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Description
Deadly Nadder
Attribute: Wind
Size: 18 ft
Weight: 900 pounds
Speed: 45 mph (land), 60 mph (air, level), 90 mph (air, diving)
Shot Limit: 5 to 7 shots (Hell's Breath), 6 to 7 shots (Rain of Spikes)
Class: Strike class, Wyvernid
Danger Level: Medium to High - Approach with Caution

Colors: Brilliant blue and orange, sometimes rich purple and red
Armed with: Sharp teeth, vicious talons, tail spikes, and the hottest fire in the dragon world - 18
Defences: Spikes offer protection in both short and long range - 16
Radar: None - 0
Poison: Tail spikes are venomous! - 7
Hunting ability: Rapacious but picky - 8
Flight: Agile in flight but always lands before attacking - 8
Speed: This dragon is quick and light on its feet - 8
Fear and Fight Factor: Nasty in both ranges of combat but a bit lacking in stamina - 7

The Deadly Nadder, also known simply as the Nadder, is a small but fleet-footed dragon that is literally covered in weaponry but still quick and agile enough to serve as a worthy steed. Its distinctive blue color and orange wings couple with its deadly spiked tail and wide head to give it a unique look that is prized by many professional trainers; however, its appearance is counterbalanced by its temprament, specifically its tendency to lash out at those that strike its bad side, even by accident.

Unlike most dragons, the Nadder is well equipped for long-range capability on all fronts; the front end shoots a powerful flame, the hottest in the dragon world, while the back end flings a rain of deadly poisonous spikes. However, its small size, compact girth, and low body mass give it less weight to throw around, and so it can afford to move with lightning speed and acrobatic prowess. Its wings are short and round, giving it agility in the air as well, and as such it can manuver through tight spaces more easily than other dragons. It does not tend to use its long-range attacks in flight, since it may be thrown off course if it attempts this. In the air, however, it isn't any less dangerous, as its viciously sharp talons should be more than enough to take down its opponent.
When hunting, this dragon flies in a unique figure-8 path, keeping itself as level as possible. Its panoramic vision allows it to scope out targets (or enemies - Nadders are a favorite prey item for many larger dragons), but they are arranged for a wide angle view field rather than stereoscopic vision. Therefore, the Nadder's blind spot is directly in front of its snout, meaning that it has to turn its head to the side to see a target directly in front of it. This weakness is somewhat mitigated, however, by the fact that its nostrils point forward, enabling it to use its sense of smell as a pointer. Its wide head holds large olfactory sensors, so its sense of smell is sharper than other dragons; a Nadder can distinguish the smell of poultry and game birds, its favorite food, from mammalian comestibles while still flying 80 to 120 meters overhead. When it scents something promising, it flies low to the ground, partly so its sense of smell can guide it and partly to dive for cover lest a larger dragon, e.g. the Monstrous Nightmare or the Boneknapper , attack it while it is distracted. Once its prey is in range, sight and hearing take over as it aims, dives and catches its meal, sinking its talons into its quarry so it cannot escape. Nadders are highly sensitive to the fat content in their diet, which explains why they prefer to feed exclusively on avian prey and also why most livestock makes them ill.

The Nadder's two famous long-range weapons are known as Hell's Breath and Rain of Spikes, respectively. These two attacks can decimate multiple opponents in battle, but they are powerful enough to knock it off balance, which is why it always lands before attacking.
To execute Hell's Breath, the Nadder has special glands in its lower jaw that secrete an extremely powerful mixture of spark powder and brimstone. It contracts these glands to spray the chemicals in short bursts, and then ignites them using the special spark pouch at the bottom of its mouth, which consists of two modified teeth that, when chafed together, produce the spark to ignite the flames. Hell's Breath can be used in both land and air combat, although the blasts are usually less powerful in flight to keep the dragon's center of gravity stable; nevertheless, it is still very dangerous, particularly since this is the hottest fire produced by any dragon known, at 25,000 degrees Farenheit. The extreme heat can melt through steel armor and weapons, reduce many structures to ash, and kill almost instantly with a well-aimed hit; however, the flames can only be produced in short bursts, and after 5 to 7 blasts, the glands will have to recharge for several days.
On the other end of this dragon, the scales on its whip-like tail have evolved into deadly quills that can measure up to a foot long. These were initially used as a defensive adaptation, similar to porcupine quills, but over time they developed as an offensive weapon as well, capable of secreting a powerful neurotoxic venom and detatching themselves with ease. The Nadder's tail is highly flexible, and can curl forward so that the tip is directly in front of its head; the Rain of Spikes is produced when the dragon whips it forth, causing the quills to detatch and fly forward and creating a volley of poisoned darts that can pierce through trees, huts, and Vikings with ease. The lost quills can then regrow after several days. The Nadder does not shed all of its quills when firing, and can reload up to 7 times before it runs out of spikes and has to give up.

Behavior-wise, the Nadder is ironically similar to most birds, being monogamous but social. Flocks consist of up to a dozen individuals, which use a special language of low-pitched warbling to communicate. The Nadder's recognizable blue and orange patterns allows it to distinguish members of its pack, for no two Nadders have the exact same pattern. The luster of the Nadder's scales is also a good guide to its health, which is why both genders preen themselves regularly to ensure their shine, leading to claims of their vanity and pride. They can also be quite aggressive when provoked, and tend to lash out at anyone who disturbs them while grooming, feeding, and especially mating.
Nadders hunt in pairs, or sometimes groups of three; pairs are usually mated, allowing the dragons to feed their young more easily. The whole group is managed by an alpha pair, distinguished as being the most beautiful, but every pair breeds and produces young. Interestingly, most Nadder flocks follow a special pattern of an even number of members, all of which having exactly the same number of dragons in both genders. The flocks that do not follow this usually have adolescent individuals looking for mates; these may come from other flocks to ensure diversity among individuals.

The Deadly Nadder's large range of weapons allows it to deal immense damage with powerful attacks on both long and short range. However, it does lack in stamina and, to some extent, obedience. It is recommended mostly for those with experience in dragon training and battling, due to its fiesty and rapacious temprament and its extensive natural arsenal.

-The Dragon Manual, Volume I: Strike Class

Since I covered dragons not seen in the movie, I will cover the ones seen in the movie now, which I call the "Archetype Dragons." These are the most common dragons, and the basic starting choices for dragon training.

Referring to the stats from the original books, the Weapons and Defences stats are out of 20, while the rest are out of 10. Thus the total score is out of 100; in this case the Nadder scores at 72/100 - an understandingly optimistic calculation.
The Nadder is my third favorite after the Monstrous Nightmare and of course the Night Fury, although between it and the Nightmare it is still a VERY close tie. It has qualities in it similar to birds and the Jurassic Park raptors, but it still retains its draconic qualities and a lethal arsenal as well. I'm not proud of its face, but then again the head was drawn from the side view so it doesn't look as cool as it does up front anyway.

The Dragon Manual and How to Train Your Dragon are copyright to Dreamworks and Cressida Crowell. But the Nadder concept art is mine.

-Fawkes

Description
Deadly Nadder
Attribute: Wind
Size: 18 ft
Weight: 900 pounds
Speed: 45 mph (land), 60 mph (air, level), 90 mph (air, diving)
Shot Limit: 5 to 7 shots (Hell's Breath), 6 to 7 shots (Rain of Spikes)
Class: Strike class, Wyvernid
Danger Level: Medium to High - Approach with Caution

Colors: Brilliant blue and orange, sometimes rich purple and red
Armed with: Sharp teeth, vicious talons, tail spikes, and the hottest fire in the dragon world - 18
Defences: Spikes offer protection in both short and long range - 16
Radar: None - 0
Poison: Tail spikes are venomous! - 7
Hunting ability: Rapacious but picky - 8
Flight: Agile in flight but always lands before attacking - 8
Speed: This dragon is quick and light on its feet - 8
Fear and Fight Factor: Nasty in both ranges of combat but a bit lacking in stamina - 7

The Deadly Nadder, also known simply as the Nadder, is a small but fleet-footed dragon that is literally covered in weaponry but still quick and agile enough to serve as a worthy steed. Its distinctive blue color and orange wings couple with its deadly spiked tail and wide head to give it a unique look that is prized by many professional trainers; however, its appearance is counterbalanced by its temprament, specifically its tendency to lash out at those that strike its bad side, even by accident.

Unlike most dragons, the Nadder is well equipped for long-range capability on all fronts; the front end shoots a powerful flame, the hottest in the dragon world, while the back end flings a rain of deadly poisonous spikes. However, its small size, compact girth, and low body mass give it less weight to throw around, and so it can afford to move with lightning speed and acrobatic prowess. Its wings are short and round, giving it agility in the air as well, and as such it can manuver through tight spaces more easily than other dragons. It does not tend to use its long-range attacks in flight, since it may be thrown off course if it attempts this. In the air, however, it isn't any less dangerous, as its viciously sharp talons should be more than enough to take down its opponent.
When hunting, this dragon flies in a unique figure-8 path, keeping itself as level as possible. Its panoramic vision allows it to scope out targets (or enemies - Nadders are a favorite prey item for many larger dragons), but they are arranged for a wide angle view field rather than stereoscopic vision. Therefore, the Nadder's blind spot is directly in front of its snout, meaning that it has to turn its head to the side to see a target directly in front of it. This weakness is somewhat mitigated, however, by the fact that its nostrils point forward, enabling it to use its sense of smell as a pointer. Its wide head holds large olfactory sensors, so its sense of smell is sharper than other dragons; a Nadder can distinguish the smell of poultry and game birds, its favorite food, from mammalian comestibles while still flying 80 to 120 meters overhead. When it scents something promising, it flies low to the ground, partly so its sense of smell can guide it and partly to dive for cover lest a larger dragon, e.g. the Monstrous Nightmare or the Boneknapper , attack it while it is distracted. Once its prey is in range, sight and hearing take over as it aims, dives and catches its meal, sinking its talons into its quarry so it cannot escape. Nadders are highly sensitive to the fat content in their diet, which explains why they prefer to feed exclusively on avian prey and also why most livestock makes them ill.

The Nadder's two famous long-range weapons are known as Hell's Breath and Rain of Spikes, respectively. These two attacks can decimate multiple opponents in battle, but they are powerful enough to knock it off balance, which is why it always lands before attacking.
To execute Hell's Breath, the Nadder has special glands in its lower jaw that secrete an extremely powerful mixture of spark powder and brimstone. It contracts these glands to spray the chemicals in short bursts, and then ignites them using the special spark pouch at the bottom of its mouth, which consists of two modified teeth that, when chafed together, produce the spark to ignite the flames. Hell's Breath can be used in both land and air combat, although the blasts are usually less powerful in flight to keep the dragon's center of gravity stable; nevertheless, it is still very dangerous, particularly since this is the hottest fire produced by any dragon known, at 25,000 degrees Farenheit. The extreme heat can melt through steel armor and weapons, reduce many structures to ash, and kill almost instantly with a well-aimed hit; however, the flames can only be produced in short bursts, and after 5 to 7 blasts, the glands will have to recharge for several days.
On the other end of this dragon, the scales on its whip-like tail have evolved into deadly quills that can measure up to a foot long. These were initially used as a defensive adaptation, similar to porcupine quills, but over time they developed as an offensive weapon as well, capable of secreting a powerful neurotoxic venom and detatching themselves with ease. The Nadder's tail is highly flexible, and can curl forward so that the tip is directly in front of its head; the Rain of Spikes is produced when the dragon whips it forth, causing the quills to detatch and fly forward and creating a volley of poisoned darts that can pierce through trees, huts, and Vikings with ease. The lost quills can then regrow after several days. The Nadder does not shed all of its quills when firing, and can reload up to 7 times before it runs out of spikes and has to give up.

Behavior-wise, the Nadder is ironically similar to most birds, being monogamous but social. Flocks consist of up to a dozen individuals, which use a special language of low-pitched warbling to communicate. The Nadder's recognizable blue and orange patterns allows it to distinguish members of its pack, for no two Nadders have the exact same pattern. The luster of the Nadder's scales is also a good guide to its health, which is why both genders preen themselves regularly to ensure their shine, leading to claims of their vanity and pride. They can also be quite aggressive when provoked, and tend to lash out at anyone who disturbs them while grooming, feeding, and especially mating.
Nadders hunt in pairs, or sometimes groups of three; pairs are usually mated, allowing the dragons to feed their young more easily. The whole group is managed by an alpha pair, distinguished as being the most beautiful, but every pair breeds and produces young. Interestingly, most Nadder flocks follow a special pattern of an even number of members, all of which having exactly the same number of dragons in both genders. The flocks that do not follow this usually have adolescent individuals looking for mates; these may come from other flocks to ensure diversity among individuals.

The Deadly Nadder's large range of weapons allows it to deal immense damage with powerful attacks on both long and short range. However, it does lack in stamina and, to some extent, obedience. It is recommended mostly for those with experience in dragon training and battling, due to its fiesty and rapacious temprament and its extensive natural arsenal.

-The Dragon Manual, Volume I: Strike Class

Since I covered dragons not seen in the movie, I will cover the ones seen in the movie now, which I call the "Archetype Dragons." These are the most common dragons, and the basic starting choices for dragon training.

Referring to the stats from the original books, the Weapons and Defences stats are out of 20, while the rest are out of 10. Thus the total score is out of 100; in this case the Nadder scores at 72/100 - an understandingly optimistic calculation.
The Nadder is my third favorite after the Monstrous Nightmare and of course the Night Fury, although between it and the Nightmare it is still a VERY close tie. It has qualities in it similar to birds and the Jurassic Park raptors, but it still retains its draconic qualities and a lethal arsenal as well. I'm not proud of its face, but then again the head was drawn from the side view so it doesn't look as cool as it does up front anyway.

The Dragon Manual and How to Train Your Dragon are copyright to Dreamworks and Cressida Crowell. But the Nadder concept art is mine.

-Fawkes