Great Wyvern

Although commonly considered the largest wyvern, the Great Wyvern, actually only shares a common ancestor. The great wyvern is challenged by few predators in the air. Unlike true wyverns the great wyvern spends most of its life airborne, flying along the great updrafts, only returning to earth to mate and feed. A great wyvern can stay aloft for several months, possibly even years. They can live for hundreds of years. These migrations tend to follow the flow of the ley lines as they cross the world.

An adult great wyvern will have a wingspan in excess of 20 m (65 ft). Its body can weigh up to 300 kg (660 lb), most of that centrally located in the torso and tail. Its head is elongated with its mouth over half of that length. Instead of prominent fangs, the great wyvern has several row of teeth designed for slicing. Its tail ends forks near the end, with a leathery membrane stretched between each tail. Along the underside of each forked tail are sharp barbs capable of delivering a necrotic toxin. The great wyvern pulls its forked tail together, to protect the membrane, when it strikes.

A great wyvern feeds not only on physical meats, but the flow of the Shadow Realms as well. This supplemental “food” allows the wyvern to stay aloft for so long without meat. The gland, located in front of their brain, is highly sought after by magicians for its ability to draw magic from the ley lines on the world.

A great wyvern is solitary, but not territorial. Should they meet in the air these wyverns will often fly together until eventually separating, each going their own way without acknowledgement of the others.

When a female begins her reproductive cycle, about once every ten to fifteen (10 -15) years, she will land a build a colorful nest to attract a male. When the male lands nearby he will preform an elaborate mating dance to entice the female. If receptive he will mate with her and then fly off. A female may be receptive to several males until she produces her egg or very rarely a pair of eggs. The eggs will not hatch for nearly a year - instead cycling between hardening and softening as it grows. Spirits are drawn to the egg and thousands may gather during the hatching, bringing odd gifts. These spirits will lift the young wyvern aloft within days of its hatching, several of them becoming its first meal.

Once airborne the young wyvern will separate from its mother, fully able to feed and care for itself. The mother will take to the air, over a year since she landed until her cycle beings anew.

• reptiles
• Temperate Biome
• Subtropical Biome
• Tropical Biome