White dragon White dragons ( also known as ice dragons or glacial wyrms ) were the weakest and most feral of the classic chromatic dragon s . Description . White dragons were physically the smallest of the chromatic dragons , even smaller than black dragon s . They appeared in shades from white to grey and ice - blue , and in arctic environments , this appearance served as good camouflage . White dragons were physically distinguished by several features : their heads and necks seemed to blend seamlessly into one another , and their wings appeared somewhat frayed along the edges . They had a flap of skin , called a dewlap , lined with spines beneath their chins . Their heads were very streamlined , and they had high crests atop their skulls . They had a crisp , vaguely chemical odor . White dragon toes were spaced more widely than those of other dragons , with barbed claws to aid movement on ice . Their very thin eyelids prevented snowblindness when observing arctic landscapes . Combat . White dragons were not strong combatants as dragons went , but they were not to be underestimated . Their icy breath could freeze an unprepared foe solid in an instant . They typically avoided fights with more powerful dragons , but would avail themselves of any opportunity to take their frustrations out on " lesser " creatures . Whites also had exceptional memories , and would often hunt down beings who crossed them , no matter how long it might take . They were not as cruel as black dragons and were not as ferocious as reds , but they were still competent in combat . White dragons preferred to attack first , then eat their prey , rather than pausing to ask questions . They did not often contemplate what to eat , simply choosing the most convenient prey , and would often freeze it after the kill by burying it in snow or ice for days . Breath weapon . White dragons expelled a cone of intense cold , a direct hit from which was fatal as it instantly froze its victim . Even a glancing blow could be seriously debilitating . Society . They were still powerful enough to overwhelm most humans and had exceptional long - term memories . Adult white dragons had several abilities well suited to their arctic habitat : they could climb ice cliffs with ease , fly very high and fast , and were exceptional swimmers . They loved to swim in cold water ; the more frigid , the better . Much of their diet consisted of aquatic creatures , even whale s . White dragons were always hungry , and tended to become more savage as they matured . Knowing that they were the smallest and weakest of dragon s , many whites harbored inferiority complexes . They took any opportunity to bully beings such as giants and younger dragons of other species . White dragons preferred to scavenge for and collect treasure , rather than involving themselves in politics as other dragons might . Like other dragons , they looked down on others , and tended to view other creatures as prey . Lairs . Most white dragons laired in ice caves , often dug into the side of an arctic mountain , on tundra , or glacial plains , although they did not need ice and snow , and some settled near mountain peaks or in forests . They could create their own caves by applying the breath weapon to tightly packed snow in order to transform it into solid ice . White dragons made their homes in frozen lands and ice - covered mountains . Their lairs often contained many more tunnels and chambers than those of other chromatic dragons . More powerful white dragons would sometimes turn a large iceberg into a floating lair . Such lairs always had an underwater entrance as well as one to the open air . Whites preferred glittery treasure that resembled ice , such as diamond s or light gem s , but platinum , silver , and anything reflective or polished works of art were also popular . Parenting and development . White dragons usually laid about eight or ten eggs in a clutch . A white dragon egg was incubated for fourteen months . The first three and a half months were within the mother ' s body . On average , between a quarter and a third survived to hatching . White dragon eggs had to be buried in snow or encased in ice while incubating . The parents did not bother to tend or protect the eggs in any way , although they would usually lay them near their lairs . A newly hatched white wyrmling had scales as clear as ice , which became white as the dragon matured . They were expected to survive on their own from the moment they hatched , although some white dragon parents would permit their young to live in their lair until they reached adulthood . The wyrmling developed into a young dragon after about three or four years , and then into an adult after about 100 years . Elder white dragons aged from about 750 years , while ancients aged from 1700 years , and the oldest white dragons lived around 2100 years .