SandWing

SandWings live alongside the other seven dragon tribes in Pyrrhia. Their current queen is Queen Thorn, after the events War of SandWing Succession.

## Description

SandWings have a lean and slender body frame, but their bones and muscles are still strong. They have a poisonous barb at the tip of the tail, which are normally black, but can rarely be other dark colors, such as dark brown. They have thin, forked black tongues in their mouths. SandWings also have a large crest which starts at the tip of the snout all the way down to (nearly) the tip of the tail. Their horns are gently curving up, and they have glittering, onyx-black eyes. The eye color may not always be black due to mutations, as with Sunny’s apperance.

The SandWing scale color is often in the pale yellow range, which may also include white. Again, the scale color may be different due to mutations: for example, Sunny’s scales is a warm, sunshine golden color. Their crest is usually a darker shade than the main scales, and their underbellies are usually a paler shade than the main scales.

## Abilities

Because of their pale yellow/pale gold scales, SandWings can easily blend in with the sand dunes in their habitat. This ability may be stronger if the dragon buries its whole body under the sand, with only their snouts sticking out to breathe, and their eyes sticking out to observe what’s around them. SandWings have also adapted to their desert environment, as they can survive for long periods of time without water (Like the average dragon, they can survive for up to a month without food.) They are one of the four known dragon tribes to be able to breathe fire, and they are one of three known tribes to have hotter fire when holding it in their mouths for longer.

They also have a deadly, poisonous venom they can insert into another dragon’s body when they stab the dragon with their black barbs at the tip of the tail. This ability has been described as “like scorpions” by the Guide to the Dragons of Pyrrhia.

SandWings have known to have animus dragons, but the only three known ones are Jerboa, Jerboa ll, and Jerboa lll. Jerboa lll is the only surviving animus SandWing, Jerboa ll was destroyed, and the original Jerboa is currently frozen as an ice block, and was buried under Jerboa lll’s hut in the SandWing-IceWing border.

Some abilities may not be working properly if the dragon is a SandWing hybrid, as shown with Sunny, who does not possess the poisonous black barb. The barb was also described as the SandWing’s most powerful ability, and the only known antidote for the poison is the bright-sting cactus, which grows in the Kingdom of Sand.

## Diet

SandWings mainly eat food that grows in the desert, such as lizards, camels, and small mammals such as rodents.

## Society

SandWings, like all the other Pyrrhian dragon tribes, are ruled by a monarchy. Friends of the monarch/queen and royal chefs are highly respected, but heirs to the throne may also be treated fairly due to the fact that they may be the new monarch someday.

### Challenges, Eye of the Onyx

If an heir to the throne wishes to become queen, they first have to fight the current queen to the death. The survivor is viewed as the winner. If the survivor was the heir, then that heir must somehow touch the Eye of the Onyx, and if the Eye does not kill that dragon, then the heir becomes the new queen.

The Eye of the Onyx was an animus enchanted created by (the original) Jerboa. It is a jet-black ball of pure onyx, with wings the color of shining gold. If an heir to the throne wants to become queen, and also kills the current queen, then they must touch the Eye, and the Eye will confirm if the heir will make a good queen. If nothing happens when the dragon touches it, that means they are fit to be queen. If the Eye destroys the heir when touched, then that means the dragon is not fit to be queen, and therefore a new queen must be chosen. It is shown that the challenger for the throne does not have to have royal blood, and can be a normal dragon. The Eye of Onyx picks the dragon which would make the best queen.

When Thorn became queen of the SandWings, her Outclaws acted like advisors, and helped her make decisions that would affect the kingdom and the dragons living in it.

### Traditions

SandWings were known to be quite musical, and in Jade Mountain Academy, some SandWings were known to be playing instruments in the Music Cave.

## Known SandWings

Qibli

Onyx

Ostrich

Arid

Pronghorn

Sunny (possible heir to the throne)

Thorn (current queen)

Scorpion (historical queen)

Oasis (queen before Thorn)

Char (king in Oasis’ time)

Burn (princess in Oasis’ time, daughter of Oasis and Char)

Blister (princess in Oasis’ time, daughter of Oasis and Char)

Blaze (princess in Oasis’ time, daughter of Oasis and Char)

Smolder (prince in Oasis’ time, son of Oasis and Char, Palm’s mate)

Singe (prince in Oasis’ time, son of Oasis and Char, killed by Burn)

Scald (prince in Oasis’ time, son of Oasis and Char, killed by Burn)

Onyx (daughter of Palm and Smolder)

Palm (Smolder’s mate)

Prickle (Palm’s sister)

Sandstorm (Burn’s general)

Quicksand (Qibli’s father)