Emerald Wyvern

Though the Tanes, the truest of dragons, the progenitors of the Draconid genus, are long since extinct, there do remain magnificent vestiges of their dominance, distant cousins whom are dominant and intelligent, some may argue sapient, in their own right. The least among these are Wyverns. Though dominant apex predators, they are without a doubt intelligent beings, capable of speech, generally fluent in at least two spoken languages. Emerald Wyverns are no exception to this rule. Magnificent entities, terrifying and awe inspiring, though not necessarily for their size as one might expect from a creature descended from a Tane. They are only a little larger than black bears, yet they are fast, ferocious and with a dangerous intellect. They are skilled hunters, masterful climbers and rule their domain, generally a massive area encompassing at least a couple hundred square kilometers. Between might, scale, jaws and magick they are the dominant predator anywhere they make their home. A glittering row of emerald scales running from head to tail down the center of their back, giving way to deep conifer or leafy green scales that cover the rest of their body, they are a majestic sight to behold. That said should one ever find themselves face to face with such a beast, one would be well advised to speak respectfully, quickly, and non-threateningly.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Emerald Wyverns grow to about the height (on all fours) of a black bear, but are notably longer with their long and robust tails, and their enlongated heads. Their powerful legs and claws are built not just for running, but for climbing, and they are expert climbers, helped by the fact that much like humanoids, their hooked 'toes' such as they are, all six on each foot, are long like fingers, with two joints at which they bend, along with bending at the knuckle, allowing them to properly grasp and grip trunks and branches to climb. Their scales are thick and tough, but are almost mesh and fibrous like, similar in consistency to oak or maple, and as such, also breath well, allowing the creature impressive temperature regulation. The tail, relatively long and whip like, can reach lengths of nearly two meters (a little over 6') and is topped with a vicious barbed stinger, which is capable of delivering hefty doses of a toxic cocktail that the wyvern's own body produces in large volume, seemingly stored in glands in its tail, above its front and sharpest teeth, and in a gland within its respiratory system.

Biological Traits

Emerald Wyverns much like any Draconid, are known to have a lifespan potentially that would be measured in decades and centuries, and it is estimated that assuming they do not die from exterior causes, they'd likely live well into their first century, likely a century and a half. Yet they are so territorial and have such a wide home range that often older ones, weary with age, with recovery from many injuries, and many many battles, will be killed in territory disputes by younger of their own kind. Such is a natural ordering which along with the infant mortality rate, seems to keep their population in check, ensuring they stay a rare and deadly apex predator.

Females are generally a little larger, more robust, but the big indicator between the two will be their throat scales. A female's are crystal like, seeming almost transluscent, yet if her gullet is full and active, that is if she is a mother with hatchlings, a female will have a vibrant almost emerald green throat, a dead give away that she is not available to court or mate with. Males by contrast much like the rest of their underbelly scaling, will have a deep evergreen throat all the time.

Emerald Wyverns on all fours average heights around 1.2 to 1.5 meters (3'10" to 4'9") with females often being slightly taller, and an average length from snout to to tail tip of 4.5 to 6 meters or (14'9" to 19'7"), however up to 2 meters (so around 6') of that length will be tail. Adult Emerald Wyverns generally weigh in between 400 to 550 kgs (881 lbs to 1213 lbs), with females once again often being heavier.

Genetics and Reproduction

Emerald Wyverns are extremely territorial. Like almost all Draconids, they lay eggs, and a female will generally lay a clutch of 2-4 eggs. Mating rituals seem to include complex displays of climbing prowess, hunting ability, and showing off of trophys from the male's lair, as well as demonstrating their magickal prowess, though the intricate nature of these displays and tasks are not well known. What little we do know is has not been gleaned from study or observation directly rather it has been gleaned from wyverns offering it willingly, a rare thing. Of such a clutch, it is rare indeed for more than one to reach adulthood, however it does happen. The nature of exactly how...copulation takes place is unknown, due to the danger that would be involved in observing and documenting such a thing. After all one need remember Emerald Wyvern mating takes place at the lair and in the territory of the female, and it is the females whom are most viciously and dangerous territorial within the species. Female Emeralds with eggs or hatchlings in particular have even been known to actively spite kill any other predator that wanders within a kilometer of their den or lair, not eating the meat. Instead they merely kill the creature and leave the corpse displayed in a tree as a sort of grotesque warning.

Growth Rate & Stages

Hatchling emeralds are quite small, only about the size of small dog, but they will grow very quickly those first few weeks. They hatch blind, and are dependent on their mother to provide them sustenance via a special gland in her gullet, not unlike some birds, where some meat she eats rests in a pouch of corrosive fluids to help break them down into a slurry which she then regurgitates to feed them. This only lasts about six to eight weeks until their teeth begin to come in, and then she will begin bringing back parts of kills for them to learn to eat, to rip and tear. Over the course of this time, the coming four months, as their baby scales will slowly shed and their first deeper dappled green and brown scale coat will come in, it is common for either one or two hatchlings to bully and dominate the others. This is a big part of the reason why it is rare, regardless of the number of eggs laid by a female, for more than 1-2 of the babies to reach adulthood. Generally in this four month period, one or two of the hatchlings of a clutch will exert their dominance, when mother is not around, to the point that their first live prey victims, their first successful hunt and kill, will be their siblings, whom they will eat. Such is the nature of the Emerald Wyvern, and how the strong and fit are chosen to carry on. It is around this time as well, the six to eight month region, that they begin to learn to articulate, to speak. We know not how or why this trait remains within wyvern species, yet it does.

From this point, as their first coat of colored scales comes in, and they reach a size more describable as large dog or wolf, they will travel with their mother, learning to climb, learning to hunt, and they will, at the one year mark, begin learning to weave and control the powers of Dulra that they naturally have, beginning to discover their latent connection to the arcane through the emerald currents of nature. The mother will teach them to hunt, passing down specialized techniques she has developed for prey species in the area, and also at the same time, she will teach them the deeper complexities of Valarian and likely another local language of sapient beings in the region, even teaching them about what those sapient entities value, what sort of things they see as valuable. This instinct is likely driven by the latent genetics of the Tanes, true dragons whom once ruled all, teaching how to interact with societies in this way. This will last for a year, over which the young wyverns will transform again, filling out, growing to their maximum size, developing a mature stinger upon their muscular and flexible tail, and mastering their arcane connection. They will shed the camoflogued scales they have now, the colors of their adult scales showing notably more vibrancy, still useful camoflogue among greenery, less so in winter in areas that have winter, though research suggests Emerald Wyverns hibernate. However the mark of a sexually mature adult will grow in here, the ridge of pure emerald scales starting from the snout, running in a line over the head, down the center of the back and tail to the stinger. By two years of age, they are adults, and will leave their mother of their own accord, or be chased away if they prove to try and be 'clingy', as her instinct to mate again will make her aggressively unwilling to deal with such a clingy former child.

Ecology and Habitats

Emerald Wyverns rule the thickest of woodlands, forests, and even jungles. They are drawn to the thickest greenery of nature and make their lairs and dens within the thickest and most wild and unnavigatible of such biomes. The areas that they actually make their home, their lairs or dens such as they are, are known to be overgrown beyond measure, almost impossible to traverse within for most any other creature. Flowering plants that spit spores of poison, thorny vines and bushes that will grab and ensnare anyone whom attempts to move within the area. Often there will be the odd puddle or pool of toxic liquids as well, hidden by the undergrowth, toxins that are delivered through skin absorption, so stepping within them would be a dangerous trap.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Emerald Wyverns need to eat a notable amount to survive, consuming about a thousand pounds of meat a week by necessity when fully grown. Like all draconids they eat much more than their own body weight, which is believed to be necessary to keep their intellect sharp and to empower their own ability to wield magick. They are a mix of ambush and blitz predator, using stealth and sudden and massive violence to bring down prey that is even a it larger than themselves, such as a full grown bull moose.

Biological Cycle

In areas that get a true winter, Emerald Wyverns are known to hibernate, which as one might imagine means they get very very active in autumn. They are most active in summer and autumn in such regions with such seasonal variance, however in areas of jungle, they are generally less active in such bursts, but are active all the time.

Behaviour

Emerald Wyverns are naturally very territorial, however they are not beyond reason and unless extremely hungry and desperate for food they will often at least listen to sapient entities, entertaining their words, maybe even honestly considering them if they are of a negotiation like nature.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Wyvern scales, of any color, are tough and have amazing properties that can be harnessed in making garments and armor. The venoms produced by the creature are some of the strongest known to exist, which it should be of no surprise there would be a market for. Teeth and claws make trophies of note and legend worthy for those few Exemplari whom have ever faced down such a beast and slain it. It is also said such creatures hearts contain a small piece of pure emerald that can be harvested upon their death. Given the rarity of manna gems, any method of finding such things beyond the normal discovery of a deposit that can be mined is of value.

Yet in contrast when left alone and alive, some scholars do believe that even more than magisters, Draconids like wyverns and drakes, their mere existence and survival empowers and strengthens the Aether, and so by contrast there are those whom would suggest that killing such creatures is a shortsighted and poor choice.

Facial characteristics

They have somewhat elongated snout and jaws that are also a little thin, but filled with robust serrated teeth excellent for tearing and ripping flesh. If not for the scales and such, one might confuse the shape of of their nose and mouth for vaguely canine shaped. Their eye, deep leafy green, with yellowish pupils, lacking eyelids, are vicious, with a raw natural force to them, something indescribable, yet awe inducing.

Average Intelligence

It is worthwhile to note that whilst some of the most bestial and predatory of any wyvern, Emerald Wyverns are not animals. They are intelligent, often capable of speaking two languages naturally/by nurture. They can be reasoned with and negotiated with unless they are starving, and though extremely territorial are not beyond reason. They also have a deep understanding of the arcane, particularly of Dulra, of the magics of naturalism/druidism. They possess knowledge, inherent understanding and should be respected not just as an apex predator, but as an entity of the forest, of nature itself.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Emerald Wyvern's are known to have pretty good hearing and eyesight. Their sense of smell, however is without peer, stronger than any other creature in the forests, swamps and woodlands they call home. Beyond this, given their natural tie to Dulra, Emerald Wyverns have a deep bond to the Aether, able to sense any manipulations of Dulra, any weaving of Druidic magicks, out to a distance of a kilometer from themselves, pinpointing both distance and direction. They sense these movements in the Aether directly, feeling the ripples of the emerald currents through their own essence, their own 'soul' for want of a better explanation, and they feel them quite acutely.

Scientific Name

Draconidis Wyvernia Emeralin

Average Physique

Emerald wyverns are of a muscular build, but athletic and lithe. They are nimble for thier size, able to move through woods, trees and foilage with speed and precision. They are hardy, tough creatures as well, like any Draconid.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

As noted, range in color and tone from leafy to evergreen, all through the sort of green shade spectrum, however that brilliant glittering emerald green ridge is universal for all Emerald wyverns, marking their distant heritage to the true Tanes that once ruled the woodlands of Valerick before the Sundering.