Animus magic

Abilities

Animus dragons can enchant objects to do nearly anything. The only thing Animus Dragons can't do is bring back the dead. Some examples include levitating, creating an object that can visit someone's dreams, forcing an entire structure to collapse, finding a specific dragon, to even controlling another dragon's movement and thought, even if the animus dragons themselves aren't fully aware of their powers. It is also possible for an animus to enchant themselves, like how Darkstalker enchanted his scales to be invincible to attacks. However, every time an animus dragon uses his or her power, they lose an increasing bit of their soul and risk losing their minds, and going insane. It is possible that if animus powers are used for good though, it does not affect the soul. This is hinted at in Darkstalker Legends when Indigo tells Fathom that it isn't the just using the powers that make you lose your soul, but what you use the powers for. It is also possible that animus power doesn't affect your soul at all, but it is the increasing sense of how easy it is control things that drives dragons to do worse things with their power.

Animus History

• Albatross: Albatross built the SeaWing pavilion in the Summer Palace over the course of a decade before going insane and trying to kill everyone in sight, including his family. This event was known as the Royal SeaWing Massacre.
• Princess Anemone: Anemone, a daughter of Queen Coral used her magic for various things, including, but not limited to, a spear to find Whirlpool and spell on Auklet's harness. She was enchanted to be an animus dragon by her brother Turtle.
• Prince Arctic: Darkstalker's father, an IceWing prince that fell in love with a NightWing named Foeslayer, and he knew he could never be with her unless he ran away from his tribe. He used his animus power to enchant an earring that would keep Foeslayer warm in cold climates and safe from danger as long as she wore it. A few days before his "Gifting Ceremony", Foeslayer and Arctic slipped out of the Ice Kingdom together. He used his power again to help Foeslayer escape with him. The two ran away to the Night Kingdom, and they had two eggs: Darkstalker and Whiteout. Darkstalker claims that his father used his power behind the backs of the other IceWings and was already insane. He also claims he had no choice but to kill him.

• Chameleon: Though not actually an animus, he used Darkstalker's Scroll to change himself and other dragons forms. Chameleon was formerly the companion of Ex-Queen Scarlet.

• King Darkstalker: A half NightWing, half IceWing animus, born also with strong powers of mind reading and seeing the future. Although he put all of his animus power in a scroll or talisman, he also created the three dreamvisitors, and eventually became obsessed with power and attempted to take over the tribe as a king. He killed his father, Prince Arctic by enchanting him to follow his commands and then ordered him to disembowel himself. His beloved, Clearsight, and his best friend, Fathom, tricked him with an animus-touched bracelet and was put to sleep for 2,000 years. He later awoke, buried underground, when the earthquakes caused the bracelet to break. In Moon Rising, he attempted to show Moon that he wasn't evil like how everyone else thought of him. In "Talons of Power", his power returned to him, and he proceeded to give many NightWings superpowers.

• Queen Diamond: She created the chains to Foeslayer's prison. She also gave the IceWings the gift of healing. She created five narwhal horn spears that, if touched to a frostbreath injury, would heal it. She was an IceWing Queen that ruled approximately 2,000 years ago. She enchanted Foeslayer's chains so that she could be killed multiple times over and over again. The chains could be set free though, but only by the frost breath of a member of the royal IceWing family.

• Prince Fathom: an Animus SeaWing, best friend of Darkstalker until he tricked him into an enchanted sleep. He swore to his sister never to use his powers after the Royal SeaWing Massacre but used them once to stop Darkstalker, and another time to save his other best friend, Indigo, although he was fearful about using his power due to the effects it might have on him.
• Princess Frostbite: An IceWing princess that made the Moon Globe Tree, the Gift of Light. However, she was only mentioned, so there's no explanation of her history.
• Jerboa: Jerboa, a SandWing from the time of Darkstalker was the first known SandWing animus. He ran away after he was sentenced to death by Queen Scorpion because of the lack of knowledge on animus dragons
• Princess Orca: An Animus SeaWing, she had enchanted one of her sculptures of herself to kill other female dragons in her bloodline, so she could rule forever. After challenging her mother, Queen Coral, for the throne, she died. Queen Coral put her enchanted sculpture in the underwater Royal Hatchery, where it proceeded to crush the Queen's eggs.
• Penguin: An animus IceWing who created the Gift of Diplomacy.
• Stonemover: A NightWing animus, Stonemover, figured out a way to transfer the soul loss into his scales, gradually turning them into stone. He described it as "turning the magic upon itself". However, he was already weak from creating tunnels that lead to the Kingdom of Sand and the RainWing Kingdom. Stonemover enchanted a fox named Dinner to bring him the food he needs, for he is too weak to do it himself. He may have created the Obsidian Mirror, and did something to it when he left so that it didn't work as well.
• Prince Turtle: Keeping his powers a secret like his deceased sister, Orca, he claimed he only enchanted small things, like for instance a river stone he enchanted to heal flesh and muscle wounds in Escaping Peril. In Talons of Power Darkstalker takes away Turtle's Animus power.
• Unknown SandWing Animus: In Talons of Power, Darkstalker summoned all animuses, one of which was a female SandWing who disappeared before Darkstalker could see her, it is possible she will make an appearance in DoD.

Effects

Albatross died after he went insane and was stopped by a spear to his chest, the spear was said to be enchanted by Prince Fathom. Stonemover enchanted his body to slowly turn into stone when he used his powers instead of him losing his soul. It is unknown if Thorn has noticed that he is dying. Orca partially proved her insanity and hunger for power when she enchanted her statue that was supposed to kill any female eggs and female dragons of royal blood so she could rule forever. Princess Anemone went completely insane in Talons of Power, although she is fine again thanks to Turtle. Dragons going insane were described to have "hooded eyes" right before their soul breaks. Although there are many examples of animus dragons who remain sane after use of Animus magic. Prince Fathom seems to remain entirely sane after saving Indigo's life and enchanting Darkstalker's bracelet. The number of enchantments an animus dragon can make before going insane may vary, shown in the case of Princess Anemone and Prince Turtle.

Known Animus Dragons

• Albatross (SeaWing)
• Anemone (artificial animus) (SeaWing)
• Arctic (IceWings)
• Darkstalker (NightWing/IceWing hybrid)
• Diamond (IceWing)
• Fathom (SeaWing)
• Frostbite (IceWing)
• Jerboa (SandWing)
• Orca (SeaWing)
• Penguin (IceWing)
• Stonemover (NightWing (with IceWing blood))
• Turtle (formerly) (SeaWing)

Trivia

• Animus genes run in the royal family of the SeaWings, and used to in the IceWings. This is likely because royal families are better protected and when the first Animus dragons appeared, they were the ones who could command others because of their power and their subjects' fear of it.
• The actual definition of animus is motivation to do something (enchantment of objects in the books), a hostile or ill feeling (The effect of the use of powers on an animus dragon), and a term for the masculine part of a woman's personality.
• The IceWings genetically bred animus magic into their dragons and set up a system so every animus only uses their powers once so they don't go insane.
• However, Queen Diamond and Prince Arctic did not follow this law, resulting in the Ice Kingdom's loss of their animus dragons.
• It's possible that animus magic doesn't actually take away the dragon's soul, but instead causes them to go hungry for power. This may be further proven when Darkstalker, who " protected" his soul by putting is magic in the scroll, still went insane and had his father disembowel himself. However, as we don't know whether objects like the scroll work, this has its own problems and cannot serve to either prove or disprove that animus magic takes away your soul.
• The fact about an animus dragon losing his/her soul most likely originated in the SkyWing Kingdom, as they are the only known tribe who are superstitious about dragons with much power.
• This was first mentioned by Queen Ruby/Tourmaline in Escaping Peril, and again in Darkstalker Legends.
• Animus dragons often feel a tingly feeling in their claws as shown by both Darkstalker in Darkstalker (Legends), and Turtle in Talons of Power.

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