Wyverns

Wyverns

Subclass: draconids

''“Not too big, aye. But still big enough to fly off with my cow.”''

-       Francois of Beaucaire, Farmer

Wyverns, along with gryphons, are the main aerial threat for the average peasant in the Empire. Their big, leathery wings and hollow bones, along with unnatural strength and endurance, make them extraordinary flyers, fully capable of lifting two thirds of their own body weight from the ground. Though they are significantly smaller than most other draconids, being usually only about ten yards from teeth to tip of tail, they make up for this with viciousness and venom.

Said venom is most pronounced in their bite, for they inject it like certain snakes do, but it also suffuses their blood, making it so toxic that a man might die from having a limb coated in it. This is one of the reasons why one should never hunt wyverns without armour, the other being that they possess barbs on their tails and wing tips which, along with being coated in the very same venom, can shred an unarmoured man. The venom forms part of the unique way the Wyvern uses its flaming breath; whereas most other draconids deploy their fire as a steady stream of flames, wyverns are fond of hacking up slimy and flammable mucous, lighting it on fire and spitting it. The mucous, infused with toxins, will produce noxious smoke as it burns, along with sticking to solid surfaces.

Physically, the wyvern sports two oversized wings, a long, flexible tail, and two powerful legs with talons several inches in length. In every way an aerial creature, they prefer nesting sites high in the mountains or cliffs, and especially value nesting sites where land-bound enemies cannot reach them. Like most other draconids, and also some corvids, wyverns enjoy shiny objects, be they polished quartz or cut diamond, and tend to amass quite the collection in or around their nests. This may be to the advantage of the clever hunter: it is usually possible to spot a wyvern nest from the air, or at least a high vantage point, by the glint of shiny objects when struck by the rays of the sun.

Wyverns are among the less intelligent of the draconids, and possesses no remarkable arcane powers, save for being somewhat tougher and stronger than a creature their size and weight should be. It should be noted that though they are loners by nature, wyverns are fully capable of forming packs and setting up ambushes should they find themselves hunted and in need of allies. They might boast a sort of low cunning, similar to that one finds in a mistreated or malnourished canine, and learn quickly from mistakes.

The fireballs, the propensity for nesting in unreachable locations and the toxins of the wyvern necessitates a rather specific hunting strategy. To best hunt a wyvern, one might quote Geoffrey of Monmouth, one of the first bestiary writers:

“As for wyverns, bait them thusly: pound the stake in the soil, bind a goat to it, then hide ye in near to shrubbery post-haste.”

Once the beast lands, one of two strategies should be deployed: heavily armoured knights with a multitude of spears, for both stabbing and throwing; or siege weaponry, be it mundane like the ballistae or arcane like the golem. Golems, being immune to toxins and heavily resistant to fire, are perhaps the best way to fight a wyvern, but should not be deployed until the beast had been grounded, either by broken wing or by heavy net.

Wyverns are famously kept in a manner similar to hunting falcons by certain giants, and it is certainly worth the wily hunter’s time to check in with the local giants to see if one should desire a wyvern, or any eggs for that matter. At worst, the giant might simply deny, and at best, he might aid in the capture or pay handsomely for beast or eggs. As always, when dealing with the big ones, remember your manners and offer a gift.