The Book of Dragons: Stoker Class

Terrible Terror

Appearance

The Terrible Terror resembles a Common or Garden Dragon (book) in appearance. It has an iguana-like body, two pairs of horns, one pair of wings, and a tail with a barbed tip. It comes in various colors. Its physical attributes (such as the type of horn and spinal ridge) suggest that, despite the size difference, it is closely related to the Monstrous Nightmare.

Behaviour

They are also shown to be very mischievous. They often travel in packs, and they can be quite aggressive. They are also very curious creatures, and you may find them in places you would not expect them. In the first movie, and the Book of Dragons, they were shown to lick their eyes like some geckos do despite the fact that they have eyelids. Like every dragon, each Terrible Terror has its own unique personality. They also make a lot of noise, and can be very annoying. They are not picky eaters and will eat just about anything they can digest. Though they have very small teeth, they have strong jaws and can deliver a nasty bite. They also seem to be fairly easy to train.

Monstrous Nightmare

Appearance

A Nightmare is usually purple, scarlet, or green and possesses a long, snake like neck and tail. Unlike some other breeds of dragon, it has no forelegs, and its ground-based locomotion is similar to that of pterosaurs; it can use its claw-tipped wings to “crawl” along the floor. Their horns might be used in the same way as some species of hoofed animals, such as deer, use them, in order to fight other members of their species.

Behaviour

By nature, the Monstrous Nightmare is fearless and proud. Nightmares are some of the strongest dragons around and they know it. They are extremely aggressive. In battle, they are the first to arrive and last to leave.

The best way to earn the trust of a Nightmare is simply to show it the respect it deserves. Placing a gentle hand on its snout and showing you are not a threat to it is the best way to go.

According to Gobber the Belch, the best way to engage a Nightmare is to clamp its mouth shut, leaving it unable to open its enormous jaws, much like a crocodile (however, the rest of the dragon is free to do whatever it wants). In Heather Report Part II, Snotlout revealed that the Monstrous Nightmare enjoys its horns being pinned to the ground, and Astrid was able to tame one by doing so.

Despite their name, Monstrous Nightmares are known to have a softer side. In Dragons: Wild Skies, their favorite food are scented flowers. In several points of Dragons: Riders of Berk, Hookfang occasionally dozed off or was distracted by butterflies or something else.

Typhoomerang

Appearance/Behaviour

Typhoomerangs have a unique ability during flight: they rotate (by analogy with the typhoon / boomerang) at high speeds, zooming through the air. Although, as they rotate, they seem to pop off the objects around them, which makes them extremely dangerous. Act leaves a distinctive burn to the ground. Ash apparently acts as a fertilizer; such as at the end of The Terrible Twos where it shows flowers growing where the Typhoomerang removed.

Typhoomerangs are very large dragons; come in a variety of colors including blue, yellow, red and orange.

Fireworm

Appearance

Average

Common Fireworms are about half the size of Terrible Terrors. They have dark gray scales with red skin underneath, or gray skin that turns red when heated; however it seems in Riders of Berk, they have orangish-brown scales. They also have five pairs of legs for a total of ten legs. They have fierce eyes that glow in the dark. They resemble lizards, with their wide heads and long bodies. When they heat, they glow white-red, and sometimes light their bodies on fire.

Queen

The queen of the fireworms (the Fireworm Queen) looks quite similar to your average fireworm, but she has some differences that make her outstand from the rest. For instance, while the common fireworm can fit in the palm of a hand, the queen is many times bigger, her size is comparable to that of a Monstrous Nightmare. She also posseses several protuberances in the back and front of her head that resemble a crown. The Queen was seen only at Fireworm Island so her original colour (the color when not heated up) is unknown. It is unknown if the Queen even have an original color. Fireworm Queens are the only female in the species.

Behaviour

These dragons are often found in large groups. This makes them extremely dangerous. They are even remotely aggressive, occasionally clinging to potential enemies. Usually Fireworms make their homes in dark caverns. Fireworm Queens are very protective of their firecombs of gel and will chase down anything that tries to take it. As being a mother, the queen has devoted, discreet nature even on rage to take back her firecombs, and being highly intelligent as being capable of conjecturing the intruders’ motives and objectives.

Despite their aggressive nature (to protect their nests), they seem to know if another dragon’s fire is worn out, and are kind and sympathetic enough to reignite other dragons’ firepower with their venom (at least all species of Stoker class receive benefits).

Queen Elizabeth I

Elizabeth I of England

7 September 1533 – 24 March 1603

Gloriana; The Virgin Queen; Good Queen Bess

History

Elizabeth I was a remarkable woman living in a remarkable age. Beautiful, brilliant, and as tough as nails, she survived and indeed thrived, ruling in an era when most women were little more than chattel. The fifth and last monarch of the Tudor Dynasty and the only queen who actually ruled England.

Early Life

Born to King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, who her father had executed for failing to give him a male heir, Elizabeth’s early life was filled with danger. Growing up an unwanted daughter of an insane father who was destroying England’s ties to the Catholic Church and engaging in a civil war so that he could legally marry another woman (several other women, as it turned out), Elizabeth had to use all of her wits to survive. Elizabeth received an excellent education at the hands of various tutors, including the great scholars of the day. She was an outstanding student, and could speak five languages fluently.

When Henry VIII died, the throne passed to his young son, Edward VI. At fifteen Elizabeth was implicated in a plot to overthrow him. She came close to being executed, surviving only because she was able to convince her skeptical interrogators that she knew nothing of the plot.

When Edward VI died in 1553, Elizabeth’s older sister Mary assumed the throne. An ardent Catholic, Mary I was quite unpopular with a number of Protestant noblemen, who attempted unsuccessfully to overthrow her in 1554, Once again Elizabeth was implicated, but once again she talked her way out of execution. Mary I died in 1558, and at last Elizabeth was Queen.

Queen Elizabeth I

Elizabeth was an extraordinary ruler. She established the Protestant Church as the official Church of England. However, she attempted to stem the persecution of Catholics in England – at least as much as was possible when the Catholic nobility were actively plotting her demise. She also restored the debased currency of England, a step crucially necessary to restore the nation’s flagging finances.

Elizabeth used all of the tools available to her to achieve her goals. She carefully crafted an image for herself as the “Virgin Queen,” greatly increasing popularity. She received countless offers of marriage from nobility and indeed from kings across Europe. But she accepted none of them, instead using her unmarried state to control her friends and foes alike; if one faction got too strong, she could drive them back into line by suggesting that she was considering marrying someone from an opposing faction.

Patron of the Arts

Elizabeth was a great patron of the arts, particularly music and literature. She made England a centre of culture, where great artists like William Shakespeare flourished. During her reign the first English playhouse was built, followed shortly by others including Shakespeare’s Globe. And in 1574 weekday performances were made legal. An admirer of poetry, Elizabeth wrote a number of noteworthy poems herself.

Foreign Relations

Militarily, Catholic Spain was England’s greatest threat. Spain was the great continental power of the day, and its leader, King Philip, had upon more than one occasion expressed the intent of invading England. In 1588, building a huge armada to conquer the upstart nation. Elizabeth quickly organized the country’s navy to fend off the fleet, and by a combination of superior tactics, ship design, and some foul weather at just the right moment, they defeated the Spanish foe. England was not to be seriously threatened with invasion for about 400 years.

During Elizabeth’s reign England, France, Spain, and the Dutch all set up colonies in the New World. Elizabeth employed a large number of privateers to attack foreign ships and colonies, as did most other nations. Spain and its New World wealth remained the privateers’ favourite targets.

Overall, with the exception of her lucky triumph over the Spanish Armada, Elizabeth was not a successful war leader. She oversaw various half-baked military incursions into Ireland, France and the Netherlands, none of which redounded to her credit.

Judgement of History

Elizabeth died in 1603, having ruled 45 years. Although in her later years military and economic reversals had dimmed her luster to the point that many in England were relieved that she finally passed on, history acknowledges that she left her country in a much better state than when she came to power. Her great skills were an unerring survival instinct and flair for self-promotion, personal charisma, and toughness matching that of the strongest rulers in history. No better words can serve to describe her than her own: “I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king.”

A quote by Pope Sixtus V

“She is only a woman, only mistress of half an island, and yet she makes herself feared by Spain, by France, by the Empire, By all.”

Poem by Queen Elizabeth I

THE DOUBT OF FUTURE FOES

The doubt of future foes exiles my present joy,

And wit me warns to shun such snares as threaten mine annoy;

For falsehood now doth flow, and subjects’ faith doth ebb,

Which should not be if reason ruled or wisdom weaved the web.

But clouds of joy untried do cloak aspiring minds,

Which turn to rain of late repent by changed course of winds.

The top of hope supposed, the root of rue shall be,

And fruitless all their grafted guile, as shortly ye shall see.

The dazzled eyes with pride, which great ambition blinds,

shall be unsealed by worthy wights whose foresight falsehood finds.

The daughter of debate that discord aye doth sow

Shall reap no gain where former rule still peace hath taught to know.

No foreign banished wight shall anchor in this port;

Our realm brooks not seditious sects, let them elsewhere resort.

My rusty sword through rest shall first his edge employ

To poll their tops that seek such change or gape for future joy.

Dragons of How To Train Your Dragon 2: Book of Dragons

Stormcutter

Name: Cloudjumper

Class: Sharp

Stormcutters are known for their large size and two pairs of wings. They are also rare, intelligent, proud, and confident. They have owl mannerisms and a second set of wings under their main ones that can splay and become an ‘X-wing’. Stormcutter dragons walk on this second set of wings and their hind legs. The wings can also come close together so they can be like one main pair. They have a very muscular and sturdy build. Their face has two long spines that branch off their nose and to the side and they have a “smashed” face, kind of like an owl, you could also call them brachycephalic. Similar to a Night Fury, they have a finned tail. They also have many spines down their back that make them look intimidating with a large “crown” on their head that makes them look even more menacing.

Abilities

Thanks to the unique body structures and heavy build, Stormcutter is indeed a very sharp and formidable hunter and a fighter. Their ‘X-wing’ beats up and down in sync and are probaly used for extremely tight turns and maneuvers and for fighting foes. This body structure allows them to demonstrate aculeate flight techniques such as navigating through narrow and complicated spaces, or hovering and even rest in midair.
Stromcutters can shoot a sustained torus of fire, and they also have fore-talons on their wings that are hooked and can be used to pick dragon trap locks or destroy an entire war machine.

Rumblehorn

Name: Skullcrusher

Class: Tracker

Appearance

The Rumblehorn has relatively large wings, a wide torso, and a tail with a club-like hammer on the tip. It’s most notable feature is the heavily armed front half of it’s body with firm armor plates on the neck and a large lower jaw, a battle axe-shaped muzzle, which is always digging in the dirt, looking for sents, and three, very sharp, elongated horns resembling those of ceratopsian dinosaurs, but lacking a beak. The Rumblehorn has a very acute sense of smell, and is determined to track down and find anything once it has picked up the scent. In total, they look like a mix of truffle pig, a rhino, a battle ax, and a scarab beetle.

It can also shoot long-ranged fire “missiles” from its mouth which will explode in impact as well as normal flames.

Hotburple

Name: Grump

Class: Boulder

Appearance

Hotburples greatly resemble Gronckles, although they have larger body and wings, with their eyes positioned closer to the snout than to the ears. They can do anything while sleeping.

Characteristics

Like the Gronckles, the Hotburples is amazingly heavily armored species, and has a famous Lava Blast identical to that of the Gronckle, with a highly striking power almost reaching the level of the Night Fury. 

Thanks to Wikipedia for pictures

Ship of the Line

Ships of the line were the largest and most powerful wooden sailing vessels ever built. They formed the backbone of Europe’s great navies from the 17th to the mid-19th centuries. Ships of the line were named for the classic formation that these ships fought in. In battle, each side’s ships would approach the enemy in a line, as the opposing ships passed, each would let off a thundering broadside of cannon fire, doing horrific damage to the vessels and to those aboard her. Victory usually went to the side with the most cannon and the best-trained sailors. The English were masters at this form of warfare, and their ships of the line dominated the world’s oceans for more than a century.

English Longbowman

The English longbow developed during the 12th century, as the English were fighting to conquer Wales. The longbow was made from yew or elm, and was 5 to 7 feet in height (depending upon the height and strength of the user). The longbow was extremely difficult to master, but well-trained English Longbowmen could shoot farther, faster and more accurately than the crossbowmen of the day. But this did require years of training. As the country’s population grew the English wilderness was transformed into farmland. Opportunities for hunting disappeared and the English yeomen became less proficient with bow and arrow. This, more so even than the advent of gunpowder, led to the decline of the English longbow.