Ailis is a type of frost dragon known as an Oigchait, a species which lives most of its life separated from other dragons. After a feral dragon destroys her home, Ailis bands together with three other dragons to journey to the Mountain of the Queen's Domain and end the feral threat forever. Despite being shy and naive due to her lack of contact with other dragons, Ailis will do anything for her new found friends, and will protect them at any cost. Digital.

An alternative color palette for Ailis that I worked with while experimenting with her color scheme. Digital.

I designed Ailis to have slender wings in comparison to a slim, but well-toned body. To give an air of clumsiness to her character, I designed her to be solid-boned rather than hollow-boned, with the reason being that she would have more trouble getting airborne and flying than the other dragons. Digital.

Ailis is a very friendly and inquisitive dragon, who despite her shyness is eager to learn new things about the world around her. When she begins to fall out if the stone's influence and turn feral, Ailis becomes ferocious, and the fur lining her neck and back stands on end. Digital.

Hailing from the snowy mountains, Ailis is able to maintain a constant body temperature of 33 degrees Farenheit. Ailis means 'ice' in Icelandic, and the species name Oigchait translates to 'Ice Cat', in reference to her catlike design. Digital.

Aureia is a dragon species known as a Lanathair, one that shares a mutual relationship with sheep. The sheep keep the dragon's eggs warm, and in return, the dragons guard the sheep with their lives. Aureia is fiercely loyal to her sheep family, and when she journeys to the mountain with her three friends, she becomes just as protective of them. Lanathairs are a highly intelligent species of dragon and are the only known species that can read, hence the glasses. Digital.

Aureia is ferociously rotective of her sheep foster family, and anything that dares to show its face around the sheep with malicious intent risks receiving a nasty shock. Digital.

Colored picture of Aureia pictured with her twin sister Argris, whom she grew up protecting their family with. Argris is later injured in a fight with a predator, and it is up to Aureia to join forces with the group and stop the feral crisis before it causes them to turn on the sheep that raised them, Digital

An early idea for Quest for the Queen was to give the dragons shape-shifting abilities which allowed them to morph into humans and back at will. I eventually dropped this idea, as I wanted to focus primarily on the dragons and their interactions with each other rather than with humans. Digital.

Quick sketch of Aureia as I tied down her character design. Digital.

Aureia's design combines the features of a dragon, a sheep, and an osprey. Her species gathers static electricity through their wool and uses it to fire deadly bolts of lightning at their enemies. Aureia's name means 'golden' in Latin-a reference to the Golden Fleece. The species name Lanathair translates to 'Wooly Serpent' in Latin. Digital.

Aterlith is a mighty Ferostell dragon, a species known for its proud, destructive, and impulsive nature. She can be very stubborn at times, and often uses her size and strength to get her way, but deep down, what she truly wants is to feel a sense of belonging within the group after being cast out of her family. Before meeting Ailis and Aureia, Aterlith lived alone in a volcano with her friend Mollon, whom she grew up with. The flames she spews can reach temperatures up to 1700 degrees. Digital.

An alternative color palette for Aterlith that I worked with while experimenting with her color scheme. Digital.

Quick drawing I did of Aterlith as I tied down her final colors and character design. Digital.

Aterlith's design is based off of the traditional medieval depictions of dragons in order to evoke a sense of power and ferociousness. Her name roughly translates to 'Ferocious cover' in Latin and German, reflecting on how she hides a soft interior with a gruff and aggressive exterior. Digital.

Mollon is an impish species of dragon known as a Pomdrake. Pomdrakes are small dragons that are highly territorial- when disturbed, they spew a napalm-like substance that explodes upon contact with an intruder. Mollon has lived around a volcano with her friend Aterlith since she was small, and often ventures out to get food when Aterlith does not feel like moving. Eggs are always on her mind, and she will obey any order as long as she gets them in return. Digital.

An alternative color palette for Mollon that I worked with while experimenting with her color scheme. Digital.

I wanted to characterize Mollon as a sort of twitchy character with her own agenda. Her moods are often fleeting, and she cannot sit still for more than a few minutes at a time. Her sneaky and thieving nature has made her the swiftest flier of the four main characters. Digital.

Verbati is an elusive type of forest dragon known as a Vularvina. She is a timid young dragoness that often hides from predators or those she deems as dangerous, avoiding conflict whenever possible unless cornered. When she is cornered, Verbati can unlease a volley of white-hot fireballs at her enemy. Verbati befriends the main four along their journey, and tags along with them at times, giving them helpful insight about the land around them and coming to their aid when they are in need. Digital

Nivek is a male Oigchait with a rare trait- instead of snow-white fur, his fur is a dark brown color, which gives him a disadvantage when it comes to hunting and blending in. He teams up with Clavixcor to have a better chance with hunting and protection, and later becomes Ailis's mate. Digital.