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Description
Boneknapper
Attribute: Fire
Size: 75 ft
Weight: 4000 pounds
Speed: 45 mph (land), 80 mph (air, level), 200 mph (air, diving)
Shot Limit: 2 to 3 shots (Heatwave)
Class: Fear class, Wyvernid
Danger Level: High - Beware!

Colors: Green, varying shades; bones can be white, yellow, varying shades of brown, or even black
Armed with: Teeth, claws, lashing tail, concentrated blast of superheated air
Defences: Armored scales are swathed with a sheathe of bones - 25
Radar: None - 0
Poison: None - 0
Hunting ability: Deadly in two worlds - 20
Speed: Fast in the air - 15
Fear and Fight Factor: Run whenever you can - 18

At 75 ft long, with a 125-foot wingspan, the Boneknapper, or Knapper for short, is the largest Wyvernid known, and one of the most terrifying members of this family. Like its close relative, the Monstrous Nightmare, its powerful combination of size, power, speed, and weaponry make it both a formidable offensive sweeper and a strong physical waller. Most Vikings have never seen one throughout their lives, and most probably never will - but if they ever do, the experience can be equally breathtaking and terrifying.

One of its distinguishing features, and the reason for its name, is its bone-like armor, which makes it resemble some sort of skeletal dragon. Indeed, many consider it to be a skeleton itself, usually because it is covered in so many bones that the skin underneath is only barely visible from a distance. In reality, this dragon attaches the bones to its rough, armored skin, which, though already covered in armored scales, still leaves its soft underbelly unprotected. With both the armored skin and the bone sheath at its disposal, it can withstand most forms of conventional weaponry, and even the teeth and claws of other dragons. Although mostly defensive, the armor can also be used for offense, particularly the spiked club at the end of its powerful tail. All this provides so much protection that can devote its time to other affairs; many Knappers make bone-collecting something of a hobby, priding themselves on the most lavish armor they can afford, presumably as a gauge of fitness to ward off rivals and impress potential mates.
Despite their size, these dragons are surprisingly intelligent, and as a case in point they can determine whether or not their armor is complete or not. It is often said that many individuals rely on their armor to keep their immense power in control; without the complete suit it cannot shoot its Heatwave or even vocalize, since it uses the bones on its head and neck to aid in resonance. They are famous for holding deep grudges, and if they are mistreated - especially when bits of their armor are stolen! - they will only very rarely forget those who wronged them.
The component of the Boneknapper's armor that has the most interesting backstory is its headpiece, which can only fit a Knapper's head (Fig A). These Wyvernids pair for life, raising up to two eggs in a nest made, of course, of the bones of the parents' prey and/or enemies. Both parents will raise their young equally, and attempt to provide enough food for both youngsters so that they will not bicker over the spoils. As the young grow slowly, they will learn to fly and hunt on their own within several weeks, while still relying on their parents for protection, food, and additional bones for armor construction. When each parent dies, the youngsters will arrange the body in a ritual position and croon sadly over it, as though lamenting their loss, and engage in a "ritual feast" to deter the attention of predators. The youngsters do not add a headpiece to their collections up to this point, so the older one gets the skull which it grows into throughout the rest of its life. Once the older offspring leaves the nest, the surviving parent will raise the remaining offspring for the rest of its life, so that the young will have a skull of its own.

Despite the sheer weight of this dragon's body, not to mention its armor, the Boneknapper is an expert flier, capable of soaring for hundreds of miles without stopping. The key to its aerial prowess is its large wings, which are more durable than those of other dragons. Like other dragons, its wings are covered in scales for extra protection, but the Knapper's wing scales overlap each other, similar to the Night Fury and, closer to home, the Timberjack . This reduces air resistance and drag while the Knapper is flying, and adds lift to keep its heavy body in the air. As this dragon has a large and heavy body to keep airborne, its wings are long and broad, with a wide surface area for maximum lift (Fig B). This is beneficial not just for soaring - this beast is one of the greatest soarers in the dragon world - but also, if it is good at what it does, for carrying off significantly sized prey in its talons. Many legends state that as the Knapper flies into battle it carries rocks which it drops onto its foes; while these legends have yet to be confirmed, one sighting describes an adult male Knapper carrying an adolescent hammerhead whale for several miles without stopping.
When it isn't soaring long distances, the Knapper usually is found circling majestically in the air, exploiting thermals to keep itself airborne. The bones in its wings, which are honeycombed like those of large birds, are filled with a special compressed gas that keeps them lightweight but strong. As most of the bones it collects are from other dragons, which are among its major food sources, it ensures that the rest of its armor is lightweight enough for flight, but still strong enough for battle.

Legend has it that the Boneknapper's roar can melt a Viking's armor and set whole forests on fire. For many years, it was speculated that this legend simply came from the Knapper's impressive roar, which it uses as a mating call. But a recent sighting shows that the legend does have some veracity, since this dragon's primary long-range weapon is a scorching-hot spray of superheated vapor that will ignite anything it touches. Since this dragon can prime its "Heatwave" without the need to load an internal fuel supply, it is even more dangerous than a normal dragon's breath weapon because it is more unpredictable; the only way to determine when it is about to be used is by the very brief hiss of gas generated in its mouth.
The Knapper's Heatwave is managed using a similar mechanism to the Timberjack's Lava Wave. A dual set of special glands in the back of the Knapper's throat and the underside of its tongue secrete a fine spray of two chemicals that are mixed in the air it exhales in its roar; although it lacks an ignition mechanism, the chemicals nevertheless react violently, producing heat so intense that it evaporates, resulting in a lethal stream of super-hot gas.

The Boneknapper is currently threatened by poaching for its bone armor and by active slaying to protect livestock. Few Vikings have been known to domesticate this fearsome dragon, due to its sheer size, power, and scarcity, but those that do earn a loyal and powerful ally, as well as a great deal of respect in the Viking community.

-The Dragon Manual, Volume II: Fear Class

After seeing the "Legend of the Boneknapper Dragon" short online, I felt that this had to be done. Apart from its relative, the Timberjack, this has to be my second favorite non-canon entry from the Dragon Manual, and I'm proud of how I colored it as well.
I used a runic font I downloaded online for this one. It's a lot quicker and more appealing than having to draw the runes by hand.

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

-Fawkes

Description
Boneknapper
Attribute: Fire
Size: 75 ft
Weight: 4000 pounds
Speed: 45 mph (land), 80 mph (air, level), 200 mph (air, diving)
Shot Limit: 2 to 3 shots (Heatwave)
Class: Fear class, Wyvernid
Danger Level: High - Beware!

Colors: Green, varying shades; bones can be white, yellow, varying shades of brown, or even black
Armed with: Teeth, claws, lashing tail, concentrated blast of superheated air
Defences: Armored scales are swathed with a sheathe of bones - 25
Radar: None - 0
Poison: None - 0
Hunting ability: Deadly in two worlds - 20
Speed: Fast in the air - 15
Fear and Fight Factor: Run whenever you can - 18

At 75 ft long, with a 125-foot wingspan, the Boneknapper, or Knapper for short, is the largest Wyvernid known, and one of the most terrifying members of this family. Like its close relative, the Monstrous Nightmare, its powerful combination of size, power, speed, and weaponry make it both a formidable offensive sweeper and a strong physical waller. Most Vikings have never seen one throughout their lives, and most probably never will - but if they ever do, the experience can be equally breathtaking and terrifying.

One of its distinguishing features, and the reason for its name, is its bone-like armor, which makes it resemble some sort of skeletal dragon. Indeed, many consider it to be a skeleton itself, usually because it is covered in so many bones that the skin underneath is only barely visible from a distance. In reality, this dragon attaches the bones to its rough, armored skin, which, though already covered in armored scales, still leaves its soft underbelly unprotected. With both the armored skin and the bone sheath at its disposal, it can withstand most forms of conventional weaponry, and even the teeth and claws of other dragons. Although mostly defensive, the armor can also be used for offense, particularly the spiked club at the end of its powerful tail. All this provides so much protection that can devote its time to other affairs; many Knappers make bone-collecting something of a hobby, priding themselves on the most lavish armor they can afford, presumably as a gauge of fitness to ward off rivals and impress potential mates.
Despite their size, these dragons are surprisingly intelligent, and as a case in point they can determine whether or not their armor is complete or not. It is often said that many individuals rely on their armor to keep their immense power in control; without the complete suit it cannot shoot its Heatwave or even vocalize, since it uses the bones on its head and neck to aid in resonance. They are famous for holding deep grudges, and if they are mistreated - especially when bits of their armor are stolen! - they will only very rarely forget those who wronged them.
The component of the Boneknapper's armor that has the most interesting backstory is its headpiece, which can only fit a Knapper's head (Fig A). These Wyvernids pair for life, raising up to two eggs in a nest made, of course, of the bones of the parents' prey and/or enemies. Both parents will raise their young equally, and attempt to provide enough food for both youngsters so that they will not bicker over the spoils. As the young grow slowly, they will learn to fly and hunt on their own within several weeks, while still relying on their parents for protection, food, and additional bones for armor construction. When each parent dies, the youngsters will arrange the body in a ritual position and croon sadly over it, as though lamenting their loss, and engage in a "ritual feast" to deter the attention of predators. The youngsters do not add a headpiece to their collections up to this point, so the older one gets the skull which it grows into throughout the rest of its life. Once the older offspring leaves the nest, the surviving parent will raise the remaining offspring for the rest of its life, so that the young will have a skull of its own.

Despite the sheer weight of this dragon's body, not to mention its armor, the Boneknapper is an expert flier, capable of soaring for hundreds of miles without stopping. The key to its aerial prowess is its large wings, which are more durable than those of other dragons. Like other dragons, its wings are covered in scales for extra protection, but the Knapper's wing scales overlap each other, similar to the Night Fury and, closer to home, the Timberjack . This reduces air resistance and drag while the Knapper is flying, and adds lift to keep its heavy body in the air. As this dragon has a large and heavy body to keep airborne, its wings are long and broad, with a wide surface area for maximum lift (Fig B). This is beneficial not just for soaring - this beast is one of the greatest soarers in the dragon world - but also, if it is good at what it does, for carrying off significantly sized prey in its talons. Many legends state that as the Knapper flies into battle it carries rocks which it drops onto its foes; while these legends have yet to be confirmed, one sighting describes an adult male Knapper carrying an adolescent hammerhead whale for several miles without stopping.
When it isn't soaring long distances, the Knapper usually is found circling majestically in the air, exploiting thermals to keep itself airborne. The bones in its wings, which are honeycombed like those of large birds, are filled with a special compressed gas that keeps them lightweight but strong. As most of the bones it collects are from other dragons, which are among its major food sources, it ensures that the rest of its armor is lightweight enough for flight, but still strong enough for battle.

Legend has it that the Boneknapper's roar can melt a Viking's armor and set whole forests on fire. For many years, it was speculated that this legend simply came from the Knapper's impressive roar, which it uses as a mating call. But a recent sighting shows that the legend does have some veracity, since this dragon's primary long-range weapon is a scorching-hot spray of superheated vapor that will ignite anything it touches. Since this dragon can prime its "Heatwave" without the need to load an internal fuel supply, it is even more dangerous than a normal dragon's breath weapon because it is more unpredictable; the only way to determine when it is about to be used is by the very brief hiss of gas generated in its mouth.
The Knapper's Heatwave is managed using a similar mechanism to the Timberjack's Lava Wave. A dual set of special glands in the back of the Knapper's throat and the underside of its tongue secrete a fine spray of two chemicals that are mixed in the air it exhales in its roar; although it lacks an ignition mechanism, the chemicals nevertheless react violently, producing heat so intense that it evaporates, resulting in a lethal stream of super-hot gas.

The Boneknapper is currently threatened by poaching for its bone armor and by active slaying to protect livestock. Few Vikings have been known to domesticate this fearsome dragon, due to its sheer size, power, and scarcity, but those that do earn a loyal and powerful ally, as well as a great deal of respect in the Viking community.

-The Dragon Manual, Volume II: Fear Class

After seeing the "Legend of the Boneknapper Dragon" short online, I felt that this had to be done. Apart from its relative, the Timberjack, this has to be my second favorite non-canon entry from the Dragon Manual, and I'm proud of how I colored it as well.
I used a runic font I downloaded online for this one. It's a lot quicker and more appealing than having to draw the runes by hand.

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

-Fawkes