Wyverns

The poisonous non-dragon dragons

Written by Skia

Wyverns are creatures close related to dragons. The main difference is that, unlike them, who can control a variety of different elements, wyverns can only use poison from their tail stinger. They used to be one of the most common species in Dorakor, but after the two Great Wyvern-Dragon wars, the dragons overtook them completely. Nowdays, Wyverns are still found around all over the world, but they are extremely rare compared to what they used to be, on a ratio of 1 every 50 dragons. Wyverns and dragons still don't see each other too well to this day, however, the relationship between the two species has been greatly improved with time.

Biology

Wyvern are big, scaly, draconic creatures. They possess wings and two legs, but no arms, and they have a stinger on the tip of the tail. Like dragons, they also posses forked tongues and the Jacobson's organ, which is a lot more developed than their elemental cousins and that is their main sense of smell. All wyverns also have at least two horns on the back of their heads, and two, long ears. They don't have a lifespan as long as dragons, but they can still live up to 800 years regardless. One of the main difference between dragons and wyverns is that wyverns are, in fact, ovoviviparous, just like vipers, which means the egg hatches inside the mother, which means the hatchling is born alive outside of its eggshell.

The tail stinger

Wyverns have one thing in particular that differentiate them from other draconic creatures, that being the poison stinger on the tip of their tail. This feature, while it may seem less deadly than a dragon fire, can actually kill really large dragon in a matter of minutes. The only creatures immune to the poison are wyvern themselves and wyvernians. And since wyvernians are the most technologically advanced race in Dorakor, there's also no real antidote, as they are the only one who would be able to produce it but refuse to do it. This was the main reason the number of dragons in the world decreased rapidly during the first war, as the dragons weren't properly equipped to fight such a scary opponent. In the second war, however, dragons quickly learned to keep their distance thanks to their element breath, which proved to be winning strategy for them, and would have been the end for all wyvern, had it not been for the treaty.

Classification

In the past, there has been a lot of debate whether or not wyverns were dragons. Some scholars were adamant about the fact that they shouldn't have been considered so, while others thought they were similar enough to be called "dragons". Today we know for a fact wyverns are part of a subclass of Ignidentia. The difference being that they belong to the subclass Venumcaudae, instead of Draconiformes. In that sense, you could say that all wyvern are dragons, but not all dragons are wyverns. The Subclass is then divided in different orders, and each order in different families. However, most of the less common wyverns species are now extinct, and only two order remain, Viperaformes, which refers to big, dragon-like wyvern, and Viverhominidae, which instead denominate Wyvernians, small, humanoid creatures closely related to wyverns. Inside the Viperaformes order, you can find one family, which is Vivernidae. Nowdays, only four different species of Wyverns remain, and they all belong to that family. The four species being:

• Common Wyvern: Viverna venenata, the most common species of wyvern, found all over the world;
• Plains Wyvern: Viverna parva, the smallest species of wyvern, usually found around plains;
• Desert Wyvern: Viverna deserti, a species of wyvern who mostly lives in the hot enviornments of Brekokador;
• Mountain Wyvern: Viverna montis, the biggest species of wyvern, who prefers colder environment like mountain ranges.

Wyverns by Skia

Naming Traditions

Family names

Wyverns, just like dragons, don't have family names. The formula they address themselves with is also pretty similar, but simpler, being:

Name + profession

Other names

Nicknames don't really exist in the Wyvern society, but there's something called "battle names". Battle names are a sort of nicknames derived from one's prowess and action in battle. It can also be derived from the hunting skill in time of peace.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

All Wyverns speak Wyvernic, which is a language derived from draconic, but simplyfied. There used to be dialects, back when there were a lot more different species of wyverns, but they disappeared when they went extinct. To this day, scholars are still trying to recover these lost dialect via older writings, but it's a flawed process.

Culture and cultural heritage

If Dragons society is all about studying legends and myths, Wyverns are more focused on actual hystory and politics. War is also an important part of their culture, to the point that their king is chosen based on their skill in battle.

Average technological level

When it comes to technology, Wyverns are actually more advanced than dragons to this day, thanks to the help of Wyvernians. That said, not many of them fully use it, as they prefer to live in the wild, far away from big cities.

Common Etiquette rules

It's a common etiquette for Wyverns to bow their heads whenever they greet someone.

Common Dress code

Wyverns, just like dragons, don't really wear clothes, with the exception of armour. Since their society is based on battle, armour is very precious to them, especially worn one, as it shows that whoever wears it has been able to survive lots of battles.

Art & Architecture

Wyverns don't really spend too much time with art and architecture, as for them it's just a waste of time that could have been used to hone their battling skills. Of course, there are some exceptions between them, as not all wyverns care about tradition much anymore, especially after the second war. It's has been more and more common recently for Wyverns to take interest in art.

Common Customs, traditions and rituals

Another difference with the dragon society is their hoarding behaviour. Even wyverns like to hoard, but mostly bones of their preys or enemies. This is sometimes controversial, as some wyverns who survived the war have dragon bones in their collection.

Birth & Baptismal Rites

There's a specific baptismal rite for Wyverns. When the hatchling is born, they are placed in a bowl filled with the poison of both of the parents. Wyverns are immune to their poison, so the hatchling won't be hurt from the ritual. This ritual symbolizes the connection between wyverns and poison since birth, which to them is extremely important. It is also said that the ritual is needed for the hatchling to develop strong poison, however this is just a myth, as the hatchling will still be able to produce deadly toxins like their parents.

Coming of Age Rites

When a wyvern gets to a certain age, a ceremony is held in their honour. The young wyvern is expected to hunt the biggest prey they can find nearby and bring it back to their family. This will be the feast for all the family, and the bones will be the first addition to the young wyvern's hoard. After this rite, the young wyvern is free to choose to live on their own, or stay with their family a lit more.

Funerary and Memorial customs

Death isn't considered as an event worth of celebration of any kind. Wyverns simply bury their dead without any big ceremony. This is because it is believed that while Wyverns spend most of their life in the air, they deserve to rest on the ground when they die.

Common Taboos

For Wyverns, keeping their tail high is a taboo, as it's usually synonym of aggressiveness. This is because Wyverns raise their tail before hitting a prey or an enemy with it, just like a scorpion.

Historical figures

This section is a work in progress, as I have not yet written down everything about their history

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Wings are a pretty big deal in the wyvern society, since flying is considered one of the most important activity. A wyvern without wings is considered very unactractive, same with one with small wings. Not only that, but these are often considered as outcast of the society, as they are unable to fly properly, and so hunt and fight.

Gender Ideals

Just like dragons, Wyverns don't consider gender roles important at all. Each individual can choose to be referred with any pronoun, even the neutral one, and everyone will try their best to respect them.

Courtship Ideals

Wyvern will also engage in "rogokedior", or "death dive", when courting one another, but unlike dragons, a lot more of aerial acrobatics is involved before the actual dive. The longer one can stay in the air, and the more complicated their air moves are, the more they are considered attractive to their partner.

Relationship Ideals

Wyverns are usually monogamous, but it's not uncommon for them to have different partners before settling down with the final one.

Major organizations

The head of the government is a constitutional monarchy. The king/queen is only considered worthy based on their feats in battle. Not only that, but the ruler is also the main head figure when it comes to religion, as it's believed that their battle ability is a gift from the God.

more to be added

Names

Feminine names

Adakar, Grak, Riak, Oruak, Viar

Masculine names

Mizur, Fariur, Krokur, Tirur

Unisex names

Grot, Aiuot, Darot, Sikuot

Other info

Parent ethnicities

• Dragons