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.

 PERCEPTION: 16–20
 DEXTERITY: 12–15
 CONSTITUTION: 14–19
 INTELLIGENCE: 3–4
 WISDOM: 8–16
 CHARISMA: 9–14
 ·
 TRUE SIGHT
 ·
 IMMUNE: POISON
 ·
 RESISTANT II: FIRE