SilverWing Names
Before encountering other dragon tribes, SilverWings communicated mostly through memory-imbued stone, with only a basic spoken language and no written one. Dragons were still named, of course, but through a small, stone-bead necklace gifted by a parent to their dragonet, with a strong memory or a beautiful thought. This practice is still continued by modern SilverWings, but they have adopted more traditional, secondary names so that non-SilverWing dragons can address them easily.
SilverWings are known for their long, fancy, 'pretentious' names, often uncommon words in English or anything that sounds sophisticated in Latin (ironically, many SilverWing names, when translated, might not mean something flattering). Here are a few examples:
- Vernalis
- Jubilant
- Diatribe
- Pervicacious
- Aporia
- Syllepsis
- Chiasmus
- Antonomasia
- Veritas
- Curatus
- Petrichor
- Vellichor
- Hiraeth
- Syzygy
- Benvolio
SilverWings are known for their long, fancy, 'pretentious' names, often uncommon words in English or anything that sounds sophisticated in Latin (ironically, many SilverWing names, when translated, might not mean something flattering). Here are a few examples:
- Vernalis
- Jubilant
- Diatribe
- Pervicacious
- Aporia
- Syllepsis
- Chiasmus
- Antonomasia
- Veritas
- Curatus
- Petrichor
- Vellichor
- Hiraeth
- Syzygy
- Benvolio
Burial Practices
Death is viewed by the SilverWings not as a tragic affair - though they do mourn the loss of loved ones - but as a pleasant passing into the realm of the Moon Sisters, where the dead join them as shimmering forms in the night sky (stars).
When a dragon dies their body is buried in a stone coffin. The pebble that all worshipers of the Moon Sisters wear is placed on top, and left exposed to the moonlight for five nights, which is meant to symbolize the five nights that the original SilverWing spent lost, before the Sisters created the Blessed Isles. Once that period of time has passed, the pebble is returned to the ocean, so that the spirit of the dead dragon can return to the Moon Sisters.
This practice is not just exclusive to the SilverWings; any worshiper of the Moon Sisters, no matter what tribe they're from or place they live, believe that this burial must be done, lest their souls become trapped in the mortal world. Many wandering members of the Perigee (the SilverWing religious order) will search for worshipers of the Moon Sisters who were not properly put to rest, and perform the correct practices so that their spirit can move on.
When a dragon dies their body is buried in a stone coffin. The pebble that all worshipers of the Moon Sisters wear is placed on top, and left exposed to the moonlight for five nights, which is meant to symbolize the five nights that the original SilverWing spent lost, before the Sisters created the Blessed Isles. Once that period of time has passed, the pebble is returned to the ocean, so that the spirit of the dead dragon can return to the Moon Sisters.
This practice is not just exclusive to the SilverWings; any worshiper of the Moon Sisters, no matter what tribe they're from or place they live, believe that this burial must be done, lest their souls become trapped in the mortal world. Many wandering members of the Perigee (the SilverWing religious order) will search for worshipers of the Moon Sisters who were not properly put to rest, and perform the correct practices so that their spirit can move on.
Architecture
SilverWing architecture is unique due to their ability to shape stone. They do not need quarries or bricks, but rather reshape entire mountains into cities of smooth, elegant buildings. Towers spiral in complex, strange patterns, and all buildings are completely seamless.
The Arts
Art is held in high regard by the SilverWings, seen as an admiral pursuit for any dragon.
Visual arts often involve stone; be it making elaborate sculptures, creating a piece of art by imbuing the image into stone, so that it may only be viewed by touching it, or simply painting on a piece of rock. Frescoes are common as well, with the plaster being mixed with powdered stone, so that there is an extra dimension to the art; in portraits, touching the picture might allow one to see a moment of that dragon's life, or in a depiction of a recent event, it might contain an eyewitness' memory of what happened.
SilverWings love music, though live performances are uncommon. Songs are usually performed once, then recorded in stone (typically small, polished rock beads) by those who experienced it and sold to SilverWings across the Island. SilverWing families usually string the stones onto thread and decorate the walls of their homes with them, and when guests visit they will slowly drag their claws across the beads to experience what music their hosts have collected.
Dance is treated similarly by SilverWings, performed once and then recorded forever in small stone beads. These beads are highly prized, passed on through the generations; some particularly old families will have hundreds of them, some of them from centuries ago.
Storytelling is handled much differently than in other tribes; rather than writing out a book or poem, SilverWings will imagine the entire story and weave it into stone. It does not, however, take any less time than writing out a book, as a SilverWing 'author' must carefully craft the thoughts, feelings, and imagery to make the story feel real. Stories like this are often worked into larger pieces of rock than songs or dances, and sometimes painted or sculpted with beautiful colours and patterns. Experiencing one of these stories is comparable to watching a movie in our world, save that it includes all the senses and becomes almost like another reality. The best stories are those who include the senses as fully as possible, and SilverWings adore them. They are extremely valuable outside of Silver Island, but are equally uncommon, as most SilverWings are unwilling to part with such prized possessions.
Theater has little presence in SilverWing society. Acting is viewed with interest and curiousity by SilverWings, but participating in it themselves is seen as, well, a waste of time. Why act out a story when you could simply record it perfectly in stone, so that dragons may simply touch it to experience it? It is a lesser form of storytelling, for tribes who were unfortunately not gifted with the ability to set their thoughts into stone; entertaining to watch, and wealthier SilverWings visit the theater productions of other Island kingdoms, but never to be participated in.
Visual arts often involve stone; be it making elaborate sculptures, creating a piece of art by imbuing the image into stone, so that it may only be viewed by touching it, or simply painting on a piece of rock. Frescoes are common as well, with the plaster being mixed with powdered stone, so that there is an extra dimension to the art; in portraits, touching the picture might allow one to see a moment of that dragon's life, or in a depiction of a recent event, it might contain an eyewitness' memory of what happened.
SilverWings love music, though live performances are uncommon. Songs are usually performed once, then recorded in stone (typically small, polished rock beads) by those who experienced it and sold to SilverWings across the Island. SilverWing families usually string the stones onto thread and decorate the walls of their homes with them, and when guests visit they will slowly drag their claws across the beads to experience what music their hosts have collected.
Dance is treated similarly by SilverWings, performed once and then recorded forever in small stone beads. These beads are highly prized, passed on through the generations; some particularly old families will have hundreds of them, some of them from centuries ago.
Storytelling is handled much differently than in other tribes; rather than writing out a book or poem, SilverWings will imagine the entire story and weave it into stone. It does not, however, take any less time than writing out a book, as a SilverWing 'author' must carefully craft the thoughts, feelings, and imagery to make the story feel real. Stories like this are often worked into larger pieces of rock than songs or dances, and sometimes painted or sculpted with beautiful colours and patterns. Experiencing one of these stories is comparable to watching a movie in our world, save that it includes all the senses and becomes almost like another reality. The best stories are those who include the senses as fully as possible, and SilverWings adore them. They are extremely valuable outside of Silver Island, but are equally uncommon, as most SilverWings are unwilling to part with such prized possessions.
Theater has little presence in SilverWing society. Acting is viewed with interest and curiousity by SilverWings, but participating in it themselves is seen as, well, a waste of time. Why act out a story when you could simply record it perfectly in stone, so that dragons may simply touch it to experience it? It is a lesser form of storytelling, for tribes who were unfortunately not gifted with the ability to set their thoughts into stone; entertaining to watch, and wealthier SilverWings visit the theater productions of other Island kingdoms, but never to be participated in.
Fashion
SilverWings wear heavy stole jewelry and thick furs, often wool, but otherwise do not typically adorn themselves in a very complex manner. Gold, silver, and gemstones aren't commonly seen in SilverWing jewelry, either, seen as wastefully ostentatious and gaudy to wear.
Food
There are a variety of different foods common in SilverWing culture:
- Goat's milk and meat
- Hawks, eagles, and other mountain birds
- Mountain cats
- Ice cream
- Maple syrup/candy
- Deer, elk and moose
- Goat's milk and meat
- Hawks, eagles, and other mountain birds
- Mountain cats
- Ice cream
- Maple syrup/candy
- Deer, elk and moose
Classes
SilverWings are a society defined by social classes, with the wealthy, aristocratic dragons at the top and the working class on the bottom. However, even on the bottom class there is not direct oppression, as the Queen of the SilverWing carefully keeps the balance between social classes in order to make sure that most dragons can live.
Religion
The SilverWings worship the Moon Sisters - Pyrrhia's three moons. They believe that they were shaped from stone by the power of the Sisters, and have a number of festivals dedicated to them. For a deeper look into the worship of the Moon Sisters, click the button below:
Family Life
SilverWings live in small households, made up of two dragons and their dragonets. Dragonets typically move out of their parents' residence at age ten, and most find a mate (of either gender) between ages sixteen and twenty. Adoption is not uncommon, and in recent years, many SilverWings opened their homes to GlassWing dragonets orphaned by the conflicts on their home Island.
Dragonets are held responsible for caring for their parents in old age; it is extremely taboo to leave old dragons to care for themselves. However, as many SilverWings do not fulfill this obligation, the Perigee offer aging dragons food, shelter and care in exchange for a 'donation' - usually what would have been their dragonets' inheritance.
Dragonets are held responsible for caring for their parents in old age; it is extremely taboo to leave old dragons to care for themselves. However, as many SilverWings do not fulfill this obligation, the Perigee offer aging dragons food, shelter and care in exchange for a 'donation' - usually what would have been their dragonets' inheritance.
Education
SilverWing education is respected throughout the dragon world, with many travelling from across the Isles and even Pyrrhia to attend their many Academies, Societies, and Universities. It is, in fact, the Island's greatest source of income, allowing them to make basic education free for all dragonets, though the contents of said free education varies.
SilverWing schools in poorer areas, usually run by members of the Perigee, focus on teaching dragonets how to become stoneworkers, training them in how to work stone into different, complex shapes. While seemingly ensuring them that they'll spend the rest of their lives as labourers, it actually sets them up in a field where it is possible for a dragon to move up in the world though hard work, as talented stoneworkers are highly valued.
Schools in middle-to-upper class areas teach a more well-rounded set of skills, allowing dragonets to study art, mathematics, sciences, philosophy, among other subjects, whereas the previously mentioned schools would only teach those subjects as they applied to stoneworking.
SilverWing schools in poorer areas, usually run by members of the Perigee, focus on teaching dragonets how to become stoneworkers, training them in how to work stone into different, complex shapes. While seemingly ensuring them that they'll spend the rest of their lives as labourers, it actually sets them up in a field where it is possible for a dragon to move up in the world though hard work, as talented stoneworkers are highly valued.
Schools in middle-to-upper class areas teach a more well-rounded set of skills, allowing dragonets to study art, mathematics, sciences, philosophy, among other subjects, whereas the previously mentioned schools would only teach those subjects as they applied to stoneworking.
SilverWings and Language
SilverWings had a very basic language before they encountered other tribes of dragons, as with their ability to directly share memories and knowledge through stoneworking, they had little need for the use of language to explain complex concepts - and absolutely no use for the written word. Dragons were still named, of course, but through a small, stone-bead necklace gifted by a parent to their dragonet, with a strong memory or a beautiful thought. This practice is still continued by modern SilverWings, but they have adopted more traditional, secondary names so that non-SilverWing dragons can address them easily.
When they encountered other dragons, they picked up their language out of a mix of curiousity and necessity; while, of course dragons from other tribes could still interact with memory-imbued stone, they could not share their own information this way. In the modern day, SilverWings speak a dialect of dragon similar to that in Pyrrhia, though they find it frustratingly difficult to express themselves with, compared to the directness of stone.
Written language is exclusively used by non-SilverWing residents of the Island, though many educated dragons will learn it simply out of curiousity; it is seen as a fascinating, but relatively useless, tool. Jewelry is often carved with random letters, as many SilverWings think that they look pretty.
When they encountered other dragons, they picked up their language out of a mix of curiousity and necessity; while, of course dragons from other tribes could still interact with memory-imbued stone, they could not share their own information this way. In the modern day, SilverWings speak a dialect of dragon similar to that in Pyrrhia, though they find it frustratingly difficult to express themselves with, compared to the directness of stone.
Written language is exclusively used by non-SilverWing residents of the Island, though many educated dragons will learn it simply out of curiousity; it is seen as a fascinating, but relatively useless, tool. Jewelry is often carved with random letters, as many SilverWings think that they look pretty.
Curses
Stone worked with malicious intent is considered 'cursed', and while uncommon, do exist. Non-cursed stone that contains unsettling or violent imagery is kept in carefully-curated museums to make sure that young dragonets do not stumble across it, and that those who do wish to experience what is held within are given fair warning.
The Cult of the Shattered Moons is notorious for creating cursed items, with some cases of an unsuspecting dragon's entire home - or just their door - being cursed. Some claim that there is one brick in the wall of the Great Temple on Silver Island that, if touched, will drive the dragon mad with nightmarish emotions and imagery. While outsiders typically view the stone worked with memories by a SilverWing with fascination, there are quite a few dragons that will not touch said items, for fear of it being cursed.
By law, any cursed stone is to be immediately destroyed, and the pieces locked away in the Queen's vault.
The Cult of the Shattered Moons is notorious for creating cursed items, with some cases of an unsuspecting dragon's entire home - or just their door - being cursed. Some claim that there is one brick in the wall of the Great Temple on Silver Island that, if touched, will drive the dragon mad with nightmarish emotions and imagery. While outsiders typically view the stone worked with memories by a SilverWing with fascination, there are quite a few dragons that will not touch said items, for fear of it being cursed.
By law, any cursed stone is to be immediately destroyed, and the pieces locked away in the Queen's vault.
Occupations
SilverWings, like any other civilization, require dragons to fill every aspect of society in order to be self-sufficient. However, some of the more dominant and commonly associated occupations with SilverWings are the following:
- Herders (SilverWings almost exlusively herd goats and sheep)
- Stoneworkers
- Architects
- Diplomats
- Scholars
- Missionaries (employed by the Perigee and usually sent to Pyrrhia, the Surge Isles, or Glass Island, although some venture to more dangerous places, like Pantala, if they have the bravery to do so.)
- Astronomers
- Teachers
- Private guards (there are, in fact, more private guards than soldiers in the Island)
- Herders (SilverWings almost exlusively herd goats and sheep)
- Stoneworkers
- Architects
- Diplomats
- Scholars
- Missionaries (employed by the Perigee and usually sent to Pyrrhia, the Surge Isles, or Glass Island, although some venture to more dangerous places, like Pantala, if they have the bravery to do so.)
- Astronomers
- Teachers
- Private guards (there are, in fact, more private guards than soldiers in the Island)