Wyverns

Wyverns are bipedal, winged Dragonkin native to Exorsia. They are primarily solitary creatures that live in the mountainous regions of Terrasmus and Soliemia , making dens in mountain caves. Wild Wyverns are extremely territorial and hostile, and have been recorded hunting and killing people. Despite this, Wyverns are commonly bred and trained as aerial mounts, particularly by the Blood Riders of Stormspoint.

Apperance

Wyverns stand around 15 feet tall in adulthood, around the size of a young Dragon, which they reach after 1-3 years after hatching. They usually have dull coloured scales that range in colour from tones of reddish brown, to tones of greyish green. A Wyvern’s wings make up a large part of their body, each larger than their body. These wings reside in place of a set of forearms found on Dragons. These wings have claw-like hands half way up their length, which the Wyvern can use to walk, similar to that of a bat.

Wyverns also have long dexterous tails, comprising almost half of their bodies, mounted with a stinger that secretes a deadly venom, incorrectly named Wyvern Poison. This venom is extremely potent, making it very useful for those interested in poisons, but it is difficult to harvest, making Wyvern Poison an expensive and sought after resource. 

Ecology

Wyverns are usually ambush predators, diving at their prey from the sky, pinning them with their clawed legs and quickly killing them with a quick bite. For tougher targets, Wyverns rely on their stinger, ambushing a creature with a sting before taking to the air and waiting for the target to succumb to the venom. Wyverns have also been recorded lifting prey into the air before dropping them for a height in order to kill them.

Wyverns can mate annually, but rarely do in the wild. To impress their mate, male Wyverns will perform a series of aerial dances. If successful, the pair with lay a clutch of 4-6 eggs, but in the wild it is unusual for more than two of these eggs to reach adulthood. 

Domestication

Wyverns have a very basic animalistic intelligence, and are incapable of speech, communicating through hisses and throated growls. Despite being largely solitary creatures in the wild, Dragonologists have discovered that Wyvern can be incredibly social, especially tamed Wyverns who communicate on average five times more than wild Wyverns. 

Since the first records of Wyverns during the late Silver Age they have been used as aerial mounts, particularly Pre-Arcanum. They were often in competition with Gryphons, who were the most popular aerial mount, particularly due to their more manageable size and upkeep. In the modern age Wyverns are rarely used as mounts outside of the mercenary group, the Blood Riders. But Wyvern mounts have begun growing in popularity again, making the breeding and sale of Wyverns a growing industry. 

Origin

Wyverns are the least magical of Dragonkin, with no recorded magical qualities. Dragonologists have also noted that Wyverns only have four limbs, the standard for vertebrates, as well as a naturally large wingspan for their weight. This has led to a debate among Dragonologists on whether Wyverns are in fact Dragonkin. Compelling arguments support the idea that Wyverns are Reptiles, and resemble Dragons due to Convergent Evolution. Others argue that Wyverns are not natural, and are the result of mages mutating lizards with Dragon blood, similar to how some Dragonologists believe Kobold were created.