House Sunder
Wyvern Tamers of the Depths
A shadow is cast over the ground, a moment later the ground is torn asunder, and a crater is left in the settling dust. A knight clad in sky-blue armor pulls a titanic spear from the ground. On one end of the spear, there is a large ring that points towards the sky, and a piercing cry answers the motion. A moment later, a wyvern swoops from the sky and snatches the hoop, lifting both spear and rider back into the sky and onto their next target.The Human Empire is home to a host of people with vast lineages and stories to tell. Pillars that stand out among them are the ten original families of the Human Empire that were charged with governing and protecting the people of the Great Plains. In the northwestern province of the Empire, the old family of Sunder governs a large area from the city of Greenhaven. They are known for their valor in warfare and their ability to domesticate Wyverns, creatures similar in shape to Dragons but far lesser in size and intellect. During the early years of the Human species, this family distinguished itself as defenders of the wall of the great city. In the early days, they would tie themselves off using long ropes and swing from towers or defended areas of the wall around Stronghold to strike at enemies and then retreat to safety. They saw great success as Lancers, and generations later, they led part of the expansion northward. The Sunder family developed tactics that allowed them to survive even when traveling through the Depths by using the high points in the areas where the Traveler's Grass gathered together into massive trunks to hide and rappel from. It was during this northward expansion that Humans first came into contact with Wyverns. House Sunder deigned to establish a settlement in the Depths, in a relatively dangerous area, in order to study the creatures in that part of the world and create a foothold for humanity. This saw mixed success due to the creatures that they attempted to survive in the shadows of; more than once, the settlement was completely displaced by the natural prehistoric wildlife or by Giants that roamed down from the north. The Giants in these days used Wyverns as a hunting creature, similar to how other species would use Hawks or small Eagles. The stories say that Scouts from House Sunder observed how the Giants trained and obtained these Wyverns. The Humans replicated this, and through no shortage of effort, they began training their own Wyverns but as mounts instead of as independent hunting aides.
Culture
House Sunder lives steeped in history and tradition. They have a lot of pride for the region that they live in, their role in the Human Empire, and the special military unit that originates from their region.
who operate in small units of eight to twelve that are characterized by the ability to rapidly deploy and move on flying mounts quickly throughout the region. They utilize techniques to raise and tame Wyverns that have been passed down through generations and perfected for use in the modern day. Their signature attack method is to descend from a flying mount while armed with an oversized spear called a Fang.
This weapon is eight feet in length, with a large blade forged from Boom Steel on one end that is attached to a pole with a sturdy cross-section comprised of Hush Steel. This creates a colossal impact when a rider drops from the sky, blade first, and falls with their feet perched firmly on the cross-section. The opposite end of the spear has a large hoop that Wyvern are trained to swoop down and grab, which allows a rider to be retrieved by their trained mount rapidly after launching a devastating drop with the Fang. A variety of techniques for falling, attacking, and defending against large creatures are employed by Wyvern Riders directly from House Sunder as a type of martial art that has been preserved since ancient times.
Greenhaven
Greenhaven
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Image via Midjourney, created by RiverFang
Greenhaven is known for being the most well-protected settlement in the Human Empire found in the Depths of the Great Plains. Ruled by House Sunder and their Wyverns, the city is heavily protected from all enemies.
The city of Greenhaven is the only governing city in the Empire that resides within the Depths, a geological feature of the Great Plains that resides within valleys of the Traveler's Grass. These regions are dangerous because they are the humid, hot havens that the larger variety of prehistoric wildlife frequent. While Greenhaven is not the only settlement that braves the dangers of the Depths, it is the only large city that boasts a degree of safety and acts as a gateway along northern roads into the Empire. The people who live in and around Greenhaven have an admiration for the strength and tenacity that make any kind of relatively safe life in this region a reality.
This region lies along two important borders to the Human Empire; to the west is the upper region of Lake Idryl, and to the north lies Cradle of Clay. Both of these are important trade routes that allow the Empire to receive agricultural, mineral, and arcane goods from other regions. These present economic and practical gains for the entire country that have stood for thousands of years. Part of House Sunder's responsibility is to ensure the safe travel of merchants so they can move swiftly along trade routes and navigate through dangerous areas quickly to maintain business. For this reason, the Lord will often finance Adventurer missions or supply manpower from their own trained forces, depending on the situation.
The specialized military unit of this region, the Wyvern Rider, is often selected to escort important movements of goods or important visitors to the region. These are highly trained Knights
Assets
House Sunder is a wealthy family that controls a sizeable portion of the Empire along its northern border. They have access to minerals, tamable mounts, and they can export Dinosaur byproducts more easily than some of the other regions of the Empire.
The special metals this region exports are large amounts of Boom Steel and Hush Steel that are mined in the Depths. House Sunder uses these to create specialized weapons and armor that enable explosive maneuvers in combat, and they are the primary supplier of Boom Steel ammunition because they have such a familiarity with the metal. Ammunition created from Boom Steel must be encased in a thin layer of Hush Steel in order to neutralize its volatility until it is ready to be fired.
This region domesticates a number of creatures, but they primarily specialize in Wyverns. They cultivate flocks in the wild and drive them to specific areas where they can interact with the wilderness instead of attacking towns and trade routes. They obtain eggs from these flocks and incubate them in stables where they await assignment to a rider. The method of domestication that is used by the Sunder family involves a rider heating an egg through magical or mundane means for thirty continuous days in order to hatch it. When the Wyvern hatches, it will imprint upon the rider and have recognition for them that enables easier training and an irreplaceable bond of trust from its perspective.
Due to the domestication of Wyverns in this area and the unique position of Greenhaven as a large city in the Depths, hunting down various types of Dinosaurs is a common occurrence. Hunting parties that take place from the air result in far fewer casualties and more rapid transportation of Dinosaur products that would otherwise be lost to predators. This enables this region to export various types of Dinosaur meat and large, mostly intact hides that would otherwise be contested by other large predators.
Wyvern Egg
Wyvern Egg
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Image via Midjourney, created by RiverFang
These eggs are rarely seen in the wild as Wyverns are overprotective of their nests, but can be seen in areas under the protection of House Sunder and their Wyvern Riders.
From Above
Founding Date
199,000 IM
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Felix Sunder
Felix Sunder
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Portrait via Portrait Workshop, created by RiverFang
Current Head of House Sunder
Felix Sunder has set himself apart as a fantastic Wyvern Rider and a competent Lord of the Human Empire. Although his lands are vast, he cares for his people and strives to protect them from the challenges of calling the Depths home.
Giants using wyverns for falconry is a pretty cool and terrifying idea! How large would their prey be? Could they yank off a cow from a pasture or something a bit smaller like a sheep or goat?
Maker of Maps