Wyvern

The great wyvern swooped at me from above with a piercing shriek, wings flaring and stinging tail striking downwards. Its massive jaw stretched wide so that I could see its lolling tongue and the many rows of sharp, jagged teeth. It was only by great fortune that I managed to escape a blow that surely would have killed me, had I not rolled away in time.

— excerpt from the memoirs of Heryl the Wanderer

Huge, swift draconic predators, wyverns were once a terror to anyone living near cliffs and mountains, wild animals preying on sheep, cattle, horses, and even people. However, after the Arcane Cataclysm, wyverns became increasingly rare, without the magic required to sustain them. Nowadays, wyverns are generally found in and around the Great Dragon Halls, kept alive by the power of the Dragonstones in much the same manner as dragonborn.
Tamed wyverns have been used as mounts by warrior cultures throughout the eons, particularly by the draconic races such as dragonborn and kobolds. Their ferocity, flight abilities, venom, and large size make them difficult to control; however, these attributes also make them effective war mounts.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Wyverns have long, serpentine bodies with four limbs; a pair of wings and a pair of hind legs. They have long necks and short, blunt snouts, with relatively small eyes and large nostrils. Female wyverns tend to be slightly larger than male wyverns.
The wings are the primary method of locomotion for wyverns. They have bat-like wings, and the lower edge of the wing membrane extends to the metatarsals of the hind limbs. In addition to flying, wyverns can run along the ground in a manner similar to vampire bats, and can launch themselves into flying from a standing position. However, they are faster fliers than they are runners and generally prefer to be in the air rather than on the ground.
Wyverns also possess a venemous stinger on the end of their tails. Wyvern venom is considered quite potent, and is difficult to treat.

Genetics and Reproduction

During breeding season, male wyverns create elaborate nests on the sides of cliff faces, using a combination of clay, bone, and plant material, similar to the mud-nests created by cliff swallows. Male wyverns will fight for the best positioning on the cliff face, and may challenge other males to steal their nests. Generally speaking, the larger the nest, the more appealing it is to the female.
Once nests have been constructed, male wyverns will sing mating calls and perform mating dances at the mouths of their nests. A female wyvern who is interested will enter and inspect the nest, sometimes scratching or clawing at it to test its sturdiness. If it meets with her approval, she will draw the chosen male into a mating flight. Copulation occurs during the flight, with the male wyvern clinging to the back of the female as they glide.
After fertilization occurs, the female wyvern will lay 2-8 eggs in the male's nest, and the male and female will take turns brooding the eggs for eight weeks of incubation. Both parents are extremely territorial of the nest, and will chase off both predators and other wyverns who attempt to approach. Despite this aggression, nest parasitism has been observed multiple times, with female wyverns sneaking into unattended nests, and either laying her eggs with the others, or even shoving the original eggs out of the nest to lay her own.
After hatching, both parents will continue to provide and care for the juveniles, bringing back kills and keeping partially predigested food in their crops for their offspring.

Growth Rate & Stages

Hatchlings spend about eight weeks in the nest before their muscles are strong and coordinated enough to attempt their first flights, usually gliding from nest to nest within the colony. By the age of six months, juvenile wyverns are capable of full flight and will begin accompanying their parents on hunts.
Wyverns reach sexual maturity at around the age of nine to ten months, which also usually marks the beginning of the next breeding season. The father will usually drive the hatchlings out of the nest in his territorial displays as he defends and expands on his nest. Wyverns rarely breed successfully their first year after reaching maturity, as young males generally create shoddy and unstable nests, and are forced out of the most coveted spots within the colony, and young females are usually chased off by older females who have found suitable mates.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Wyverns eat an exclusively carnivorous diet, and generally prey on large land herbivores such as deer and cattle. However, wyverns living close to large bodies of water have been observed eating fish, sharks, and even dolphins and young whales.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Wyverns live in small colonies, usually numbering around 15-30 adult individuals and their young. The dominance hierarchy is usually centered around the largest and most aggressive male. Although they usually hunt alone, wyverns have been known to bring back their kills to share with other members of the colony.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Wyverns are sometimes tamed for use as mounts. This process can be quite dangerous, as wyvern venom is potentially lethal, not to mention their sharp teeth and wing claws. In addition, wyverns are generally taken from the wild as eggs or hatchlings, as climbing up to the enormous height at which wyverns nest can be a precarious journey. Wyverns are fiercely protective of their young, so most cultures which tame wyverns will burn particular blends of herbs which make the wyverns lethargic and docile, letting the smoke waft up to the cliff faces. However, great care must be taken not to inhale the fumes themselves, lest they, too, become sluggish and fall off the cliff.
Wyvern riders generally sit just behind the head of the wyvern on the neck, so they do not block the movement of the wings. A variety of different methods have been invented by different cultures to guide or control a wyvern mount; the most common method involves a bit placed in the mouth with reins extending from it, much like a bit for a horse.
Tamed wyverns, in addition to be used as mounts, may be milked for their venom, which can be used to coat weapons to make them more lethal. Additionally, wyvern handlers may give themselves small doses of wyvern venom to build up an immunity.

Average Intelligence

Wyverns are considered somewhat intelligent, at around the same level as domestic cats.

Wyvern sketch by Heryl the Wanderer

Lifespan

20 years

Average Height

2 ft. 8 in. at the hip when sitting

Average Length

10 ft. 3 in. from nose to tail.
32 ft. 8 in. from wingtip to wingtip.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Female wyverns tend to be shades of brown and gray. Males are generally more colorful, and different populations of wyvern have different color patterns. Male wyverns may display yellow, blue, red, and green scales, often with bright spots or stripes on the wings, tale, and throat.