Wyvern

Wyverns are small, bestial descendants of Dragons. They display great diversity in environmental adaptation, likely resulting from their magical heritage. All variations of wyvern share the same basic body plan, being dragon-like in shape, with two short, powerful back legs and two nimble front appendages that serve primarily as wings. Unlike dragons, wyverns are not capable of exhaling breath attacks. Instead, all forms bear a uniquely adapted tail, used for specilized tasks. Wyverns are found in the following variations, listed in order of population.  

Common Wyvern

The most frequently encountered type of wyvern, the scales of these creatures often appear in a rusty shade of reddish brown. There is nothing particularly noteworthy of their adaptations, giving them the designation of "common." They are believed to be the original form of wyvern. Their tails bear a sharp stinger  

Glade Wyvern

Among the bushes and trees of Tesia, you'll often find glade wyverns stalking their prey. These sleek, emerald green hunters are known to pounce suddenly out from cover, gliding low to the ground, to strike their prey and disappear in a flash. Typically, this hunting style is performed with a bonded pair of glade wyverns, with each taking turns striking until their prey is dead. In the case of multiple targets, they will use their long, thin, whip-like tails to snatch up individuals and drag them off into the woods one by one. Though they are deadly hunters, they will almost always steer away from any prey larger than themselves.  

Crag Wyvern

The largest and toughest of the wyverns by far, the crag wyverns hunt within cliffs, badlands, and other rocky landscapes. Their rough scales, though more brittle than other wyverns', are twice as thick and regenerate at an alarming rate. Crag wyverns are known to regrow an entire body's worth of scales in a single day. Typically pack hunters, groups of three to five crag wyverns hunt by stalking targets from high above before plummeting onto them and overpowering them with their immense weight and strength, aided by pristinely sharp claws that do not dull. It is common for them to attack creatures much larger than themselves. They are known to fly far less than other wyverns, due to their diminished wing size. For stealth purposes, they cover themselves in dirt and rub against the rocks within their hunting grounds to build a natural camouflage. In the unfortunate case of a fair fight or a highly armored target, they resort to using their club-like tails to bludgeon their foes to a pulp.

Glacial Wyvern

These ferocious beasts often hunt in arctic environments, preying on smaller creatures. They have been found bury most of their kills under the snow in their lairs to preserve the meat for later. This is especially useful to them when prey populations dwindle. They are reclusive creatures, hunting and living alone. It is not uncommon for them to fight for territory with other glacial wyverns. Glacial wyverns bear moderately bulky bodies, layered with more fat than other wyverns to fight off the cold. Their backs are lined with small bony protrusions all the way down to the end of their tails. They are a dim white color, imperfectly disguising them in the snow. They will often hold their tail over their heads while stalking, using them as a sort of umbrella to stop snow from gathering near their eyes. When pouncing, they attempt to get their wings under their prey to stop them from burrowing into the snow and escaping. The edges of their wings are sharp to aid with this motion. The tail of glacial wyverns have a wide horizontal fin at the end. They will use this tail to scoop and throw snow at enemies to distract and blind them.

Sea Wyvern

Sea wyverns are noticeably more slender than their cousins, and sleeker for underwater speed. Their skin is much like that of a shark, and their snout is similarly pointy. Their tails bear a rudder-like fin, and may whip it fast enough to momentarily displace water. The wings of a sea wyvern are not as suited for flight compared to others, being more like large flippers, adapted for underwater speed.