#body: Silkwing

[otiksimr]

What about a cross between three tribes? I was thinking about a Skywing, Icewing, and Silkwing tribrid.

They hate each other <3

[lorebird]

Swallowtail dragon!!! This is like. The second Silkwing I’ve ever drawn

[elliott-the-creature]

pt 2 of making conditions for different tribes!

➡️ pt 1 ⬅️

HiveWings

walking corpse syndrome is a genetic condition possessed by HiveWings that works somewhat like cordyceps. when a HiveWing has this condition, they will seem somewhat sluggish and groggy, and their speech and behaviour is usually underdeveloped. their eyes are usually milky white, and their body is very thin and malnourished. those with walking corpse syndrome seem to not need food or water, and don’t even seem to notice their body’s senses and needs. but as they grow older, the behaviour and appearance of a HiveWing with walking corpse syndrome will diminish even more. they will seek out high places and stay there, often remaining motionless for days on end. they will also develop brain tumours, and their ability to function will slowly decrease until they eventually die.

SilkWing

failed metamorphosis syndrome (FMS) is a mutation occurring in SilkWings that is only made present after metamorphosis. before metamorphosis, SilkWings with this condition will seem mostly normal, except their wingbuds will be slightly smaller than average. however, after metamorphosis, their wings will be small, crumpled, and underdeveloped. SilkWings with FMS will never be able to fly, and have to be grounded for their whole lives. this condition doesn’t affect their silk glands, so many Silkwings with FMS end up being weavers and artists.

LeafWings

autumnal syndrome is a genetic condition characterized by autoimmune disorders, breathing difficulties, and an unusual colouration. LeafWings with autumnal syndrome are not green like normal LeafWings; instead having orange, yellow, and/or brown scales like autumn leaves. those with autumnal syndrome have a higher chance of contracting sicknesses and other diseases, and often have worse symptoms and a longer recovery time than regular patients. their breathing can also be affected by pollen, stress, and exercise—similar to asthma and other respiratory conditions.

[midnightfluters]

$irst flight together.

Honeybee and pavon , aunt and niece

[icecreamsodaaaaa]

How about Cricket?

Autism…

[snorkled-orca]

Halloween Buddies

Body Horror / Gore warning

Chantrieri - Spirit of angry leafwings that died in a targeted forest fire

Mended - One of the first experiments of making an Allwing by a deranged scientist

“Mothman” - The “bringer” of bad luck 

[the-ancient-dragons]

How to Spot a Dragon Before it Spots You!

(Written by a human for humans in the Wings of fire universe).

Transcriptions of my chicken scratch and closeups of each tribe can be found here (two separate posts)!

Otherwise, next week I begin Overcomplicating the Pantala tribes. See you then!

I was inspired by a bird of prey identification poster at my sister's school. It had a very similar layout. I really loved the coloured poses and the multiple silhouettes and thought it would work so well for the Wings of Fire dragons. I'd seen another artist experiment with their wings shapes and wanted to give it a try myself. This is the result! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

All the designs you see here are not final - I drew these without properly planning their full bodies, but the final versions I will try to keep as similar as possible. The only change I might make is the position of their wings. I also won't go back and change this because it doesn't need it. They look good enough like this and, who knows, the changes I make might not be enough that the final designs would be any different. I will be doing a lot of muscle and skeletal anatomy, possibly written in the perspective of a NightWing since they seem like the type to explore the insides of a dragon for science.

This, however, is written in the perspective of a very lucky human who saw these dragons and lived to tell the tale. Or maybe it was a collaborative effort between multiple people adding their own wisdoms, like the Dragon Manual in HTTYD 1. I haven't read Dragonslayer but I think they refer to the dragons as '[element] dragon' (not [Element]Wing at least). I also think that they're not sure RainWings exist (at least according to the 'Here Be Dragons?' over the rainforest, but I didn't want to exclude them from this piece).

The main purpose this guide would serve in-universe would be to help humans identify dragons, preferably before ever being seen. That's why I used a lot of auditory and movement descriptions unique to each tribe, ways that a person could identify a dragon without needing to be close.

I'll be splitting the closeups into 3 and 4 tribes each following this post so you're not scrolling for 10 years (you still will be but I'll try to keep it brief. Will I succeed? No!

Stay tuned next week for the beginning of Overcomplicating the Pantalan Tribes: SilkWings!!!

[things-of-fire]

SilkWing metamorphosis takes a huge toll on the body. A dragonet has to grow an entire set of wings in only six days—how do they do it? Unlike caterpillars, SilkWings’ bodies don’t change enough to warrant turning into soup. Instead, the body enters a trance state, slowing down most metabolic processes except those needed to grow a pair of wings. Said wings are delicate, supported mostly by cartilage rather than bone. This makes them extra light and agile. A SilkWing’s cocoon regulates the humidity around them, creating an ideal environment for the growing and healing process. It also protects them from temperature fluctuations, lessening strain on the body.

Growing wings also takes energy. LOTS of energy. Prior to Wasp’s reign, SilkWing diets were well studied and pre-metamorphosis “bulking” was common practice. In the month or two leading up to metamorphosis, a SilkWing’s appetite increases tenfold. Communities would host small feasts and “foraging parties” for their dragonets to ensure a healthy transition. Candied nuts, grilled grubs, and pollen cakes were especially popular for their nutritional density. Unfortunately, contemporary medicine was dominated by HiveWings for decades, resulting in the erasure of this knowledge. Hungry SilkWing dragonets were brushed off as “needy” and metamorphosis recovery times increased. Without the energy stores, their bodies broke down essential tissues for energy, leaving many dragonets malnourished and sick after metamorphosing.

With the establishment of the LeafSilk kingdom, things have changed for the better. Cricket and Malachite have organized hundreds of dragons to search the wreckage of the Hives for books, documents, anything that tells the true history of Pantala. The elderly Flamesilks, now free, tell Blue stories from before the tree wars and fret over him like a grandchild. He always returns home well-fed. Mandrake pours over old field guides and maps, working with Sundew to restore the food sources Pantala thrived on all those years ago.

And when Dusky’s wingbuds start to grow, the Flamesilks put every dragon to work gathering food for a grand feast, the first of the Leafsilk kingdom.

[gumywyrm]

Up first are the BeetleWings!

Some additional info below:

BeetleWings (as well as LeafWings) are native to Pantala; they did not come from Pyrrhia.

^ BeetleWings also naturally evolved into HiveWings and SilkWings on their own. There were already proto versions of them when Clearsight arrived.

Their extra set of legs gives them better dexterity and balance, especially for spinning silk.

There are two distinct types of BeetleWings, juggernauts and skimmers.

^ Juggernauts are the staple BeetleWing. They were known for their muscular build and powerful elytra.

^ Skimmers are more lithe BeetleWings that eventually evolved into HiveWings and SilkWings. They were better fliers, but much weaker.

Juggernaut BeetleWings have the strongest scales of any dragon, especially the elytra.

^ While seen as a morbid practice by some, elytra were very important family heirlooms in some communities. They were extracted by the healer of the family from the body and used as shields. It was a way for deceased dragons to continue protecting their family even in death.

BeetleWings go through metamorphosis, which was passed down to SilkWings but lost in the HiveWings.

In addition to flamesilk, BeetleWings had other fire-related abilities such as flamespit and mild fire resistance.

There are still BeetleWings in the modern day. They retreated to the northwestern mountains of Pantala, which have largely been untouched due to its instability (earthquakes, sinkholes, even volcanic activity). They strongly resemble juggernauts.

[endlessknights]

Wings of Fire tribe headcanons!

MudWings - bovine coded (affectionate). Only males have tusks.

SeaWings - made them a liiiiitle more streamlined and gave them more barbels for pizzazz.

RainWings - Kermit pupils! Also gave their ears that shape since Clay describes Glory’s ears as “feathery” in book 1.

NightWings - horns curl downwards, like a crescent moon.

SandWings - antelope-like horns. They have a dark patch of scales underneath their eyes to reduce glare (like cheetahs!)

IceWings - shrank their ears (less likely to get frostbite, I assumed). Not a full design element but general headcanon, I imagine that most of an IceWing’s crest(?) is made up of icicles that form on their scales and are kept frozen by their low body temperature.

SkyWings - their design was already really solid imo so I just gave ‘em a long bird neck.

SilkWings - made them rounder to better reflect the tribe’s personality and simplified their nightmarishly complex facial scale pattern.

HiveWings - they look like they could actually maybe kind of be descended from a NightWing and share a common ancestor with SilkWings now.

LeafWings - simplified scales again, gave them frog eyes, and gave their sail(?) more surface area (better for photosynthesis).

[lightryi]

Dragons of Pantala (headcanon designs)

• Silkwings:

-Inherited from nightwings genes of fur on the chest and in their case they only progressed, thanks to which the wool is distributed throughout the abdomen, neck and front legs

-In addition, the shape of the scales is more like the scales of nightwings than the beetlewings. The hind legs are also inherited from nightwings (in general, silkwings closer to the nightwings while hivewongs to the beetlewings)

-Big Eyes

-Very long tongue

-Mouth are small and round

-Short, round ears

-Teeth are not very sharp, by structure more like the teeth of herbivores than of predators (transitional form from one diet to another; such a structure also came from the merger of nightwings (predators) and beetlewings (omnivorous, but preferring to eat plants; fed only under adverse conditions))

-Blood are beige, semi-transparent

-The shape before and after Metamorphosis is significantly different. The "caterpillars" (before metamorphosis) are covered with blistering scales, some have a greenish tinge, developed a cusptry at the mouth - the mouthparts helps the dragonets to feed (after metamorphosis only small mouthparts remain, which are rather rudimentary), very small antennae on the head, almost not functioning; their role replaces temporary growths on the lower jaw, which disappear after metamorphosis. Body consists of scales, fur missing

-After metamorphosis the skin color becomes much brighter, grow long antennae with fur at the end, also appears directly, the fur itself on some parts of the body

-The shape of the wings in some individuals may be different (similar to the butterfly wings after which they were named)

-Flamesilk dragons have patterns in the form of lights on their wings and also fire colors (red, orange, yellow) all over their body. Eyes are also very bright (before the metamorphosis it is not visible, also in normal silkwings eye color changes slightly, unlike flamesilk dragons). All this is a warning to other creatures that these dragons don't have ordinary silk (it is similar to how in our world poisonous animals have bright, warning coloring)

-Growth reaches 2-2.5 meters

*The design was based on butterflies and their caterpillars

• Hivewings:

-Round tail. Despite its external fleshiness, it is almost completely hollow and not overloaded with internal organs and muscles. It contains only organs of the reproductive system and a reservoir with poison. And even though there are these organs that contribute to the flying, 2 pairs of wings and a dense front of the body all compensate for it, and they restore balance

-The tail itself is motionless, only able to descend, in order to wound the opponent with a dagger. The front part of the body is more flexible.

-Ears are long but thin

-Blood as like silkwings, beige and semi-transparent, but has a darker shade

-The gait is more developed than silkwings

-Paw structure identical to beetlewings

-Thorns on the entire spine fall long, with a sharp end

-Horns are curved, facing the opposite direction

-Whites darkened but not entirely black, has a dark shade of the color of the iris

-Also prefer to eat plants, but unlike silkwings, their teeth are very sharp. The reason is defensive functions, the presence of poison in them.

-Mouth is sharp, triangular shape

-Growth reaches 2.5-3 meters

*The design was based on bees, wasps and some other insects

• Beetlewings:

-Horns curved and parallel to the mouth

-Sharp nose, able to pierce the opponent

-The mouthparts, which due to the long nose is necessary for beetlewings so that from the mouth as little food as possible. The long tongue also helps (but it is less than the silkwing's tongue)

-2 pair of wings: the first is twice as short as the second, it performs the role of elytra

-The second pair of wings can fold and hide under the first

-Double thorn on the tail. The structure of the tail is similar to the tail of hivewings (the tail of the beetlewings is longer than that of the hivewings)

-Large thorns on the spine

-Semi-transparent beige blood

-Whites are also darkened, but not as much as in their descendants, hivewings

-Ears are pointed but not very long

-Omnivores

-Growth reaches 2.5-3.5 meters

*The design was based on bugs and some other insects

• Leafwings:

-Horizontal eye shape

-The presence of a modified ruffs (they are related to rainwings)

-Wings, webbed spines, ruffs and ears are leaf-shaped, and they can be very different in each individual (often their appearance resembles the plant after which they were named)

-Their scales do not necessarily have a green tint in all individuals

-Long, multi-ended horns that resemble tree branches. Many bigger than rainwings

-Paw structure almost identical to rainwings

-Sapwings and poisonwings try to distinguish themselves by applying paint on small fragments of scales, often making a small pattern from this (the first are painted in pale colors, the second, on the contrary, in colorful, mostly consisting of red, yellow and orange shades)

-In addition to this poisonwings can sharpen their webbed spines and horns, make them sharper

-Height reaches 3-4 meters

*The design was based on trees, their leaves and partly rainwings

[jaxi-the-dragonborn]

I have another round of adopts for everyone! This ones aren't free, unfortunately :(

BUT you can pay ANY amount to my ko-fi :D

if you pay more than 50$ you will get a fullbody included :) i already have fullbodies sketched out for most of the designs here. I would really appreciate it if these got adopted, i really need to fix my car for work and the car problems are getting worse

so to recap: any price = headshot 15$ = headshot and customized wing design 50$= headshot and customized full body :D

adopt status and design notes under the cut

Tarnished gold SkyWing (could have some other tribes mixed in here): Available

Pinto SandWing: Available

SeaWing/Icewing: Available

Sunset Skywing: Available

Spiky Silkwing: Available

Starry RainWing(?): Taken by @number1elfenthusiast

Glory but on dark mode (it was on accident): Available

Lynx point SeaWing(?): Available

MudWing/Hivewing(?????): taken by @miss-grey

Wolf IceWing: Available

Zebra-ish SandWing: Available

Yellowjacket HiveWing/NightWing: Available

Frosty MudWing: Available

MudWing/HiveWing(???? could be siblings with #9): Available

IceWing/SeaWing: Taken by @fivetrench

Barn Owl IceWing (other side of face is scarred): taken by @miss-grey

Sunrise IceWing: Available

Smol Turquoisey NightWing: Available

LORGE Grandparent NightWing: Available

i've always loved the look of tarnished gold, tried drawing that out on a skywing. OH in my head the sizes that they are on the page reflect like how big they actually are so that nightwing is HUGE. so is that seawing/icewing. the two pure icewings on here came from me experimenting how much variety one dragon species can have and they are two sides of the spectrum

EDIT: forgot to mention pls send an ask before adopting so I can keep track of everyone

[minkydinks]

HiveWings

HiveWings in my headcanon of WoF are small (yet brawny) carnivorous dragons that largely resemble insects in the order Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, ants, etc.)

They are the smallest dragon tribe, with the average adult HiveWing standing just as tall as the smallest adult SandWing (i.e Sunny). But don't let their size fool you — with six sets of sharp claws and a stinger that can pierce in between the thickest of scales, they're a force to be reckoned with, especially in numbers. Any dragon afraid of needles would think HiveWings are their worst nightmare.

While all HiveWings have a stinger, not all HiveWings have the same potency of venom. Very rarely, some HiveWings are capable of dishing out lethal doses, while most can only nauseate or disable the subject of their stings.

Despite being much more muscular than SilkWings, they are incredibly quick and light on their talons. Their hind legs are specialized for quick takeoff, being able to spring into the air in the blink of an eye. Their two sets of forearms are ideal for grasping and holding prey, and their extra set of eyes are capable of detecting even the most precise of movements through body heat.

Speaking of eyes, HiveWings have the largest eyes in proportion to their bodies of any dragon tribe. They have acute eyesight and are capable of spotting movement from up to two miles away, even in the dark.

HiveWings are the only dragon tribe that are capable of hovering at a single coordinate, whereas other dragons must soar in circles around the same location.

HiveWing jaws are capable of splitting wide open (think Hyperendocrine Giganotosaurus from The Isle albeit to a lesser degree). Nobody likes watching a HiveWing eat, because they have a strange tendency to swallow things straight up, rather than chew.

[espionn]

SilkWing tribe sheet!

hey, sorry this took so long. i've been pretty busy. but now there's just one more to go! hope you like the silkwings :)

again, sorry for the color quality. same issue as with the skywings. they look a lot less dull on my end.

Physical Appearance + Traits:

-Like HiveWings’ appearance resembling bees and wasps, SilkWings have the striking traits of butterflies and moths. They have long bodies, large flat wings, bright coloration, and antennae. They are known for being shy and passive.

-SilkWings, uniquely, can be hatched with any coloration under the sun. They are fond of bright colors, and this is reflected in their scales. 

-They are approximately average size when compared to Pyrrhian tribes - next to HiveWings, they are noticeably larger, mostly due to their enormous wings. These wings, like butterflies, allow SilkWings to fly, but in a somewhat sporadic way - they cannot glide straight like nearly every other tribe, and wind drafts can easily throw them off-course. They also don’t get their wings until they are 6 years old and undergo metamorphosis - until then, they are wingless.

-Another thing SilkWings gain in metamorphosis is their silk. Glands on their wrists can produce fine, strong strands of it, silvery in color like that of a spider. They use it to build the webs between the hives, which serve as their homes. They also use it to weave tapestries, clothing and other items. A few SilkWings are born with Flanesilk, which comes in multiple forms: firefly silk, which gives off faint light; glow silk, which glows and is warm to the touch; blaze silk, which glows brightly and burns; and sun silk, which hurts to look at directly and can cause extreme fire damage.

-SilkWings are born with a small extra set of limbs, set behind their front legs. These small arms are used to help control and manipulate silk while the arm in front of them produces it; this way, a dragon can still be standing on three legs even while weaving if they really need to be.

-These dragons also have antennae, used to detect subtle vibrations in the air, which can be curled up when not in use or unfurled when they are needed. They can be thin and wiry or huge and feathery, depending on the dragon. Antennae, especially when large and brightly-colored, are sometimes seen as a mark of power and status among SilkWings, and around HiveWings they are encouraged to keep them coiled up and hidden, in order to appear submissive and respectful.

Life Cycle:

-SilkWings lay clutches of 2-6 eggs, quite few when compared to HiveWings. Before their takeover, the tribe would bring up dragonets communally, but parents would still be involved in their dragonets’ lives, and get to watch them grow up. Living in the hives, however, SilkWing parents live with their dragonets and do everything they can to raise them, although all dragonets would attend a HiveWing-run school. If a SilkWing dragonet cannot be taken care of by its parents, it would be raised by HiveWings, and usually with less care and respect.

-SilkWings hatch small and wingless but extremely hungry. During their first few days, they eat more than any other dragonets, and grow remarkably quickly. Their appetite, and growth, slows down after about a month, at which point they are nearly three times their original size. From there, they grow somewhat normally.

-In the SilkWing kingdom, region-wide educational lessons would be held every day. Dragonets would be expected to attend, but adults could too if they so desired. The process was far less standardized and systematic. Living with the HiveWings, though, SilkWing dragonets attend school separate from the HiveWing dragonets (but still run by HiveWings), where everything is strictly organized and scheduled, and usually not in the SilkWings’ favor.

-Of all the tribes in which parents do not strictly raise their own dragonets, SilkWings are the only one in which dragons form partnerships for life. They do not shy away from romantic relationships, but they do have a habit of pursuing them slowly and carefully. They hate nothing more than to have to cut off a blooming relationship.

Society + Culture:

-SilkWings, generally, are considered pacifist and unassertive. Though this is a stereotype, it is not entirely untrue. Their culture does not glorify fighting over peace, and barring flamesilks, they have no unique natural weapons at their disposal. The SilkWing crown passes peacefully from mother to eldest daughter, niece or sister (in that order) in a method completely unique to their tribe.

-Silk is deeply important to their culture; weavings, tapestries, and accessories ranging from cloaks to scarves to legbands are finely crafted and sometimes dyed. Before the Tree Wars, they lived alongside the LeafWings and built their webs in the tree canopies.

-After the Tree Wars, when HiveWings became the dominant tribe, SilkWings had the expectation placed on them that they were quiet, gentle, subservient and unintelligent when compared to HiveWings. Breaking this pattern, and being in any way brash, inflammatory or aggressive leads to much harsher and crueler  treatment.

-While in reality they are really not much bigger than HiveWings, SilkWings’ longer bodies and necks, larger wings and long antennae make them appear quite a bit bigger. In order to avoid harassment from guards, they are generally expected to hold their heads low, walk somewhat slowly and keep their wings folded on their backs. 

-Before their takeover, SilkWings were actually quite technologically advanced. They had complex silk-weaving techniques and had many uses for the powerful material. The existence of Flamesilks also gave them fire, which makes them the only Pantalan tribes to naturally have it, and they used it to create glass, cook food and keep their webs gently lit at night with firefly silk, though they never cared to dabble in metalwork. (A lot of their ideas and progress in this area, alongside the actual Flamesilks, were stolen by HiveWings during the Tree Wars.) 

-SilkWing beauty standards vary depending on the year and season, but in general, bright, bold and unnatural colors are considered the most beautiful and impressive, and wings with bold and intricate patterning are the most striking. 

-Their diets need to be carefully balanced between sugar and protein, as they don’t eat meat and rely on specific plants. HiveWings’ attempts to provide them with proper food are usually clumsy, and they usually need to buy food themselves from specific vendors. This discrepancy is part of the reason SilkWings tend to be poorer than HiveWings, on top of being regarded as lower-status.

-Metamorphosis is a hugely important staple in SilkWing culture; they transform in a number of days from wingless and silkless dragonets to flying, silk-spinning adults. The transition is greatly anticipated by all young SilkWings, who will excitedly discuss what their wings might look like and plan all the tapestries they hope to weave. The Hives allow newly-metamorphosed SilkWings one day to one week (depending on the Hive) to celebrate and practice flying before assigning them to their career path or next branch of education for those who are lucky.

Diet: Herbivorous. SilkWings are the only obligate herbivores among dragons. They don’t hunt or eat meat, and could not properly digest it if they tried. They eat a variety of leaves from a variety of plants, including milkweed, parsley and some tree leaves. They also eat roots and stems from some plants, on occasion. Finally, they require some amount of sugar to maintain their energy levels; like HiveWings, they use sugar water, honey, and other treats. (They don’t very often eat fruit, but they will out of necessity if their sugar levels drop too low).

[midnightfluters]

One of my hybrid oc

Peacock is a nonbinary silk/seawing hybrid.

They ,ture to their name are cocky and flashy. They have a partner named orbwaver, who is a hivewing tapestry waver.

[lunaris-the-hummingbird]

SilkWing Headcanon

SilkWings see death as a second metamorphosis.

It's very common for loved ones to wrap the bodies of their deceased in silk so they can "metamorphosize" again.

In the event a SilkWing has no loved ones, the body will be sent to a Dead Weaver (a SilkWing whose job is to tend the dead) who'll wrap them in silk.

After wrapping, the cocoon is laid in the open for five days, then buried.