Wyrm Rider's Saddle

High in the Sky

Heavy wingbeats of a large beast can be heard off in the distance. The faint, screeching cry of a Wyvern can be heard across the city of Hope's Cradle. You just witnessed an elderly Dragonborn shopkeep get robbed at wand-point out in one of the outter most rings of the Orbit. Right when you think the culprit got away, you watch as a blur of blue and green scales swoop down and latch onto the neerdowell's shoulders. The robber is quickly lifted off into the ever-dark sky, kicking and screaming as its claws dig into his shoulders to keep him from falling to an untimely demise. You're just barely able to make out the shadow of a man riding the great beast - something only few get to witness - a Wyrm Rider.

Mechanics & Inner Workings

Their functionality is actually quite simple: strap it to a Wyvern's back and ride! Getting it on one, however, is a very different story.

History

After several hundred years of things both stablizing and getting constructed beneath the ever-present weight of The Gloom's onslaught, the Bastions were able to properly prosper. With this newfound prosperity, however, came the age-old menace of both developed and developing societies: greed. With there being little reason to worry about the outside after the artificial suns were constructed, organized crime flourished in the seedy underbellies of the poorer districts within the new Orbits. The Pyro Primum of Hope's Cradle, however, had little patience for it.

With the Approval of Zyronith, an ancient Blue Dragon thought to be one of the city's founders, the Primum ordered the capture of several Blue, Green, Black, and Red Wyverns native to the surrounding region. These draconic beings seemed to avoid the ground where The Gloom clings, and the species was able to avoid the corrupting properties of that wretched mist... for the most part, anyway. Those that were found to be unaffected were captured and brought back to be domesticated.

With a new winged beast at their disposal, the Primum ordered that a new branch of the Prismatic Host be drafted and trained to ride them. The saddles were originally taken from draft horses and retrofitted to function, but as time went on they became more and more varied so as to accommodate their riders. The soldiers selected for this duty were top-of-the-class initiates that showed extreme promise after their Gauntlet and subsequent Chromatic Rite. Much of their training and way of life is hidden from the public eye, but it is thought that their chain of command is tight - they answer only to the Primum and Zyronith.

Significance

The Wyrm Rider's Saddle enabled the Pyro Primum, or First Fire, to have an iron grip on the city they presided over. It also gave the Prismatic Host the continent's first (and only) functional air force... that is public knowledge, anyway.

The first saddle specifically made for Wyverns on display in Hope's Cradle. The first iterations of these were little more than retrofitted cavalry saddles.

Item type

Miscellaneous

Creation Date

824 After Lightfall

Rarity

Rare

Weight

Typically light weight, but larger Wyverns can handle heavier-duty saddles.

Dimensions

Every Wyrm Saddle is custom made for its Rider to ensure maximum efficiency while flying.

Base Price

Variable

Raw materials & Components

These saddles are made of incredibly hardy leather, and are often adorned with precious metals and gemstones.