User blog:DreamingOfDragons72x2/Helven versions of Riders of Berk dragons

Since I'm sure you've all been wondering, I have been thinking about the other dragons in the Dreamworks universe. I was thrilled to look things over and see that the number of dragons introduced in Riders was exactly the same as the number introduced in the original movie; that means that this blog will be the same length. Like the previous blog, these guys will not be in official screentime-release order; I found a couple of videos that had Hiccup describing the Riders-dragons, and I will be describing them in the same order he used.

The Thunderdrum
All of this thing's most notable traits add up to a purebred dragon; good thing, since we see more than one. Ironically, though, it's not a sea dragon - in fact, it's a bit slow in the water. No, it's Air-95 and Spitter-5, because that is the only one to have that exact shape and special power. It would also be slightly on the rare side (which, actually, the Thunderdrum kinda seems to be - I mean, we only see 2-3 around Berk, and one of those is Thornado).

The scary thing about the Helven Thunderdrum: you might hear it coming, you'll always hear its rattling tail, but right before it releases its sonic blast it goes very quiet. You'd better be paying attention, because that's your only warning.

The Fireworm
I'm still trying to figure out a purebred version of this thing, because there isn't one with those exact talents. They'd have to be pared down and simplified. However, what I can tell you right now is that it is the smallest size category of dragon, and has the exact same stat listings as the Monstrous Nightmare. Yup, they're in the same line - if there were Draconis minimus and medius versions of the same creature, we'd have something that looks like an evolutionary chain.

It would pretty much take a miracle before there are enough of this exact dragon to make a swarm; although, for reasons that I will go into in the next Helven-cousins blog, there is a way this would work out...

The Typhoomerang
We see an entire family in the episode this is introduced; that immediately makes it a purebred. With impressive wingspan, its stats definitely include more Air than Earth - all of the Air-95 dragons counter their combat weaknesses with sound-oriented powers, so the Typhoomerang is Earth-5 (which even works for the name, since those are weather-dragons). From there, Vulkan-95 works extremely well for its proportions and colorations, and also goes a long way towards explaining why a dragon with such distinct evidence of its passing hadn't been spotted more often before "The Terrible Twos."

As a side note, the Typhoomerang that appeared in the show would have to be D. giganticus - it's the only thing that grows big enough to carry two maximus-size dragons on its back.

The Scauldron
At least one thing is obvious: this one's Water-95. It lives in the ocean, has a special breath attack involving water, they couldn't be more blatant. Once you get into its combat weakness, things get less obvious. It's not Vulkan-5 or Frost-5; both are much too vague with their water powers and the Scauldron is very specific. It's not Spitter-5, even though it's advertised as not breathing fire, because it does have venom. It's not even Sharp-5, even though it's nearly shaped right, because that one expels the boiled water from the wrong end. Looking at its face, I saw that it has a chin sac that inflates as it readies a water blast; that's Pearl-5, so fortunately after eliminating the impossible we are able to find the right answer.

All stat combinations are found in all five of the available size categories; this would explain the giant creature in "Dragon Flower" and the smaller specimen in "We Are Family part 2."

The Changewing
This one gave me so much trouble, but I finally settled on Shadow-95 and Frost-5; it's a smaller creature (though I think still bigger than the crossbreed that is the Night Fury) with the power to vanish in any shadow and any environment. All Helven dragons (barring the Spitter-5's) have three types of chemicals in their throats: Spark, Dark, and Light. How much of any one in relation to the other two determines what type of power spit the dragon has. Spark and Light chemicals together explode to make firebreath, but in the Changewing there is so much of the Dark chemical that when it spits all three together, the Spark and Light get mixed too thoroughly in the Dark to ignite; hence, acid. I decided on Frost-5 because that was the only one of the six Shadow-95's that was a solid color, and when we actually see the Changewing out of camouflage it's all one color.

The scariest thing about the Helven Changewing actually isn't that it can vanish so completely; that power doesn't even work properly in winter. What's scary is when, instead of migrating or hibernating, it decides to acclimate...

The Smothering Smokebreath
This one was another hard one, but I ultimately settled on Air-95 and Frost-5. I seem to be doing a lot of that particular weakness, but it's doubly appropriate here: Frost-5's have very hot fire, easily enough to meld metal, and their skin has strange properties in any temperature lower than 50 degrees C. (which is basically anywhere that isn't the Equator and isn't a volcano). In the case of this one, it emits a strange fog; a lot of them together would look like a fog monster. Not to mention, the Smokebreath does appear to have more wing than leg, which also serves; as does its rather drab coloration.

As an interesting sidenote, the Helven Smokebreath would look more like some of its original concept art.

The Whispering Death
It digs fast, has little eyes that are way up on its face, and its wings are rather small when contrasted to its body. No-brainer: Earth-95. The only thing about this dragon that doesn't suit this Helven stat is that it seems to be incredibly fast in the air; ah well, can't be helped - the WD is definitely its own species, and that deserves a purebred. The shape of its body and the list of its weapons tells the rest of the story: with a very short and chunky front half and a very long and skinny back half, it has to be Spitter-5. This means that it technically can't breathe fire, but it would be able to cheat by using its tongue and all those teeth to shape wreaths of silk and pearls; they might even glow like fire. What it can do instead of spitting fire is chomp up a whole bunch of dirt and then spew a mudslide. Classy. Anyway, it is tied with the Thunderdrum for the record of greatest jaw strength.

This thing is probably D. maximus. What's scary is when you go a size up...



I don't know quite when I'm going to get to Defenders dragons. No earlier than the middle of next February, that's for sure, because I want to give Dreamworks time to introduce another full stretch of seven dragons. We're about halfway through at the time of this blog, and three new dragons are already on the board (with me about fainting in anticipation over the fourth!).