HOME | DD

Description
Terrible Terror
Attribute: Wind
Size: 1.5 ft
Weight: 3 to 4 pounds
Speed: 15 mph (land), 25 mph (air)
Shot Limit: 1 shot (Sniper Fire)
Class: Strike class, Neodraconid
Danger Level: (single) Low to Medium - Have No Fear; (multiple) Medium - Handle with Care; (large flocks) Very High - Beware!

Colors: Green and yellow, all shades of brown
Armed with: Basic teeth and claws, Sniper Fire - 8
Defences: Prickly spines, aggressiveness, but not much else - 4
Radar: None - 0
Poison: None - 0
Hunting ability: Lethargic hunters when solitary, but deadly in packs - 6
Flight: Moderate flight skills - 6
Speed: Swift in retreat - 8
Fear and Fight Factor: Highly aggressive, and lethal in packs - 8

The smallest and most common of dragons, the Terrible Terror, also known as the Common or Garden Dragon or the Common Terror, is nevertheless a force to be reckoned with in battle. What it lacks in size, it makes up for with tenacity, ferocity, and overwhelming numbers, and it is popular as a pet dragon for those who prefer something that can keep them accompanied in the comfort of home rather than on the battlefront.

Being an exceptionally tiny dragon, especially compared to others of its ilk, the Terror is often thought of as being vulnerable and easy to prey on, although it is only a mere mouthful at best in the eyes of the many larger dragons it scampers around. Its key to survival is its literal application of strength in numbers. In the wild, Terrors are never found in numbers of less than a dozen. Not only does this allow each member to have the comfort of another pair of eyes on the lookout while it is busy feeding, but it also amplifies the battling capabilities of the whole flock many times over. While a Terror is only mildly dangerous on its own, these flocks can be lethal, capable of defeating the strongest opponents and carrying off the heaviest prey.
Unlike most dragon flocks, Common flocks do not have a strict pecking order, usually due to the fact that they are generally of the same size and power when fully grown. Terrors therefore do not need to compete with one another over territory, food, or mates. All the individuals of the flock cooperate with each other, never distinguishing relationships, blood status, or rank. The flocks these dragons can form are among the most enormous of any single species and the largest of any flocks, save for their often superior swarms commanded by the Seadragonus on the other end of the size scale. A large enough flock flies in a special pattern to resemble a larger and more formidable dragon, and even if this ruse doesn't work they can fight just as well, swarming and swamping their opponents with sheer force of multitudes.
Commons/Terrors are polygamous, since the lack of social order gives them indiscriminate mating possibilities. They use courting among other social behaviors to ensure the coherency of the flock, communicating through various loud squawks, shrieks, and hisses; the flaring of their brightly colored wings and prominent back spines is also used as a visual display, for communication as well as a fitness guide. Terrors are the only dragons that do not exhibit elaborate mating partnerships, obviously since there are so many members that a single individual can raise its young in relative safety. Instead, the whole flock segregates into males and females - males are usually distinguished by their larger back spines and paler wings - and takes off in two swarms, which meet to form a lek, or breeding flock, in midflight. For each individual, copulation is usually brief, lasting for only several minutes at the longest, and often takes place in midair for convenience. A male may engage with up to several dozen females in a single day, and a female may meet just as many males herself. Once the dragons have finished with their breeding flight, the females will find a suitable isolated nesting cliff, burrow tunnels into it, and lay their eggs, which hatch in several weeks. The baby dragons will be able to walk and fly on their own within moments of hatching, and they will either join and expand upon the existing flock or simply form a new one.

Although they are most formidable in flocks, when there is enough food to go around Terrors mostly hunt on their own, and can easily take down small rodents, birds, and even fish with their powerful jaws, using their numerous tiny teeth to grip and crush instead of tear. Their claws are used for gripping instead of slashing, so that their primary weapons are situated in their heads and mouths. In a physical battle, Terrors therefore go headfirst into the fray, placing the weaker extremities above the vital soft targets as the first attack points. The effectiveness of this strategy is drastically increased due to its flocking behavior, since the enemy will be overwhelmed easily with so many sets of teeth nipping at every part if it they can reach.
The Terror is also well known for its blasts of flame, which are extremely accurate; this feat is accomplished by using liquid or semisolid fuel instead of the conventional gaseous fuel, similar to that of its closest known relative, the Night Fury, which vaporizes and combusts in the air. Also like the Night Fury, the Common Terror almost never misses its target, since the fuel channel is guided by a special rod of bone inside its mouth which enables it to aim more effectively. The reason for this literal Sniper Fire is probably due to the fact that the Terror's fuel bladder can only store enough fuel for a single shot. This one shot will therefore have to count, especially when the dragon is hunting alone. Again, however, flocking benefits this adaptation too; for every dragon that shoots or is knocked down, there is a good chance that there will be another to take its place. The end result is a rapid-fire spray of bullets from Hel that can drive even the most steadfast enemy to beat a hasty retreat.

Although the least-statured of the dragon family, the Terrible Terror isn't the most helpless, especially when it is accompanied by others of its kind. This dragon is useful for those who favor accuracy and speed over attack and defense, although its diminutive size does give it a dismally low status and rank in the world of professional-grade dragon training and battling. Still, domesticated Commons are very common throughout the Viking world, since their small size and gregarious demeanor obviously make them the easiest dragons to catch and train.

-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.

I used a different scale approach when coloring the Terrible Terrors, namely the rubbing approach using the flat side of my colored pencil and a leather book cover. I need to get new colored pencils for Christmas, since a few of my old ones are now either shorter than an inch or really damn close.
The orange dragon in the aggressive posture (spines flattened to arched back, upward-sweeping tail, open mouth baring teeth and gums, and partially folded wings) is based on one of the Terrors from that part in the movie where Toothless inflated another one (yellow and orange) and Hiccup discovered that "everything we know about [dragons] is wrong." The reason I gave them the alternate name of Common or Garden Dragons is that the Terrors are heavily based on the species of the book Toothless, as well as to avoid confusion with a certain someone's, er, *other* kind of Terror Dragon. For me, in addition, it also dispels a lot of confusion; since the two descriptions are very similar in many ways, I consider the Terrible Terror and the Common or Garden as being essentially the same thing.

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

-Fawkes

Description
Terrible Terror
Attribute: Wind
Size: 1.5 ft
Weight: 3 to 4 pounds
Speed: 15 mph (land), 25 mph (air)
Shot Limit: 1 shot (Sniper Fire)
Class: Strike class, Neodraconid
Danger Level: (single) Low to Medium - Have No Fear; (multiple) Medium - Handle with Care; (large flocks) Very High - Beware!

Colors: Green and yellow, all shades of brown
Armed with: Basic teeth and claws, Sniper Fire - 8
Defences: Prickly spines, aggressiveness, but not much else - 4
Radar: None - 0
Poison: None - 0
Hunting ability: Lethargic hunters when solitary, but deadly in packs - 6
Flight: Moderate flight skills - 6
Speed: Swift in retreat - 8
Fear and Fight Factor: Highly aggressive, and lethal in packs - 8

The smallest and most common of dragons, the Terrible Terror, also known as the Common or Garden Dragon or the Common Terror, is nevertheless a force to be reckoned with in battle. What it lacks in size, it makes up for with tenacity, ferocity, and overwhelming numbers, and it is popular as a pet dragon for those who prefer something that can keep them accompanied in the comfort of home rather than on the battlefront.

Being an exceptionally tiny dragon, especially compared to others of its ilk, the Terror is often thought of as being vulnerable and easy to prey on, although it is only a mere mouthful at best in the eyes of the many larger dragons it scampers around. Its key to survival is its literal application of strength in numbers. In the wild, Terrors are never found in numbers of less than a dozen. Not only does this allow each member to have the comfort of another pair of eyes on the lookout while it is busy feeding, but it also amplifies the battling capabilities of the whole flock many times over. While a Terror is only mildly dangerous on its own, these flocks can be lethal, capable of defeating the strongest opponents and carrying off the heaviest prey.
Unlike most dragon flocks, Common flocks do not have a strict pecking order, usually due to the fact that they are generally of the same size and power when fully grown. Terrors therefore do not need to compete with one another over territory, food, or mates. All the individuals of the flock cooperate with each other, never distinguishing relationships, blood status, or rank. The flocks these dragons can form are among the most enormous of any single species and the largest of any flocks, save for their often superior swarms commanded by the Seadragonus on the other end of the size scale. A large enough flock flies in a special pattern to resemble a larger and more formidable dragon, and even if this ruse doesn't work they can fight just as well, swarming and swamping their opponents with sheer force of multitudes.
Commons/Terrors are polygamous, since the lack of social order gives them indiscriminate mating possibilities. They use courting among other social behaviors to ensure the coherency of the flock, communicating through various loud squawks, shrieks, and hisses; the flaring of their brightly colored wings and prominent back spines is also used as a visual display, for communication as well as a fitness guide. Terrors are the only dragons that do not exhibit elaborate mating partnerships, obviously since there are so many members that a single individual can raise its young in relative safety. Instead, the whole flock segregates into males and females - males are usually distinguished by their larger back spines and paler wings - and takes off in two swarms, which meet to form a lek, or breeding flock, in midflight. For each individual, copulation is usually brief, lasting for only several minutes at the longest, and often takes place in midair for convenience. A male may engage with up to several dozen females in a single day, and a female may meet just as many males herself. Once the dragons have finished with their breeding flight, the females will find a suitable isolated nesting cliff, burrow tunnels into it, and lay their eggs, which hatch in several weeks. The baby dragons will be able to walk and fly on their own within moments of hatching, and they will either join and expand upon the existing flock or simply form a new one.

Although they are most formidable in flocks, when there is enough food to go around Terrors mostly hunt on their own, and can easily take down small rodents, birds, and even fish with their powerful jaws, using their numerous tiny teeth to grip and crush instead of tear. Their claws are used for gripping instead of slashing, so that their primary weapons are situated in their heads and mouths. In a physical battle, Terrors therefore go headfirst into the fray, placing the weaker extremities above the vital soft targets as the first attack points. The effectiveness of this strategy is drastically increased due to its flocking behavior, since the enemy will be overwhelmed easily with so many sets of teeth nipping at every part if it they can reach.
The Terror is also well known for its blasts of flame, which are extremely accurate; this feat is accomplished by using liquid or semisolid fuel instead of the conventional gaseous fuel, similar to that of its closest known relative, the Night Fury, which vaporizes and combusts in the air. Also like the Night Fury, the Common Terror almost never misses its target, since the fuel channel is guided by a special rod of bone inside its mouth which enables it to aim more effectively. The reason for this literal Sniper Fire is probably due to the fact that the Terror's fuel bladder can only store enough fuel for a single shot. This one shot will therefore have to count, especially when the dragon is hunting alone. Again, however, flocking benefits this adaptation too; for every dragon that shoots or is knocked down, there is a good chance that there will be another to take its place. The end result is a rapid-fire spray of bullets from Hel that can drive even the most steadfast enemy to beat a hasty retreat.

Although the least-statured of the dragon family, the Terrible Terror isn't the most helpless, especially when it is accompanied by others of its kind. This dragon is useful for those who favor accuracy and speed over attack and defense, although its diminutive size does give it a dismally low status and rank in the world of professional-grade dragon training and battling. Still, domesticated Commons are very common throughout the Viking world, since their small size and gregarious demeanor obviously make them the easiest dragons to catch and train.

-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.

I used a different scale approach when coloring the Terrible Terrors, namely the rubbing approach using the flat side of my colored pencil and a leather book cover. I need to get new colored pencils for Christmas, since a few of my old ones are now either shorter than an inch or really damn close.
The orange dragon in the aggressive posture (spines flattened to arched back, upward-sweeping tail, open mouth baring teeth and gums, and partially folded wings) is based on one of the Terrors from that part in the movie where Toothless inflated another one (yellow and orange) and Hiccup discovered that "everything we know about [dragons] is wrong." The reason I gave them the alternate name of Common or Garden Dragons is that the Terrors are heavily based on the species of the book Toothless, as well as to avoid confusion with a certain someone's, er, *other* kind of Terror Dragon. For me, in addition, it also dispels a lot of confusion; since the two descriptions are very similar in many ways, I consider the Terrible Terror and the Common or Garden as being essentially the same thing.

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

-Fawkes