Nhiostrife Wyvern

* Female
* Male

The **Nhiostrife Wyvern** is a medium Stoker Class dragon that lives on mountaintops or in open fields.

## Official Description

A passive and nimble wyvern known as the Nhiostrife Wyvern, these dragons control their movements with ease and put on such aerial displays to impress fellow dragons! Much like the Cloudjumper, Nhiostrife Wyverns have more than one set of wings, giving them a leg up - or rather a wing up - in aerial maneuvers. Unless they or their families are in danger, Nhiostrifes are generally very friendly and curious.

## Physical Appearance

### Egg

Nhiostrife Wyvern eggs are medium and light, weighing about 7 lbs. The shell itself is a dull purple with two bright blue stripes on the right side. The exterior has a peculiar texture - rough and almost skin-like. You can almost see the tiny little pores on the shell!

### Hatchling to Adult

When Nhiostrifes are born, they only have one set of wings that they can't use very well. In fact, it's near impossible for them to fly as they can't balance themselves in the air. The colors of hatchlings are very dull and enrich over time, beginning to show up around 7 months of age.

Juvenile Nhiostrife Wyverns will grow a second pair of wings and develop their bright colors even more. Around 6 months is when males and females will show different color palettes. Once the second pair of wings grow in, babies can fly much faster and are overall more agile, better than most hatchlings.

Adults have muscular legs with big feet. Their nails curl much like a bird of prey's. The most notable feature is their multiple pairs of wings - one near their shoulders, and the other near their back legs. The need for a second set of wings comes from the Nhiostrife's eyesight and a less-than-stellar sense of depth when flying. With this added set of wings, they're able to keep themselves completely stable in the air. Males are generally larger than females. Most Nhiostrifes only have between 2 and 4 stripes along their wings.

## Abilities

### Firepower

Possessing blue fire makes for a very strong and potent breath attack. Nhiostrife Wyverns are rarely seen using their fire, but when they do, it's a spectacle to behold. Not only is the temperature of their fire sweltering, but it has a long reach, traveling up to 20 feet away in a long jet.

### Flight and Agility

Two sets of wings allows the Nhiostrife incredible agility and maneuverability in the air. With a second pair of wings located near their hind legs, they're able to keep themselves stable and make quick turns that may take other dragons more time to do. Being able to make sudden turns and twists helps counteract the Nhiostrife's nearsightedness.

### Strength and Combat

While Nhiostrife's have blue fire, they prefer to use their body as an initial weapon. Since they lack upper arms, their back legs are very strong. One kick or swipe of a foot can easily break through tough brick walls or disembowel a human.

Nhiostrife Wyverns use their agility to their advantage, often avoiding and dodging attacks from their foes before going in for a kick or swipe, and maybe a stream of blue fire if they're determined to get whatever it is fighting them to surrender or run away.

### Senses

Because of their general nearsightedness, Nhiostrifes have a great sense of hearing and smell. Even if they can't see their prey when flying, they can hear or smell them and determine where they are before swooping in and catching their meal.

## Weaknesses

Nhiostrife Wyverns have very nearsighted vision, so if a threat approaches from the distance silently, chances are they won't see it until the enemy is within close vicinity. They can also crash into things during flight if their sense of smell or hearing is disturbed in any way.

If an adult Nhiostrife loses the ability to use its hind wings, it will lose the ability to fly forever unless the wings heal.

## Personality and Behavior

Nhiostrifes are passive and curious; they only fight when they absolutely have to. There have been a number of incidents in which farmers would go into their barns only to be greeted by a Nhiostrife all curled and cramped up where the other animals (such as cows or pigs) are, not having a care in the world. Because of their curiosity they tend to cause problems innocently, such as knocking through walls or eating something they probably shouldn’t (which will end up happening far too often throughout their lifetime). If they get in a bad mood, they can get very nasty, but once they’re not angry they feel bad about their behavior and do their best to make it up to whomever they may have upset or hurt.

Most Nhiostrifes live strictly in areas with open air, such as mountaintops or open fields, so they don't run into things when flying. Occasionally those with better eyesight will travel out of those general areas.

Nhiostrifes are omnivorous. When they eat meat, they usually hunt for sheep, deer, goat, and the like. They do have a strange love for potatoes, and an owner could probably make the wyvern do some pretty amusing things for one. They also like to eat berries and oranges.

Females don’t really have to do a thing when it comes to finding a mate—it’s all up to the males. A male Nhiostrife will put up a beautiful air display that is completely unique from all others in an attempt to charm a female. If a female is charmed by the male, they will become mates for life. More stripes is more attractive. Most Nhiostrifes only have between 2 and 4 stripes, though. Very rarely is there a Nhiostrife with completely blue wings, but if there is one, he would have the pick of nearly any female in the vicinity.

## Training

Nhiostrifes have a moderate trainability score, meaning they can be trained with some patience and dedication. Oftentimes, one can simply find a wild Nhiostrife and offer it food and shelter. As with many dragon species, nursing an injured Nhiostrife can be a sure-fire way to gain the trust of one, but raising one from an egg is also possible, as long as you are able to keep the hatchling out of trouble while its wings are unusable.

It's been noted that mated Nhiostrifes are a bit harder to train since they grow very attached to their partners, but if you can gain the trust of the family by leaving them a whole buffet of food and a safe dry place to sleep, chances are you can tame the entire family. Potatoes are your best choice of food to offer a Nhiostrife.

## Trivia

* Nhiostrife Wyverns are informally known as "Twisters" for their maneuverability in the air.
* The name Nhiostrife comes from a spin on "Neon" and "Stripe."
* The Nhiostrife Wyvern is from the online game Dragon Cave.

## Image Sources

1. Dragcave: Nhiostrife Wyvern by birdzgoboom on DeviantArt
2. Dragon Cave Nhiostrife wyvern by sharadhan on DeviantArt