Also speedran a Bigshadow artfight reference. I think she’s probably my favorite of my alternate DoD, but maybe because I just haven’t worked on the others as much.
-I struggled to come up with wing/underbelling patterns. I used to go with spiral-y patterns like her father but I don’t know if that really suits her. I ended up doing some word association and was like “what makes big shadows in the sky? Clouds”, so its supposed to look like their are clouds blocking out some of her stars.
-I’ve HC’d for a while that Moonwatcher (and by extension Bigshadow in this AU) have a slight hint of Icewing ancestry in them through Secretkeeper. Not that much, but maybe just a little to explain their pale coloration and longer horns and spines.
-To extend off the Sandwing idea, the Nightwing “breath weapon” is more of a superheated flash bang that goes off in their mouth used to blind foes, even from a decent distance. Their mouth stays really hot after and gives their bite a bit of extra spice, but they can’t really use it as the “damage weapon” on its own. They have really thick eyelids they close when they use it to not blind themselves.
Also since I did this for Arroyo here’s her baby/toddler pictures, from September 2021 and July 2022 (just about a month before I started posting on here).
LORE DUMP‼️‼️ Buckle up losers, I’ve got a new WoF AU and OCs to boot. Welcome to my shitty dragon crime drama.
It currently doesn’t have a title or anything, it just exists. Here’s the deets:
1. This story takes place several decades after Arc 3. A lot of canon characters still exist, meaning I’ll be referencing them and what they’ve become. Eventually I might develop this into a whole future AU, and write all the alliances and everything, but for now I’ll just mention some key players.
2. These characters live in a city called Unity. In A Guide to the Dragon World, Anemone mentioned wanting to build an intertribal city for MudWings, SeaWings and RainWings. Well, guess what! She did, and that’s Unity. Unfortunately, it’s hard to make dragons to get along, especially when generational wounds linger from the War of SandWing Succession. To make matters more complicated, many Pantalan dragons have settled in Unity, bringing with them unfamiliar ideas and abilities.
3. To outsiders, Unity is a gleaming beacon of hope for intertribal cooperation. Most visitors don’t stay long enough to witness anything more. Residents live in an entirely different world. Unity is ruled by multiple factions, known colloquially as Hordes. Hordes control anything and everything they can get their claws on. Some Hordes, inspired by the Outclaws of the Scorpion Den, try to maintain justice within Unity. Most exist to amass wealth and power.
4. Hordes may be intertribal or tribe-specific. Even those exclusive to one tribe may call upon agents from another for their unique abilities. Alliances are constantly shifting, and if you gain a reputation with the Hordes, it’s best that you make yourself forgettable—or risk getting swept up in their plans.
AND NOW FOR OUR CAST:
Iridescence is a sly RainWing-SilkWing hybrid living in the city of Unity. Her striking colors make her stand out in any crowd, but more striking is her reputation. She is notoriously clever, conniving, and coy, using her delicate appearance to lull others into a false sense of security. She primarily trades Pantalan imports, but under cover of night, she deals in more…sinister goods. Poisons are her specialty. With the help of Kudzu, her leafspeaking assistant, she cultivates dozens of toxic plants to use in her concoctions.
Kudzu is a reserved, cynical LeafWing. He hails from a small group of LeafWings who, resenting Queen Sequoia’s push for peace, left Pantala in pursuit of isolation. To avoid his parents’ preaching about Pantalan politics, he spent most of time studying the flora and fauna of Pyrrhia. He would later move to Unity, where he studied under a SeaWing doctor and eventually opened his own practice. Soon after, he began working with Iridescence, helping her make poisons in exchange for funding his studies. His true passion is medicine.
Salamander is a timid, quiet MudWing. MudWing troops are a common sight in Unity, but nobody knows which she hails from. Salamander prefers to keep it that way. Her Bigwings, Caiman, is one of Unity’s deadliest Horde bosses. Salamander is rarely involved with her sibs’ crimes—they consider her much too anxious to bring along—except when they need her fireproof scales. As of late, Salamander has been spending more time in Caiman’s neighborhood, raising suspicions about her loyalties. Fortunately, she has an alibi. Rumor has it that Caiman has developed smokesickness, a rare and potentially fatal disease. As one of Unity’s mail carriers, it’s simply Salamander’s job to deliver her medicine.
If you read this far, wow! Thanks! I hope it was interesting. You’ll probably be seeing more of these characters on my blog. Feel free to ask questions, make OCs/suggestions for this AU, etc etc. I’ll share more of their story as time goes on.
As a bonus, here’s a size reference for the characters, based on my tribe headcanons:
The bases were made by Joy Ang. I got these from the Wings of Fire wiki—I can’t remember who posted them but I’ll try and update with them soon. Edits and colors made by yours truly.
Was originally going to shade this but I added the eye sparkle and just did not want to continue.
Anyways I’m resurrecting the “alternate DoD au” for the umpteenth time. Also just kind of wanted to make an artfight reference for Arroyo as I like their design the most.
Anyways some notes about my sandwing design
-The little “cobra hoods” as well as sails and wing doo-dads are used for letting off heat and keeping cool. Not every single sandwing has them, but it’s not a rare trait.
-The square scales along their back and legs are thick and rubbery; meant to protect from potential stings. I also HC that sandwings are partially immune to their own venom. Fatality is rare, but bad stings can still make them pretty sick.
-I’m still jungling the HC that the Sandwings breathe lightning/a mix of fire and lightning instead of just fire. It’s just kind of strange that (so far) their is no tribe in WOF that breathes lightning/has lightning powers (I feel like WOF follows follows some of the bigger fantasy world building tropes, so it’s just kind of odd not to see that one). Also allusion to D&D blue dragon or whatever.
Also here’s some of their baby pictures, both from September 2021
WHAT JOYOUS TIMES!! I AM FINALLY FREE!!! THE CURSE IS BROKEN!! I CAN STOP MAKING THESE STUPID BASES AND DO ACTUAL ART!! WHAT DO YOU MEAN I PLANNED A PROJECT WITH THESE ALREADY-
As always the more involved layers are in the reblogs. Do whatever you want just don’t remove the signature
