IceWings, also known as ice dragons or arctic dragons to humans, are a Pyrrhian dragon tribe that resides in the Ice Kingdom, the "head" of the dragon-shaped Pyrrhia, which is known for its cold winds, freezing temperatures, and, formerly, the Great Ice Cliff (also known as the gift of defense), before it was destroyed by Queen Snowfall,[1] their current queen.
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 Blaze had won.[2]
Description[]
IceWing scales can range from silvery-gray[3] and white[4] to pale shades of blue[5] and purple,[6] intended to blend into their icy surroundings. Their coloring has been described as "silver like the moons," "pale blue like ice,"[7] "as pale as the moons,"[8] or "moon-white scales".[9] IceWings have dark blue,[10] sky blue,[11] icy blue,[12] or stormy gray eyes,[13] with forked blue tongues[7] and dark blue blood.[14][15]
The head of an IceWing is shaped like a diamond and is very narrow, with spikes continuing down their back and tail and a ruff of extra spikes behind their heads. They are usually lean dragons with whip-thin tails that have icicle-shaped spines, ending in very sharp tips. They have serrated claws for gripping the ice.[7] Some IceWings have unusual patterns, such as Lynx, with dark freckles or markings on their faces and wings,[16] and Mink, with feathery patterns of gray along her wings, like whiskers or tufts of fur.[10]
When upset, some IceWings have been shown to ruffle up the spikes around their necks.[17]
Diet[]
IceWings prefer to eat creatures that live in the Ice Kingdom, such as reindeer, whales, penguins, hawks, polar bears, seals, walruses, and fish.[12] IceWing meals have been described as containing "bowls of dripping meat."[18] They also consume scavengers,[19] though not very often, as they are rare in the Ice Kingdom. Seals are common among the lower classes due to the gift of subsistence, which consists of holes in the ice found in three different villages where the lower-born IceWings live which are enchanted to always give the hunter a seal when they stick a talon in.[20] IceWings would also eat frozen berries and even have ice cream.[21][22] IceWings typically enjoy their food raw.[23]
For event feasts such as coronations, IceWings may consume elaborate courses, such as kelp and sedge salads garnished with garlic and ginger, crab soup with moss, whale skin topped with polar bear meat, narwhal blubber seasoned with fulmar oil, diced puffin breast, grated gannet stomach stew, scavenger liver, shark heart, and desserts such as shaved ice flavored with maple syrup and lemons.[24] They will also eat dishes from other tribes, such as frozen cream made from milk and melons, from the MudWings.[25]
Abilities[]
IceWings can withstand subzero temperatures and very bright light.[26] They have serrated claws for gripping slippery ice, which were described as "ten times sharper than normal claws" and "like getting clawed four times with each claw instead of once" when used offensively.[27][28] They are also known for having sharper eyesight than the other Pyrrhian dragon tribes,[29] and their scales emit an icy-cold chill,[30] which can freeze tiny drops of water on their bodies.[31]
They can handle flight distances well but are weaker when subjected to heat.[32]
They can also exhale a freezing weapon called frostbreath,[33] which appears as a cloud of sparkling smoke,[30] and can cause limbs to fall clean off from frostbite.[34] Scars from frostbreath look like blackened blisters, as seen on Mayfly.[35] The only known direct cure is the gift of healing, a set of narwhal horns enchanted by Queen Diamond to heal accidental frostbreath injuries. In other cases, fire, bags of hot rocks, hot mud, or related heat-emitting liquids are used to melt the ice and treat frostbreath on other tribes.[36]

Fjord using frostbreath during combat with Clay in the SkyWing arena in The Dragonet Prophecy, by Mike Holmes.
Frostbreath forms ice crystals where it makes contact with dirt,[37] forms tiny chunks of ice when used on rain,[38] and can be used to extinguish fires.[39] An IceWing can be prevented from using their frostbreath for a short time by raising their body temperature either via a warm environment[40] or manually heating them up (hot metal, fire, etc.).[3] Fjord's scales have been seen "melting" while in the arena, which perhaps indicates that IceWings' scales cannot withstand the heat.[5] A dragon affected by frostbreath will first feel freezing pain, shocking the affected area into paralysis, and is quite painful for the first few seconds until the area becomes numb. Victims of frostbreath will sometimes lose consciousness.[41] SkyWings who hatch with firescales cannot be hurt by frostbreath, though an impacted area may be numb for some time.[42]

Frostbreath taking over Battlewinner's body, in The Dark Secret by Mike Holmes.
A fire-breathing dragon can survive having frostbreath shot down their throat for a short time, but the only known way to survive a long period of time after sustaining internal frostbreath injuries is by staying immersed in lava.[43] Internal frostbreath injuries can eventually overwhelm a dragon if they leave the lava,[44] which is shown in Battlewinner's case.
As described in Moon Rising, 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.[45]
Animus magic[]
IceWings were once known for having more animus dragons than any other tribe, as well as having magic the longest.[46] 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,[47] for the benefit of the tribe, at the gifting ceremony on their seventh hatching day.[47] Some animus IceWings went against the rules, such as Queen Diamond who used her power four times — once for her normal animus gift, the gift of healing, another on Hope to come back to the Ice Kingdom, again for the gift of vengeance (the Diamond Caves), and once to enchant the IceWing crown to make the wearer hate NightWings as much as she had. IceWings host a test similar to the SeaWings' Talons of Power ceremony[event 1] to find animus dragons.[48]
The IceWing's line of animus dragons ended when Arctic, the last known IceWing animus, ran away with Hope to the Night Kingdom, leading the IceWings to believe that the NightWings stole their magic.[49]
Known Animus Gifts |
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Society[]
IceWings appear to be fairly sophisticated, strict, and believe themselves superior in comparison to the other tribes, being the only Pyrrhian dragons to have a hierarchy. They are very prideful and often perceived as rude and arrogant by dragons of other tribes.[57] 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.[58] Most dragonets are seasoned warriors in the Ice Kingdom.[59]
Even in times of general peace, IceWings still had minor skirmishes with SandWings and SkyWings.[60]
Royal IceWings are typically not affectionate, as Winter mentioned that hugging their family members would be considered undignified.[61] The lines of guards that attend the IceWing queen are perfectly coiled,[62] and IceWings are noble to their queen's orders.[63] It is painful to hold the IceWing guard stance for too long,[62] 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.[62]
The IceWing queen, according to the ancient traditions of the tribe, was required to assess and adjust the gift of order each night.[64] She also has a council of powerful IceWings to guide and support her.[65] Most queens are killed in royal challenges in a battlefield, an arena, or before the entire court in a bloodstained throne room.[66]
Royal IceWings in the time of Darkstalker stored the frozen heads of deceased royal family members on walls in the palace and slid the deceased's corpses into the ocean.[67] This tradition is no longer practiced.[event 3]
IceWings living in villages outside the palace are less obsessed with status and Circles.[68] The outer villages are made of ice structures and are named hyphenated phrases.[69] In the outer villages, scrolls are typically written on sealskin and are circulated between IceWing villages by wandering librarians. They often have revered storytellers, or bards, who memorize stories that they sing or recite. Stories include tales of the Great Ice Dragon and histories of the IceWing tribe and their heroes. Dragonets are chosen to be their village's bard based on memory and performance skill. Caribou claimed that it is every young dragon's dream to be their village's bard.[70]
IceWings have a mythological figure called the Great Ice Dragon, whom they swear by the teeth of.[45] They also swear by snow monsters[71] and believe in spirits under the ice.[72]
IceWings can have pets such as arctic foxes.[73]
IceWings have parties, talent shows, and competitions frequently and are always working hard to make something wonderful to share with the rest of the tribe. These include recipes, scrolls, songs, and jewelry.[74]
Many IceWings polish their scales to maintain a clean look. This can be done via rolling in snow, swimming in cold water, or other various ways.[75][76]
Circle rankings[]
Before the reign of Queen Snowfall, the aristocracy and nobility of the IceWing tribe were divided into seven ranks of status, known as Circles. The First Circle was the top, highest, or best, while the Seventh Circle was the bottom, lowest, or worst. IceWings below the age of seven were ranked as dragonets and graduated to the adult rankings on their seventh hatching day.[77] A dragonet's ranking on their seventh hatching day determined the course of the rest of their life, and if a dragonet reached their seventh hatching day in the Seventh Circle, they were stationed to an arctic outpost for the rest of their lives.[78] In families in the Ice Kingdom, the highest-ranked parent chose the names for their dragonets, regardless of gender, and were then approved by the queen.[79]

Tundra adjusting Winter's rank on the ranking wall from Winter Turning (graphic novel), by Mike Holmes.
This system was managed via the gift of order and consisted of a wall of ice showing the rankings of every noble and dragonet. The queen was required to adjust these rankings daily. Some noble dragons wore accessories to indicate their rankings, such as a necklace with circles on it.[80]
IceWing dragonets raised their ranking through hunting, training, performing traditional IceWing customs, and passing tests given by their guardians.[81] In the dragonet rankings, each hunt was still a chance to prove themselves and increase their rank.[81] The highest-ranked dragonets were more respected. When a dragonet reached their seventh hatching day in the First or Second Circle, they would be housed in the queen's palace and allowed to provide input on important matters. When an adult went into Third Circle or lower, they could have lost their right to live in the palace.[82] If an IceWing died or was exiled, their names were slashed through on the gift of order, as shown in Hailstorm's case. If a dragonet went down in the rankings, their parents would too.[82]
The gift of order has since been destroyed by Queen Snowfall.[83] She is also working on destroying the gift of defense so that IceWings can become more open-minded to other tribes willing to help them during crises.
Diamond Trial[]

The Diamond Caves where the Diamond Trial takes place from Winter Turning (graphic novel), by Mike Holmes.
The Diamond Trial, also known as the gift of vengeance, was a way for IceWing dragonets to increase their Circle ranking in the tribe, generally as a last-minute effort to switch the places of two dragonets (the topmost and bottommost positions). It involved entering the Diamond Caves with narwhal horn spears, meant to touch a frozen NightWing - Hope. When she was thawed, both contestants had to battle her. Hope was then frozen again after she had been killed, leaving the two dragonets to fight to the death. However, the trial was rigged - only one of the dragonets, the one the IceWings wanted to win, was given information about the trial and how the spears actually worked.
The trial became defunct when Winter secretly freed Hope during the events of Winter Turning.
Names[]
Before Queen Snowfall, IceWing names were chosen by the family member with the highest Circle rank and the names had to be approved by the queen.[79] It is unknown if this naming convention is still practiced. They can be named after ice formations like Glacier and Icicle, arctic animals (terrestrial or aquatic) such as Penguin, Lynx, Narwhal, and Ermine, words for "white" in various languages such as Alba and Hvitur, polar landscapes such as Tundra, polar weather such as Hailstorm or Snowfall, and after mountains such as Changbai. They can also be named after blue and white gemstones such as Crystal, Diamond, and Opal, as well as cold seasons like Winter.
Click here for a list of known IceWings.
Animus dragons[]
Students at Jade Mountain[]
- Alba
- Changbai
- Ermine
- Icicle (formerly; on trial in the Ice Kingdom for attempting to kill Starflight and Glory, and killing an unnamed NightWing by the orders of Queen Scarlet)
- Winter (formerly; currently living with the Talons of Peace in Sanctuary)
- 2 unnamed IceWings
Trivia[]
- IceWings may use fruit juice to make popsicles.[event 4]
- There have been legends of animus IceWings that have gone mad from overuse of magic.[47]
- IceWings have a specific sleeping schedule.[84]
- IceWings have trouble smelling things properly in more crowded environments like forests or towns.[57]
- IceWings can use their polished scales to make mirror signals by reflecting sunlight.[76]
- There is an old IceWing tale that eating a shark heart can give a dragon strength; however, Glacier noted that many IceWings would get sick from eating it.[25]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ The Dangerous Gift, page 259
- ↑ The Hidden Kingdom, page 115
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Dragonet Prophecy, prologue
- ↑ The Poison Jungle, page 296
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 The Dragonet Prophecy, page 154
- ↑ Winter Turning, page 141
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Dragon guides
- ↑ Darkstalker, page 14
- ↑ Darkstalker, page 174
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 The Dangerous Gift, page 44
- ↑ Winter Turning, page 191
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 A Guide to the Dragon World, page 135
- ↑ Winter Turning, page 252
- ↑ Moon Rising, page 276
- ↑ The Dragonet Prophecy, page 230
- ↑ Winter Turning, page 259
- ↑ Darkness of Dragons, page 191
- ↑ Winter Turning, page 4
- ↑ The Hidden Kingdom, page 131
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 A Guide to the Dragon World, page 151
- ↑ The Dangerous Gift, page 217
- ↑ The Dangerous Gift, page 305
- ↑ Winter Turning, page 154
- ↑ A Guide to the Dragon World, page 146
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 A Guide to the Dragon World, page 147
- ↑ Dragon guides
- ↑ The Dragonet Prophecy, page 168
- ↑ The Dark Secret, prologue
- ↑ The Dangerous Gift, page 83
- ↑ 30.0 30.1 The Dragonet Prophecy, page 157
- ↑ Darkstalker, page 148
- ↑ Darkness of Dragons, page 289
- ↑ Dragon guides
- ↑ The Dragonet Prophecy, page 272–273
- ↑ Winter Turning, page 211
- ↑ Darkness of Dragons, page 147
- ↑ The Dragonet Prophecy, page 272
- ↑ Winter Turning, page 18
- ↑ Moon Rising, page 181
- ↑ Winter Turning, page 90
- ↑ Darkness of Dragons, page 146
- ↑ Escaping Peril, page 125
- ↑ The Dark Secret, page 168
- ↑ The Dark Secret, page 263
- ↑ 45.0 45.1 Moon Rising, page 226
- ↑ Darkstalker, page 124
- ↑ 47.0 47.1 47.2 47.3 Darkstalker, prologue
- ↑ Darkstalker, page 116
- ↑ Winter Turning, page 37
- ↑ The Dangerous Gift, page 50
- ↑ 51.0 51.1 51.2 A Guide to the Dragon World, page 143
- ↑ 52.0 52.1 52.2 A Guide to the Dragon World, page 144
- ↑ The Dangerous Gift, page 19
- ↑ A Guide to the Dragon World, page 145
- ↑ Winter Turning, page 243
- ↑ The Dangerous Gift, page 52
- ↑ 57.0 57.1 Winter Turning, prologue
- ↑ Winter Turning, page 7
- ↑ Winter Turning, page 66
- ↑ The Winglets Quartet: Deserter, page 103
- ↑ Winter Turning, page 45
- ↑ 62.0 62.1 62.2 Winter Turning, page 58
- ↑ Winter Turning, page 92
- ↑ The Dangerous Gift, page 18
- ↑ The Dangerous Gift, page 29
- ↑ The Dangerous Gift, page 47
- ↑ The Winglets Quartet: Runaway, page 140
- ↑ Darkness of Dragons, page 367
- ↑ The Dangerous Gift, page 59
- ↑ A Guide to the Dragon World, page 148
- ↑ Moon Rising, page 289
- ↑ The Dangerous Gift, page 33
- ↑ A Guide to the Dragon World, page 140
- ↑ A Guide to the Dragon World, page 141
- ↑ Winter Turning, page 253
- ↑ 76.0 76.1 Winter Turning, page 131
- ↑ Winter Turning, page 8
- ↑ Winter Turning, page 25
- ↑ 79.0 79.1 Darkstalker, page 15
- ↑ Winter Turning, page 240
- ↑ 81.0 81.1 Winter Turning, page 3
- ↑ 82.0 82.1 Winter Turning, page 249
- ↑ The Dangerous Gift, page 303
- ↑ The Winglets Quartet: Runaway, page 146
IceWings | |
---|---|
Queens | |
Royalty (Present) |
Crystal • Hailstorm • Icicle • Mink • Narwhal • Permafrost • Tundra • Winter |
Royalty (Historical) |
|
Jade Mountain | |
Other Dragons |
Cirrus • Caribou • Caribou • Caribou • Caribou • Caribou • Caribou • Fjord • Hvitur • Igloo • Ivory • Lynx • Snowflake • Snowstorm • Snowstorm • Snowstorm • Polar Bear |
Hybrids |
Darkstalker • Whiteout • Eclipse • Fierceclaws • Shadowhunter • Typhoon |
Kingdom |
Notable Features: Great Ice Cliff • Moon Globe Tree • IceWing palace • Diamond Caves |