On Salyverns

Excerpt from A Guide to Harvesting and Harnessing All The Wild Has To Offer

(Pages 151-152, from chapter 6: Dracons, Subdracons, & draconids)

Salyvern

I recommend that anyone who has the opportunity to visit the Salt Spires on the southwest bend of the Dragon’s Spine mountains should do so. The salts that can be collected from the rich flows and formations have a variety of unique flavours, and as a substitute for sea salt greatly enhance any recipe that calls for it, be it alchemy or cooking or craft. See entry on Spire Salts in chapter 9: scavenging and foraging, for further details.

As well as an abundant resource of salts, the Salt Spires are home to a diminutive draconid species called Salyverns. Salyverns are aquaphobic, and intolerant to moisture. They are minerivores, feeding on salts from the flows and natural structures. Their saline diet causes salt-like crystals to form on their scales and grow longer over the course of their lifespan. The additional mineral and elemental traces within the salt wells can cause a Salyvern’s scales to change colour depending on its specific feeding grounds.

Like most draconic species, Salyverns are extremely territorial. Though one is unlikely to kill a full grown human, a swarm of Salyverns that feel threatened can be deadly. Their crystallized scales are brittle and fragile, and not effective armour, but the rough, jagged points can be extremely sharp. Ranged attacks are preferred for hunting Salyverns, but a sling would be more effective than bow and arrow. Also exercise caution on the terrain— younger salt formations may not be as structurally sound, and one risks being buried in salt should a slope crumble underfoot. Once on an expedition to the Salt Spires, I uncovered the corpse of a traveller who had met such a fate a long time ago. Between being buried in the salt and having swallowed a large amount of it, he died of suffocation and his body was effectively mummified over the course of a century.

To kill a Salyvern, stun or incapacitate with strong blow to head, then sever head from neck using blade or saw. Of course, splashing them with water would also greatly weaken or kill them, but would also destroy many useful parts of its body.

Suggested uses for various components of Salyvern

The Flesh

Salyvern meat is dry, tough, and stringy, with an earthy, salty flavour. It does not take to stewing well, as even raw it has little in the way of juices and makes for poor roast. Instead, carve the flesh away from the bones, remove skin and organs, and make into jerky. Makes for good traveling rations and lasts longer in storage than conventional beef. Raw salyvern is also decent dog-food.

The Hide

Salyvern hide is thin. Try to avoid breaking crystalized scales when skinning carcass. The scales are small, fitting two or three in the palm. Carefully remove scales from hide one by one, setting aside for later. Collect any broken salt crystal shards. There are two main uses for the hide. When soaked, it thins further, becoming stretchy and elastic. It appears weak, but is unlikely to break in this state. Stretch as thin as possible until hide is translucent. Wrap around glass bottles and stitch and cut in place to create bottle sleeves to protect contents from direct sunlight. Be sure to finish shaping and stitching before hide dries out or it will become stiff and inflexible. Alternatively, treat hide and make into leather, which is not strong enough for armour or belts, but is good for small ties and braiding when cut into long strips.

The Scales

Salyvern scales are plate-like and ossified. The scale itself is made of kafaeratin, like dracons and most other draconids, but as previously described, the crystal growths are made primarily of salt from their diets. Kafaeratin is a common component in many magic potions, elixirs, and incantations. In the realm of medicine, it is most useful for treatments of weak or failing skin, and re-growing or repairing lost hair, teeth, and fingernails. In order for Salyvern scales to be viable for these applications, the crystals should be removed and the roots of them sanded off the scale’s surface. Large crystal forms can be used as receptacles for magical energy. The crystals could also be ground into a powder to be an ingredient in some poison antidotes, and is particularly effective against Nectar of Iron.

The Organs

Not every part of the Salyvern’s innards are edible. The pieces worthy of attention are the stomach, the heart, and the liver. The stomach has the highest content of salt infusion. Score with a knife and add whole to a stew to give it a richer dimension of flavour. To roast the heart, slice in half lengthwise and trim away tough pieces and valves. Stuff with leek, fresh and dried berries, basil, and garlic, and fold heart closed like a package and tie with string. Dress with honey and roast on spit. Cook liver with slices of onion in butter and Spire salts. Pull apart brain to small pieces and toss in oil in a pan over fire with a sweet savoury sauce. Cut lungs into flat steaks and sear over coals, with cane oil, until charred on outside and tender inside. Serve with rice.

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Recipe for Salyvern Jerky

Ingredients:

• Salyvern meat trimmed of silver skin
• 1 half-carafe cane-oil
• 1 dense cup brown sugar
• 3 spoons coastal vinegar
• 1 spoon ground capsinuum
• 2 spoon ground hot felfel
• 1 spoon syah pepper
• 1 spoon minced mountain onion
• 1 spoon minced deep garlic

Note: be careful not to over-salt, as the meat is already very salty. Cut prepared meat into strips and mix above ingredients into sauce in large bowl, and add meat to sauce. Mix thoroughly and ensure all pieces of meat are properly coated. Cover and seal bowl and place in cool or cold place for at least a half day or overnight. Swirl meat around in bowl, careful not to spill sauce, for even soaking. Remove meat from sauce and bake for two hours, rotate, and bake for two more hours, until meat is dried out, should be leather-like in appearance and chewy but still tender. Store jerky sealed in jar, do not leave out, and keep out of sun.