Wyvern Rider
The people of Drakunne have long been fascinated by wyverns, and especially the large species. Of those, the finger-winged wyverns were an item of special interest, as they grew to sizes far larger than their cousins. Some even attained sizes large enough to carry a person, leading to many dreams of riding on the back of one of these fearsome beasts. Of course, these dreams stayed as mere dreams and myths, as wyverns large enough to carry a person were also large enough to eat one, and they didn't exactly lend themselves well to domestication.
Despite these obstacles, over the course of time, many have tried to tame or otherwise ride a wyvern. And one especially determined group have managed... somewhat. With the application of magic, and by hand-rearing wyverns from stolen eggs, and then breeding the best-natured ones together, they've produced... animals that aren't exactly domesticated. Or well-behaved. Nevertheless, they've produced a few individual wyverns who, while not exactly tractable, can be saddled up and ridden.
Of course, only the particularly bold (or stupid) would take to the skies on the back of animal that would just as eagerly kill them as the height and the winds... but the world isn't exactly lacking in those. Those who take up the skill of wyvern riding and rise to great heights are thus granted the honorary title of wyvern rider: a dragon who spread their wings and flew.
Qualifications
Wyvern riders only need to do one thing to acquire the title: take to the skies on the back of a wyvern. Of course, the specific title is only really used by a specific group of people and their (somewhat) tame wyverns, but if you were to manage the feat with a wild wyvern, well, no one would deny you the title if you claimed it.
Benefits
A purely social title, the title of wyvern rider denotes those bold enough to take to the skies on barely-tame animals... or those stupid enough to risk their life for a largely meaningless title.
Past & Future
The title of wyvern rider is only a recent occurence, used by a group who only recently managed to (somewhat) tame wyverns enough to make riding them a viable enterprise. As such, it is still a rare title to grant, now, in the present. In the future, however, there are two possible outcomes for wyvern riding. Either their successes will continue, and true taming and possibly even domestication is managed. In this case, wyverns might become a popular form of transporation, and riding them becomes common-place, leading to disuse of the title as the feat is no longer special. Alternatively, perhaps the project runs into the ground. Maybe they can't manage to make their wyverns more tame, maybe they run into unforseen problems when their magic-users die and others can't manage what had been done before, maybe sickness strikes and all their animals die. Whatever the reason, it is quite possible that wyvern riding never becomes greater than what it is now, and may even backslide back into obscurity. In this case, too, the title of wyvern rider will fall out of use. In the end, whatever the future holds, the title of wyvern rider is unlikely to last. Some things just aren't meant to stay around for long.
Type
Informal
Status
Active
Alternative Naming
Sky rider, Sky runner
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