IceWings

IceWings, also known as ice dragons to humans, are a Pyrrhian dragon tribe who live in the Ice Kingdom, the northwestern area of Pyrrhia (the 'head') which is known for its cold winds, freezing temperatures, and the Great Ice Cliff. They are currently ruled by Queen Snowfall.

The IceWings supported Blaze during the War of SandWing Succession, joining her alliance with the promise of a large portion of land near the SandWings' northern border if she won.^[1]

Description

IceWing scales can range from silvery-grey and white colors to pale shades of blue and purple, intended to blend into their icy surroundings. Their coloring has been described as "silver like the moons," "pale blue like ice," "as pale as the moons," or "moon-white scales," and "scales the color of sky reflected in the snow on the distant mountain peaks." IceWings have dark blue, black, or stormy gray eyes, forked blue tongues, and dark blue blood.^[2][3]

The head of an IceWing is shaped like a diamond and is very narrow, with a ruff of extra horns behind their heads and spikes along their backs. They are lean dragons with thin, whip-like tails with icicle-shaped spines, ending in a very sharp tip.^[4] They have serrated claws for walking on ice. Some IceWings have dark freckles or markings on their faces and wings such as Lynx, although this is not too common.^[5]

Diet

IceWings prefer to eat creatures who live in tundras, such as polar bears, whales, seals, penguins, walruses, and fish. IceWing meals have been described as containing "bowels of dripping meat."^[6] They also consume scavengers, though not very often, as they are rare in the tundra. IceWings are known to consume fish as well due to their presence in the ocean waters. Seals are common due to The Gift of Sustenance, a hole in the ice enchanted to always give the hunter a seal when they stick a talon in. IceWings would also eat frozen berries.

Abilities

IceWings can withstand subzero temperatures and very bright light.^[7] They have serrated claws for gripping slippery ice, which seem "ten times sharper than normal claws" and "like getting clawed four times with each claw instead of once" when used offensively.^[8][9] Their scales emit a chill,^[10] and they can exhale a freezing weapon called frostbreath (also known as "freezing death breath.")^[11]

Frostbreath appears as a cloud of sparkling smoke,^[10] and can cause limbs to fall clean off.

^[12] It forms ice crystals where it makes contact with dirt,^[13] and can be used to extinguish fires.^[14] An IceWing can be prevented from using their frostbreath for a short time by raising their body temperature either via a warm environment or manually heating them up (hot metal, fire, etc.).^[15][16]

A fire-breathing dragon could survive having frostbreath shot down their throat for a short time, but the only known way to survive after sustaining internal frostbreath injuries is by staying immersed in lava.^[17] Internal frostbreath injuries can eventually overwhelm a dragon if they leave their lava.^[18]
Dragons born with firescales cannot be hurt by frostbreath, though an impacted area may be numb for some period of time.^[19]

IceWings have sharp, glittering, and bright minds that are hard to read. Groups of IceWings will "reflect" off of one another and become even more difficult to read.^[20]

IceWings have trouble scenting things properly in more crowded environments, such as forests or towns.^[21]

Animus magic

IceWings were once known for having more animus dragons than any other tribe. These dragons were carefully bred into the royal family and monitored extremely cautiously, with strict rules for the use of their powers to keep their soul from turning evil. IceWing animus dragons were only permitted to use their power once, for the benefit of the tribe, at the gifting ceremony on their seventh hatching day, although some dragons disobeyed this rule. The IceWings' line of animus dragons ended when Arctic, the last IceWing known animus, ran away with Foeslayer to the Night Kingdom, leading the IceWings to believe that the NightWings stole their precious magic.^[22]

Animus Gifts

The Gift of Defense: The Great Ice Cliff, a wall on the border of the Ice Kingdom that shoots icicle spears at anyone who isn't an IceWing. This feature was first seen when one of Blaze's soldiers attempted to cross it. IceWing hybrids can also cross the cliff, as stated by Typhoon, a SeaWing-IceWing hybrid. The Gift of Diplomacy: Three bracelets that allow the wearer to get over the Great Ice Cliff despite their tribe and keep the wearer warm in the Ice Kingdom, as well as a heated dome near the SandWing border, so they don't need to wear the bracelet; created by Penguin. These bracelets were stolen by NightWings, however, and have been lost for about two thousand years. The Gift of Elegance: An enchantment on the IceWing palace that makes the inner walls mimic the weather outside. The Gift of Healing: Queen Diamond's first official tribe gift. She enchanted a set of narwhal horns to cure any IceWings of frostbreath wounds. The Gift of Light: A tree made of ice, the Moon Globe Tree, enchanted and hand-carved by Frostbite. The tree grows moon globes which, once picked from the branches, hover over the shoulder of the dragon who picked them and cast a soft glow. They also have different brightness settings that can be changed by rotating the globe. Glory wanted a cutting to grow in the rainforest. The Gift of Order: A wall that shows every aristocrat IceWing's name and their current ranking. The names can be slid around like abacus beads if the IceWing rises or falls in rank. Dead IceWing names can be scratched out, as shown when Winter is erased after he flees the Ice Kingdom. There are Circles for each rank, with two different systems for adults and dragonets. The Gift of Splendor: The main IceWing palace, enchanted by animus twins to grow from the ground and never be cracked, melted, or harmed in any way from the outside. The Gift of Sustenance: Three ice holes on the outskirts of the Ice Kingdom where if a dragon sticks his or her claws into it they will always catch a seal. Winter thinks it is narrow-minded because it is built only for the lower ranks; any dragon who cared about their ranking wouldn't accept food which came so easily. The Gift of Vengeance: The Diamond Caves were Queen Diamond's second animus gift, enchanted so that anyone who touches Foeslayer (a NightWing locked inside with animus-touched shackles) with a diamond-tipped spear can kill her (used for the Diamond Trial). The shackles that bound her were enchanted to refreeze her and revive her each time she was killed. The only way to remove the shackles was to breathe frostbreath on them (Queen Diamond added this to the enchantment in case the IceWing tribe needed Foeslayer as a bargaining chip, but thought that no IceWing would ever even think of freeing her). Together, they were created because Queen Diamond was not satisfied with killing Foeslayer just once, and instead wanted her to suffer for all eternity.

Society

The IceWings appear to be fairly sophisticated, strict, and superior in comparison to the other tribes, being the only Pyrrhian dragons to have a hierarchy. IceWings are very prideful, and often perceived as rude and arrogant by dragons of other tribes.^[21] There are strict IceWing codes of behavior: most IceWings agree that the only way to make dragonets strong is to expose all of their weaknesses, and that shame and fear are powerful weapons in teaching. If everyone is disappointed in a dragonet, the consensus is that they will work harder to prove themselves.^[23] Most dragonets are seasoned warriors in the Ice Kingdom.^[24]

Royal IceWings are typically not affectionate, as Winter mentioned that hugging their family members would be considered undignified.^[25] The lines of guards that attend the IceWing queen are perfectly coiled,^[26] and IceWings are noble to their queen's orders.^[27] It is painful to hold the IceWing guard stance for too long,^[26] but Winter practiced for hours to get the pose perfectly right: his wings folded exactly so, his tail in the right position, his snout up and shoulders back.^[26]

IceWings have a mythological figure called the Great Ice Dragon, whom they swear by the teeth of.^[20] They also swear by snow monsters.^[28]

Circle rankings

The aristocracy of the IceWing tribe is divided into seven ranks of status, known as Circles. The First Circle is the top, or best, while the Seventh Circle is the worst. IceWings below the age of seven are ranked as dragonets and graduate to the adult rankings on their seventh hatching day.^[29] A dragonet's ranking on their seventh hatching day determines the course of the rest of their life, and if a dragonet reaches their seventh hatching day in the Seventh Circle, they are stationed to an arctic outpost for the rest of their life.^[30]

A dragonet's ranking on their seventh hatching day also determines the rest of their life in the kingdom. This system is managed via the Gift of Order and consists of a wall of ice showing the rankings of every noble and dragonet. The dragon with the highest ranking in a family decides their dragonet's names, which are then approved by the queen. Some noble dragons may wear accessories to indicate their rankings, such as a necklace with circles on it.^[31]

IceWing dragonets raise their ranking through hunting, training, performing traditional IceWing customs, and passing tests given by their guardians.^[32] In the dragonet rankings, each hunt is still a chance to prove themselves and increase their rank.^[32] The highest-ranked dragonets are more respected. When a dragonet reaches their seventh hatching day in the First or Second Circle, they will be housed in the queen's palace and allowed to provide input on important matters. When an adult loses this rank, they can lose their place in the palace.^[33]

If IceWings are in the Seventh Circle by their seventh hatching day, they are stationed on an arctic outpost for the rest of their life,^[30] and dead or exiled dragons have their names slashed through on the Gift of Order. Only IceWing nobles use the circle system.

Diamond Trial

The Diamond Trial, also known as the Gift of Vengeance, is a way for IceWing dragonets to increase their ranking in the tribe, generally as a last-minute effort to switch the places of two dragonets (the topmost and bottommost positions.) It involves entering the Diamond Caves with narwhal horn spears, meant to be touched to a frozen NightWing (Foeslayer). She is unfrozen, and both contestants must battle her. Foeslayer turns back to ice when killed, leaving the two dragonets to fight to the death. Only the defending dragonet, the higher one in the rankings, is given information about the dangerous trial.
It is unlikely that the Diamond Trial will continue, as Foeslayer was freed from the caves.

Names

IceWing names are chosen by the family member with the highest rank and must be approved by the queen.^[34] They can be named after ice formations such as Glacier and Icicle, arctic animals (terrestrial or aquatic) such as Lynx, Narwhal, and Ermine, words for "white" in various languages such as Hvitur, polar landscapes such as Tundra, polar weather such as Hailstorm, and after mountains such as Changbai. It is also possible for them to be named after blue and white gemstones such as Diamond and after cold seasons such as Winter.

Click here for a list of known IceWings.

Animus dragons

• Arctic
• Diamond
• Frostbite
• Darkstalker (half NightWing)
• Penguin

Students at Jade Mountain

• Alba
• Changbai
• Ermine
• Icicle (formerly; on trial in the Ice Kingdom for attempting to kill Starflight, Glory, and killing an unnamed NightWing by the orders of Queen Scarlet)
• Winter (formerly; currently living with the Talons of Peace in Sanctuary)

Trivia

• Tui has confirmed that IceWings have accents that are different from any other dragon tribe. This accent is described as "high-pitched with a tinge of deep in certain words."
• IceWings may eat frozen fruit, sometimes impaled like popsicles.
• The IceWing Royal Family is distantly related to the SandWing Royal Family, as Sunny is a descendant of Whiteout.

Gallery

References

1. ↑ The Hidden Kingdom, page 115
2. ↑ Moon Rising, page 276
3. ↑ The Dragonet Prophecy, page 230
4. ↑ Dragon guides
5. ↑ Winter Turning, page 259
6. ↑ Winter Turning, page 4
7. ↑ Dragon guides
8. ↑ The Dragonet Prophecy, page 168
9. ↑ The Dark Secret, prologue
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} The Dragonet Prophecy, page 157
11. ↑ Dragon guides
12. ↑ The Dragonet Prophecy, page 272–273
13. ↑ The Dragonet Prophecy, page 272
14. ↑ Moon Rising, page 181
15. ↑ The Dragonet Prophecy, prologue
16. ↑ Winter Turning, page 90
17. ↑ The Dark Secret, page 168
18. ↑ The Dark Secret, page 263
19. ↑ Escaping Peril, page 125
20. ↑ ^{20.0 20.1} Moon Rising, page 226
21. ↑ ^{21.0 21.1} Winter Turning, page p
22. ↑ Winter Turning, page 37
23. ↑ Winter Turning, page 7
24. ↑ Winter Turning, page 66
25. ↑ Winter Turning, page 45
26. ↑ ^{26.0 26.1 26.2} Winter Turning, page 58
27. ↑ Winter Turning, page 92
28. ↑ Moon Rising, page 289
29. ↑ Winter Turning, page 8
30. ↑ ^{30.0 30.1} Winter Turning, page 25
31. ↑ Winter Turning, page 240
32. ↑ ^{32.0 32.1} Winter Turning, page 3
33. ↑ Winter Turning, page 249
34. ↑ Darkstalker, page 15

IceWings
Queens	Present: Snowfall • Glacier Historical: Diamond
Royalty	Present: Hailstorm • Icicle • Narwhal • Tundra • Winter Historical: Arctic • Frostbite • Penguin • Snowfox
Jade Mountain	Winter • Icicle • Alba • Changbai • Ermine
Other Dragons	Cirrus • Fjord • Hvitur • Lynx • Snowflake
Hybrids	Darkstalker • Whiteout • Eclipse • Fierceclaws • Shadowhunter • Typhoon
Kingdom	Great Ice Cliff • Moon Globe Tree • IceWing palace • Diamond Caves