Hey everyone,
After reading the Wings of Fire series by Tui. T. Sutherland, I created my own fanon tribe in this fantastical, magical, and ultra-fun world of dragons. Enjoy reading my own creation of a dragon tribe, their culture and history, tradition, timeline, etc.
You may either click the link for the direct access to the doc I made it on, or you can read it down below:
CaveWings
CaveWings - Fanon tribe
In Wings of Fire fanfiction outschool class.
Location and Prey
The Trench Kingdom is a huge system of tunnels and caverns that stretches across the North-West hills of Pantala, name unknown. The tunnels are filled with minerals and glowing mushrooms. The architecture is incredibly complicated as well, their handling of ore unparalleled.
Lush plants and moss grow underground as well, making it an incredibly fertile kingdom. Underground rivers, containing fish and crabs, provide food for the kingdom. They also feed on lizards, bats, and mushrooms. An occasional scavenger also is included in their diet.
Physical Appearance
The names of the CaveWings are based on elements, minerals and stones, for example Schist or Azurite. The CaveWings’ scales are rock-hard, making it almost impossible for them to be penetrated. Along their spine are crystals which are immensely dense.
Each CaveWing at birth represents a different mineral (referred to as their “spirit stone”), and the dragon’s color varies based on that. For example, A CaveWing representing Gold, is born a Yellowish Brown, while their Crystals and Barb are Gold. Their eye color depends on their spirit stone.
However, all CaveWings have a brownish tint to them.
Natural Abilities
Their teeth are rounded and dull, but they have an extremely strong bite force, though not expelling venom or poison.
CaveWings blend in perfectly with their spirit-stone, so they are extremely hard to spot in the depths of caverns. Their hard claws and scales make them excellent warriors.
To adapt to their dark surroundings, their senses are heightened compared to other tribes, and the crystals on their back can produce a light which used to attract mates.
Some 6 year-olds are trained to breathe fire, the color and power of the fire dependent on their spirit stone. Some fires, such as Diamond, are as powerful as SkyWing firescales.
They have a tail blade, which is used for cutting through stone and sometimes for offense. The strength of the blade is dependent on their spirit stone.
About once in 50 generations, a CaveWing is born with stonemoving powers, kind of like the leafspeak of the LeafWings. They can grow their spirit stone’s stalactites and rock columns out of caves and other rocky surfaces. However, these powers take years to develop, and their other natural abilities are slightly lessened.
Weaknesses
Because CaveWings are so well designed for life in the dark, sunlight harms them, and they cannot be out in sunny weather for more than an hour. Being out in the sun for too long can result in a disorder; internal burning, in which the flames of a dragon escape out of their fire pouches and escape into their organ systems. These dragons are considered dangerous and are either exiled immediately or kept under heavy lockdown. This disorder can be fatal and affect the dragon for their lives, restricting the use of their fire.
CaveWings’ wings are small compared to other tribes, and thus are not very powerful fliers.
They are generally very slow. Their speed is further lessened depending on their spirit stone, such as Osmium which is extremely dense and heavy. That is why the muscle on their feet helps them move in short caverns.
If their tail blade or any of their crystals are cut off, they are heavily weakened and it causes immense pain to them.
Additionally, their surroundings can change their performance. When in alien environments such as the rainforest, the sea or the desert, their defense is very low. They are most powerful in the shrine of their spirit stone underground.
Nesting
Common hatcheries are deep underground. They are really big and are in the middle of the cave, where anyone can see them and check on them. Each egg is surrounded by their predicted spirit stone. These eggs are kept warm, and some hatcheries are kept just above a volcano so that the eggs there can be hot and comfortable. CaveWings protect their young fiercely, and anyone who is caught hurting or attempting to hurt an egg or a youngster, will be exiled immediately or be immediately thrown into work camps.
History
Before Scorching-
Very little is known about the CaveWings Pre-Scorching, presumably, CaveWings emerged from the Mantle of Pyrrhia, and slowly migrated upwards towards the crust. Since there was water the more upwards they came, the CaveWings adapted to breathe water.
The Scorching-
Post-Scorching, CaveWings, CrystalWings and GemWings (Originated from the common ancestor MantleWings) rose from the Mountains like Darkstalker, they took the Scorching and the nation-wide War as a chance to test themselves against the different dragons who lived on the surface. This early form of CaveWings, which can be referred to as GroundWings or RockWings, looked much like MudWings, without their strong jaws and spirit stones. All of them represented Silicon or Magnesium.
Slowly, they took control of most of the Claws of Clouds mountains, but realized that the above ground life wasn’t for them. They started digging a chain of tunnels below ground, which later started the dispute between the SandWings and SkyWings for some areas of the Claws of Clouds mountain range. The tunnels they dug were perfect for them. They also discovered more minerals, so the concept of spirit stones emerged.
1,000 Years After Scorching-
The last of the Scorching skirmishes have died down, the RockWings are starting to evolve more and more. They have expanded their kingdom across Underground Pyrrhia, and have recognized the MudWings, IceWings and NightWings as official tribes. The new dragon “republic” chose Silica as their queen, they believed she had the qualities of a leader. However, the power soon got to Queen Silica’s descendant’s head’s, and this started a long chain of power-hungry rulers.
1,500 Years After Scorching-
Relations with the newer tribes are shaky. Their civilization is centering around Mt. Agate. This is the start of the Middle CaveWing era, marked by the ascension of Queen Cerium.
2,500 Years After Scorching-
The CaveWings are officially allied with the MudWings and NightWings, the peak of the modern Cave Kingdom’s empire. Queen Schist is recognized by all tribes and trades are made frequently. Everyone is looking forward to peaceful Pyrrhia.
3,000 Years After Scorching-
Rulers after Queen Schist become lax and complacent. Trade and alliance requests are declined and CaveWings are slowly forgotten. At the time of Queen Serpentine, a rogue and unpopular queen, the now Queen Scorpion came for an alliance, hoping to eliminate her enemies with the CaveWings’ help. Queen Serpentine tried to kill her, but Queen Scorpion was quick and dodged. Scorpion wasn’t patient, and after a few futile attempts from Serpentine to try to kill her, she snapped Serpentine’s neck. After her death, her daughter Grain ascended the throne and waged war against the SandWings. The war was a stalemate, and neither side wanted to continue. They made a deal saying that the CaveWings had to give a large sum of Scales to the SandWings and peace will coexist between the tribes.
3,400 Years After Scorching:
Slowly as the CaveWings annoyed many more tribes, they were forgotten. The turning point was during the rule of Queen Grainstone. Soon the CaveWings were forced to fly away from the continent over the sea, for days on end. Just like this, Grainstone passed away. Finally, they arrived on some land. When they explored around it, they saw the BeetleWings, an old tribe from Pyrrhia. They were never close, but they were both driven out of there. The BeetleWings took the CaveWings to Pantala and they made their new home on the north-western side. History says that both the LeafWings and BeetleWings originated from Pyrrhia, but the CaveWings did too. No one knows about this, as when Clearsight arrived on Pantala, afraid of being discovered, the CaveWings hid from her, and used some of their Stonemovers to cloud Clearsight’s visions about them.
4,000 Years After Scorching-
CaveWings are now fearful of the new hybrid species born out of their BeetleWing friends. The WaspWings, they called them. Queen Citrine decided to isolate the CaveWings into the mounds of their homes, and after sightings of multi-colored dragons, the CaveWings thought that the RainWings had found them. They also never spoke of the LeafWings, thinking that they were extinct. No contact has ever been made since then.
Present Day (~5,000 years after the Scorching)-
The CaveWings have reached their final evolution peak, and since there is little water underground in Pantala, their gills have gone. Even after discovering SilkWings and HiveWings, the policies made by Citrine still hold. The queen rarely shows herself, and sometimes it is rumored that it is Citrine herself that is still queen. But some say that that age has passed, and the new queen, who dragons have named Diorite, will give birth to a new era.
Culture
With most CaveWings, it's learn fast or die. You need to know the world you live in before it tears you apart and leaves you to perish. Now as bad or as 'evil' as this sounds, it's because the CaveWings want to sound imposing (They're kind of like the NightWings by the fact that they think highly of themselves.). They need to teach their dragonets it's a harsh world out there and there could be countless threats if you aren't careful.
From a young age, dragonets are taught basic survival, they're going to need it in the harsh environment of the caves and trenches they live within. Depending on their parents, dragonets can go through different survival training, but in the end, they're basically taught how to survive.
Royalty can be recognized by dense spirit stones and extra crystals on their back. They will be a bit smaller than usual but their skin color is more aligned towards their spirit stone.
The main festival is the royalties’ hatching day or if a dragon is born to an important family. Lower classes celebrate days of harvest, hatching days and a “Bright Trench” day which is holiday, wherein the caverns are lit with glowing mushrooms. Sleepovers are common with the dragonets, and it is a merrymaking season. Other small community-specific festivals also take place.
The CaveWings were originally a Pyrrhian Tribe, located somewhere around SkyWing Territory. After being driven out and relocating to Pantala, the Tribe hurried to set home and found suitable territory. Currently, the CaveWings still most likely hold a lot of the more Pyrrhian-like traditions with their own Territory and Palace and all of that. CaveWings are still more Pyrrhian than Panatalan aligned. For example, Any female above the age of six may challenge the queen, if they are a relative of the queen, as was the tradition in Pyrrhia.
However, one peculiar trait about the CaveWings is that they allow male dragons to rule their tribe. It is not said explicitly or encouraged by any means, but is not unacceptable. Rumor has it that the first stonemover royal was none other than King Golem, his name reflecting his personality perfectly- a stout, observant, unmoving dragon with one of the oldest and densest shrine stones: Tungsten. It is said that he was so heavy that he collapsed into the floor making the Vanadi Trench system- and that he could never fly. Some dragons claim that he died because the curse from the Tale of the Trench cave grounds literally absorbed him lying on the floor.
Character from my tribe (A CaveWings ID Card)
You may be wondering what names these are? Olivine is an actual mineral, with its composition of Iron and Magnesium. Peridotites is the actual parent stone of Olivine. The class system is like a hierarchy, with Topaz being a fairly high class. Classes like Flint and Iron are lower and classes like Crystal and Diamond are the highest. The Crystal system is an actual thing, it is how they are tested.
Past:
Olivine was born to an upper-class Topaz family, nearer to the Gemstone caverns than most. She came from a line of CaveWings who could still be remembered, way back at the time of Queen Azure (~4,200 AS). This was supposed to make her feel important, as not many dragons’ history could be traced back to the early days. However, she felt very insignificant, just being a part of the family that “was very old”. She wanted to be more than just “the descendant of Great Aunt Turquoise”, or “the daughter of Great-Great-Grandfather Hornblende” etc. etc. She was tired of the grown-up Iron and Flint classes bowing their heads at her every time she passed by. She always thought and wondered the reason why the CaveWings had such a strong hierarchy system and were it actually necessary.
Olivine was born with a suspicious and unbelieving spirit, questioning everything before believing it. And one thing she certainly DID NOT believe in is that the caves are the only safe places in the world. The only thing that kept her from pummeling her teachers and parents with questions was her friends Mica and Hema. They were in the Silver class, but that didn’t stop Olivine from having great respect for them. They tried to answer every question that Olivine had and they had become her best friends.
She also didn’t believe that her shrine/spirit stone was Peridotites. Many upper-class dragons spirit stone’s is Peridotites, but she never felt “powerful” or “pure” in the Peridotites shrine. Of course, she didn’t mention this to her parents. CaveWings with defects were said to have an ancient Pyrrhian disease, and the consequences were unspoken of. She always felt a little closer to the Hornblende and Sulfur shrines, but she never mentions it….
She has many dreams, but especially to see for herself the hills above. This is, again, forbidden. However, she is always up for pranks and adventures. She also wishes that more of her questions can be answered and that she could meet the queen soon. But, little does she know, her life is about to change…
Family:
Mother: Celeste (Celestite)
Father: Alex (Alexandrite)
Sibling(s):
Tanza (Tanzanite)
Zoe (Zoisite)
You may not understand these names, but the CaveWings have a great understanding of minerals and each family names their kids related to what stone the parents are named after.
She was born at 5,011 AS.
Hypothetical Story Arc for a book with Olivine as the protagonist:
Beginning: Olivine and her family are invited to a banquet at their local lord Malachite’s gemcave (a sort of palace in the Trench Kingdom). However, on their way there, they hear some strange sounds coming from the gemcave. When they reach there, they see that the entirety of the Malachite Cavens have collapsed in on each other! They also see CaveWings wandering about, their eyes white as opals. They are pulling down the pillars that uphold the caverns. Suddenly, all heads turn towards them. They don’t move, but Olivine knows they have to act fast. She carefully sizes up the escape routes around her. The caves aren’t meant for exiting, so her choices were limited. As in response to her thoughts, the CaveWings rushed at her. She barely escaped with her life, finding a crevice which led to the other side of Mineral Wing. She encounters more of these seemingly zombified CaveWings, and finds a way up to the surface, which wasn’t hard considering the situation of the caves.
Middle: She is camping out on the very North of Pantala, and she knows she soon needs to go back to the caves and get supplies. She considers asking the BeetleWings for help; they always learnt that the BeetleWings were friends of the CaveWings. But, it wasn’t a good idea, for they also learnt that some “Hive Demons” also lived above. She eventually chose to go back to the Malachite Caverns, to retrieve some food. She is ambushed! The zombified CaveWings are closing in on her, Olivine’s panic drowning her thoughts. Suddenly, she felt a soft grip of talons on her neck. She recognized them as the training defense they learnt at school. She eventually passed out.
She wakes up, and sees her friends Mica and Hema who were school friends, next to her! They nursed her back to health, and explained to her that Mica thought you were one of them, but eventually realized that it was you and brought you back to our safe place. She learned that it was on the border of the Savanna, a place where CaveWings of this time and age had rarely ventured to.
Build-Down: After many more futile supply runs, they are now getting food from lagoons near the Poison jungle. Once they faced a horde of zombified green dragons (which were LeafWings) who tried to infect them, but Olivine soon discovered that her spirit stone wasn’t Peridotites. It was the long-lost Uranium power. With the help of the Radium underground, she vanquished the LeafWings.
Eventual Ending: Mica, Hema and Olivine (Not really Olivine, more like Urainine) find the survivors, and after more minor adventures, Hema is crowned queen. The next book starts off with the “secret stealth team” from the “Flames of Hope” book 15, meeting up with CaveWings. They go on to stop what they later learn was the breath of evil, which was infecting the earlier CaveWings.
Timeline of Rulers
*No proven rulers before 890 AS*
----Said to be the mythical age by the Isolationists----
Early Pyrrhian Era
Queen (Carbonza?) ~ Rule 1 AS-??? AS
Queen (Silica?) ~ Ruled 900? AS - 1020 AS
Queen (Sharpstone?) ~ Ruled 1020 AS - 1130 AS
*Lost line 1130 AS-1300 AS*
Middle Pyrrhian Era
Queen Cerium ~ Ruled 1300 AS - 1450 AS
King (Golem?) ~ Ruled 1450 AS - 1550 AS
*Lost line 1550 AS-1750 AS*
King (Vermiculite?) ~ 1750 AS - 1850 AS
Queen Apatite ~ 1850 AS - 1950 AS
*Lost line 1950 AS-2100 AS*
Queen (Magnim?) ~ 2100 AS - 2170 AS
Queen (Shale?) ~ 2170 AS - 2200 AS
Queen (Slatestone?) ~ 2200 AS - 2250 AS
Jewel Era:
Queen Schist ~ 2250 AS - 2420 AS
Queen Fluorstone ~ Ruled 2420 AS - 2520
Later-Pyrrhian Era
Queen Scapolite ~ Ruled 2520 AS-2570
Queen (Gemfinder?) ~ Ruled 2570 AS-2620
Queen Kaolini ~ Ruled 2620 AS-2720
Queen (Augite?) ~ Ruled 2,720 AS-2,850 AS
Queen Serpentine ~ Ruled 2,850 AS- 2,870? AS
King Cobalt ~ Ruled 2,870 AS- 2,950 AS
Early Grainian (Pantalan) Era:
Queen Grainstone~ Ruled 2,950 AS- 2,955 AS
Queen Diamondeye ~ Ruled 2,960 AS- 3,100 AS
Middle Pantalan Era
Queen Igneo ~ Ruled 3,100 AS- 3,400 AS
Queen Basalt ~ Ruled 3,400 AS- 3,600 AS
Queen Nubi ~ Ruled 3,600 AS- 3,900 AS
Isolation Era
Queen Citrine ~ Ruled 3,900 AS- 4,200 AS
Queen Azure ~ Ruled 4,200 AS- 4,400 AS
Queen (Azurite?) ~ Ruled 4,400 AS- 4,600 AS
Queen Sediment ~ Ruled 4,600 AS- 4,750 AS
Queen Saltstone ~ Ruled 4,750 AS- 4,900 AS
Queen (Diorite?) ~ Ruled 4,900 AS-Present
In main story (Hypothetically)
Queen Hema
Queen Tuff
Aftermath
Queen Fossil
Queen Diopside (Sulfur)
Queen Indi
Acknowledgements:
Basher Science Rocks and Minerals
Wiki Fan-made tribes Wings of Fire