[[File:SandTransparent.png|center|600x600px|SandWing by Joy Ang]] '''SandWings''', also known as '''Sand Dragons''' or '''Desert Dragons''' to [[Humans]], are a desert-dwelling [[Pyrrhia]]n [[Dragons|dragon]] tribe of whose scale color ranges from pale gold, light yellow, off-white and pale dusty brown. SandWings are known to be able to survive for long periods of time without water and poison their victims with the tips of their venom-barbed tails, which are quite similar to a scorpion's. SandWings often hold their tails in imitation of the spiral way scorpions hold their tails. All SandWings have heat-radiating scales like the warm desert sand.
[[File:SandTransparent.png|center|600x600px|SandWing by Joy Ang]] '''SandWings,''' also known as '''sand dragons''' or '''desert dragons''' to [[scavengers]], are a [[Pyrrhia]]n dragon tribe who dwell in the [[Kingdom of Sand]], a vast desert near the center of Pyrrhia. They are currently ruled by Queen [[Thorn]].
They live primarily in the [[Kingdom of Sand]]. Most members of the tribe live in either [[SandWing stronghold|Queen Thorn's stronghold]], which used to be Burn's Stronghold during the war of SandWing succession, or the [[Scorpion Den]], although some do live in [[Sanctuary]] and [[Possibility]] as well as other oases in the desert. Twenty years previous to the events of ''[[The Dragonet Prophecy (book)|The Dragonet Prophecy]]'', the SandWings were ruled by Queen [[Oasis]] until she was murdered by three scavengers who had stolen a few famous items from the [[SandWing treasure|SandWing treasury]], including the [[Lazulite Dragon]], the SandWing Sceptre and the [[Eye of Onyx]]. Oasis' three daughters, [[Blister]], [[Blaze]], and [[Burn]] started a continent-wide war for the SandWing throne. Burn, the eldest sister, was allied with the [[MudWings]], [[SkyWings]], and some of the SandWings; Blister, the middle sister, was allied with the [[SeaWings]], [[NightWings]], and the [[Talons of Peace]]; and Blaze, the youngest, was allied with the [[IceWings]], and most SandWings.
The SandWings were the 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]] with the [[SeaWings]] and [[NightWings]], [[Burn]] with the [[SkyWings]] and [[MudWings]], and [[Blaze]] with the [[IceWings]]. None of these alliances seem to remain after the end of the war.
The [[War of SandWing Succession]] reached its end when [[Sunny]] gave the Eye of Onyx to [[Thorn]], her mother, declaring her as the rightful SandWing [[queen]]. Although Burn and Blister died on the false Brightest Night, Blaze accepted Queen Thorn as her queen and currently lives in Queen Thorn's stronghold.
There are currently two known [[Animus magic|animus dragons]] in the SandWing tribe, [[Jerboa]] and [[Jerboa II]]. Jerboa II is immortal, and currently lives in a small hut near the ocean bordering the [[Ice Kingdom|Ice]] and Sand Kingdoms. She is the daughter of the only other known SandWing animus, Jerboa. In ''[[The Lost Continent (book)|The Lost Continent]]'', she tends to the SilkWing [[Luna]], a [[SilkWing]] who had been blown into Pyrrhia from [[Pantala]] by a storm.
== Description ==
== Description ==
[[File:SandTail.png|thumb|300px|A SandWing tail barb from ''[[The Lost Heir (graphic novel)|The Lost Heir (Graphic Novel)]], ''by [[Mike Holmes]]]]
[[File:SandTail.png|thumb|300px|A SandWing tail barb from ''[[The Lost Heir (graphic novel)|The Lost Heir (Graphic Novel)]], ''by [[Mike Holmes]]]]
SandWings have long necks and are biologically built to survive in the desert. They have pale yellow, pale gold, light sandy-colored, white-gold, light yellow-brown, or off-white scales that blend in with the desert sand. All SandWings have obsidian-black eyes. Some SandWings, like Thorn and [[Qibli]], have been described with brown speckles on their wings and snouts, similar to human freckles. Their snouts tend to be short and compact, with a nose-spike, short horns, and a smaller horn under their ear. Some can also have black diamond patterns on their scales, like Blister, [[Cobra]], General [[Sandstorm]], and [[Smolder]], the latter having black diamond patterns on his wings as well. Some have also been noted to have triangle patterns on their wings, such as Jerboa and her daughter, Jerboa II. [[File:Sandwings-tail.png|thumb|left|300px|[[Blaze]]'s tail barb from ''[[The Hidden Kingdom (graphic novel)|The Hidden Kingdom (Graphic Novel)]], ''by Mike Holmes]] They have a ridge going from their head to about 3/4 of their tails, forked black tongues, glittering obsidian black eyes, and are armed with venomous, scorpion-like barbs on the end of their tails which are black, and rarely white-gold (an example being [[Kindle]]). SandWings seem to walk on their toes.
SandWings have pale yellow, pale gold, light sandy-colored, white-gold, light yellow-brown, or off-white scales that blend in with the desert sand. All SandWings have obsidian-black eyes, a spike on the top of their nose and below their ear, and a black forked tongue. They have short horns and a frill or ridge going from the top of their snout to ~3/4 down their tails, which have a scorpion-like stinger on the end. This tail barb is usually black, but may be paler on some dragons.{{Ref|W3}}
SandWings may have different patterns on their scales and wings, including black diamond patterns, brown speckled markings, and triangle patterns on a dragon's wings.{{Ref|TLH|188}}{{Ref|TBN|62}} SandWing eggs are pale or white-yellow.
== Diets ==
== Diets ==
SandWings are light eaters, possibly because they have adapted to the lack of sustenance in the desert. They eat animals from the desert such as camels and lizards and also appear to enjoy scavengers, with several exceptions such as Blister; who claims them to be "much too bulky and squishy". Sunny was shown to like wild carrots, Smolder was once shown eating dates, and Qibli was also shown handing his mother a coconut, so it can be assumed that SandWings will eat fruits and vegetables when they can find them since there is little prey to be found in their home. SandWings have been hinted as to not like raw fish, as shown with Qibli in Moon Rising. However, in the epilogue for The Lost Continent Jerboa offered Luna some fish stew to eat. In Darkness of Dragons, date cookies, dried dates, and roasted lizards are mentioned as prepared in the kitchen of the SandWing palace.
SandWings are light eaters.{{Ref|TBN|43-44}} They eat animals from the desert such as camels and lizards, and may cook or prepare much of their food. Date cookies, dried dates and fruit, bread, and roasted lizards are prepared in the kitchen of the SandWing palace.{{Ref|DoD|173}} They also consume camel milk. SandWings are willing to eat fruit and vegetables, though they are scarce in the desert.
== Abilities ==
== Abilities ==
The two main SandWing defenses are their ability to breathe fire and poison other dragons with their venomous barbed tails, which they use by stabbing their enemies' hearts, spines, and skulls. SandWings learn how to avoid accidentally stabbing anyone with their venomous barbs at a very young age.{{Ref|WT|71}}
SandWings have scales that radiate warmth, and are capable of breathing fire. They can camoflauge into sand, sustain themselves on very little food and water, and have good senses of hearing and smell.{{Ref|TBN|43-44}}{{Ref|TBNp}}{{Ref|DoD|18}}
The venom in a SandWing's scorpion-like barb acts similarly to scorpion venom. [[Webs]]' wound, inflicted by Blister, turned black and became infected, with the darkness spreading gradually. The venom sac, which carries the venom, is most likely located right under the barb. The venom's lethality depends on the dosage. A full dose can kill almost instantly, while a smaller dose kills slowly. If it is not a full dose, it can be countered by the juice from a [[Plants#Medicinal plants|brightsting cactus]], which grows commonly outside Thorn's stronghold, outside the animus tunnel from the rainforest, and is sold in the Scorpion Den.
They are also able to survive extended periods of time without water and can bury themselves in the desert sand for camouflage. This camouflage tactic is usually used against enemies and for protection. SandWings also do not require extensive amounts of food to sustain themselves, as was shown with the quote "a lizard a day was good enough for Sunny," and when [[Dune]] stated that SandWings normally ate very little.
They can also radiate moderate heat from their scales, no matter what the temperature outside. SandWings have the best hearing out of all the tribes, as shown in the fifth book when the dialogue stated, "with Sunny's exceptionally sharp SandWing hearing..." SandWings also have a good sense of smell, as shown when Qibli reassured [[Tamarin]] that he wasn't smelling smoke in ''[[Darkness of Dragons]]'', "And SandWings normally have a good sense of smell."
SandWing eggs are pale or white-yellow, and are often kept in sand to retain heat. SandWing dragonets are taught how to hold their tails in a certain way to prevent accidents involving their barb. SandWings are also known to coil their barb in a threatening manner that mimics the threat display of a scorpion.
== Queens ==
[[Scorpion]] was the queen of the SandWings during the time of ''[[Darkstalker (Legends)]]''. She allowed the NightWings and the IceWings to fight on the outskirts of her land only if each side paid treasure to her. She also might have stolen the treasure from the NightWings when they abandoned the old Night Kingdom, the treasures becoming the SandWing treasury that would be raided by scavengers during Queen Oasis's reign (almost 2,000 years later).
Oasis once oversaw the Kingdom of Sand, yet none of her heirs challenged her to death for the throne. She was especially careful to make sure there were no other dragons to challenge her to the throne apart from her three daughters, Blister, Burn, and Blaze. Oasis also had three sons. One of them, Smolder, had a dragonet who he didn't know, having run off with [[Palm]].
Oasis was murdered by a group of three scavengers ([[Rose]], [[Heath]] and [[Stone]]), who then took some of the SandWing treasure. It turned out that Blister had taken the rest, as stated in book five, and the rest of Pyrrhia erupted in the war along with alliances of the three successors. The Eye of Onyx, an [[Animus magic|animus-touched]] item that made whoever holding it the SandWing queen (although additional enchantments are placed on it as well), was hidden in Oasis' jaws, buried with her in her grave. Flower the scavenger, who would later become Smolder's pet, placed it in her mouth before running to hide. Flower is later revealed in ''[[Dragonslayer]]'' as Rose.
Blister killed Burn with a package containing two [[Dragonbite viper|dragonbite vipers]] and challenged Blaze, but she exploded into a pile of black ashes when she snatched the enchanted Eye of Onyx away from Thorn, who Sunny declared as queen. Blaze survived, but not as a queen.
The Prophecy also stated that the dragon who bows to "a fate stronger and higher" will have "the power of wings of fire", which happened to refer to the Eye of Onyx. However, it is probably not what [[Morrowseer]], the maker of the prophecy, originally intended.
SandWings have venomous barbed tails, similar to scorpion tails. Their venom can kill a full-grown dragon.{{Cite}}SandWings do not develop their tail-barb venom until they're older, and as young dragonets they have a smaller barb that has not fully developed.{{Cite}}The cure for SandWing venom is [[Plants#Medicinal plants|brightsting cactus]].{{Ref|THK|144}}
Before the War of the SandWing Succession, Blister promised that she would send Burn out to help kill the scavengers, but she didn't, leaving Oasis to face them alone. Her death was Blister's plan, and when Blister, Blaze, and Burn couldn't decide who was going to ascend the throne, she started the War.
==== 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 pick a good queen for the SandWing tribe.
As of ''[[Moon Rising]]'', Queen Thorn rules the SandWings peacefully with her heir being Sunny, though Sunny does not want to be queen. At the end of ''[[Escaping Peril]]'', Qibli said he thought Thorn deserved to live forever.
== Society ==
SandWings have a reputation among other tribes as sneaky outlaws. Many SandWings work as merchants or assassins, especially in the [[Scorpion Den]].{{Ref|TBN|54}} They celebrate "moon festivals," and are a surprisingly musical tribe.{{Ref|DoD|164}}{{Ref|MR|100}}
In ''Darkness of Dragons'', Thorn was challenged by a member of the royal family, [[Onyx]], who was the granddaughter of Oasis and daughter of Smolder and Palm. Qibli panicked and summoned a huge sandstorm (via [[Anemone]]'s weather bracelets) while Onyx was fighting Thorn in a royal challenge. During the storm, Onyx was crippled and was no longer capable of combat. Qibli also saw that Smolder and Thorn were getting along and thought they might have dragonets in the future.
SandWings do not appear to have standard education or schooling for common dragonets.{{Ref|DoD|5}} SandWing dragonets are taught to hold their tails in a certain way to prevent accidents involving their barb.{{Cite}}
== Names ==
== Names ==
SandWings often name themselves after the habitat and landscape such as Oasis and Horizon. They also name themselves after the desert plants such as Agave and Palm as well as animals such as Meerkat and Scorpion, fire-related words like Burn, Smolder, Char, and Kindle, and occasionally unique ones such as Six-Claws.
SandWings are often named after the desert, both features 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]]).
Click [[:Category:SandWings|here]] for a list of known SandWings.
Click [[:Category:SandWings|here]] for a list of known SandWings.
== Known Animus Dragons ==
==== Known Animus Dragons ====
* [[Jerboa]]
* [[Jerboa]]
* [[Jerboa II]]
* [[Jerboa II]]
== Students at Jade Mountain ==
==== Students at Jade Mountain ====
* [[Arid]]
* [[Arid]]
* [[Onyx]] (formerly)
* [[Onyx]] (formerly)
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== Trivia ==
== Trivia ==
* Brightsting cactus juice is the only known cure for a SandWing's tail barb venom.
* Many SandWings are claustrophobic.{{Ref|DoD|321}}{{Ref|DoD|329}}
* According to ''The Brightest Night'' and ''Moon Rising'', SandWings are a musical tribe. They weren't able to show their talent in the last twenty years because of the War. Qibli and [[Ostrich (JMA)|Ostrich]] have shown their musical talents by playing instruments at [[Jade Mountain Academy]]'s music room.
* SandWings do not develop their tail-barb venom until they're older. When they're younger, they have a smaller barb that has not fully developed, which is not as effective.
* SandWing dragonets learn at a young age how to avoid stabbing other dragons with their venomous barb by accident by curling it up into a spiral.
* It is likely that the SandWings obtained much of their treasure from the NightWing and IceWing's payments to them mentioned in ''Legends: Darkstalker''.
* It is likely that the SandWings obtained much of their treasure from the NightWing and IceWing's payments to them mentioned in ''Legends: Darkstalker''.
* They have a celebration called the "Full Moon Festival", which was not celebrated much during the War of SandWing Succession.
* In ''Darkness of Dragons'', Qibli states that many SandWings including himself and Vulture have claustrophobia, which is supposedly an effect from living in the wide-open desert.
* It is possible that SandWing tail barbs can give a dragon a stinging shock if the barb does not penetrate the scales, as Clay thinks in ''[[The Dragonet Prophecy (book)|The Dragonet Prophecy]]'' that Dune would sting him for not paying attention. This may be an error in the series.
* SandWings are stereotyped as outlaws and criminals with a taste for music.
*In Darkness of Dragons, it is mentioned by Onyx that SandWing queens fight for the throne like any other tribe, except that they don't kill each other, as the Eye chooses the queen mid-battle.
*[[Winter]] once described SandWings to be nearly as untrustworthy as NightWings, except half as smart and twice as likely to betray you for gold and treasure.{{Ref|WT|25}}
== Gallery ==
== Gallery ==
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== References ==
== References ==
<references />
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{{SandWing Navbox}}
{{SandWing Navbox}}
Revision as of 06:45, 2 August 2020
SandWing by Joy Ang
SandWings, also known as sand dragons or desert dragons to scavengers, are a Pyrrhian dragon tribe who dwell in the Kingdom of Sand, a vast desert near the center of Pyrrhia. They are currently ruled by Queen Thorn.
The SandWings were the 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 with the SeaWings and NightWings, Burn with the SkyWings and MudWings, and Blaze with the IceWings. None of these alliances seem to remain after the end of the war.
SandWings have pale yellow, pale gold, light sandy-colored, white-gold, light yellow-brown, or off-white scales that blend in with the desert sand. All SandWings have obsidian-black eyes, a spike on the top of their nose and below their ear, and a black forked tongue. They have short horns and a frill or ridge going from the top of their snout to ~3/4 down their tails, which have a scorpion-like stinger on the end. This tail barb is usually black, but may be paler on some dragons.[1]
SandWings may have different patterns on their scales and wings, including black diamond patterns, brown speckled markings, and triangle patterns on a dragon's wings.[2][3] SandWing eggs are pale or white-yellow.
Diets
SandWings are light eaters.[4] They eat animals from the desert such as camels and lizards, and may cook or prepare much of their food. Date cookies, dried dates and fruit, bread, and roasted lizards are prepared in the kitchen of the SandWing palace.[5] They also consume camel milk. SandWings are willing to eat fruit and vegetables, though they are scarce in the desert.
Abilities
SandWings have scales that radiate warmth, and are capable of breathing fire. They can camoflauge into sand, sustain themselves on very little food and water, and have good senses of hearing and smell.[4][6][7]
SandWings have venomous barbed tails, similar to scorpion tails. Their venom can kill a full-grown dragon.[citation needed]SandWings do not develop their tail-barb venom until they're older, and as young dragonets they have a smaller barb that has not fully developed.[citation needed]The cure for SandWing venom is brightsting cactus.[8]
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 pick a good queen for the SandWing tribe.
Society
SandWings have a reputation among other tribes as sneaky outlaws. Many SandWings work as merchants or assassins, especially in the Scorpion Den.[9] They celebrate "moon festivals," and are a surprisingly musical tribe.[10][11]
SandWings do not appear to have standard education or schooling for common dragonets.[12] SandWing dragonets are taught to hold their tails in a certain way to prevent accidents involving their barb.[citation needed]
Names
SandWings are often named after the desert, both features 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).
A typical SandWing (colored), by Joy Ang
A typical SandWing (lineart), by Joy Ang
A typical SandWing from the German publication, by Max Meinzold
