SandWings

**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 [Name]

## Description

SandWings are partly based on scorpions. They have pale yellow, pale gold, light sandy-colored, white-gold, light yellow-brown, yellow-gray, 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, 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. This tail barb is usually black, but may be paler on some dragons.

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.

## Diet

SandWings are light eaters. 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 SandWing palace's kitchen. They also consume camel and cinnamon milk. SandWings are willing to eat fruit and vegetables, though they are scarce in the desert.

SandWings used to bake date soufflé and make camel shish kebab. They also drank cactus cider.

## 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 good hearing and smell. 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. They are built for long flights across the desert without stopping, and they are able to go for days with very little food.

SandWings have venomous barbed tails, similar to scorpion tails. Their venom can kill a full-grown dragon, with how long the death takes depending on how close to the heart the wound is. SandWings do not develop their tail-barb venom until they grow older, and as young dragonets, they have a smaller barb that has not fully developed. The cure for SandWing venom is brightsting cactus.

#### Animus magic

The SandWing tribe has animus magic, though little is known about their animus dragons or spells they have cast.

## Society

The SandWings' kingdom is vast and empty, as many choose to live in towns by oases. Occasionally, some would live and roam around on their own. Living alone helped them avoid conflicts. Many SandWings work as merchants or assassins, especially in the Scorpion Den. They celebrate full moon festivals, and are a surprisingly musical tribe. Duties between civilians can range between garden keeping, kitchen work, patrols, teaching, and army duties.

SandWing dragonets are taught to hold their tails in a certain way to prevent accidents. Young dragons spend a lot of time practicing how to be aware of their tails and everyone else's, and much bandaging and antidote-administering is required for various accidents. Dragonets until the age of two learn basic things in the wingery.

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

They also have a reputation among other tribes as sneaky outlaws.

## Names

SandWings are often named after the desert — both features of the land and local flora and fauna. Fire and heat-related names are also common, and SandWings may be named after physical attributes and colors.

Click here for a list of known SandWings.

## Trivia

* SandWings had earplugs.
* Most SandWings are claustrophobic.
* SandWings have caravans.