RainWings

RainWings, also known as rainforest dragons to humans, are a Pyrrhian dragon tribe that reside in the Rainforest Kingdom, alongside the NightWings. RainWings are usually pacifists and were not involved in the War of SandWing Succession. They are currently ruled by Queen Glory.

Description

Glory's scales changing color to reflect her mood in The Hidden Kingdom (graphic novel), by Mike Holmes

RainWing eggs from A Guide to the Dragon World, by Joy Ang

RainWings are based on chameleons. They are long and graceful, with ruffs behind their ears, curved horns, and prehensile tails that are used primarily for climbing, swinging in trees, and hanging off branches in the rainforest they inhabit, like birds of paradise. When afraid, insulted, or angry, RainWings flare their ruffs as a sign of aggression or hostility.

RainWings have small, round scales that can change color. Most RainWings prefer vivid, bright colors; however, if they wish, they can camouflage to look like they have disappeared. They can control the color of their scales, though they often have a hard time stopping strong emotions from showing through them. Most RainWings have a 'default' color scheme that they set their scales to when they are not showing emotions. RainWing eyes can change color, and they may not be able to camouflage when they are afraid or in pain.^{[citation needed]} RainWings also cannot camouflage if someone who does not know how to camouflage is mind-controlling them (via the othermind). RainWings are able to blend into their surroundings at will otherwise. Although their eyes shift colors like their scales, RainWings primarily have green, yellow, brown, or blue eyes.

RainWings are able to mimic the realistic appearance of other tribes with their scales. RainWing dragonets develop their color-shifting scales while they are still in their eggs, which are pale, smooth, and white. RainWings have sun-time to make their scales beautiful and improve their mood.

RainWing Colors to Moods

Acid green: shock, disbelief Black: angry, hatred, deeply upset, furious Blue-gray: sad, despaired, dismal, depressed Blue: curious, calm, tranquil Brown: stressed out Cyan: concentrating Dark blue: mournful, dismayed, thoughtful Gray: sorrowful Dark green: distressed Dark purple: guilty, wary Dark red: furious Deep purple: determination Emerald: displeased, surprised Gold: happy, excited, jubilant Green: worried, panicked, nervous Indigo: proud Lavender: delighted Light blue: worried, sad Light violet: pride Orange-purple: confused, puzzled Orange: irritated, frustrated, annoyed Pale green: scared, terrified, fearful Pale orange: indignant, disgusted Pale pink: embarrassed Pink: joyful, happy, in love Red: angry, rage Reddish-orange: determination, confident[citation needed] White: in pain, sick, fearful, shocked Sky-blue: resigned Yellow: amused, relieved, excited, surprised

Diet

A mango from The Hidden Kingdom (graphic novel), by Mike Holmes

RainWings are generally vegetarians, but some will eat monkeys and other rainforest animals. Jambu stated that eating sloths could cause indigestion for days due to how much fur they have and suggested not to eat them for that reason. As sloths are a RainWing pet, it is strongly frowned upon to eat them. Some RainWings are quite protective of their sloths and will not let others eat them, as shown with Exquisite. Fruit and various rainforest plants are the main part of their diets. RainWings also eat chocolate. RainWings are known to eat less than the other dragon tribes when they nap in the sun. Glory described it as if the sun gave her more energy than any food could give her, and Jambu states that the sun gives them more than half the energy to survive.

Prior to the reign of Queen Jacaranda, RainWings ate meat such as sloths.

Abilities

RainWings have long, prehensile tails that are great for swinging through the rainforest, as well as long fangs and color-changing scales. Some RainWings are able to mimic certain bird calls.

They are capable of absorbing sunlight, which gives them energy and causes their scales to become brighter. They have a dedicated time to sleep in the sun, known as "suntime", when the sun is at its highest, and RainWings who do not sleep in the sun may have duller or unchangeable scales. Sunlight is also vital to the development of other RainWing abilities, such as venom, and to their good mood. However, if a RainWing has a certain snout deformity that causes them to be unable to sleep for long periods of time, like Chameleon's, they cannot change color.

RainWing scales change color by bending light. When at ease, RainWing scales may reflect their emotions. They can also manipulate their scales to be any color they wish, though strong emotions may break through a chosen scale color. RainWings can also use their scales for camouflage, reflecting their surroundings and making them effectively invisible to most dragons. Other RainWings may be able to spot a disguised dragon. This is a skill they develop at a young age during games of hide-and-seek. RainWings can change the color of their eyes and are able to manipulate a fine level of detail onto their scales.

RainWings who are born blind always show their emotions on their scales and cannot manually change them. When relaxed, their scales will automatically camouflage to their surroundings, and that ability can be improved with practice.

Grandeur shooting her venom

The effects of RainWing venom on Fjord

RainWings have long front fangs which extend up high towards the target when ready to spit the venom and a jaw that can unhinge to shoot corrosive venom. This venom only affects organic material, such as animals and plants. Inorganic materials, such as rock and metal, are not affected. It can be deadly if it reaches a dragon's bloodstream or eyes. If a dragon survives a venom attack, it will leave warped, scarred scales or skin. RainWing venom is neutralized by contact with the venom of a blood relative. Dragonet venom is shown to be weaker than adult venom, and usually older dragons will be able to shoot venom further. RainWing venom is black and will dry into glossy droplets (reminiscent of obsidian) after some time exposed to air.

Liana flying between two trees

RainWings cannot see as far or as well as IceWings or SkyWings, but they can see more clearly in the dark. They are not long-distance fliers or accustomed to deprivation, as they usually swing and hop from branch to branch in a rainforest perpetually full of food.

Liana using her tail to loop around a tree

RainWings fly with a strange grace, using a combination of spiraling up or down and using their tails or spreading their wings to glide between the trees. They call this "tree gliding" and have teachers, such as Jambu, to help dragonets learn how to fly in the densely packed rainforest.

RainWings have been mentioned to tell the time based on the position of the sun.

Society

RainWings live an idyllic lifestyle, with easy access to food and shelter, and no involvement in conflicts. They like showing off to new visitors, and spend each morning trying to be the brightest and most vivid RainWing. They are mostly ignored by other tribes, and are viewed and stereotyped by the other tribes as ignorant, lazy, unintelligent, and weak. Snowfall described their typical lifestyle as sleeping and eating papayas, and Peril stated that RainWings were inoffensive, mellow, calm, friendly, and sleepy all the time. However, Chameleon viewed their society more bitterly, as he believed that the RainWings disliked anyone who was different and could not participate in RainWing activities; He was laughed at, teased, avoided, and whispered about for his inability to change scale colors.

RainWings have a unique, peaceful royal challenge, in accordance with their pacifistic beliefs. It was started by an unnamed queen in order to stop their strongest dragons from dying while vying for the throne. The challenge is a contest decided by the current queen. Before Queen Glory's royal challenge, queens took turns being queen one month at a time, and the position was given to any female dragon who wanted it. It is also stated by Kinkajou that RainWings with shiny names are the ones that are more likely to want to be queen. Fruit Bat is an exception.

A RainWing blowgun, from Scholastic HomeBase

RainWings have blowguns with sleeping darts, coated in tree-frog poison. These darts are used as a form of protection, to knock out strange dragons wandering into the forest, and for games as well. RainWings use flowers for decoration the way the other tribes used jewels and precious stones.

RainWings keep sloths as pets, often when a sloth chooses a dragon by climbing on them during suntime. A dragon may own multiple sloths.

RainWings perform a venom test before having eggs, ensuring that they are not blood relatives. This prevents inbreeding in the tribe, as formal families do not exist. RainWings engage in communal raising of dragonets, with everyone pitching in to help. RainWing dragonets are trained to aim their venom, glide through trees without getting snagged by the foliage, and gather fruit. They are not taught to read or write, but some may train as medics, as RainWings have multiple healers in their village. These healers keep their scales calming shades of blue and white. An adult RainWing with no role or assignment will always get the last choice for sun-time spots and only leftovers for food. RainWings have an oral storytelling tradition which was the primary way that stories are told without scrolls. They would gather before or after suntime to share stories that ranged from fragments of history or myths to magical adventures, proving their imagination powerful.

Before Queen Glory's reign, they would not count or track their eggs, only stopping by occasionally to check for newly hatched dragonets. Glory aspired to change this when she became queen so that no more eggs would ever go lost again. They have dragons keeping watch in the rainforest for danger, both RainWings and NightWings. They are also beginning to read and write. They are attempting to grow a moon globe tree (from the Ice Kingdom) for light.

Dragonets are raised in a wingery and learn skills such as tree gliding, venom targeting, and camouflage. Dragons less than a year old could mimic almost the exact shade of a dragon. They also constantly play games such as hide and seek, which is a favorite.

RainWings do not imprison dragons, instead they banish them.

In the time of Darkstalker, RainWings were a more threatening tribe. They had merchants selling both fruits and potions to the other tribes. They could also read and write at some point before the events of the series. They once had libraries and an assassin training program. During this time, they had skirmishes and wars with the MudWings and SkyWings over territory. RainWing spies resided outside of the rainforest in order to gather information on the weaknesses of other tribes.

Under the reign of Queen Jacaranda, the RainWings began transitioning over to a peaceful lifestyle, building hammocks and taming sloths. Despite this, the RainWings still challenged and killed each other over the throne and it was necessary for them to defend the rainforest from other tribes.

Names

RainWings may be named after plants and animals found in the rainforest (such as Kinkajou, Tamarin, Jambu, and Orchid), fruits (such as Mango, Pineapple, and Coconut), trees (such as Mangrove), and positive adjectives (such as Exquisite, Handsome, Magnificent and Dazzling).

RainWings have a list of names that they cycle through; when they reach the end of the list, they return to the beginning, meaning that many RainWings have had the same names throughout history.

Click here for a list of known RainWings.

Students at Jade Mountain

• Boto
• Coconut
• Kinkajou
• Siamang
• Tamarin

Trivia

• RainWings are given an Australian accent in the audiobooks, though Tui does not consider it canon.
• RainWings and LeafWings are related, and some RainWings have traveled to Pantala in the past.
• Most RainWings do not have the ability to count correctly, especially younger RainWings.
• The base RainWing scale color is a lime green like Chameleon's scales.
• Tui may write a winglet or other book on the history of RainWings.^{[citation needed]}
• RainWings are described to be the most beautiful Pyrrhian tribe.

Gallery

A typical RainWing (colored), by Joy Ang

A typical RainWing (lineart), by Joy Ang

A typical RainWing (transparent), by Joy Ang

A typical RainWing from the German publication, by Max Meinzold