IceWings

**IceWings**, also known as **ice dragons** or **arctic dragons** to humans, are a Pyrrhian dragon tribe who live in the Ice Kingdom, the "head" of Pyrrhia which is known for its cold winds and freezing temperatures. Their current queen is Queen [name].

## Description

IceWing scales can range from silvery-gray and white colors to pale shades of blue, purple, and pink, intended to blend into their icy surroundings. IceWings have dark blue or stormy gray eyes, forked blue tongues, and dark blue blood.

The head of an IceWing is shaped like a diamond and is very narrow, with a ruff of extra horns behind their heads and spikes along their backs. They are lean dragons with thin, whip-like tails with icicle-shaped spines, ending in very sharp tips. They have serrated claws for walking on ice. Some IceWings, have dark freckles or markings on their faces and wings, although this is not too common.

When upset, some IceWings have been shown to ruffle up the spines around their necks. They can handle flight distances well, but are weaker when subjected to heat.

## Diet

IceWings prefer to eat creatures who live in the Ice Kingdom, such as polar bears, reindeer, whales, seals, penguins, walruses, hawks, and fish. IceWing meals have been described as containing "bowls of dripping meat." They also consume scavengers, though not very often, as they are rare in the Ice Kingdom. IceWings are known to consume fish as well due to their presence in the ocean waters. IceWings would also eat frozen berries, and even have ice cream. IceWings typically enjoy their food raw.

## Abilities

IceWings can withstand subzero temperatures and very bright light. They have serrated claws for gripping slippery ice, which was described as "ten times sharper than normal claws" and "like getting clawed four times with each claw instead of once" when used offensively. They are also known for having sharper eyesight than the other Pyrrhian dragon tribes. Their scales emit an icy-cold chill, which can freeze tiny drops of water on their bodies. They can also exhale a freezing weapon called frostbreath, also known as "freezing death breath" by the dragonets of destiny.

Frostbreath appears as a cloud of sparkling smoke, and can cause limbs to fall clean off from frostbite. In other cases, fire or related heat-emitting liquids are used to melt the ice.

    It forms ice crystals where it makes contact with dirt, forms tiny chunks of ice when used on rain, and can be used to extinguish fires. An IceWing can be prevented from using their frostbreath for a short time by raising their body temperature either via a warm environment or manually heating them up (hot metal, fire, etc.), similar to MudWings, but reversed. A dragon affected by frostbreath will first feel freezing pain, shocking the affected area into paralysis, and is quite painful for the first few seconds until the area becomes numb. Victims of frostbreath will sometimes become unconscious, which can be treated with water and hot coals.

A fire-breathing dragon could survive having frostbreath shot down their throat for a short time, but the only known way to survive after sustaining internal frostbreath injuries is by staying immersed in lava. Internal frostbreath injuries can eventually overwhelm a dragon if they leave their lava.

Dragons hatched with firescales cannot be hurt by frostbreath, though an impacted area may be numb for some period of time.

IceWings have sharp, glittering, and bright minds that are hard to read. Groups of IceWings will "reflect" off of one another and become even more difficult to read.

IceWings have trouble scenting things properly in more crowded environments like forests or towns. This may be due to how they are hatched in tundras, where many of the common scents are covered by the scent of snow and the small variety of animals that lived there.

#### Animus magic

IceWings were once known for having more animus dragons than any other tribe, as well as having magic the longest. These dragons were carefully bred into the royal family and monitored extremely cautiously, with strict rules for the use of their powers to keep their soul from turning evil. IceWing animus dragons were only permitted to use their power once, for the benefit of the tribe, at the gifting ceremony on their seventh hatching day. Some animus IceWings went against the rules. IceWings host a test similar to the SeaWings' Talons of Power ceremony.

## Society

IceWings appear to be fairly sophisticated, strict, and superior in comparison to the other tribes, being the only Pyrrhian dragons to have a hierarchy. IceWings are very prideful, and often perceived as rude and arrogant by dragons of other tribes. There are strict IceWing codes of behavior: most IceWings agree that the only way to make dragonets strong is to expose all of their weaknesses, and that shame and fear are powerful weapons in teaching. If everyone is disappointed in a dragonet, the consensus is that they will work harder to prove themselves. Most dragonets are seasoned warriors in the Ice Kingdom.

Even in times of general peace, IceWings still had minor skirmishes with SandWings and SkyWings.

Royal IceWings are typically not affectionate. The lines of guards that attend the IceWing queen are perfectly coiled, and IceWings are noble to their queen's orders. It is painful to hold the IceWing guard stance for too long.

The IceWing queen has a council of powerful IceWings to guide and support her. Most queens are killed in royal challenges in a battlefield, an arena, or before the entire court in a bloodstained throne room.

Royal IceWings in ancient times used to store the frozen heads of dead royal family members on walls in the palace and slide the deceased's corpses into the ocean. This tradition is no longer practiced.

IceWings have a mythological figure called the Great Ice Dragon, whom they swear by the teeth of. They also swear by snow monsters and believe in spirits under the ice.

#### Circle rankings

The aristocracy and nobility of the IceWing tribe is divided into seven ranks of status, known as Circles. The First Circle is the top, or best, while the Seventh Circle is the worst. IceWings below the age of seven are ranked as dragonets and graduate to the adult rankings on their seventh hatching day. A dragonet's ranking on their seventh hatching day determines the course of the rest of their life, and if a dragonet reaches their seventh hatching day in the Seventh Circle, they are stationed to an arctic outpost for the rest of their life. In the Ice Kingdom, IceWing parents with the highest rank choose the names for their dragonets, regardless of gender, and are then approved by the queen.

This system is managed via the gift of order and consists of a wall of ice showing the rankings of every noble and dragonet. Some noble dragons may wear accessories to indicate their rankings, such as a necklace with circles on it.

IceWing dragonets raise their ranking through hunting, training, performing traditional IceWing customs, and passing tests given by their guardians. In the dragonet rankings, each hunt is still a chance to prove themselves and increase their rank. The highest-ranked dragonets are more respected. When a dragonet reaches their seventh hatching day in the First or Second Circle, they will be housed in the queen's palace and allowed to provide input on important matters. When an adult loses this rank, they can lose their place in the palace..

If a dragonet goes down in the rankings, their parents will too.

## Names

IceWing names are chosen by the family member with the highest rank and must be approved by the queen. They can be named after ice formations, arctic animals (terrestrial or aquatic), words for "white" in various languages, polar landscapes, polar weather, and after mountains. They can also be named after blue and white gemstones, as well as cold seasons.

Click here for a list of known IceWings.

## Trivia

* IceWings have accents that are different from any other dragon tribe. This accent is described as "high-pitched with a tinge of deep in certain words."
* IceWings may use fruit juice to make popsicles, young dragonets have ice cream.
* The IceWing Royal Family is distantly related to the SeaWing Royal Family.
* IceWings have a specific sleeping schedule.