Rocks and Minerals are, for the most part, naturally occurring substances or conglomerate of substances, having a variety of uses in the Dreamworks Dragons Franchise.
Minerals[]
Description[]
Minerals are geologic substances defined as being composed of a single chemical in a specific crystalline structure created in nature. There are caveats, however, to this definition, such as frequent inclusions of other substances within the crystal matrix that can change the properties of the mineral, such as the color.
Minerals are generally classified into eight groups determined by their chemical composition: silicates, native elements, sulfides, oxides, halides, carbonates, sulfates, and phosphates. The silicate group contains the most commonly occurring minerals, as the chemical silicon dioxide (SiO2) is the most abundant in the Earth's crust.
Minerals have a plethora of uses in real life and in the Dreamworks Dragons Franchise. This can include for personal decoration such as jewelry, creating flames of certain colors, creation of other substances when combines, and even dragon fodder, particularly for Boulder Class dragons.
Types of Minerals Seen in the Franchise[]
CARBONATES[]
Calcite[]
Calcite (CaCo3) is a common carbonate mineral. In pure form it is clear and has light refractive properties. It can also come in a variety of colors, depending on which inclusions it contains. While gemstones can be cut from Calcite, it is generally too soft to be practical, but was used in some carvings by the ancient Egyptians. Though its veracity is unproven, the 'sunstone' mentioned in the Icelandic Sagas used for ship navigation is thought to be Icelandic Spar, a very clear crystal form of calcite.
In School of Dragons, Hiccup asks the player to find Iceland Spar in the quest "The Fog Rolled In" in order to build a sort of compass.
HALIDES[]
Halite[]
Halite (NaCl) is more commonly known as rock salt. It is colorless to whitish, and dissolves in aqueous (water) solutions. Pure halite without inclusions is widely used all over the world in flavoring and preserving foods for humans.
Halite is specifically mentioned in the game, School of Dragons during the quest "Relight the Torches", where the player must collect various minerals to see which one would produce a blue flame. It was not halite.
Sylvite[]
Sylvite (KCl) is a salt of Potassium and similar to Halite. It dissolves in water as halite does, and is found commonly at evaporitic deposit sites worldwide. It is commonly mined for the potassium to use as fertilizer. Pure Sylvite is clear, but is often reddish or orangish from inclusions.
Sylvite in the game, School of Dragons during the quest "Relight the Torches", where the player must collect various minerals to see which one would produce a blue flame.
Tolbachite[]
Tolbachite (CuCL2) is a rare copper-based mineral. It can be found around areas where heated water and gases erupt from the Earth's crust and leave deposits. Due to the presence of the divalent copper cation, burning tolbachite will produce a greenish blue flame.
Despite its rarity in real-life, Tolbachite is seen in the School of Dragons quest "Relight the Torches". The player must collect various substances to find out which produces a blue flame, and finds out it is the Tolbachite.
NATIVE ELEMENTS[]
Gold[]
Gold (Au) is a rare metal element that is very stable at the Earth's surface and is imperious to many acids, water, or other chemical processes that would alter other elements. It is a warm, dark brownish-yellow shade - "golden". It is a relatively rare, naturally occurring metal that has been highly sought after throughout history. It is a soft metal so not very useful for structures or weaponry, but is used as a basis for money and various forms of decoration, often jewelry.
Gold is mentioned multiple times in the game, School of Dragons, including the quest "Forming the Berk Watch" wherein the player collects gold to make a medallion, and "Mysteries of Gronckle Iron" wherein the player feeds Meatlug gold to try and recreate Gronckle Iron.
Elemental gold is also mentioned in Dragons: Titan Uprising for the Skrillknapper Fafnir. This dragon prefers "beds of gold, due to the non-conductive nature of the metal."
Several dragons are able to locate and even mine gold such as the Sword Stealer Gleamer and the Catastrophic Quaken Aurum. These are described in the game Dragons: Rise of Berk.
Silver[]
Silver (Ag) is a metallic element that is fairly stable at the Earth's surface. Unlike gold, however, it can eventually tarnish, or form an oxidated later on its surface over time with contact with the air. Silver has been widely mined and gathered for thousands of years by humans. It is and was used for jewellery and in trading. Historic Vikings mainly used silver in trading rather than gold.
In the Dragons: The Nine Realms episode "Follow the Lightning, Part 2", the Dragon Club discovered a section of the Hidden World containing silver-bearing crystals. There, they fought Thunder's Nemesis, whose lightning blasts were attracted by the silver. Tom used this to his advantage and cut a piece of crystal, using it to absorb the Skrill's blasts and redirect them to Thunder. In "Magma Comes to the Surface", Tom decided to turn the silver crystal into a sword, which he completed by "The Night Lights, Part 1".
Silver is seen in the game School of Dragons during the quest "Shiny New Trophies". The player collects various ore samples including silver from Eret, to see which would suit Gobber to make trophies out of. It is also seen in the quest "The Almighty Thor", where the player obtains silver from Mulch, among other materials, to test electrical conductivity. In the Battle for the Edge Expansion quest "Stuck on You" the player explores why an Armorwing dragon is not able to adhere Silver to itself. "Ag" blocks also appeared in a match style mini-game, but this mini-game has since been removed from School of Dragons.
OXIDES[]
Chromite[]
Chromite (Fe, Mg)Cr2O4 is a mineral mined predominantly as an ore for Chromium (Cr) which is used in making steel, electronics, and as a component in chrome plating. More historic uses includes an agent in tanning leather and as a coloring agent in glass and porcelain tiles.
Chromite is seen once in the game School of Dragons in the quest "Glass as a Spectrum". Hiccup, Heather, and the player recently discovered Gronckles could create glass by melting Sandstone. Hiccup asks the player to collect various minerals including Chromite to add to the Gronckle-melted Sandstone. Adding Chromite produced green colored glass.
Corundum[]
Corundum (Al2O3) may not be a commonly known term, but gem-quality specimens of this mineral are: Rubies and Sapphires. Rubies are gem-quality Corundums occurring in shades of red due to the presence of small amounts of Chromium. Sapphires refer to all other color possibilities of gem-quality Corundum. Pure colorless corundum is referred to as "white sapphire", while all other colors not red or blue are "fancy sapphires". The more widely known blue shades are simply called "sapphires". Sapphires are shades of blue due to traces of Iron and Titanium. Rubies and Sapphires can also be created synthetically for a more affordable gem. Corundum is also one of the hardest mineral substances on the harness scale "9". Diamonds are rated "10". Other than for use in jewelry, Corundum (usually the synthetic form) is used extensively in electronics and as an industrial abrasive.
Rubies and Sapphires are both seen in the Dragons: Race to the Edge episode "In Plain Sight" as two of the gems Hiccup is looking for to complete his version of the Dragon Eye. A large faceted ruby also appears in the game, Dragons: Rise of Berk as a decoration the player can purchase.
PHOSPHATES[]
Turquoise[]
Turquoise is a hydrated mineral, meaning it contains water molecules as part of its matrix CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8·4H2O. Turquoise comes in the color sharing its name - turquoise, but also other shades of green and blue. Turquoise rarely forms visible crystal structures and is typically opaque, but instead are usually sanded and polished into cabochons.
A Turquoise "gemstone" is seem briefly in the Dragons: Race to the Edge episode "In Plain Sight". Hiccup collects this and other cut gemstones to make his Dragon Eye II. The image of Turquoise seen in this episode is not very true to real life, except for the color.
SILICATES[]
Beryl[]
Beryl (Be3Al2Si6O18) is a silicate mineral found on most continents except Australia, with Antarctica presently inaccessible. Pure beryl (called Goshenite) is clear, but it is usually found with inclusions of other elements. Emerald is produced by the inclusion of Chromium. Aquamarine is produced with the inclusion of divalent Iron (Fe2+). Other colors made with various other inclusions include red, pink, and a golden hue.
Emeralds in particular appear in multiple media in the Franchise. Emerald "ore" (emerald is not a metal and is therefore not an ore) appears as a resource to gather and construct armor in the How to Train Your Dragon Game. A large faceted emerald gemstone appears in Dragons: Rise of Berk as a decoration the player can obtain in Spring. An emerald gemstone also appears in the Dragons: Race to the Edge episode "In Plain Sight" wherein Hiccup gathers gemstones as lenses to construct his own Dragon Eye device.
Feldspar[]
Feldspar is an extremely common silicate that occurs in several chemical variations. All feldspar contains Aluminum, Silicon, and Oxygen as -AlSi3O8 or -Al2Si2O8 with the variation being additional cations of Potassium (K), Sodium (Na), and/or Calcium (Ca). Occasionally Ammonium (NH4) or Barium (Ba) gets substituted in during formation or other natural chemical processes. Sunstone, (Ca,Na)((Al,Si)2Si2O8), is a variation of feldspar that sometimes forms gem-quality crystals occurring most often in shades of yellow, red, and orange.
Feldspar is mentioned in the Dragons: Race to the Edge episode "Gruff Around the Edges" when Fishlegs finds Meatlug in gastric distress after someone unknown fed her Feldspar. A gem of sunstone is seen in the episode "In Plain Sight" as a component of the Dragon Eye II that Hiccup is building.
Quartz[]
Quartz (SiO2) is a popular mineral coming in a variety of appearances, and one of the most common in the Earth's crust, second only to Feldspar. They are popular for collections, many variety used for jewelry and carving, and is used in electronics. Pure quartz is clear and transparent, but different inclusions produce different varieties. Inclusion of small amounts of iron will produce the purple Amethyst, while inclusion of iron oxides produce the yellow to brown hues of Citrine.
Quartz is mentioned in the Dragons: Race to the Edge episode "Shock and Awe", when Fishlegs and Meatlug look along the beach to see what washed up. The rock depicted in the episode does not appear as quartz does in real life, though it is slightly possible it is a severely irradiated sample of smokey quartz. Later in the series, a small amethyst gemstone is acquired by Hiccup to create the Dragon Eye II in "In Plain Sight".
In the game, Dragons: Rise of Berk, a large amethyst gem is available to procure during early Spring as a decoration. Citrine is available in the Fall as a decoration, as well.
Topaz[]
Topaz, chemical composition Al2SiO4(F,OH)2, is a silicate mineral found worldwide and some specimens are used for jewelry. As with many minerals, pure topaz is white, but various inclusions can cause it to be shades of warm brown and golden yellows, but shades of light blue exist as well as pink. Even more color shades are possible by applying heat treatments.
Topaz is seen once in Dragons: Race to the Edge during the episode "In Plain Sight" when Hiccup searches for several gemstones to complete construction of the Dragon Eye II.
Zoisite Ca2Al3(SiO4)(Si2O7)O(OH) is relatively unknown, but the variety containing small amounts of Vanadium is: Tanzanite. Any form of Zoisite is fairly rare. The lovely blue, indigo, and violet shades of tanzanite are only naturally found in Africa. Ziosite was first described in 1805, and the Tanzanite variety only 'discovered' and marketed in the 1960's.
Tanzanite is seen only once in the Dragons: Rescue Riders episode "Summer Holiday" on an unknown island. In reality, tanzanite would be unknown to Vikings and not found in any Scandinavian countries.
SULFATES[]
Chalcanthite[]
Chalcanthite (CuSO4·5H2O), also known as Copper(II) Sulfate or Blue Vitriol among alchemists, is a highly soluble in the presence of water, so it can form, dissolve, then reform again depending on the presence of water. Because of this, it is fairly easy to manufacture, and can be found in some crystal growing kits or as a lab experiment for schools.
Blue Vitriol is mentioned as a substance used by the alchemist Sif the Shrewd to create the engineered Fireworm Queen called Verdigriff in the game, Dragons: Titan Uprising.
Gypsum[]
Gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) is a common evaporite mineral found all over the world. It is very soft and can be scratched with a fingernail, at a Hardness of only 2. Gypseum has many crystal growth habits with pure crystals being colorless. It can also occur in microcrystalline form which can be mined for a variety of uses such as drywall or as alabaster for sculpture. Gypsum is often associated with sedimentary rocks and can form layers with other evaporation-formed minerals such as Halite. Sometimes microcrystalline Gypsum may be referred to as a rock, though the mass is composed of only one mineral with a crystal structure (just not visible to the naked eye). Gypsum forming visible crystal structures is also called Selenite.
Gypsum is referred to as a Sedimentary rock in the quest "Home Heating" in School of Dragons, though this is technically not correct. In this quest the player much collect a sample of Gypsum along with other specimens and heat them to see which holds heat the longest.
SULFIDES[]
Cinnabar[]
Cinnabar (HgS) is a bright red mineral containing Mercury. Cinnabar has been mined for several millennia as a red pigment and for extraction of elemental Mercury (known as Quicksilver) as it was purported to have immortality properties and other medicinal properties.
Cinnabar is mentioned as a substance used by the alchemist Sif the Shrewd to create the engineered Fireworm Queen called Verdigriff in the game, Dragons: Titan Uprising. Also mentioned in this game, is the redness of the Windgnasher Arcane Kulingbiter's hide, which is caused by the dragon's appetite for Cinnabar. This is unusual for a non-Boulder class dragon.
Pyrite[]
Pyrite (FeS2) is one of the most commonly occurring Sulfide minerals. It is typically seen a shiny golden cubic crystals, but can sometimes take other shapes. Because of its metallic golden color, it has been misidentified as native Gold, hence giving it the nick-name "fools-gold".
The nickname fools-gold is used as a name in Dragons: Rise of Berk for an Armorwing - Fool's-Gold - because she arrived after another similar-looking Armorwing named after true gold - Goldrush.
Rocks[]
Description[]
Rocks are the collection of one or more minerals or mineral-like substances in solid form. This does not include "liquid" rock - otherwise known as magma and lava. Rocks comprise the majority of the Earth's crust, and is quite literally the foundations on which we stand. Rocks are useful for mining materials for a plethora of uses from food to building material, from fertilizer to ores for weapons.
Rocks are classified into three major groups based on formation: Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic.
Igneous rock in School of Dragons quest "Gronckle Rocks"
Igneous rocks are formed from the cooling, and therefore solidification, of magma or lava. This can occur at the Earth's surface (extrusive or volcanic rock, "lava rocks") or deep inside the crust (intrusive or plutonic rock), and can be slow or fast-cooling, creating different varieties of rocks with different compositions.
| “ | Igneous rocks are formed when melted rock cools and solidifies. [src] | ” |
| — Fishlegs |
Sedimentary rocks are formed mainly from processes occurring at the Earth's surface such as weathering existing rock by wind or water, deposition of organic materials, or evaporation of water and deposition of water-soluble minerals. Often the products form layers and get compressed together to form a whole composite solid.
Sedimentary rock in School of Dragons quest "Gronckle Rocks"
| “ | Sedimentary rocks are formed when fragments of rocks, minerals, or animal or plant material accumulate over time. [src] | ” |
| — Fishlegs |
Metamorphic rocks also arise from pre-existing rocks, but these are changed into different compositions by applying heat and pressure found inside the Earth's crust, or adjacent to underground geologic structures such as magma chambers. Tectonic activity can also shift a rock type underneath another or some other arrangement and apply great pressure to form metamorphic rocks.
| “ | When sedimentary and igneous rocks are exposed to extreme pressure and heat, they completely change! They become more compacted. These are called metamorphic rocks. [src] | ” |
| — Fishlegs |
Types of Rocks Seen in the Franchise[]
IGNEOUS[]
Basalt[]
Basalt is a very common extrusive volcanic rock, composed mainly of some variation of Feldspar, Olivine, and Pyroxine minerals. It is usually a dark to black color and very fine-grained.
Basalt is mentioned in Dragons: Titan Uprising as a sweet-tasting rock eaten by Catastrophic Quakens, in particular, Cryoconitemare, who wished for some.
Geodes[]
Geodes are actually a rock structure composed of a variety of minerals, and can be considered igneous or sedimentary. Geodes occur when a void occurs within a rock such as gas pockets and then minerals percolate through the rock an deposit into the empty space. Geodes are always characterized by initial deposition of a mineral - usually a silicate - that form a lining or crust. Eventually the parent rock weathers away, but silicates are much more resistant to weathering and thus the geode remains behind. The pocket within the rock also allows an open space for large crystals to form, though eventually the crystals can grow togther and completely fill the space. Silicate mineral crystals are most common, followed by Calcite and other carbonate minerals (especially in Sedimentary Geodes), but many types of minerals are possible.
Geodes are mentioned as a favorite treat for the Boulder Class Snafflefang, particularly in Dragons: Rise of Berk.
Granite[]
Granite is a rock formed from magma intruding into spaces within the Earth's crust and cooling down slowly. The bulk of granite is composed of some combination of Quartz and types of Feldspars. Granite has been used through human history as a building material for living structures, statues, paving, and other things.
Granite is specifically seen in the series of short videos featuring Olympic-esque Viking games called "Racing For The Gold". One of the medals for placing in an event is a slab of Granite strung on a rope. Granite is mentioned again in the Dragons: Race to the Edge episode "Have Dragon Will Travel, Part 1" in which Fishlegs tries to take Berk Granite with him because it "has a nicer finish" when Meatlug eats it. Granite is also mentioned by Burple in the Dragons: Rescue Riders episode "The Nest" in which he says Huttsgalor has a lot of Granite, which he likes ingesting.
Icelandite[]
Icelandite is an extrusive igneous rock first described from rock in Iceland, a very geologically active island. It has a high content of Iron and little Aluminum, making it different than similar volcanic rocks on a spectrum between Basalt and Rhyolite. Over half of its composition is silica substances, and usually contains some variation of feldspars and pyroxene minerals.
Icelandite is seen only once in the Franchise during the Dragons: Race to the Edge episode "Shock and Awe" when Fishlegs and Meatlug browse around a beach to see what has washed up.
Lava Rocks[]
"Lava Rock" is not actually a specific type of rock, but rather a collective term for rock types that arise from solidified extruded magma, or extrusive rocks. This means the magma has "extruded" onto the Earth's surface, as opposed to seeping into voids within the crust. Externalized magma is also called "lava" Lava rocks may also be called Volcanic Rocks. There are many rock types that fall in this category, including but not limited to Pumice, Obsidian, Basalt, or Rhyolite.
Lava rocks are mentioned in various places in the Franchise. A volcanic bomb rock from the volcano on Dragon's Edge hits Snotlout square in the head in "Living on the Edge". Heather requests lava rock, in addition to other types, in order to assess which might be burned to produce heat in the quest "Home Heating". volcanic rock appears as a collectible item in Dragons: Rise of Berk.
Obsidian[]
Obsidian is a rock composed of glass; the magma cooled so rapidly that crystals of specific minerals were not able to form. Since glass has no specific internal structure, it is not considered a mineral. Obsidian has been used throughout history by historic peoples, often for cutting and piercing tools.
Dragons: Titan Uprising mentions that Obsidian is slightly tasteless with a bit of a bitter aftertaste to Catastrophic Quakens.
Pumice[]
Pumice is an extrusive - volcanic - igneous rock composed mainly of volcanic glass (glass is not considered a mineral as it has no crystal structure). It is known for its plentiful air pockets riddling its mass, so much so that this rick can float on water. It is so air-logged that it can form temporary islands on the ocean. Pumice has been used for a few thousand years for scrubbing things including scrubbing skin as an exfoliant. It has also been used for sanding, even filing nails.
Valka mentions Pumice in the game School of Dragons "Return to Dragon Island" Expansion quest "Trust of the Eruptodon". She indicates volccanic rocks such as Pumice are one of an Eruptodon's favorite foods.
SEDIMENTARY[]
Bauxite[]
Bauxite is a sedimentary rock mainly comprised of Aluminum rich minerals, as well as some Iron Oxide minerals. Bauxite is mined extensively for its Aluminum, as well as the trace rare metal Gallium.
Bauxite is seen once in the Dragons: Race to the Edge episode "Living on the Edge". The rock featured is not accurate to real life Bauxite, which is not associated with volcanoes and is typically red, brown, or whitish in color.
Coal[]
Coal is a rock formed from decayed plant material that has been compressed and subjected to some heat from many overlying layers. It is formed on a time scale of millions of years. For coal to form, the plant material must be initially deposited in wetland conditions. The deposition captures large amounts of carbon (derived from carbon dioxide), resulting in coal and making it very combustible. Coal has been burned as an energy source by humans, but doing so re-releases the carbon back into the atmosphere.
Coal is seen in the Dragons: Rescue Riders episode "The Nest" when Burple spits some out to light Hannahr's blacksmith forge. Coal is also used by Gobber for his forge in the School of Dragons quest "Dwindling Flames". Heather also mentions coal and the consequences of burning it in the Thawfest quest "Something Else".
Geodes[]
Geodes can be found in either Igneous or Sedimentary rocks. See "Geode" entry above under Igneous rocks.
Limestone[]
Limestone is a very common sedimentary rock and comprises about a quarter of all sedimentary rocks on Earth. It is primarily composed of the minerals Calcite and Aragonite, which are both different crystal forms of the same chemical - Calcium Carbonate. Limestone is mainly formed from deposition of these minerals through both chemical processes and biological processes often in a body of water. The sediment over long periods of time get compresses as more sediment is deposited on top, pushing out water in the lower layers and getting cemented together to form rock. There is pressure from the overlying sediment, but not at levels associated with Metamorphic rock formation. Because much of the Calcium Carbonate can come from biological processes such as shells from sealife both visible and microscopic, fossils are often found in limestone. Limestone has many uses to humans such as a calcium food supplement, various building usages, and even as an additive to toothpaste.
Limestone is seen or mentioned in several Franchise media. Fishlegs tells Meatlug not to eat any Limestone in "In Dragons We Trust" as it can upset her tummy. Limestone is also seen in the School of Dragons quest "Home Heating" wherein the player collects several substances including Limestone to see which holds heat the longest.
Sandstone[]
Sandstone is a sedimentary stone composed of sand. Sand is mainly comprised of grains of Quartz and Feldspar. These silicate minerals are the most resistant to chemical break down at the Earth's surface, but have been weathered down to tiny grains from they're parent rock. Overtime, layers upon layers of sand form and get buried deep enough to cement the grains together to form rock. Sandstone has many uses for humans including building material, sculpting, and tool-making.
Sandstone is mentioned in various media in the Dreamworks Dragons Franchise. In "Have Dragon Will Travel, Part 2", Heather recollects that her father's hands were "rough, like sandstone, but so gentle". Summer identifies Sandstone in "Heavy Metal" when looking for a Belzium deposit. Sandstone is also mentioned in the games. In School of Dragons, the player determines that heating sandstone to melting makes glass in "Mysteries of Gronckle Iron". Later the player gathers sandstone to give to Hiccup so that he can make more glass for lenses in "A Light Dilemma". Sandstone is also seen in the quests "Glass as a Spectrum", "The Deathsong Amber", and "In Search of True North" wherein Fishlegs indicates Sandstone is Meatlug's "second favorite treat". This rock is also mentioned in Dragons: Titan Uprising as the Hotburple Beachcomber's favorite food.
Travertine[]
Travertine is a particular type of Limestone created from the evaporative deposition of Calcium Carbonate minerals (Calcite, Aragonite) around hot spring areas.
Travertine is seen once in the Dragons: Race to the Edge episode "Shock and Awe" when Fishlegs and Meatlug walk along a beach to see what washed up. The stone pictured is not accurate to Travertine in real-life, which is white to brownish in color.
METAMORPHIC[]
Marble[]
Marble is metamorphosed Limestone. Marble is white when the parent Limestone contains only Calcium Carbonate minerals. Many other colors exist when the Limestone contains other minerals, especially Silicates. Marble has been used for thousands of years as a building material, but is well-known for its use as a sculpting medium.
Marble is described in the School of Dragons quest "Home Heating" where the player finds out that marble is good at radiating heat.
Quartzite[]
Applying tremendous heat and pressure on Quartz-rich Sandstone produces Quartzite. The Quartz grains in the Sandstone recrystallize and often still hold a grain-like shape, but the grains are so pressed together that breaking a Quartzite rock will break through those grains, rather than around the grains as in Sandstone. In modern times, due to Quartzite's minimum composition of 80% silica, it is mined for production of silicon, silicon carbide, and silica sand.
Quartzite is mentioned once in the Dragons: Race to the Edge episode "Edge of Disaster, Part 2" where Fishlegs performs a sort of Heimlich maneuver on a choking juvenile Gronckle, causing it to spit out a chunk of Quartzite. He says that Meatlug also chokes on Quartzite. The rock called Quartzite in this episode is not representative of this rock in real life, which is often white to grey in color, sometimes pinkish to reddish, and rarely green or blue.
Schist[]
Schist is a metamorphic rock defined not by the parent rock or constituent minerals, but rather by its texture. Schist texture can be described as flaky, foliated, layered, or platy. This platy texture develops when pressure occurs on the parent rock strongest in one direction than others while under high heat. Schist can contain a variety of minerals, but often platy-textured Mica minerals are found.
Schist is mentioned in the game, Dragons: Rise of Berk in the description for the Gobsucker Sulfurous Snifflepharts. Despite being a Stoker Class dragon, Snifflefarts mainly eats Schist.
Rock and Mineral Ores and Alloys[]
Description[]
An Ore is a rock or mineral that has something - most often a metal - that is commercially important, and is mined and refined to obtain it. The ore of a desired substance could encompass one or multiple types of rocks and minerals. For example, Copper Ore could refer to a variety of minerals with Copper (Cu) as part of their chemical structure such as Chalcopyrite, Malachite, or Chrysocolla. Some rocks or minerals may contain multiple economically valuable substances as well.
An Alloy is a combination of at least two substances, once or both of which is a metal. The combination of the substances produces new, and often desirable, qualities such as increased hardness. The constituents are heated to liquefaction, mixed, and cooled. While cooling, the atoms of both components recrystallize and form a solid matrix together, rather than separately. Alloys are mainly of human construction, but rarely some alloys can exist naturally.
Types of Ores Seen in the Franchise[]
Bronze Ore[]
Bronze is the metal alloy of Copper (Cu) with Tin (Sn) and occasionally includes some other metals. Bronze is a human-constructed alloy and its discovery was extremely important in advancing human civilization, even calling a historical time period the "Bronze Age". Bronze is harder and more durable than Copper alone. Copper and Tin occurring together naturally and forming Bronze is extremely rare, but technically Bronze "Ore" could exist.
The early game, How to Train Your Dragon has Bronze Ore that the player must gather to construct armor.
Cobalt Ore[]
Cobalt Ore is any rock bearing minerals containing the metallic element Cobalt (Co). Cobalt is used in making batteries, color pigments, metal alloys, and other uses. Historically, cobalt-bearing minerals were used to produce "cobalt blue" pigment used making glass and porcelain.
Cobalt has been seen briefly in Franchise games such as How to Train Your Dragon in which the player gathers to make armor. It is also seen in School of Dragons when the player collects it to create different colored glass for Heather in the quest "Glass as a Spectrum".
Iron Ore[]
Iron Ore is the most sought after, mined, and utilized commercially important substance for humans for a few millennia. Iron (Fe) has many applications and has been a major component in advancing human civilization. Initially Iron Ore was thought to be obtained by humans from Bog iron - precipitated iron minerals percolating from the Earth in marshy areas and from bacterial action. Iron Ores include but are not limited to Hematite, Geothite, Magnetite, and others. Much of what is mined is frequently some oxidized form once it has contact with air and water, essentially forming rust.
Iron Ore is mentioned in various places within the Franchise. In the Dragons: Race to the Edge episode "Last Auction Heroes", Tuffnut rams his head into the cell wall they are captive in and ascertains it is composed of Iron Ore. Another episode, "Living on the Edge", specifies Iron Ore as an ingredient in the creation of Gronckle Iron. In the Dragons: Rescue Riders episode "Hot, Hot, Hot", Leyla feeds Burple magnetized Iron Ore so that Belzium paneling will stick to his hide. Iron Ore is also mentioned in the games, such as How to Train Your Dragon the game where the player can collect Iron Ore to construct armor. It also appears in several quests in School of Dragons such as "Mysteries of Gronckle Iron", the Dreadfall Daily "The Value of Iron", the Expansion quest "Stuck on You" and "Pirate on the Run", and "Shiny New Trophies".
Manganese Ore[]
Manganese (Mn) does not occur in a native elemental state, but only within minerals, and often in conjunction with Iron. Manganese ores include Pyrolusite, Rhodochrosite, and Psilomelane. Manganese and its compounds have been used in the creation of various metal alloys, batteries, and as green or pink pigments in ceramics and glass-making. Manganese is also an essential dietary mineral.
Manganese is seen once in the game School of Dragons in the quest "Glass as a Spectrum". Hiccup, Heather, and the player recently discovered Gronckles could create glass by melting Sandstone. Hiccup asks the player to collect various minerals including Manganese to add to the Gronckle-melted Sandstone.
Uranium Ore[]
Uranium Ore are rocks and minerals containing the element Uranium (U). Uranium is actually more common in the Earth's crust than Silver or Gold. It can occur in all types of rocks - igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary - and their associated minerals. Uraninite is a common ore, but there are many others. Uraninite is also called Pitchblende. Uranium Ore was not significant or had a use historically, but in modern times is used in nuclear reactors.
The game Dragons: Titan Uprising relates that Eruptodons favor eating Uranium Ore. Some types such as the Magmic Eruptodon have developed sensors to locate deposits.
Zinc Ore[]
Zinc (Zn) is a metal with many applications such as producing alloy metals, batteries, as a pigment, and is also an essential mineral for living creatures. Zinc Ores have been mined and occasionally used for over a millennia in human history, and was notably employed in the creation of the metal alloy Brass. However, the actual metal element was not described until the 18th century.
There is only one mention of Zinc in the Franchise during the quest "Back in the Saddle Again, Part I" in School of Dragons. Gobber has a boiling Zinc bath to dip Iron objects in to protect them from rusting. This process is called Galvanization, but historically was not discovered until the 17th and 18th centuries. There is not evidence the Vikings utilized Zinc ore either for alloys or other uses.
Franchise-Unique Substances seen in the Franchise[]
Description[]
In a Franchise with fantastic geological landscapes and dragons that can eat and belch lava (among other things), the media is rife with rocks, minerals, and other substances wholly unique to it. Some have very specific origins and applications.
Types of Franchise-Unique Substances[]
Belzium[]
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Main article: Belzium |
Belzium is an ore with wide applications for the people of Huttsgalor. Because of its magnetic properties and malleability, it is possible it might be a special type of Iron ore.
Dragonsite[]
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Main article: Dragonsite |
Dragonsite is a crystal found in the Hidden World that produces oxygen when it comes into contact with dragon fire.
Dragon Proof Metal[]
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Main article: Dragon Proof Metal |
Dragon Proof Metal is an alloy of undisclosed composition that is resistant to many dragon abilities such as fire-breathing.
Gronckle Iron[]
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Main article: Gronckle Iron |
Gronckle Iron is a special metal alloy created by melting together several substances in the stomach of a Gronckle and possibly some other Boulder Class dragons.
Hidden World Crystal[]
In How to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming, Toothless and his family secretly leave a mini stalagmite of glowing green crystal on the mantelpiece of the Haddock home on New Berk as a gift for Snoggletog. It is possible that it was a shard of Dragonsite, but this is mere speculation and remains unconfirmed.
Magmarok[]
Magmarock is a stone that the player collects for construction of armor and weaponry in the game, DreamWorks Dragons: Dawn of New Riders. It has the appearance of partially solidified magma. It is a dull brown in color with dark orange-red inclusions that appear to faintly glow.
Power Crystals[]
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Main article: Power Crystals |
A particular group of crystalline substances simply referred to as "Crystals", are found only in a cave on an unnamed island near Huttsgalor and are characterized by their unique property of somehow syncing with dragon abilities.
Thor's Ore[]
| “ | And make sure that shield's made of Thor's Ore. It's the strongest material known to Vikings. [src] | ” |
| — Gobber |
Thor's Ore appears to be a crystalline, multi-colored rock, often on a base of grey rock that is only found in Dark Deep. It is a very strong substance coveted by Vikings. Presumably it is some sort of metal baring rock or mineral that looks a lot like a gemstone. According to the game's text, Thor's Ore is highly valued for making shields due to its strength.
The Foreverwing in the game, Dragons: Rise of Berk finds items for players that can be applied to completing Collections. One such item looks similar to Thor's Ore and it is possible the object may have been derived from it.
Thorstone[]
Thorstone is seen in the game, DreamWorks Dragons: Dawn of New Riders. It is a rock that the player can collect to have Gobber fashion study armor and weaponry from. It appears to be brownish grey in color, with bright white spidery striations across the surface.
Gallery[]
References[]
Mineral on Wikipedia
Rock (geology) on Wikipedia
| Rocks and Minerals uses Creative Commons Licensed content from the DreamWorks School of Dragons Wiki page Gronckle Rocks. The list of authors can be found on the page revision history (view authors). | 
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