About Wyverns

Wyverns are thought to be a subspecies of dragon, or some sort of evolutionary offshoot. An adult wyvern is nearly the size of a full-grown high dragon, but a dragon is more lithe and serpent-like where a wyvern is more sturdy and has thicker musculature. They are known for their brightly colored markings and split mandibles.

Reaching maturity at 30 years and living up to 200 years, wyverns are completely solitary from the moment that they hatch. They come together only to mate, otherwise defending their territory fiercely from others of their kind. There are very few visual distinctions between a male and female wyvern, though it is thought that the females tend to grow larger. Unlike dragons or dracolisks, there are no ‘subtypes’ of wyvern, though they do come in a variety of colors.

They are most numerous in Orlais, though some small populations of wyverns are also known to exist in Ferelden. They prefer to live in temperate rocklands, where they can dwell as apex predators, hunting anything they can catch - including livestock, deer, bears, wolves, and even other wyverns.

While wyverns do possess wings - small, stumpy things in comparison to a dragon’s - they cannot fly, and instead use their wings to help them glide along air currents as they leap from place to place, and also to help provide balance when climbing.

Despite all that, the most dangerous aspect of a wyvern is its venom. When provoked, wyverns spit poison out to a range of several yards. Left untreated, this poison is fatal. Wyvern venom slows prey and kills gradually; their bite is particularly nasty. Occasionally, wyverns will inflict their venom on prey and then leave it to wander and die, showcasing a particularly vicious sense of sadism.

Use and Utility of Wyverns

• Wyvern venom is particularly sought after, usable in a variety of poisons, venoms, and traps.
  
• When properly prepared and distilled in alcohol, wyvern venom produces a mildly hallucinogenic effect, and features in the popular liquor aquae lucidius.
  
• Though their meat is otherwise poisonous, when prepared by a skilled chef, it can be especially delicious.
  
• Wyverns feature on the heraldry of several Orlesian houses.
  
• Wyvern Chase - a celebrated hunt considered both foolhardy and prestigious - is held annually in Orlais. Skilled chevaliers and hunters attempt to slay a fully grown wyvern, with the festivities often taking on a celebratory air.
  
• If trained from an egg, a Wyvern is capable of aiding a human in combat, or acting as a mount.