Creature: Wyvern

In the Mythic Age, bronze bulls, trolls and other fantastic creatures lived in the hills and forests of Argos. As that age came to an end, and the Hegemony of Man bound the world in chains of reason, these beings died out, or were driven to the far reaches of the world. The wyvern is one such creature.


While magic still shaped the lives of man and beast, the dragon-like wyverns were feared by peasants and herdsmen. Swooping out of the sky to snatch sheep, and sometimes lone wanderers, they were featured in legends and tales. Many are the stories of brave heroes seeking out the wyvern's lair to slay the beast, often in revenge or to free the area of the monster's fearsome shadow. The last recorded Erian wyvern was slain by St. Eremis in YE 277.


Two centuries ago, a cabal of Hermetic wizards under Master Voartrix Aretmedes bani Flambeu, journeyed into the Wild and returned to the Order State with a precious cargo. Deep in the savage lands of the North, they had come across a hunt of wyverns. After they had killed the adults, they managed to locate the nest-cavern, and retrieved a number of eggs. Upon coming home, Master Aretmedes was able to secure the Towers funding for a project intended to hatch and domesticate the fledglings. This was to be a smashing success, and today the Ordo has a healthy stock of these flying creatures.


Large, ferocious and surprisingly loyal to its rider, the domesticated wyverns proved to be well suited as steeds, and there are currently several cabals of wyvern-riders in the service of the Ordo Hermetica. One of these, the Draconis Azuris, or Blue Dragons, operate from the fortress-ship Katedral, the flagship of Battlefleet Hermetica.






Wyvern
The Northern Wyvern (Draconis Vivernis Borealis) is the largest of the recorded wyvern-species. Their thick hide usually has a dark green to brown complexion, with the wings being of a lighter hue. They are fierce and aggressive, but when reared from hatchlings they will form strong bonds to their handlers. If properly trained, they are also well suited as steeds, and a grown wyvern can easily carry an armed rider.


The bulls can grow to reach a height of 17.3 hands (1.8 m), from ground to withers, a length of 50 feet (15.5 m) from snout to tail-tip, and can have a wing-span of up to 110 feet (34 m). The mares are somewhat smaller.


Attributes
Intelligence N/A, Wits 4, Resolve 2
Strength 6, Dexterity 6, Stamina 8
Presence 2, Manipulation 1, Composure 2


Skills
Athletics (flight) 5, Brawl 4, Survival 3, Intimidate 4


Willpower 4
Health 18


Initiative 10
Defense 4
Armor 4
Speed 5 (walking)
Speed 13 (flying)
Size 10


Attacks
Bite 4 (L) dice-pool 14
Claw 2 (L) dice-pool 12 *


* Special 1: Swoop - if enough successes are scored on a Claw-attack (see WoD, p. 157) when the wyvern swoops down on a target on ground, it will lift it into the air. After gaining sufficient height, it will then drop its prey (see WoD, p. 179).
Special 2: Pin - if enough successes are scored on a Claw-attack (see WoD, p. 157) the wyvern may pin the target to the ground. The following round it will attack with its bite with a +3 to its dice-pool.




[Picture source: willowWISP]