his wing cuff that he would realize is his piece of metal wire. Griping onto it with his teeth through the cut of his muzzle, Clay would pull out the wire and toss it into the arena. Shouting at Tsunami her name, getting her attention where she would notice the wire falling into the arena. Quickly she would more to intercept the wire, maneuvering herself around Peril and rushing towards it. Picking it up and swinging around to strike Peril, landing a direct hit on their head and knocking them down disoriented. With Peril having trouble standing, the crowd would find a cheer at Tsunami knocking down the Fire Scale Champion and being on the verge of victory. Something Scarlet would be enraged about with Clay interfering with the match, lunging at him and forcing him to the ground with a grip on his horns. Clay would brace for what she was about to do before noticing she grip loosening, noticing a drip of something green land right next to him a getting him to look up, free of Scarlet’s grip, and see the right side of Scarlet’s face being melted from venom spilling from Glory’s bound mouth.

Raising her talons to her face, Scarlet would let out a screech of pain that would be deafening to Clay as she would begin thrashing about, the sound and sight of Scarlet sending the arena crowd to blow up into a fearful frenzy. The guards quickly evacuating the arena with some working to move Scarlet elsewhere, removing Glory from her back and onto the ground to more easily move the queen. Peril would quickly move over to where they are with Tsunami not far behind, flying up to where Clay is and begin putting pressure and heating up his bindings on the ground to the point that can be broken. Quickly making his way over the Glory with worry and ignoring his other bindings as he would quickly take to removing the bindings over her mouth, allowing her to cough up venom that had built up in her mouth and on to the ground; A few drops splashing onto Clay’s scales and add pain to his relief at seeing her alive, looking up at the sound of metal hitting the ground to see Peril breaking through one of Kestrel’s wing bindings with the those holding her to the ground broken as well. Clay would hear Tsunami shout from over the edge and get Kestrel and Peril’s attention, followed by Kestrel reaching down and pulling up his broken wire with Tsunami gripping the other end as she is brought up. Kestrel would move over Clay and Glory as Peril would move to Tsunami, removing her wing binding with a bit of hesitation from the latter with the fight they just had. With Kestrel now looking over Glory, Clay would do the same and get a closer look of his own at the awful state Glory is in, finding that the jewelry imbedded in her scales is too deep for them to remove. Clay would find Peril has moved next to him and begun removing his wing bindings with Tsunami moving to sit next to him, Clay himself being hesitant at this after her whole match with Gill. The group would be silent as Peril would finish removing Clay's wing bindings and asking what now, continuing the groups silence in thought until Clay would bring up Sunny, saying how he saw her in the Sky Palace. A Palace Kestrel would point out is filled with guards on high alert, being told by Tsunami in turn that this may be there only chance to rescue Sunny as Scarlet had planned to give her as a gift for Burn and her Infamous Weirdling Tower. Kestrel would further point out how they don't have that much power behind them being only five dragons with one of them unable to do anything, getting Clay thinking and getting an idea after looking up towards the prisoners. Thinking that they can get the prisoners to help, building into an idea of convincing the prisoners that they are the dragonets of destiny and get them to help free Sunny as the Sandwing Dragonet of Destiny. Managing to do so, however having the problem of their bindings getting in the way of helping, coming up with an idea for Peril to heat up and break off the prisoner wing bindings from everyone and fly together in tandem down to the ground. The bindings of the dead Icewings being cut off to not get dragged down, being moved down to the ground after.

The group would formulate a plan where Kestrel and Tsunami would lead the prisoners to cause a diversion and pull away the guards in the Grand all long enough so Peril can break out Sunny from her cage and sneak the Sky Palace with Clay carrying Glory and with Peril helping keep them safe. Kestrel would carry Glory until they make their way up to the Great Hall as she is the only one in the group that can get enough lift to fly with her on their back, transferring Glory to Clay once they are at the Great Hall. Making their way through the Sky Palace, Clay would lead Sunny and Peril on the path Glory pulled him along to the waterfall bathroom, finding that he may have made a wrong turn as they would come face to face with Moorhen, Burn, a tired looking Princess Ruby, and a group of guards with some moving the unconscious body of Scarlet having the right side of their face be partially melted with their eye exposed. Ruby and Burn would order the present guards to arrest the group, said guards stopping after Peril would get in the way and them not wanting to get brunt. This would leave them in a stalemate until Moorhen would bring Ruby and Burn into a quiet conversation that couldn't be overheard by Clay. The conversation between the three royals eventually ending, starting a small talk with the dragonets and Peril. Moorhen starting with how they will let the four of them go without issue under the two conditions of that they take an oath to never speak about what they have just witnessed, something they do so they can escape without much trouble, and that they are effectively banished from the Sky Kingdom once they have escaped. The group of four would make their way to the waterfall bathroom after asking which way it is and learning from one of the guards with the royals that they are actually close with them just needing to go the other way and take another turn. Clay would leave with Sunny and Peril, but not before asking a question that popped up in his head for Burn about why she is so willing to let them go with them being the Dragonets of Destiny, only to be told that the being the dragonets is meaningless as the Skywing dragonet has long been dead and they can’t fulfill the prophecy without them. Causing Clay to recall what Kestrel said about Hvitur being killed with the Skywing dragonet, realizing that Burn may of had a talon in the Skywing dragonet’s death.

Making his way into the waterfall bathroom with Glory on his back with Sunny and Peril not far behind, Clay would notice a scavenger facing towards the waterfall, looking like their hesitating to jump through the it. They would notice the four and seem to freak out when they got close, moving as far away as possible from them. Not paying the scavenger much mind, Clay would make his way through the waterfall. Finding himself entering a small glide while making sure Glory stays on his back safe, noticing a group a scavengers next a river flowing from the waterfall as he exits through the waterfall with one being the golden scepter wielder standing next to a small dragon made if lazulite. The scepter wielder would raise said scepter as if ready to attack, only to bring it down while looking behind Clay. Leading him to look back and see Peril coming through the waterfall with steam rolling off their scales with Sunny not far behind, carrying the scavenger from before and placing them down. Watching them run to the other scavengers and small dragon who would keep their distance from Clay’s group before leaving not long after. With Scavengers gone, Sunny would ask what they are going to do next, causing Clay to realize that they didn’t think this far ahead. Leading the group contemplating on what to do before deciding to follow the river they’re next to, Peril tagging along with Sunny and Clay carrying Glory until they exit the Sky Kingdom where she’ll leave. The four now traveling together downstream with the path ahead uncertain.

[lesbianturrets]

Oh ya I forgo to post this earlier but HUZZAHHH THROWS DRAGONS

[originalwinnerfanfish]

Well, I did it

Megatron - I love his tfp design. Probably one of the best iteration of Megs. He is huge, heavy armoured, his face covered with scars… He doesn’t looks like an ordinary military leader who is only capable of giving orders, but like real warrior who can destroy any enemy with his bare hands.

So, in the WOF version, he definitely shares some features with Princess Burn, not only because of his might, but also because of his horns shape and dirty-dark scales (that absorbed blood of his enemies)

Starscream - Boy, I hate him so much 🤣… but in the good way, trust me! In my opinion, when the show's creators make you feel such strong negative emotions towards a villain, it means they've done a great job. Also, I think that his animation in the show was absolutely incredible, because even though he's a 3D model, he still manages to move like a 2D character, which is amazing!

I feel that in my design he still looks more like a skywing, than an icewing (which is kinda logical)

Soundwave - This one was tricky. I couldn't figure out what his mask would look like, so I just made his face a really dark color. I think Soundwave has both gifts of the nightwings, and he’s equally great at telepathy and a future vision. So he doesn't really need equipment to predict enemy movements, which makes him an ideal communicator in the WOF setting. His Laserbeak is part of the armor enchanted by Shockwave, and it might also allow him to open portals (but I'm not sure with this one)

Shockwave - My favourite evil genius. He would definitely have animus magic and mind reading. I think Shockwave is the only one who has advanced the study of magic so far, precisely because he combined it with scientific knowledge and created safer methods of using it, that don't damage the mind. It's like if a Mastermind got animus magic in books.

I also like to think that he didn't heal the damaged part of his face just so that his enemies would fear him more)

Dreadwing - This man deserved better! It's really a shame that he was removed from the show so quickly due to financial problems. It would be great if his arc got a proper conclusion in season 3.

Considering that I didn't want to make him a hybrid, it was difficult to choose a suitable color palette. So let’s just say, that I tried my best😅

I don’t think that he would have any nightwing powers, but honestly it doesn’t even matter - this guy can make a bombs, what else does he need to be cool

Arachnid - Did anyone even doubt that she would be a hivewing? Damn, she even got her own “Othermind” virus. Her design was the easiest to work with - just a little poisonous ass (suspiciously similar to Maleficent).

Just like Starscream, I hate her, but in a good way. She's one of the creepiest characters in the entire series, who’s acting like a fucking heartless monster, especially with Arcee, but even so, there's always was something mesmerizing about her. I just really like strong female villains

Knockout - Wery bright and charismatic guy, definitely one of my fav cons!

I tried to draw him as handsome as possible. Worked a lot on the face shape and coloring, and as for me it turned out pretty nice (finally).

Most decepticons think Knockout is as stupid and lazy as all the other rainwings. And it's not like he completely disagrees with that. Of course he’s not stupid and lazy, but if it’s means less dirty work on the battlefield, well, he’ll continue act like a tipical rainwing

(I also believe that Megatron keeps him as an “art”)

Breakdown - Fun fact: "Operation Breakdown" was the very first thing I saw in this series. And it was an interesting experience for 8 year old me. Maybe that's why I'm so scared of eye gouging scenes in movies now…

I think that he didn't have any siblings initially due to his parents nature, and even after meeting Bulkhead, he felt uncomfortable among the other mudwings. And this is why he later chose the side of the decepticons. And maaaaybe because of one cute rainwing influence)

P.s.

I think that, being mostly nightwings and icewings, the decepticons are much more concerned about purity of their blood and rarely accept half-breeds into their ranks.

During the war, there were many animus dragons among decepticons, which is why they have so many artifacts that allowed teleportation and communication at a distance. But, honestly, I still can't imagine what Nemesis would look like in this AU

[puzzled-pegasus]

Here's some silly little metaphors that I think the dragon tribes would use

SkyWings

“Don’t count your clutch before they hatch.” (Don't plan too much too soon)

“Gold is better than silver, but silver is better than nothing.” (If you can't do it perfectly, still try your best. Most dragons forget the second part.)

“‘Sorry’ can't suck the fire back in.” (The damage is done and now you're dead to me.)

“You been eating too much burnt meat or something?” (Are you nuts?)

“Stop all this smoke and use your fire.” (Stop rambling and get to the point already; or stop complaining and do something)

“Doesn't know his tail from his wings.” (Stupid or clumsy)

“You fly like a depressed pigeon.” (Slow flier)

“There's no fire in a rainstorm.” (Stop feeling sorry for yourself and get to work.)

“Nighttime is for the NightWings.” (What are you doing up? Go to sleep.)

SandWings

“She’s all rattle, and no strike.” (Like all bark no bite)

“A diamond in a pile of quartz.” (Like a needle in a haystack)

“You’re watering the cactus and ignoring the sapling.” (You’re focusing on the wrong thing; barking up the wrong tree)

“Everyone thinks the camel looks silly until the dry season comes.” (Don't listen to them, they don't know how unique and strong you are)

MudWings

“Crocodile tears.” (Fake crying in order to gain sympathy)

“You can only catch a trout if your mouth is open.” (Be open to new experiences)

“If the tree gives away too much, it ends up as a stump.” (Don't let people take advantage of your generosity)

SeaWings

“Happy as a clam in high water.” (Very happy)

“The flying fish feels like a fool when it sees an osprey.” (Don't compare yourself to others, run your own race.)

“Plenty of fish in the sea.” (Plenty more opportunities to come.)

“You’ve got ink in your eyes.” (You're blind to something important)

“Lobsters only die when they don't leave their shell.” (Keep yourself busy with new experiences and you'll life a long life)

NightWings

“Sleep is for the dead.” (Why waste your time sleeping when you could be productive)

“SeaWings know their fish and SandWings know their cactuses, but we NightWings know everything else.”(NightWing supremacy propaganda)

“Being nice to a deer never got one in my mouth.” (Other dragons don't matter, only your goals.)

“A prophecy always comes true.” (I told you so but more cryptic)

"You're counting the stars." (You're doing something tedious towards an unachievable goal)

RainWings

“Gray’s her favorite color.” (She's a huge bummer)

“A lemon is yellow on the outside, doesn't mean they're not sour.” (Referring to someone who is two faced or fake)

“I love honey, but I’d rather not get stung by the bees.” (I could do this, but it requires effort so I don't wanna)

“Nobody likes a rotten banana.” (Nobody likes a bummer/downer)

“Don't tie your tail in a knot” (don't get all upset)

“I have all my berries in a basket” (I have everything sorted out)

“You couldn't sneak up on a pineapple” (insult to one's camouflage skills, popular among children)

IceWings

“The seal who asks why the orca is chasing him is the first to get eaten.” (A favorite of parents telling their kids to shut up)

“Not the sharpest icicle on the roof” (kinda stupid or slow)

“Clear as polished ice” (i understand or see it very well)

“You're looking a little pink in the face” (you look sickly. IceWings can turn pink from eating too much krill; a symptom of malnutrition. This line can be applied to any illness.)

“Blue blood kills, red blood spills.” (Patriotic propaganda implying that IceWings win every fight

“The SkyWings toss their blue eyed hatchlings because they're worried they'll be as strong as an IceWing.” (More propaganda)

HiveWings

“Pretty is for the SilkWings.” (Vanity is stupid and impractical)

“If it buzzes like a bug and bites like a bug, it's a bug.” (Don't ignore the obvious)

“Clearsight works in mysterious ways.” (I don't know the answer to your question, now go away)

SilkWings

“It's not always good to know how the honey gets made.” (Don't stick your snout where it doesn't belong)

“She's got a couple of threads loose.” (Calling someone a little crazy, threads refers to weaving)

“The bee minds its flowers and the spider minds her silk, it's when they mix that bad things happen.” (Mind ya business)

LeafWings

“Flytraps only trap because the soil doesn't feed them.” (Dragons don't get angry out of nowhere)

“Looking like a leaf only hides you in the forest.” (Time and place)

“If a branch doesn't bend, it breaks.” (Be flexible)

“Even the corpse flower attracts the flies.” (Even someone who seems ugly to one dragon they can seem irresistible to another)

[flawseer]

On Mudwing Culture

My last deliberation on Seawings and their eccentric insult vocabulary seemed to be well-received, so here is another one of my headcanons:

Mudwings are seriously into food.

I know, pretty revolutionary take when there is only a handful of named Mudwing characters, and two of them love eating so much that it either almost or entirely eclipses their personality.

But Clay and Ochre are not what I am talking about. This isn’t about a love of eating (though many Mudwings admittedly do have that). I’m suggesting that, out of all the tribes from Pyrrhia, Mudwings are at the forefront of food preparation and culinary innovation, to the point where a large part of their culture revolves around it.

The State of Food Preparation on the Continent

Pyrrhia as a conglomerate of different cultures largely sustains its populations through hunting and gathering. The average dragon, when the hunger pangs set in, will make a hasty trip into the nearest forest, cave, or scavenger den and round up some prey animals. In most cases, this prey will go straight from the talons to the mouth, or, if the hunter is a bit more forward-thinking, into the pantry, and then from talons to the mouth.

There are a few variations of this practice; Skywings may give the carcass a quick roast on an open flame before eating it, Sandwings may dry the meat out so the excess moisture does not upset their internal water balance, Rainwings will prefer fruit over meat. Icewings will nearly always consume their prey raw and unseasoned, as their extremely delicate palate is easily overwhelmed by intense flavors that may be released through cooking.

More complex forms of food preparation seem to exist mostly outside the scope of the general populace. The practice of “cooking” appears to be limited to the ranks of aristocracy, with dedicated cooks only found within the court of a queen or in private households of other high-born individuals. It creates a sharp divide between commoners and social elites, between the wealthy and (as Sea Queen Coral once put it so succinctly) the “eel-eating masses”. All exemplified through the differing standards of food.

And yet somehow, standing in stark contrast to everywhere else on the continent, nearly every Mudwing-- from the most low-born runts of the Diamond Spray Delta to the most decorated head advisors in the Queen’s palace --knows how to cook, and will do so regularly.

Why is that, and how did it happen?

Historical Benefits of Cooking

Most things that form the backbone of a culture usually start with some ancient practice that was useful at some point in time and then, as people kept doing it, eventually got absorbed into public awareness and became “the way things are done”.

Mudwings face a unique challenge compared to anyone else, as they are the only tribe whose combat prowess is significantly affected by their environment, specifically climate, weather, and temperature. Sure, you can take any dragon, drop them into an unfavorable climate, and they will generally perform worse than under normal circumstances. But the unique weakness of Mudwings is that they lose their breath weapon when they get too cold. Place an Icewing into a burning room and they will still be able to use their frost breath. Pluck a Sandwing from their dry environment and drop them into the humid, sweltering hell of the jungle, their natural weapons will still function. But make a Mudwing cower between two piles of snow for a while, and their internal fire will go out quickly.

As you might imagine, this is a bit of a liability when you have to defend your territory from Skywings hiding and scheming among the frozen peaks bordering your country.

So the ancient Mudwings had to figure out a solution to their conundrum, and what they came up with was this: They got a large pot and filled it with water, threw in all manner of meats, plants, and herbs, whatever they could find where they were holed up, then boiled it until it was good and filling. The hot food in their bellies helped them stay warm even at high altitudes and allowed them to stand their ground against the northwestern invaders.

Soon it became tradition for troops to share a hotpot the night before battle, and a rich variety of hearty broths and stews developed from there, as these were simple to make from scraps and could be reheated easily. The practice became so popular, the Mudwings kept doing it even during peacetime. Soon, in addition to the hunting of prey animals that was commonplace, Mudwings began to cultivate vegetable gardens to have access to a more stable supply of ingredients. Eventually, their growing understanding of agriculture allowed them to grow rice, which was especially well-suited to the abundance of wetlands found in their territory. Everyone was cooking now.

The Role of Food in Mudwing Society

If you ask several Mudwings which core values represent their tribe best, many would likely put forward some variation of “camaraderie”, “family”, or “loyalty to your sibs”. They are a very social people who form deep bonds with those whom they grew up with, and one of the most direct ways to grow close to someone is to share your meals with them every day. As such, the preparation and consumption of food is a vital part in maintaining cohesion between members of a Mudwing sibling group.

Every one of these groups will have a “Bigwings”, which is understood to be a combination of a leader and caretaker role. The Bigwings is aware of all of their sibs’ culinary preferences and needs and has all of the troop’s recipes memorized. When mealtime approaches, he or she makes the call on what kind of dish will be prepared and delegates roles and tasks to the troop. This is a daily exercise that builds the Bigwings’ authority and communication skills, and reinforces trust and familiarity between all siblings.

Next to the Bigwings is the Gatherer, which historically was a role assigned to one or more troop members who foraged for wild vegetables or hunted more prey if the previous communal hunt did not yield enough. While this is still true today, many Gatherers also maintain a garden or wet patch to source fresh vegetables or grain for meals.

And lastly there is the Communicator, which is a role usually assigned to the most social and charismatic sibling. The Communicator is vital for coordinating battle strategies with other troops, which, while very important, is not really all that relevant for this deliberation. What is relevant however, is the role they fulfill during peacetime, which is to set up joint meals between two or more sibling groups. This practice is critical for maintaining morale, as doing this regularly helps expand the troop’s palette and keep their Bigwings inspired. That way the troop’s collection of recipes stays fresh and innovative instead of turning stale and rigid.

Of course how much each troop values culinary exploits varies between individuals. Some Mudwing groups are outspokenly passionate about cooking and advancing their craft. They might view their work as an expression of art and get very upset or offended if you indicate that thinking about food is unimportant or a waste of time. Some extreme cases may even get angry at you if you waste ingredients or refuse to elevate a dish to its fullest potential by not seasoning it well or doing something else to ruin it. Other groups may be more relaxed and casual about food preparation, and a few might even not think about it much at all.

If a Mudwing invites you to dinner, it is paramount to figure out which of these groups they belong to beforehand, so you may get an understanding of how much of a threat this outing may pose to your health, especially if you are an Icewing or Seawing with a limited palate.

Is there any evidence for this in the books?

To my knowledge, there isn't much. Mostly because there isn't much about Mudwings and their culture in general. Across all the books, only one of them has a Mudwing protagonist, and the vast majority of it is spent in the Sky Kingdom, so his roots don't get a lot of exposure. Then whenever another Mudwing comes into the story, they tend to exit it very quickly after, without being able to share more.

I made this theory for myself largely in response to Mudwing culture being such a big question mark. I initially came up with it when I saw a Mudwing gardener in Escaping Peril and thought "That could be a cool direction for the tribe." The guidebook that released recently gave me some additional pointers with regards to a few of the looser points of this theory.

I'm hoping it is interesting, or at the very least entertaining in some way.

[lightryi]

Dragons of Pyrrhia (headcanon designs)

• Skywings:

-The shape of thorns on the spine is similar to the feathers of birds

-Narrow pupil, giving dragons very good vision, allowing to see a clear picture at long distances

-Arrow point, able to drive through the opponent with a sharp push

-The shape of the wings is similar to that of a bird

-Are the best flying dragons

-High ears, good hearing but inferior to sand and night dragons

-Very sharp claws, thorns, horns

-Pent face; the upper jaw may have various shapes, reminiscent of beaks of different birds

-Height reaches 4 meters

*The design was based on common European dragons and birds

• Mudwings:

-Rounded horns of various forms (like the horns of sheep, buffalo, bulls and goats). Necessary for defense

-The keeper of the horned nest is bigger than the other dragons from one clutch

-Large lower fangs, needed for eating and defense

-A large, rectangular muzzle with raised nostrils facing upwards so that the earthy could breathe, being almost entirely in water or mud and only looking at the top of its head

-Very mobile ears, necessary to discharge dirt/water that has entered

-Solid scale, which in some way pulls the face, because of which the grounders look almost emotionless and dark (this feature appears with age, so dragons look too cheerful and emotional against their background)

-On the sides of the neck and tail are thorns, same as on the back, extra protection for weak spots of the dragon

-Massive tail with a cluster of large thorns at the end, some kind of a pin necessary for protection. The tail itself is very mobile

-Although they are predatory animals, their pupils have square

-In general, the earthlings are slow moving, fly worse than other dragons due to their massive and heavy

-Some of the largest dragons, second only to ice, due to their short limbs and neck (reaching up to 5 meters)

*The design was based on ankylosaurus, crocodiles and artiodactyls

• Seawings:

-Long, massive tail with fins that may differ in different individuals

-Behind the ears is a fin with luminous appendages

-Round/oval eye

-Round, flat face (in the perspective where I drew this not very noticeable), giving a more rounded shape to the whole body

-There is a sexual dimorphism (external differences of the sexes). The distribution of the proboscis on the mordocus is different: in males they are near the nostrils, in females on the chin. With age the proboscis becomes longer

-2 row of teeth

-No earshell

-Horns often turn in

-Luminous glands and patterns are not only necessary for underwater communication, but also for attracting marine life in the dark

-They have, like earthen, rather short limbs. Only in the case of marine this feature is caused by frequent presence in water, where they use the tail more often than the paws for movement

-Also, the flying is not very good. But unlike the earthly, they have another reason, namely the anatomy of the wings, which is more adapted to swimming (plays the role of certain fins) than for flying

-Not too big, can reach a maximum of 2.5 meters

*The design was based on sharks, deep sea fish and partly dolphins

• Rainwings:

-Snake face (or more precisely, face of a cobra)

-Clawfoot

-The hind legs have a specific structure: 3 long fingers and one opposite finger located on the other end of the paw (structure like bird's feet)

-Double nostrils

-Huge ruffs, which in the stressful environment is fully opened and gives the dragon magnitude

-Eye structure closer to the snake

-Movable thorns on the neck (play the same role as the ruffs)

-Long horns with multiple ends, which resemble tree branches

-The horns themselves are brown in color, with few scales on them to completely change their color. Horns are usually hidden among the same branches, which have grown in the forest

-Long flexible neck, able to writhe like a snake

-The eye also has a collar resemblance, is some protection of the eye from branches and other foreign objects

-Claw on the thumb of wings is very long, the end slightly bent. It is necessary to grab with the help of wings branches

-Height reaches 3 meters

*The design was based on snakes, chameleons, dilophosaurus (Jurassic Park ver.), geckos, flying foxes and partly tropical birds

• Nightwings:

-Nose of a bat giving dragons good sense

-Huge ears, thanks to which they have a sensitive ear, the best among all dragons

-In addition to silver teardrop scale may have a star on his forehead, which shows the ability to see the future

-There are night with black teardrop and stars indicating that the dragon was born during the moon, but the egg was hidden from their light, because of which the night ability is not and only the black scales indicates its lost ability

-The lower part of the body, from the neck to the beginning of the tail, is present with a small fur that was previously necessary for warming itself and eggs (due to the low temperatures at night, during which the night wakes). But due to the relocation first to the volcanic island, then to the rainforest, the wool became practically useless

-There is a glare in the pupils, it does not affect the vision

-Good night vision, besides their eyes can shine in the dark (like cats)

-Structure of the hind feet specific: 4 long fingers (much longer than rainwing) and one opposite finger. This is necessary for strong coupling between branches and other surfaces

-Claws on the hind legs are also much sharper than on the front (for the same reason as the leg structure itself)

-Small web on the wings between the thumb and the rest. Need to use thumb to grab objects (similarly rainwings)

-Not too big, reach a maximum of 2-3 meters, but there are exceptions

*The design was based on the work of chiroptera, especially bats

• Sandwings:

-The upper fangs are very close to the nostrils, creating the illusion that they seem to grow from the nose

-Long ears, necessary for heat transfer and to prevent overheating. (the crest, presumably, also plays a similar role) Also add a dragon's pretty good hearing

-More than half of the body is covered with hard scales. Such armor is more necessary for dragonets, whose poison is much weaker than the adult dragons. For protection they curl into a ball, pointing up the tail with a spike. Because of their hard from the genus scales it is difficult to pierce them. By old age, these scales become much softer than in childhood

-End of the tail, namely a thorn, similar in structure to the tail of a scorpion

-Crest has the property of "flattening", so many individuals have some streaks

-Growth reaches 3.5-5 meters

*Design based on girdle-tail lizards and scorpions

• Icewings:

-Narrow-eyed

-The body is covered with sharp scales, from which protrude thorns

-Ear shell, like in the seawings, missing

-Large antlers, resembling deer antlers

-Very long limbs that make their gait remotely resemble a deer

-Have a pointed nose

-There are clumps of scales above the eyes, similar to eyebrows

-There are some small, soft thorns at the beginning of the neck

-The largest dragons in Pyrrhia, capable of reaching almost 6 meters

*Design was created partly based on the appearance of reindeer

[snadom]

Dragon Injury Reference

[More like speculation than ‘reference,’ but i did research for this. I always recommend doing your own research, too]

WINGS [Specifically webbed/bat wings] - Wings are FULL of blood vessels, and will probably bleed a surprising amount if cut or punctured. These sorts of injuries heal can without much treatment, even if a large amount of the wing membrane is missing - Fractures of the wing should be splinted, and put into a wing wrap/sling - A dragon missing a wing wouldn’t be able to fly again, except with an extremely advanced prosthetic. Lots of small movements. Also having to get used to the weight difference -An aesthetic prosthetic could still be used to combat lopsided-ness, but would be bigger and more unwieldy than other sorts of prosthetics

MISSING LIMBS - A three-legged dragon would be able to walk and run normally, once they get used to the shifted centre of mass and balancing on only three legs - Arthritis IS more common because of the extra pressure on the remaining joints. Would be worse for heavier dragons - Wings could probably be used to balance/support body, if they’re large enough to touch the ground - Missing just the tip of the tail probably wouldn’t affect much, but larger portions WOULD as that’s a lot of body mass to suddenly lose - Tails also help with balance when running and steering when flying, so a dragon might trouble getting used to the difference

HORNS - Horns are have a core of bone covered with a sheath of keratin, and never shed. They are difference from antlers, which are pure bone and do shed. - The tip of a horn is solid keratin, and will not bleed. Could be sanded or filed down for aesthetic purposes, but otherwise not a big concern - Closer to the base WILL bleed, and should be treated accordingly. - Horns will regrow over several months or a year, but closer to the base they may not regrow at all. Deformation upon regrowing is also common

MISC - Some reptiles can get Metabolic Bone Disease [MBD] from lack of sunlight/uvb.  This causes the bones to weaken, which increases the likelihood of fractures and can make the legs/tail/spine crooked, among other things. In WoF specifically, I head-canon Rainwings, Leafwings, and Sandwings are susceptible to this. - Scales over a healed injury may be smaller and irregular. Also takes a little bit for the scales to grow back in the first place - running out of juice for this but. something something infection of whatever organ produces fire/breath weapon. Think that’d be neat.

[twistofstory]

And here's the guy from the main story~

Wolffish's a full rainwing who was raised among seawings and had picked up a lot of seawing expressions and curses from his family. He discovered the properties of rainwing venom on his own and even learned to spit it quite accurately, and the old scar on his tail serves as a reminder of the danger of this ability. At an older age, he finally visited his native forest and became imbued with traditions of his tribe, but did not stay - he quickly became bored with the life of the rainwing, and he loved his work too much. What kind of work? Wolffish was a mailman. In wartime, his camouflage skills became simply irreplaceable - this way he could deliver a letter to almost anywhere on the continent, avoiding clashes with any dragons. Word about the unusual carrier quickly spread, and lucrative, but much less harmless offers started coming to him. Wolffish didn't refuse them - since his skills can be useful not only for simple letters delivery, why not? Money is money, and the opportunity to provide a comfortable life for yourself and even help your family sounded irresistible. Life was great and all, but interests of his customers often ran counter to each other, and, unbeknownst to himself, Wolffish made some enemies. One day his luck ran out and he got caught... Varan pulled him out of this scrape, and from this began a new era of Wolffish’s life - first as one of the confidants for the gang leaders, and then as Varan’s personal bodyguard. Wolffish isn't confrontational nor vindictive, and he is friendly with his comrades, but most of the Center members treat him with some caution. His camouflage, tracking and venom shooting skills, perfected over the years, have made him one of the most dangerous gang members, and few dragons would risk crossing his path. The habit of walking around the camp unseen also does not help Wolffish get closer to the dragons, so his usual social circle is limited to Varan’s second-in-command, the leader himself and, unexpectedly, Newt. What’s interesting is that Wolffish and Newt aren't just good friends, but also ex-lovers - their relationship developed very rapidly, and just as quickly grew from romance to platonic friendship. Breakup was pretty painless, and they remained quite close. Prejudices towards dragons from different tribes are not so pronounced in the gang, and yet only Newt and Wolffish understand what it's like to be a rainwing (or half-rainwing) far from homeland. What’s ironic is that the “seawing” Wolffish has a much more “rainwing” lifestyle than Newt, who grew up in the tropic forest, but they still often have “sun hours” together (Newt may have inherited most of the genetics from his mudwing side, yet sun is also extremely necessary for his health). Unfortunately, things haven't been so great between them recently. The tense atmosphere of the Center in the light of recent events has affected the relationship between all members, and Newt has an additional reason not to trust his comrades. Wolffish's still a part of Varan's inner circle, and Newt isn't sure he'll put their friendship above loyalty to the gang leader if things go wrong.

Fun fact: “a very competent flirt” was the initial concept for Newt in the first version of the story, but over time I moved away from this idea.

[qibilette]

the seven tribes of pyrrhia, as accurate to my rewrite! i hope you guys like these, they took a long time & im quite proud of them :]

more design info under the cut!

icewings- inspo from wolverines, arctic wolves, and reindeer

some of the spikes in their ruff & tail are hollow quills that detach when driven into something (usually skin). they produce a rattling sound when shaken, which is part of the icewing threat display!

horns are sexually dimorphic- tiercels' are more elaborate. tiercels are also slightly smaller than hens.

an ancient animus spell gave icewings their icebreath and cold affinity; their bodies require cold weather to function normally.

sandwings- inspo from sand cats, fennec foxes, and camels

they have several adaptations for surviving in the desert - their big ears, sail, and wing membranes help release excess heat. their hairy ears & long eyelashes keep out sand.

the tail barb has two parts: the sting and the sheath. the sheath pierces in and then the sting emerges to deliver a burst of venom. the sting is usually kept inside the barb, but may flick out if a sandwing is agitated.

tiercels are a bit smaller than hens. they are the least sexually dimorphic tribe.

the second-smallest tribe.

nightwings- inspo from bats

facial whiskers help them navigate dark spaces - they grow from the brows, beak, and chin.

tiercels are notably smaller than hens.

they can echolocate!

skywings- inspo from snow leopards and birds of prey (esp. golden eagles)

their beak is made for severing spinal cords, which is their traditional method of killing prey.

tiercels are notably smaller than hens, and all skywings are relatively small dragons.

they can hover! they use the same mechanism as american kestrels.

mudwings- inspo from river otters, hippos, alligators, and kaprosuchus

all mudwings grow tusks that jut forwards from the face. these continue growing with age, but do have a maximum size.

tiercels and hens are the same size, but tiercels have several dimorphic traits: horns that grow in an arc, larger tusks, and an inflatable vocal sac.

rainwings- inspo from lemurs

the smallest tribe. their talons are uniquely built for climbing around in trees, and they have the most developed hind thumb; they can grip with their hind talons just as well as their front.

they can't hang by their tails, but the tail is utilized as another limb when climbing around.

tiercels and hens are the same size, but tiercels do have larger fins and small spikes under the chin.

seawings- inspo from sea otters and seals

facial barbels function like whiskers and are highly sensitive.

paddle-like tail is used for propulsion while swimming, alongside the wings and talons.

glowscales typically blend in with the body, but seawings may rarely hatch with red glowscales - this is merely a pigment condition and has no other health effects. it hurts one's ability to camouflage, but this isn't a big problem among modern seawings.

tiercels and hens are the same size, but tiercels have an extra barbel coming off the nostril.

you may use these as bases, but they must be credited to me & they cannot be used for nsfw or hateful purposes!

[thumpercloudbright]

FINALLY!

SHE IS DONE!

Meet Twilight, my Sky/Night Hybird sona!

I am honestly really happy with how she turned out, especially after having such a difficult time drawing her wings

Her wing color palette was based off sunsets, because sky and night lol, and I am super happy about making that choice, she is very pretty to me🎉

☆~Mutations~☆

Now to discuss some of her features!

She has some mutations upon her for being a hybrid

The two easily noticable ones are that she has two pairs of ears, and a very short tail

The two pairs of ears were simply random chance, but she can hear just fine

Her stubby tail is a somewhat common mutation among hybrids, as not only do many have specific types of tails (ie barbs on SandWings and prehensile on RainWings), but also because different tribes have different lengths of tails, so sometimes hybrids end up with a shorter one

This gives Twilight some balance issues when it comes to flying and running, as the tail is used to help steer a dragon in both activities. So while she's faster than most dragon tribes at flight, she is not as fast as an average SkyWing

Her last mutation is that she is also smaller than most dragons, not reaching the average height of either NightWing or SkyWing, but she doesn't let that get her down

☆~Bio~☆

Now that her features are out, here is some bite sized info on her bio and such☆

Age: 21

Gender: Female, goes by she/her

Sexuality: Pan

Job: Librarian and Novelist in the Sky Kingdom

Powers: Strong fire breath, and an empath, for the sun just started to go down when she was hatching, so not as much moonlight was exposed to her when she began to hatch

Personality: Friendly, thoughtful, guilt ridden, optimistic, imaginative, kinda hot tempered, and introverted

☆~Last Sign Off~☆

For those who are interested, adopts will be arriving Wednesday or Thursday! I've kept an eye on the poll, and the results honestly surprised me hehehe

And that takes care of that! Thanks for reading, hope ya have a good day/night where ya are!

Take care🎉

[honey-minded-hivemind]

Wings of Fire Dragon Guide, Part Three: RainWings and IceWings

This is a RainWing, or rainforest dragon. Their scales can be any color of the rainbow. They can camouflage, have prehensile tails, and can shoot shoot acidic venom from their front fangs, which only a relative's can neutralize. They live in a hidden city among the trees of the Rainforest Kingdom. Their diet consists of mainly fruits, such as pineapples, coconuts, bananas, oranges, mangoes, strawberries, blueberries, etc., but they if it came down to it, they could eat meat, they just prefer not to. Their names can be such as:

Fruits: Pineapple, Coconut, Mango...

Rainforest plants: Liana, Mangrove, Bromeliad, Orchid...

Rainforest animals: Python, Bullfrog, Tamarin, Kinkajou...

Grand or beautiful adjectives: Handsome, Exquisite, Dazzling, Grandeur, Glory...

This is an IceWing, or ice dragon. They have pale white, pale blue, silvery, pale purple, or even opalescent scales. They can withstand freezing temperatures, withstand bright light, radiate a chill from their scales, have serrated claws, and can breathe frostbreath, which when it used on a dragon or plant, can freeze an area, and if untreated, will cause the area to blacken and die. They live in the tundras of the Ice Kingdom, and their diet consists of artic and antarctic animals, such as seals, whales, caribou, polar bears, and orcas, and have been known to eat moss and seafood such as crabs and fish. They have had a hierarchy, which is the Seven Circles for the nobility. They used to have animus dragons, but their last one eloped with a NightWing, and one of their eggs hatched the first NightWing animus (and the most dangerous one) Darkstalker. Their names can be such as:

Arctic and antarctic animals: Narwhal, Mink, Polar Bear, Caribou, Penguin...

Wintery conditions: Arctic, Permafrost...

Winter weather: Snowflake, Hailstorm, Blizzard, Whiteout...

White gems: Diamond, Crystal, Opal...

Ice formations: Glacier, Icicle...

Cold landscapes: Tundra, Fjord...

Words that mean white: Alba, Hvitur...

[wof-adoption-au]

Do any dragons have close friendships with other species of animals?

It depends on their personality, but some do have almost symbiotic relations! RainWings are commonly seen with sloths, seemingly protecting them when they reach the ground, and some dragons among other tribes have shown affectionate behavior towards other animals. Turtle seems quite interested in octopi, for example, and Winter is just obsessed with us humans! Especially Winston.

~ Charlie

[caseeliz]

Tsunami appoints Sunny as the new headmaster of Jade Mountain Academy and returns to the Kingdom of the Sea, only to be tricked into a royal challenge by Coral. The SeaWing dragonet of destiny receives the recently deceased queen’s suicide note from Herring after killing her, wondering what could’ve made Coral suicidal after reading that she intended for her oldest daughter to kill her instead of using her own claws to kill herself so that there would be no War of SeaWing Succession. As the new queen of the SeaWings, Tsunami struggles in her grief to run the kingdom smoothly and is weighed down by so much guilt for not knowing that her mother was suffering from severe depression. Her siblings insist that she should never have gotten too emotionally attached to Coral given how often queens are killed by their own kin, while the other living queens give her advice on how to move on from killing her parents and remind her that sometimes she will need to reach out for help from friends whenever the pressures of being queen seem to much. Tsunami reflects upon the RainWing royal challenge and starts to believe that it needs to replace the royal challenge the other tribes share, so she devises her own version with help from Glory; this new challenge will involve a competition to see which princess can catch the most fish until the tide fully recedes, a race to determine the fastest swimmer among the heirs, and a contest to decide the royal with the most fluent Aquatic. When she finally has enough free time, she spends it solving the mystery of who or what drove Coral to suicide. Through interrogation of as many citizens as possible, she deduces that the last straw for the previous queen was an exiled SeaWing using the remnants of Darkstalker’s scroll to give her mother nightmares about what he plans to do to the royal family as revenge for putting a bounty on the heads of his family. While asking Kinkajou about where the remaining pieces of the scroll ended up after Darkstalker transformed into Peacemaker, they put together that the scraps were stolen by the exiled SeaWing after he heard about what happened from Turtle and replaced with fragments of a just as old blank scroll so that nobody would look for them. Kinkajou never had what was left of Darkstalker’s scroll destroyed because she wanted to use the scraps for the benefit of the RainWings but had a hard time deciding the best things to write down when she had a limited amount of magic to work with.

[flawseer]

hmmm. what are your thoughts on dragon size. tribe-wise, as compared to each other, and your headcanons on the main characters of each arc?

Before I move on to finalizing yesterday's and today's Smaugust submissions, lets change pace and grab a question to answer. I need a change of scenery for a bit.

Let's talk about dragon sizes and body shapes/types.

General tribe overview

My general thoughts on the size relations between different tribes would be something like this. This is based on average; you're going to have outliers in either direction based on the individual (i.e. Princess Burn is very large for a Sandwing, while Sunny is very small).

Mudwings are the largest of the Pyrrhian tribes by sheer body mass. They aren't always the tallest because their bodies are kind of squat and compact, but in terms of body weight they reign supreme at the top.

Skywings are the tallest, especially when sitting down, due to their long necks. They aren't particularly massive, in fact a lot of Skywings are very slender with long limbs and necks. But if you sit one down and constructed a cube around them, they would take up a lot of space, moreso than any other tribe.

Seawings come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but they tend to be a bit heavier than you would think. In a way they are like a less extreme expression of Mudwings, not AS massive as them, as well as less compact. Kind of like a middle-ground between Mudwings and Skywings. What makes them a bit heavier is that their skin has a layer of blubber that insulates them from the cold of the ocean depths. The thickness of this layer is different between individuals.

Nightwings and Icewings lie somewhere in the middle of the size chart. In terms of mass they are roughly equal, but Icewings tend to have more elongated bodies and limbs while Nightwings are more broad and a little squat.

Sandwings are springy little bundles of wiry muscle. They like to keep their bodies close to the ground (making them look a little smaller than they actually are) and have powerful limbs for leaping on, around, and over opponents. If they were in D&D, their attacks would have the Finesse tag, allowing them to attack with Dexterity instead of Strength.

And lastly, Rainwings are usually small and light. This allows them to climb trees and sit on the topmost branches without their weight making them snap off. Their wings are also a bit smaller than those of other tribes; they're meant for short bursts of flight to help getting up on trees, while travelling long distances in the jungle is accomplished via use of wings AND tail in tandem. Their slight stature is part of the reason why so many other tribes dismiss them as weak and useless.

The Dragonets of Destiny

Clay is unquestionably the largest of his peers. He is enormous, even among Mudwings. I think he might have been the most massive thing in that cave under the mountain (weight-wise), and in a way Kestrel was lucky he was such a gentle spirit, because if Clay had decided to sit on her, there would have been very little she could have done. It's a bit silly they threatened Tsunami with hanging Clay from a stalactite, because the visual of Kestrel and Webs trying to carry him up there would have been comical.

Tsunami is, perhaps equally as unmistakably, the second largest after Clay. She clearly takes after her mother in terms of size and thus towers over a lot of other Seawings. While not as tall as Clay, her body is a bit longer and she has a very powerful tail. Most of her bulk is muscle, compared to Clay's roughly equal mixture of muscle and fat. I think she might actually be physically stronger than Clay, but is less durable than him.

Starflight might either be the third-largest, or fourth after Glory, depending on whether you measure by tallness or body mass. He might be the very definition of big-boned, appearing kind of plump but not actually being that fat. He didn't get a lot of exercise outside of Kestrel's mandatory drills, and he's not really in a rush to change that after escaping, so overall, he is quite out of shape.

Glory is what you could consider tall for a Rainwing, but she started out rather noticably underweight. This is because sunlight is a vital component to a Rainwing's metabolism, so her body couldn't get the amount of energy it needed while she was forced to live underground. This gradually got better as she went outside and got more sun time. She is still kind of thin now, but in a much healthier way.

And then Sunny is the smallest. She is just kind of petite, nobody knows why and it's not a health issue, it's just how she is wired. Maybe Stonemover's dad was really short and it skipped a generation.

The Jade Winglet + Peril

Carnelian is large and tough, being proud of her physique and aiming to be a career soldier, thus keeping herself in shape. Within the Skywing military I imagine there are two pervasive ideas of what "being in shape" means. Some train their entire body evenly, to fight strongly in the air, but also to remain formidable if they end up grounded (via wing injury, or having to defend a ground position). Others believe this is planning for failure and thus mainly train their wings while keeping the rest of their bodies light and easy to maneuver during flight. Carnelian is in the former camp.

Peril is very tall, lanky, and lean, with barely any defined muscle or body fat. This is because her fire scales affliction causes her body to consume vast amounts of calories to sustain itself, and thus she has trouble to build up any significant muscle mass or fat reserves. She would have to ingest two-to-three times the amount of food a regular dragon does to offset this, which she usually doesn't.

Winter is very toned and muscular compared to his peers (sans Carnelian), as is befitting for a royal Icewing. His tribe proudly identifies as a caste of elite warriors, so the idea of being physically frail is considered shameful and dishonorable. As a result most royals will exercise rigorously in their spare time to keep themselves in peak physical condition. Most Icewings pull this off while still looking refined and elegant. Winter looks a little broad and awkward compared to, say, his sister.

Moonwatcher is about average in terms of size. She has a bit of a curve to her due to growing up in an environment with abundant food, but underneath conceals a surprising amount of strength and stamina, owed to having to survive in the jungle on her own from a young age. She looks out of shape at a glance, but is anything but.

Umber's body type is a little atypical for a Mudwing. While still a bit broad, his frame is more wiry and light compared to his kin. He is also kind of short. His siblings can pick him up and carry him around easily.

Qibli is a bit taller than Umber and Moonwatcher, but much thinner and a bit scrawny. His frame is mostly wiry muscle with little body fat. He consciously keeps himself in shape to not be a burden to his queen, but not with the same intensity as Winter or Carnelian. He also doesn't eat enough to pack on a large amount of muscle. This suits him fine though, he is satisfied with where his body is.

Turtle was not graced with the same genes as Tsunami; he takes more after his father who was a bit on the average-to-small side. He also hates physically exerting himself and has a magical trinket that lets him double his food rations, so he is somewhat on the chubby side. Not quite obese, but noticeably plump.

Kinkajou is the smallest of her winglet, but manages to be barely taller than Turtle when she arches her back and stands on her toes (and Turtle intentionally hunches because he sees what she's doing and wants to please her). She is very slender and slight but has a surprising amount of stamina just because she is so full of energy and always runs around everywhere.

Whew... This took a lot longer than I anticipated, so I think I'm going to have to cut it here. Forgive me. I hope this is still entertaining and/or informative.

They are roughly in order from biggest to smallest, but it's very difficult to say in some cases. Like, comparing someone who is technically taller by height to someone who is shorter but has twice the body mass, where does one draw the line? I'm sure I've managed to find a middle ground here that pleases neither side.

If I wasn't so artistically drained and exhausted right now, I would draw a size chart or something.

[frozenjokes]

WoF/Third Life Crossover Fic Chapter 1 - Beloved Son of Gods

Read the Prologue Here

Grainshifter sat on his usual perch outside of the Jade Mountain Academy, watching the new students funnel in. The air was buzzing with excitement and anticipation, the perfect place for a Nightwatcher to get their fix. Grainshifter breathed deeply, letting all their emotions wash over his scales and energize him, then settled down to enjoy the show. He longed to jump out of his invisible scales and be part of the throng, but of course, this was strictly forbidden. Most Nightwatchers didn’t even have the clearance to traverse the land by themselves, but as the animus that brought Nightwings to greater power, he had special privileges. 

It had been centuries since then, maybe longer, but Grainshifter had long since grown bored of being revered as their champion. He didn’t even feel like he had done very much besides existing anyway; most of his magic was transferred into an animus book that any dragon could use, so the council did most of the work casting enchantments to turn Nightwings into what were now Nightwatchers, a higher power. Grainshifter still had magic of course, but there were enchantments in place to keep him in line; understandable considering what happened to the Seawings when their old animus went crazy and massacred half the royal family. 

Grainshifter turned his attention back to the dragonet students, taking note of the increasing number of hybrid dragons attending the school. The Nightwatchers made quite sure there were no traitorous Nightwing dragons left to mingle with the other tribes, but Grainshifter was to make absolutely sure there were more no dragons of Nightwing descent still hanging around.

“Our tribe split up once our old volcano home erupted; one section under the rule of a Rainwing,” his mother’s tone had been laced with disgust, “and the loyal Nightwings. The true Nightwings.” During that time, inter-tribe mingling was becoming a more acceptable practice, so Nightwing genes were spread through every tribe before the Nightwatchers could exterminate the traitors. Grainshifter shook out his wings, frowning. Sure, it made some sense any trace of Nightwings shouldn’t be around now that Nightwatchers reigned supreme as a legend among dragons, but he couldn’t help but feel bad for any hybrid Nightwing descendents whose only crime was existing.

He took one more deep breath before taking off. Other Nightwatchers were sure to come around and bask in these dragonets’ anxieties, and he didn’t have time to chat. I’m going to be with them today. No more putting this off. With their new power, the Nightwatchers had taken the ancient Nightwing city and had it rise into the sky to be closer with the stars. The structure couldn’t be seen from the ground, but even if a flying dragon spotted it, no amount of distance would bring them any closer. Unless you were a Nightwatcher of course. Grainshifter made his way home, landing gently on the sandstone castle steps and heading inside to see Queen Forthreader and her council.

Grainshifter removed the enchantment that made his scales invisible once he reached the chamber door, relieved not to run into any other dragons. Despite all the years that had passed, dragons still thought about him with an edge of panic, and no amount of practice stopped those from piercing the veil. 

Grainshifter didn’t need to knock. An enchantment blocked him from reading the minds of the council, but every member could still read his, as well as see into the future that he would be coming. He pushed back a jolt of bitterness that he wasn’t allowed the power of future sight. Why keep your grand champion hero whatever dragon in the dark? Grainshifter had zero interest in sitting around as a council member all day like his mother, but it irked him that he wasn’t even given the option to join them. Maybe these rebellious thoughts were the reason.

“Come in, Grainshifter,” Queen Forthreader called, breaking his train of thought. He did as he was told, pushing open the chamber doors and trotting inside. Each member of the council looked at him with such affection, Grainshifter felt like he would melt. I really shouldn’t think so badly of them, they really love me. He commanded the doors to close behind himself and stood in front of the council of ten dragons, faces covered by shimmery purple veils.

“I understand you know why I’ve come,” he began, dipping his head in a short bow, “But if I may state my case anyway, I would appreciate your patience.”

The council laughed among themselves, practically confirming they had already made their decision. “Oh Grainshifter, always with the formalities,” his mother sighed, leaning on her front talons. 

“Of course darling, go ahead,” Queen Forthbringer spoke, relaxing in her seat. Grainshifter’s tail tip flicked in irritation at their attitudes. Why did they have to act so condescending when he was trying to be serious? The thought came out like a challenge, but not a single dragon straightened up in response to his defiance. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted two dragons on the other side of the room giving each other a bemused glance. He forced the spines on his neck to lay back down before speaking.

“You all know I requested this meeting, because I would like to attend Jade Mountain Academy,” he started, steeling himself, “I know you’ve seen it in the future, and I know you have probably already made your decision, but I think it’s important to speak about this now.” Grainshifter breathed deeply, and saw many of the council members do the same. Were they drinking in his anxiety? He shook the thought away. “I want to make it clear that I value everything you’ve taught me and everything I have been given. I am honored to have an opportunity no other dragon in the world could ever even dream of. However, I think there’s more things to learn that can’t be gleaned by just watching. I never got the chance to make friends with dragons my age- even among the Nightwatchers!”

“Well at hundreds of years old I think that chance has passed,” a council member chuckled, but abruptly stopped after getting a searing look from Grainshifter’s mother. Grainshifter pushed back a growl, taking a moment to calm himself.

“I just feel like I missed something crucial. I want the chance to know myself and the world as a lesser being, the way Nightwatchers used to be. I feel like I can’t appreciate what I have without knowing how things were.” And it’s not like anyone here treats me like an adult anyway. Silence followed his words. He looked to Queen Forthreader to await her response.

“Well Grainshifter, you will be pleased to know that you will be attending Jade Mountain Academy as a Skywing dragonet,” she spoke warmly, however, before Grainshifter could respond, her tone hardened. “However, we have a few conditions we have agreed on to keep you safe and most importantly, to keep your head.” Energy bubbled in Grainshifter’s talons, and it took everything in him to keep himself from jumping around in celebration.

“Yes! Anything!”

Queen Forthreader smiled. “First, you are forbidden from using any of your animus magic or revealing any information about the Nightwatchers. You are a Skywing dragonet who participates in the worship of our species. That is all.” Grainshifter nodded fervently. This made sense. “Second, Jade Mountain Academy is a school of many tribes with many different values. Yours will be challenged. A representative mind reader will keep an eye on you to make sure you stand firm with Nightwatcher ideals, and if you must be pulled out to prevent any brainwashing, then it shall be done. No second chances.” Well that was a little odd, but alright. “And third, for the love of god, stay away from those damned Rainwings. They’ll only give you trouble.”

“I can do that!” Grainshifter beamed, lifting his chin high. Even the demeaning looks from the other council members couldn’t get under his skin now.

“Well then! Glad this is settled. Run along now, you’ll miss the opening ceremony at this rate. I’ll take care of your enchantments.”

Grainshifter jumped up, alarmed, and scrambled toward the chamber door. I won’t waste any of this opportunity! He heard the council members laugh and the scratching of talons on parchment as he fled. As he took to the sky, a brilliant red bloomed from his dark purple scales, his wingspan and tail lengthened, and his facial features sharpened. He was a Skywing now, and for the first time, he would get to meet other dragons that were just like him.

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Dark Forest Resident: Finchstar 

Aliases / Nicknames: Finchdrift 

Gender: tom 

Sexuality: bisexual 

Family: Coldsplash (mother), Rootsway (father), Honeybuzz (sister), Belugastar (mate) 

Other Relations: unnamed mentor, Belugastar (apprentice)

Clan: NightClan 

Rank: leader 

Characteristics: vengeful, sneaky, charismatic

Murder Motive: vengence 

Number of Victims: 25+ 

Number of Murders: 10 

Murder Method: unspecified

Known Victims: Fernstar, Silentwing, Robinroost, Earthenstrike, countless ThunderClan cats

Victim Profile: ThunderClan cats, abusers 

Cause of Death: killed by a tornado. 

Cautionary Tale: do not scorn those you protect, or else they shall return with fury and strength 

Story: 

The devastation done to my former Clan was great. 

ThunderClan then forced their help and rule onto us. 

They all laughed as I turned around slow, I tried to help take back the Clan once we had our strength back. 

They said you “ain't welcome 'round here anymore.” Exiled from my home, along with a few loyal supporters. 

“You just might as well go.” My mother, my father, even my sister just watched. I wiped the blood from my face as I slowly came to my knees. My pleas for help from StarClan were not answered. 

I said, “I'll be back when you least expect it.” I made a promise as I stared into the face of those I once loved,  And the Dark’s coming with me. Dark’s coming with me.”   

There is a hill at the bottom of the valley. We picked up a few cats along the way to where NightClan would make itself home. Where all the poor souls go when they die. 

Beluga, eventually to be Belugastar, was a kittypet who joined us. We made quick friends. And if you listen real close, I told them of the original Clans, and stories of how they had spread all throughout. 

You can hear em' like a ghost. Berryspeckle was whispered to by those from the beyond, Dark Forest and the dissatisfied of StarClan alike. Saying “you're never gonna make it out alive.” 

The mountain Clans were not entirely welcoming. Ratstar and I became like brothers, but WoodClan, SparkClan, LaurelClan, and CliffClan ranged from skeptical to outright hostile. There is a Twolegplace at the bottom of that hill I established NightClan, and the dissatisfied told Berryspeckle of what I had to do. 

They got a secret that they keep like a slave. First, I had to cease publicly executing abusive mentors, as it made StarClan uneasy. They suggested exile. They got a black magic creature, I made contact with the condemned, and took their advice as well. We'd do well to let me teach her overtime.

I learned secrets of these lands. How to survive on the base of this great hill. You'll be heading up that hill to the grave. 

NightClan was accepted among the Clans, and I knew what I had to do. And it is well, with my soul, I gained nine lives from the dissatisfied of StarClan, and I was off. 

Although all my time away had gotten me out of practice, I still could remember the moors of my old home. And on your way down to the Dark, you hear me ring that bell. Tempering my rage, I met a WindClan patrol at their border. I'd pay the Darkness twice as much to keep your soul.

Honeybuzz kept this secret, and my patrol arrived to ThunderClan. There was a drifter passing through that little valley. My arrival to ThunderClan with my patrol was met with confusion. See, he had promised he was coming back to the lake.

I fulfilled the promise I had made long ago. They didn't know me by my face, or by the claws itching to waste. None of them recognized me. It had been so long. But I knew them all. I came back to burn this land to the ground.

My patrol had orders to avoid the young, old, and sick. And so we attacked. First there was fire, then there was smoke. 

StarClan showed their displeasure. Lightning struck the forest, and a wild storm kicked up. The medicine cat, Rainwing, tried to stop me as I approached Fernstar. He paid for his arrogance. I did not leave them without, his apprentice rightfully helped the kits, queens, and elders escape. Then they all fell to their knees and begged that drifter please.

A few WindClan cats approached me, begging for me to stop.  Begged me please, as he raised his my claws before I spoke. I stood on Highrock, proclaiming my truth. “ I am the righteous hand of Stars, and I am the Darkness that you forgot.  And I told you one day you will see, that I'll be back, I guarantee, and darkness is coming with me.”

And it is well, with my soul. Fernstar turned to face me, yowling his rage. I tackled him, and took his final life.Laughing, I could hardly notice the winds. My life was over in a flash. 

Additional Information: 

--Submission by @frightnightindustries​

--Belugastar's a trans male! Silentwing and Robinroost are his parents.

--Earthenstrike clawed his apprentice for trespassing on the LaurelClan border.

--I literally was just introduced to this song by a friend, and I was reading this thinking hey this sounds familiar.