SandWings, also known as sand dragons or desert dragons to humans, are a Pyrrhian dragon tribe who dwell in the Kingdom of Sand, a vast desert along the west coast and near the center of Pyrrhia. They are currently ruled by Queen Thorn.
Stone, Rose, and Heath were the main cause of the War of SandWing Succession, as the three warring princesses were vying for control of their tribe. Each princess had different allies — Blister was allied with the SeaWings and NightWings, and formerly the MudWings. Burn was allied with the SkyWings and later the MudWings, and Blaze was allied with the IceWings and most of the SandWings. After the eighteen year long war ended, these alliances disintegrated and the SandWings joined as one to serve the new queen.
Description[]
A SandWing tail barb from The Lost Heir (graphic novel), by Mike Holmes
SandWings are partly based on scorpions.[event 1] They have pale yellow,[1] pale gold,[2] white-gold,[3] or light yellow-brown[4] scales that blend in with the desert sand. They have obsidian-black eyes,[5] a spike on the top of their nose and below their ear, and a black forked tongue. They have short, curved horns and a sail or ridge going from the top of their snout to about three fourths down their tails, which have a scorpion-like stinger at the end. Their tail barb is typically dark in color.[6]
A SandWing egg from The Dragonet Prophecy (graphic novel), by Mike Holmes
SandWings may have different patterns on their scales and wings, including black diamond patterns,[3] brown speckled markings,[7] freckles,[8] and triangle patterns on a dragon's wings.[9]
Diet[]
Due to the minimal amount of food found in the desert they live in, SandWings are light eaters.[10] They may cook or prepare much of their food. They eat animals from the desert, such as camels, lizards,[11] desert rodents,[11] and roasted scorpions[12] and beetles.[13] Date cookies, dried figs, biscuits, dried dates and fruit, bread, small birds,[14] honey, berries, tortillas[15] and roasted lizards and camels are prepared in the SandWing palace's kitchen.[16] They drink coffee,[13] camel milk,[17] cinnamon milk,[18] cactus cider,[19] and agave nectar.[20] SandWings are willing to eat food not found or scarcely found in the desert such as fruit,[21] vegetables,[22] antelope,[20] and dishes such as crocodile stew.[12] SandWings in Vulture's compound also eat scavengers, smelly cheese, cinnamon, coconut, smoked ham, lemons, dried fish, and ducks.[23] SandWings of Six-Claws' time baked date soufflé and made camel shish-kebab.[24]
Abilities[]
SandWings have scales that radiate warmth and are capable of breathing fire. They can camouflage with sand, sustain themselves on very little food and water, and have sharp hearing and smell.[10][25][26][27] They are naturally adapted to desert conditions, better at handling heat and a lack of water than any other dragon tribe, but can still be affected by desert conditions.[28] They are built for long flights across the desert without stopping and are able to go for days with very little food.[29]
Blister using her tail barb on Webs from The Lost Heir (graphic novel), by Mike Holmes.
SandWings have venomous barbed tails, similar to scorpion tails. Their venom can kill a full-grown dragon with a stab to the heart.[30] SandWings do not develop their tail-barb venom until they are around three years old,[31] and as young dragonets, they have a smaller barb that has not fully developed.[32] The cure for SandWing venom is brightsting cactus.[33]
Animus magic[]
The SandWing tribe has animus magic, though little is known about their animus dragons or spells they have cast. One notable animus-touched object is the Eye of Onyx, enchanted to reduce any SandWing who tries for the throne into dust, if she is not worthy to be queen.[34] Jerboa and Jerboa III are the only known animus SandWings.
Society[]
Merchants and assassins in the Scorpion Den from The Brightest Night (graphic novel), by Mike Holmes.
The SandWings' kingdom is vast and empty, as many choose to live in towns by oases.[35][36] Occasionally, some would live and roam around on their own.[37] Living alone helped them avoid conflicts.[38] Many SandWings work as merchants or assassins, especially in the Scorpion Den.[12] They celebrate full moon festivals, and are a surprisingly musical tribe.[39][40] Duties between civilians can range between garden keeping,[41] kitchen work,[24] teaching,[31] army duties.[42] and patrols such as harvesting brightsting cacti, hunting desert foxes, and destroying dragonbite viper dens.[43] According to Fierceteeth, Thorn becoming the new SandWing queen is quite controversial within the Kingdom of Sand.[44] Most citizens are, however, quite loyal towards their queen.[45]
A full moon festival in Possibility, from Escaping Peril (graphic novel), by Mike Holmes.
SandWing dragonets are taught to hold their tails in a certain way to prevent accidents.[46] Young dragons spend a lot of time practicing how to be aware of their tails and everyone else's,[31] and much bandaging and antidote-administering is required for various accidents.[31] Dragonets who live in the palace learn basic things in the wingery until the age of two.[47]
Even in times of general peace, SandWings still had minor skirmishes with IceWings and SkyWings.[42]
They also have a reputation among other tribes as sneaky outlaws and are stereotyped as sly and underhanded.[48] Winter once described them to be "nearly as untrustworthy as NightWings, but half as smart and twice as likely to betray you for gold and treasure."[49]
SandWings keep armadillos, coyotes, and snakes as pets.[50]
Names[]
SandWings are often named after the desert — both features or characteristics of the land (such as Oasis and Horizon) and local flora and fauna (such as Meerkat and Agave). Fire and heat-related names are also common (such as Burn, Smolder, Kindle, and Char), and SandWings may be named after physical attributes (such as Six-Claws) and colors (such as Tawny).
Click here for a list of known SandWings.
Animus dragons[]
Students at Jade Mountain[]
Trivia[]
- Though poor in the time of Darkstalker, SandWings are suspected to have looted the lost city of night after the NightWings fled.[51]
- SandWings had earplugs.[52]
- Most SandWings are claustrophobic.[53][54]
- SandWings have caravans.[55]
- SandWings play games with tiny bones.[20]
Gallery[]
.webp "Transparent SandWing Base (Joy Ang).webp (256 KB)")
References[]
- ↑ Dragonslayer, page 450
- ↑ The Dragonet Prophecy, prologue
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Lost Heir, page 188
- ↑ The Brightest Night, page 59
- ↑ The Dragonet Prophecy, page 13
- ↑ Dragonslayer, page 4
- ↑ The Brightest Night, page 62
- ↑ Moon Rising, page 44
- ↑ Darkness of Dragons, epilogue
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 The Brightest Night, page 43-44
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 A Guide to the Dragon World, page 111
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 The Brightest Night, page 54
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Darkness of Dragons, page 71
- ↑ A Guide to the Dragon World, page 121
- ↑ A Guide to the Dragon World, page 127
- ↑ Darkness of Dragons, page 173
- ↑ The Brightest Night, page 76
- ↑ Dragonslayer, page 379
- ↑ The Winglets Quartet: Deserter, page 105
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Dragonslayer, page 433
- ↑ Darkness of Dragons, page 8
- ↑ The Dragonet Prophecy, page 260
- ↑ Darkness of Dragons, page 117
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 The Winglets Quartet: Deserter, page 87
- ↑ The Brightest Night, prologue
- ↑ Darkness of Dragons, page 18
- ↑ The Lost Heir, page 171
- ↑ Darkness of Dragons, prologue
- ↑ Darkness of Dragons, page 289
- ↑ The Brightest Night, page 65
- ↑ 31.0 31.1 31.2 31.3 The Winglets Quartet: Deserter, page 94
- ↑ Deserter
- ↑ The Hidden Kingdom, page 144
- ↑ The Brightest Night, page 297
- ↑ Darkstalker, page 315
- ↑ Talons of Power, epilogue
- ↑ Moon Rising, page 238
- ↑ Moon Rising, page 239
- ↑ Moon Rising, page 100
- ↑ Darkness of Dragons, page 164
- ↑ The Winglets Quartet: Deserter, page 90
- ↑ 42.0 42.1 The Winglets Quartet: Deserter, page 103
- ↑ The Winglets Quartet: Deserter, page 87-88
- ↑ The Winglets Quartet: Prisoners, page 3
- ↑ The Winglets Quartet: Prisoners, page 5
- ↑ Winter Turning, page 71
- ↑ The Winglets Quartet: Deserter, page 93
- ↑ A Guide to the Dragon World, page 1
- ↑ Winter Turning, page 25
- ↑ A Guide to the Dragon World, page 123
- ↑ Talons of Power, page 222-223
- ↑ The Winglets Quartet: Deserter, page 109
- ↑ Darkness of Dragons, page 321
- ↑ Darkness of Dragons, page 329
- ↑ Darkness of Dragons, page 108
| SandWings | |
|---|---|
| Queens | |
| Royalty |
Blaze • Blister • Burn • Char • Scald • Singe • Smolder • Sunny • Onyx |
| Jade Mountain | |
| Other Dragons (Present) |
Addax • Agave • Armadillo • Camel • Capybara • Cereus • Cobra • Dune • Horizon • Jerboa III • Kindle • Meerkat • Needle • Ocotillo • Ostrich • Palm • Parch • Prickle • Quicksand • Rattlesnake • Saguaro • Sandstorm • Sirocco • Six-Claws • Tawny • Torch • Viper • Vulture |
| Other Dragons (Historical) |
|
| Hybrids | |
| Kingdom |
Blaze's fortress • Blister's hideout • Great Five-Tail River • Jerboa III's hut • North Beach • Possibility • SandWing stronghold • Scorpion Den |
| Society | |