Wyvern

A hostile dragon, with a dangerous secret

Of all the dragons the Wyvern is the most temperamental. They are territorial, and one of the most aggressive fighters. During a battle, they will often fly down into the heart of their enemy taking them and slamming their tail into them again and again. 
They lack the ability to breathe fire, and most of their magic is directed in their scales for protection. They live in the most hostile of places near the mouth of a volcano. 
A story circulated about a Dragonlord that managed to fly all the way to the mouth of the volcano to speak. The Wyverns attacked him, but he managed to get to the lip where a massive Wyvern spoke to him. He left without being attacked again and kept a group of Drakes and Dragonettes at his tribe's edge facing that volcano. Now some believe it is because he was frightened of the Wyverns, any who asked said there was something else on the volcano, something that is contained only because of the Wyverns.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Wyvern is about the same size as the Dragonette though weight wise they are closer to their brother the Drake. 
The Wyvern is a two-legged dragon with two wings. They are believed to be faster than the larger Dragon, though slower than the Dragonette. Their wings have claws scattered across their wings that are capable of digging into the side of the volcano.
Their head is large and round with a smaller mouth than most other dragons. The body is thick, but with a soft underbelly.
The tail of the Wyvern is the most deadly. It is long serpentlike with a large mass at the end. They can also have a load of spikes within the ball or a large spike at the top. The Wyvern uses this ball as its main weapon capable of smashing through most creatures including other dragon's scales.
For its size the Wyvern holds uses a large amount of weight. Most of this weight is within its thick scales. Anyone who has fought a Wyvern will inform you that it is next to impossible to get through their body. The scales overlap several times and underneath them is a thin net of tissue that absorbs impact and is resistant to being cut.

Biological Traits

There are some that believe the Wyvern is the direct ancestor to the phoenix. There is some evidence to this, but whether or not this is a relative of the Wyvern is unknown.

Genetics and Reproduction

Wyverns need lots of heat to create eggs. Males and females need to inside the volcano to lay their eggs. It will also take years for the eggs to even hatch. It is said that the only way for a Wyvern to be born is during a volcanic eruption.

Growth Rate & Stages

During an eruption the eggs of the Wyvern hatch. These eggs grow and some have a full-sized Wyvern within them. The hatching will result in several Wyverns to pull open their wings for the first time and glide down the mountain. Not every Wyvern survives this fall, but the ones that do tend to fly all around the volcano before they land.

Ecology and Habitats

Wyverns love the heat. Even after their birth spend years as close to magma as possible. This gives the Wyverns its natural resistants to fire unlike any in the dragons species. No one knows much about their lives around the volcano, but some say the area is corrupted. Those that live there are subject to a special law not governed by the Fates.
For whatever reason, the Wyverns are more territorial than any dragon species. They will relentlessly attack any who even step foot into their territory. This applies to all species especially other dragons.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Unknown

Biological Cycle

For some reason, the Wyvern cannot be born without the use of volcanic magma. If someone was to find an egg of a Wyvern they would find the shell hard as stone. If the egg is penetrated the insides will completely solid. When you soak the egg in a lava pool the egg will light up and eventually crack. After a Wyvern will be born. After that, the species will almost never sleep and will be seen flying over their volcano (and the surrounding area) constantly.

Additional Information

Facial characteristics

A round oval-shaped face with a larger back and top than the bottom and front like the Dragonette's head. Unlike the Dragonette, the scales on the head are more spiky with two small horns at the top. The scales on top are hard, but the ones around the mouth are thinner and soft. The mouth of the Wyvern is much smaller than most dragons leading many to believe that if it does hunt is eats only a few small animals.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

It is distributed around one volcano just above the forests of Nibmu and below the northern regions.

Average Intelligence

It seems to have varied intelligence. When attacking it is relentless, but when one of their own gets injured it appears the group notices and gets the wounded one away from the fight. They will also coordinate attacks attacking from several different sides. They can't seem to use magic but it appears all their power is directed into their scales and resistance.
At first look, many other dragon tribes thought they grew too far from other dragons, but any who look farther into them notice there a lot more to the species.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

A Wyvern holds no special senses and has lost the ability to cast spells. It is said that their magic found its way into their wings and muscle making both much more powerful. It is also a red crystal exists within the volcano and allowed the Wyverns to gain the magic to resist lava.

Civilization and Culture

Common Taboos

It is an absolute that no Wyvern is to attack another.

History

How the Wyvern began is unknown. There are several stories though.
One states that during the First War in the North several Dragons escaped and fled south to escape the Frost Giants. Their chase led them to the volcano where they made a great stand with the giants. Those Dragons managed to survive, but not before finding a red stone within the volcano. Another force emerged within the mountain, and that force trapped them at the tip. The stone changed those creatures making them smaller and their bodies more able to fight near the volcano. They became Wyverns and now battle the creatures every night.
Another story, a set of Dragons and Dragonettes flew there from the forest. They camped at the highest point where they encountered another species. This species managed to kill a few of the Dragonettes and dragged them off. The Dragonlord at the time attempted to calm his people and went to find the animals, going underground. He attacked them but fell.
By night the next day, the Dragonlord rose again and attacked. The Dragons managed to defeat him only to lose more Dragons and Dragonettes before the night was over. Each night the force would return to them to attack with more and more dragons in their army. What was left of the dragons borrowed into the volcano where they found a stone with several carvings within the wall.
Those carvings told the story of a large stone hut in the distant that appeared one day. No one emerged, but after nothing died in the region. Nothing grew. Everything that died in this place lost their spirit, but their bodies rose every night and attacked the living. The Dragons worried, the Dragonlord killed managed to breathe fire. He spoke no other spells, but if he still retained his magic he still held his spirit and all the power that went with it. If they left, he could bring and an army of the dead down the volcano and attack the world of the living.
The carvings also spoke about a gem. A gem at the base of the volcano that holds the power of a great glowing fire that once emerged from the sky and blessed the volcano with heat. What was left of the Dragons, could use its power to mix it with their power, and change themselves into something that could survive in the region. Something that could manage to hold the line against the turned dragons and the other undead creatures. The dragons did and the first Wyverns were created.
But those are just stories. Few believe that an army of the dead really exists in the area around the volcano. What is known is every dragon group that goes close to the volcano is attacked by the Wyverns and the Wyverns don't leave the volcanic regions.
During the Dragon Wars, the Wyverns never got involved. Whether they knew about it or not, the gods appeared at their border with an army. The Wyverns attacked then with a fury that they never saw before. The weakness of the dragon became evident quickly, and the gods were able to push farther into the region. The Wyverns attacked again at nightfall, and when at sunset the gods ran back to the border. 
God-King Havesp believed not the stories of the Wyverns attacking something else on the mountain. He led a group to destroy the dragons once and for all himself. Within a night he returned stating taking the volcano was not required and forbidding any god from attempting to gain the area.
What happened to the Wyvern is unknown. Stories exist of Wyverns to this day flying above the volcano. Other stories exist of them evolving again this time into creatures of fire, with volcanic riders to control them.

Scientific Name

Draco Wyvernae

Lifespan

Endless

Conservation Status

The statues of the Wyvern are believed extinct. This is not known. Something occurred within the area of the volcano and no one knows what. All that is known is every creature that attempts to gain the volcano is killed, how is unknown.

Average Height

9yds

Average Weight

5,500lb

Average Length

9yd

Average Physique

Powerful beyond measure. The amount of strength it takes to swing its tail is massive. The only reason why the Wyverns can fly is that the volcano releases large pockets of gas that provide enough lift to send the Wyverns higher into the air.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

The scales of the Wyvern are as black as coal with a lighter gray on the bottom highlighting the difference. Its wings are also thin and gray with three black dots on each wing. Their tail is coated in the black scales, but the spikes they hold are normally a silver color.