This lore breakdown is a helpful resource for understanding the Empyrean series! This lore guide includes spoilers, so please read AFTER you’ve finished Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm.

Includes info from Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm, so this guide is spoiler in nature.

If you would like to listen to this lore breakdown, check out the Archive sections in these episodes.

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Overview

Dragons are characterized by their four legs, two wings, and breathe fire.

Dragon Society and Culture

The dragons’ government is called the Empryean.

While little is known about the Empyrean. The dragons are a notoriously guarded species; we know that each Den has a leader (the eldest of the Den), dragons have to go through a Right of Benefaction in order to bond, and teenage dragons go through the “dreamless sleep” where the majority of their growing occurs.

Humans are not allowed to know anything about Empyrean affairs. Their dragons shield themselves when the Empyrean is huddled because they do not want their bonded riders to have any knowledge. Similarly, humans have no influence over dragon law.

Dragons live in the Vale, where no human has ever been allowed. If they try to go into the gorge leading to the Vale, they WILL be incinerated.

The Vale is this gigantic valley behind Basgieth War College, located in the center of Navarre, guarded by the cliff that the Gauntlet is built into. The power that radiates from the Vale powers Navarre’s wards and protects the kingdom from Poromiel’s raiding parties and this never-ending war.

Dragon Bonds

Dragons will choose one rider that they deem worthy to bond with for the duration of the human’s life. If the dragon dies, so does the human, but if the human dies the dragon doesn’t always die with them, it depending on the depth of their bond. While it can be painful for the dragon, many will eventually bond again.

Why do dragons bond with humans?

Dragons and humans need one another for protection – dragons bond with riders to protect their home, the Vale, from the enemy.

In addition to channeling magic into their bonded rider, baby dragons have their OWN magic as hatchlings. This is different from the magical ability they have as an adult. But they purposefully do not pass this magic along to humans. This is why baby dragons aren’t supposed to bond riders. They have a hard time controlling their magical ability and might accidently gift it to their rider.

When a dragon feels their rider is ready, they channel their power into them via their bonded relic the rider received on Threshing Day. The channeled power manifests into something unique that represents the rider at their core: their signet.

Recently, fewer and fewer dragons are choosing to bond due to the divide among the Empyrean around getting involved in the fight with the Venin.

Separate from the rider bond, dragons have mating bonds:

Mated dragons cannot be without each other for more than a few days, or their health goes south.
The longer and stronger the bond, the further the pair is able to communicate when apart.
If one mate died the other will as well.
It is unheard of for mated pairs to keep secrets from each other, but it can happen especially if it’s done to protect their rider (but even then it is very taboo).

Rules for Bonding

Dragons don’t beg for anyone or go out of their way to cater to their rider and especially other humans – if the rider is too weak to deal with the strength and power that are dragons, then they don’t deserve to live.
Dragons only reveal their full name to their bonded riders and only talk to their bonded riders.
It is frowned upon for dragons to bond with direct relatives of previous riders.
Young dragons are not allowed to bond without permission from the eldest in their den.
- In fact, humans are not allowed to see baby dragons.

Types of Dragons

Dragon breeds are distinguished by their different tails and colors. Tails and colors can be mixed and matched, with some combos being far more rare or stronger than others.

Tail Types

Morningstar tail (mix of daggertail + clubtail)
Daggertail
Swordtail
Clubtail
Scorpiontail
Feathertail — this is the tail dragons have when they are adolescent, their tails later manifest based off of choice and need

Colors and Their Associated Traits

Black
- Deadliest, biggest, most powerful species in Navarre and the rarest
  - Black Morningstar tails are even rarer, with only two known in this world
- Smartest, most discerning and cunning
- Descend from the Dubhmadhinn line
Blue
- Also known for how big they are
- Most vicious of all dragons
  - Especially Blue Daggertails, who are the rarest and most ruthless
- There are a few blues in active service, specifically where the fighting is most intense in the Esben Mountains
- Descend from the Gormfaileas line
Brown
- Never show fear or apprehension to a brown dragon.
Green
- Known for their intellect and are the most rational of dragons, making them particularly great siege weapons
  - Specifically Green Clubtails
- Submission and patience are essential when approaching green dragons.
- Descend from Uaineloidsig line
Red
- Quickest to temper and there for quickest to torch others
  - Especially Red Scorpiontails – who prefer to be approached from the left or the front.
- Never look a red dragon in the eye!
Orange
- Varying shades of apricot to carrot
- Orange dragons are the most unpredictable and therefore can be the most risky
  - But that doesn’t mean that everyone who bonds an orange dragon is unhinged
  - In fact some people who are the most rigid bond oranges so that they have some spice in their life
- Descend from the Fhaicorain line
Gold dragons
- Baby dragons – they will get their coloring later in life
  - Only the elders can tell what color a baby will be after their dreamless sleep. Not even the adolescent dragon knows.

The Irids

Irid, short for Iridescent, is the name of the previously unknown Seventh Den of dragons. They do not reside on the Continent (aside from Andarna) and hundreds of them live on an isle unoccupied by humans.

Irids are characterized by their ability to shift their scale color to completely blend into their surroundings and they can choose which color they want to be, including their resting color.

NOTE: In Andarna’s case she chose black, which appeared to offend the other Irids, this is probability because black dragons are known to be battle dragons which goes against everything they stand for.

This ability to shift colors, like a chameleon, gives them a major advantage in stealth because they can become seemingly invisible.

Their History and Beliefs

Irids have also chosen NOT to pick a tail, like the dragons on the Continent do. Irids stay as feathertails because they are pacifist, hold peace in the highest regard, and do not want to be involved in war. The only exception is Andarna, whose egg was left behind as a test when the Irids abandoned the Continent.

A large majority of the test was for the humans, to measure their growth and ability to choose tranquility and harmony with all living things. They had hoped that Andarna would return to the Seventh Den informing them that the humans had evolved, that they had blossomed under the wardstones and no longer used magic as a weapon.

Based on what they find out from Andarna and Violet, the Irids do not believe society has learned their lesson. They believe that the signet bond between dragon and rider is used as a weaponization of magic.

And since Violet, and subsequently Andarana, “failed” their test, Andarna is not worthy of being an Irid. Which means she does not get entrance to their Isle or instructions in their ways; stating she is an Irid in scale and name ONLY.

Of the 6 irids from the islands, they all rival Sgaeyl in size. Not quite the size of Tairn, the second largest dragon on the Continent, but far above the average dragon size. Turns out, Irids are just as arrogant as the other dragon dens. Though they are rudely polite and will even apologize to another dragon. They also do not bond with humans and choose not to live with them.

The Irids believe that the signets the dragons “gave” their riders are weapons and extremely dangerous, especially both of Violet’s signets. They also believe that if they do nothing, the venin will eventually starve from lack of magic and will either die off allowing the land to regenerate or confront the abominations they’ve become and change.

Irid Magic

Irids don’t just have magic they ARE magic.

According to Andarna, magic feels different when she changes colors. It is unclear how this affects her abilities.

Andarna is able to roast Asim Venin when she changes color (in this case, to black), but since this has only happened once when Andarna roasted the Venin back in Iron Flame, we don’t know anymore.

Irids are also able to communicate directly into a human’s mind. This happens when a slide whistle-like sound goes off in the person’s head, pitching from low to painfully high in less than a heartbeat. This slide whistle sound also triggers a venin’s eyes to shine bright red, which exposes them to whoever is around.

Theophanie calls Andarna, or more specifically the Irids, a prize. We can assume this is due to the sheer amount and type of magic they possess and is why the venin wants one so badly.

Irid Bonds

Since Irids ARE magic, they can bend, shape and even break bonds as they seem fit. An example of this is shielding bonds between a rider and their own dragon. Violet makes the comparison that this feeling is “oddly similar” to the effects of the RSC serum.

Only an Irid is able to become the second bonded dragon to a rider, as humans should only be capable of bonding to a single dragon. And if that rider has an active second bond like Violet, once the Irid breaks the bond, the rider can continue living because the other dragon will sustain their life.

But this is still an extremely painful process, both physically and emotionally.

In the process of severing the bond there is a shrieking whistle sound followed by a sudden silence. When reaching for the bond it feels like being blocked by a wall before ultimately turning into nothing.

The Great War

During the war, the Seventh Den helped light the Basgiath wardstone but left shortly afterward because they abhorred society’s violent ways.

When mentioning the wards, the Irids say wardstones, plural, this could imply that at one point more than just the Basgiath wardstone was lit.

Until Andarna, no Irid had been seen on the Continent since the Great War. Only the dragon elders, including Codagh of the black dragon den, knew that Andarna is of the seventh dragon breed.

Eggs

Irid dragon egg shells are hard metallic, and while the exact size is unknown, the chunks Violet had could hold a medium sized dog.

Its shades of color gradually fade from the darkest onyx on bottom to the brightest silvers on top with each ring of hardened scales nestled within the next yet never separate, creating a smooth outer layer with no ridges that only cracks when the hatchling is ready.

Known Irids

Andarna
Of the 6 on the isles we only learn two names:
- Dasyn – female
- Leothan – Distant relative of Andarna’s: from the same line and they have the same spiral patterns on their horns

Need More?

We’ve got 80+ hours of podcast episodes deep diving the first three books of the Empyrean series, lots of bonus episodes, live Q&As, plus our interview with Rebecca Yarros during her Onyx Storm tour!