SeaWings

SeaWings, also known as sea dragons or ocean dragons to humans, are a Pyrrhian dragon tribe that currently reside in the Kingdom of the Sea. Currently, they are ruled by Queen Coral and can speak both Aquatic underwater and Dragon when out of water.

The SeaWings were allied with Blister during the War of SandWing Succession until the bombing of the Summer Palace, which caused them to flee to the Deep Palace, breaking their alliance with Blister. They were previously allied with the MudWings until their SeaWing Commander, Tempest, was assassinated. In the time of Darkstalker, they had an Island Palace for diplomatic meetings and parties with dragons from other tribes. It was abandoned after the Royal SeaWing Massacre where Albatross lost most of his soul and went mad, resulting in the killing of many SeaWings, including Lagoon.

Description

The royal SeaWing pattern of glowing stripes as shown on Tsunami from The Lost Heir (graphic novel), by Mike Holmes

A typical SeaWing egg, by Mike Holmes

SeaWings are considered short in height with long, compact bodies and short legs. They have curved horns, a slender, curved snout, and two barbels on the underside of their jaw. Their tongues can be forked or non-forked. They have webbed spines along the backs of their necks to the tips of their tails, as well as on their chests. SeaWings have webbed talons with hooked claws, as well as long, powerful tails that are useful for swimming. They have gills on the sides of their necks that allow them to breathe underwater.

SeaWings commonly have scale colors in the ranges of blues and greens, including indigo, blue-green, aquamarine, and shades of gray. Although rare, dragons may have pink scales, wings, or horns. Some SeaWings can also have black spiraling patterns, like those shown on Nautilus. In the sunlight, their scales may look like glossy emeralds and sapphires. SeaWings usually have eyes that are a shade of blue or green.

SeaWings have glowing stripes along their faces, bodies, and wings. Members of the royal family have glowing spirals on the edges and starburst markings on the undersides of their wings, while most non-royal SeaWings have smaller starbursts but no spiral patterns.

SeaWing eggs are green or blue and are heavy, especially soon before they hatch.

Diet

Breakfast being served to the SeaWing Council from The Lost Heir (graphic novel), by Mike Holmes

SeaWings mainly eat raw fish and other aquatic creatures such as whales, squid, octopi, turtles, crabs, and sea snails, while lower class SeaWings eat eels, though this is stated insultingly. SeaWings may also prepare soup, stew, and roasted seagull, usually for guests from other tribes, like they did for Princess Blister. The SeaWing Council eat raw, ruby-red fish that is deboned and arranged into rolls with seaweed, tiny green crabs, and a salad of octopus tentacles and herbs, sprinkled with lemon juice. SeaWings are also noted to eat clams, sea birds, lobsters, and on special occasions such as hatching days, raw tuna wrapped in seaweed stuffed with tiny fish eggs.

In the time of Darkstalker, royal SeaWings prepared coconut rice, tuna rolls, macadamia treats, and a mango-lime drink. Humpback stated that many years prior, dragons ate scavenger sashimi every afternoon. Fathom mentioned that SeaWings sometimes consume sharks, though dragonets are taught to be careful of them until they are full-grown.

Queen Coral has forbidden the consumption of dolphins because she believes that they might be distantly related to dragons, though Tsunami thinks it might because she is afraid that somebody might catch and kill Anemone by mistake, as her scales are the same pink/pale blue colors as dolphins.

Abilities

Tsunami using her bioluminescent scales to catch Riptide's attention from The Lost Heir (graphic novel), by Mike Holmes

SeaWings have gills, powerful tails, and exceptional night vision. They are able to breathe and see underwater and use their tails, wings, and webbed talons to swim. Their claws are curved like fishhooks to help them swim, and their tails can be used to batter opponents or create huge waves. SeaWings often ride currents to travel the ocean faster, and they prefer to alternate swimming and flying when traveling long distances. Physical wounds, such as burns, can be healed by ocean water.

The bioluminescent stripes on a SeaWing's body are used to converse underwater, as well as to attract partners. They can control when the stripes on their bodies glow and can light up each one individually. Different combinations of stripes indicate different words in Aquatic.

Gill dehydrated and unstable from The Dragonet Prophecy (graphic novel), by Mike Holmes

SeaWings can be driven mad if dehydrated from water for too long. Dehydrated SeaWings appear insane and have barely any consciousness of what they do. This happened to Gill in the SkyWing palace, but he is the only known SeaWing to be seen in this state.

Animus magic

Animus magic is present in the SeaWing royal bloodline. There are no rules on how much magic a SeaWing can use, and animus dragons are often controlled closely by the queen of the tribe. Animus magic was the cause of the Royal SeaWing Massacre after Lagoon had pushed Albatross to the brink of madness from her forcing him to use his powers. This started an unsuccessful attempt to wipe animus magic from the tribe's bloodline, making its use illegal in the Kingdom of the Sea.

Society

Citizen duties include kitchen work and enlistment in the army. Most SeaWings work at the palace with jobs such as pearl diving, weaving, carving, hunting, gardening, and caretakers for dragonets.

Coral is a writer whose scrolls are required reading in SeaWing schools, even those that are not of the best quality. Guards have been shown to salute to her, and most of her subjects regard her as a good queen.

The Summer Palace, before its destruction, utilized an advance guard. It was a troop consisted of at least fifteen soldiers whose duty was to keep intruders away from the palace.

In modern Pyrrhia, most SeaWing citizens appear well fed, well-rested, and content. The queen uses a council consisting of selected council members and members of the royal SeaWing family or members that the queen trusts. The Council has frequent meetings.

SeaWings keep pets such as seahorses, sea dragons, cuttlefish, and bobtail squid. They also keep decorative animals such as luminous jellyfish.

SeaWings historically used boats.

Names

SeaWings may be named after sea-related objects or wildlife, examples being Nautilus, Anemone, Orca, Shark, Snail, Coral, and Turtle. They may also have names related to shades of aquamarine colors such as Cerulean and Indigo. Some share the names of gemstones, such as Sapphire and Pearl, and they may also have names relating to aquatic anatomies, like Fin, Gill, and Webs, or naturally occurring oceanic phenomena, such as Ripple, Current, Tsunami, Typhoon, Riptide, Splash, and Whirlpool.

Click here for a list of known SeaWings.

Animus dragons

• Albatross
• Anemone (artificial)
• Fathom
• Orca
• Turtle

Students at Jade Mountain

• Anemone
• Barracuda
• Pike
• Snail
• Turtle

Trivia

• There is a tale about an abandoned SeaWing dragonet who was raised by a pod of orcas.
• Tsunami described breathing in salt water through her gills as "sharp," mentioning that it felt "like inhaling smoke."
• In the time of Darkstalker, SeaWings used toothpaste.
• Humans seem to think that SeaWings might also inhabit large rivers and lakes.
• Tui stated that SeaWings would like sushi the most.
• Based on how Coral set up the prison in the Summer Palace, SeaWings are aware that electricity can harm dragons and that water conducts it well.
• In Darkstalker, during the events of the Royal SeaWing Massacre, SeaWings are described to have red blood; however, in The Flames of Hope, Tsunami's blood is described to be blue. This was corrected in later printings.

Gallery

A typical SeaWing (colored), by Joy Ang

A typical SeaWing (lineart), by Joy Ang

A typical SeaWing (transparent), by Joy Ang

A typical SeaWing from the German publication, by Max Meinzold