Snake Chain

Snake Chain
Concept art of Spyro and Cynder wearing the snake chain in The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon
First appearance	The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon (2008)
Effect	Tethers Spyro and Cynder together at all times

The Snake Chains are a pair of green serpent-like artifacts in the console versions of The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon. These devices are responsible for tethering Spyro and Cynder together with an ethereal chain at all times throughout the game.

Location and uses

The Snake Chains were originally magical green snakes created by the Dark Master Malefor. Upon wrapping themselves around the wearer's necks, the snakes are permanently turned into solid crystal chains that can't be removed. They will also automatically generate a magical tether from the snake chain's head that will link itself to another being who is wearing the same exact snake chain. Only Malefor has the ability to completely remove the chains and place them back on, as he was the one who created them.

In gameplay, whenever Spyro and Cynder move far apart from each other, the snake chains would appear around their necks and a green magical tether will appear connected to the chains to keep the dragons from moving far away from each other. The green chains are usually invisible, but can become visible to the naked eye if Spyro and Cynder attempt to move away from one another, if one of them irritates either the chain or the tether itself, and if one of them summons the green chain. Fortunately, Spyro and Cynder can use the chains and the tether it generates to their advantage to get through obstacles, solve puzzles, and swing up to high places that are unreachable due to downdrafts.

Swings

When there are visible air downdrafts, Spyro and Cynder can't simply fly up to their intended destination and would need to use Climbing Zones. While one dragon is scaling up the grassy Climbing Zones, the other that is hanging from the chain can use it to swing up to a higher position.

Spyro and Cynder can also use the swing mechanic while using their elements at the same time to solve puzzles. This is called an "Elemental Swing". For example, when using Elemental Swings with the snake chain and using Cynder as a latch, Spyro can use his Earth Boulder to perform the Boulder Swing, becoming a literal wrecking ball to destroy obstacles in his and Cynder's path.

Chain Staples

On the Floating Islands, small turrets created by the Grublins will throw black staples to the ground that will latch onto the snake chain's green tether if Spyro and Cynder are close. This will limit their movement until the black staples are destroyed along with the turrets that shoots them out.

Story

Spyro and Cynder show the snake chains to Ignitus.

Within the ruins of the Well of Souls, a group of Grublins made their way to the Time Crystal that contained the frozen forms of Spyro and Cynder and released them from their three-year long slumber. They proceeded to shackle the two dragons together with a pair of green snakes that instantly transformed into unremovable crystal chains around Spyro and Cynder's necks, as a means of linking them together with a magical chain and preventing them from being able to move freely or away from each other. The Grublins then proceeded to drag the two dragons away to the Catacombs to be sacrificed to an Earth Golem under orders of Malefor.

Soon afterward, Spyro and Cynder roused from their slumber to find themselves chained to a platform by the snake chains they wore. The two dragons managed to escape the Catacombs and the Golem with the help of Hunter, but remained tethered together by the chains. Along the way to safety, Cynder attempted to bite at the tether generated by the chains in an attempt free herself and Spyro to no avail. Spyro suggested twisting the tether, only to receive a sharp retort from Cynder stating that it was magic, displaying her irritation, much to Sparx's amusement.

When they were taken captive by the cheetah tribe along with Hunter, the snake chains acted as Spyro and Cynder's shackles connected to a magic-infused lookout post in the Cheetah Village to keep the two dragons restrained.

After Spyro and Cynder saved the dragon city of Warfang from Malefor's army and the Golem, Cynder showed Ignitus the chains she and Spyro wore. The Fire Dragon Guardian inspected one of the chains with a mole named Mason, and he suspected that it was irremovable. As Spyro and Cynder reacted to the news with uncertainty, Ignitus stated that they've both done well to get back to Warfang despite this setback. He inquired to Spyro and Cynder that they shouldn't see the chain as a hindrance, but a reminder of the bond Spyro and Cynder shared, and that their destinies were now intertwined.

On their way through the Burned Lands, after losing Ignitus, Spyro and Cynder reached a moment of resolve to continue onwards to confront Malefor; Cynder claimed that she's going only because she wanted to get rid of the chain that binded her to Spyro.

When they reached Malefor's Lair, Malefor used his power to relieve Spyro and Cynder of the snake chains to make them feel "more comfortable". After Cynder, who was corrupted again by Malefor to attack Spyro, broke free from his control to be with her companion, Malefor became enraged at this turn of events and shackled Cynder back to Spyro with the snake chains to share his fate. Upon Malefor's defeat at the hands of the dragon spirits, the snake chains that binded Spyro and Cynder together disappeared completely along with Malefor's magic, freeing the two dragons at last.

Gallery

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  Concept art
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  The chest that contains the snake chains
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  The green snakes as seen in the cinematic introduction cutscene
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  A Grublin holding one of the green snakes
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  An unconscious Spyro being shackled with the snake chain by the Grublins
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  Spyro and Cynder discovering they've been chained
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  Spyro and Cynder chained to one of the Cheetah Village lookout posts by their snake collars
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  A close up at one of the snake chains
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  The Snake Chains shortly after being materiallized back on Spyro and Cynder's necks
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  The Snake Collars disappearing upon Malefor's defeat
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  Spyro and Cynder chained down by their snake chains by a staple shot by a turret
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Trivia

• It is displayed throughout Dawn of the Dragon that Cynder was the only one of the two dragons who was greatly irritated that she was tethered to Spyro, and wanted to get the green chains off as soon as possible.
• In the Cheetah Village, there is a green device on a lookout post where Spyro and Cynder were chained to, having the same kind of magic as the green chains Malefor created since it binded them to the post. It is unknown how the Cheetahs acquired this, as the green chains were created by Malefor's dark magic. It is possible that the Cheetahs use these devices to restrain intruders through magical means, until they are released by Chief Prowlus, who is the only one in the tribe who has the key to release prisoners.
• Though the green crackling tether linking to the snake chains on Spyro and Cynder's necks is supposed to be magically ethereal, Cynder is seen biting the chain in the cutscene in Twilight Falls when she tries to get it off.
• In Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure, whenever player 1 or player 2 are too far apart, a green tether can be seen in between them to prevent them from going too far apart. This is similar to how the Snake Chains kept Spyro and Cynder from moving apart from one another freely when playing Dawn of the Dragon in co-op mode.
• The design of the chest containing the snake chains, referred to as « le coffre de jade » (French for “the jade chest”) by the concept artist, is most likely based on the description of the Ark of the Covenant found in the Biblical book of Exodus.
• According to the late Cameron Davis, the Krome Studios game designer of A New Beginning and The Eternal Night, there were ideas tossed around for ways for Cynder to be playable in cooperative play. One of the early concepts was that Cynder would be tethered to Spyro by some magical device, making her playable in some fashion with the player being able to switch between her and Spyro. The snake chains would be based on this very idea.