Species: Most Dangerous

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Creatures; most DANGEROUS.

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To earn the title of slayer, one must first slay the beast itself. One would be foolish to not first learn all that he or she could of their intended prey. Listed below is all the information (and more) you may need to slay one of the most deadly beasts in Ellesmere. If you have any more questions, please contact Cher and she will gladly fill you in.

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☠ D r a g o n s .

General Knowledge;
Dragons are one of the most dangerous creatures a wolf can ever hunt. Second only to their more temperamental cousins (the wyvern), dragons are extremely difficult to slay, given their hard scales, large mass, and tendency to have the will to live an average lifetime (which for a dragon, is about five thousand years). Their natural coloration remains unknown, given their ability to change the color of their scales with their mood. The most remarkable color to watch out for is red, which is the dragon equivalent to rage.

Females are generally more feisty than males and tend to have a shorter fuse. Note that despite the popular myth, dragons do not have the capability to breathe fire from their mouths. Instead, one would do well to watch the forepaws of the beast, which are capable of producing blasts of acid or fire. A telltale sign of warning is when the beast lurches up onto it's hind legs. It is only then that it may release those deadly globs.

Dragons are largely recognized and identified as "over-sized lizards". This juxtaposing of creatures is likely at first but on closer inspection can be found to be a completely and utterly false recognition. For while they do indeed share four legs, cold blood, and a seemingly fur-less appearance in adulthood, the likeliness stops there. Dragons are capable of birthing their young either alive or through eggs, depending on which season they're birthing in. These dragon cubs (or hatchlings, again depending on their birth) are completely fur-covered upon first meeting the open air. it is only after their first five years of life that they begin to grow those tell-tale scales. Underneath the scales, however, it has been proven that dragons continue to grow and shed hair throughout their adult lives.

Dragons do not rely on the sun for heat most of the year and instead remain comfortable with their own internal fire. During winter, however, it is vital for them to stay in the sunlight most of the day. It is during this period that they are obviously more vulnerable to being hunted. It is also the reason that there are fewer hatchlings than there are cubs.

Appearance;
Dragons, length-wise, can be divided almost evenly into thirds. The first third of their length would be the head and outlandishly long neck. The second third would be occupied by it's thick and muscularly torso and would be followed by the last third, it's tail. The similar length of neck and tail are vital for it's balance. The head, however small, is not to be underestimated. A large part of the skull is the muzzle of the beast, and dragons are known for possessing a mouth full of canines sharper than the finest sword. Some, mostly male, have been found to possess two rows of these teeth. The remaining amount of skull is used to house the dragons brain, which is almost (if not entirely) up to par with a wolfs. In some instances, especially with old dragons, their intelligence far surpasses that of a wolf.

Male dragons can grow to be the size of nearly eighty paw steps from snout to tail tip; females are quite a bit larger than males and have been measured at close to twice that length. In addition, they can be recognized by the third horn on the center of their brow, used to help hatchlings escape their hard eggs. It is one of the only instruments known to be able to pierce the shell. Females are also known to possess larger, more snake-like eyes than a male, whose eyes most closely resemble that of a large cat.

Finally, the biggest detail: the wings of a dragon. While the membrane that connects each wing segment is extremely delicate compared to the rest of the body, it is still the consistency of hard leather and is hard (but not impossible) to pierce. The wings expand to roughly two-thirds the entire length of the dragon, making it possible for them to engage in flight. It helps that the bones of a dragon are completely hollow, like a bird, but each muscle is surrounded and weighted down by several pounds of muscle, fat, and lead-like scales. It is this weight that enable a dragon to maintain flight only for a few hours at most.

Hunting;
There are just a few weaknesses a dragon has that makes it hunt-able to a wolf. Firstly, dragons have a few spots on their bodies where the scales are softer than others. Those spots would be their armpits, the spot of flesh under their chin, the underside of their tail, and of course, the wings. All other places should be considered impregnable from far-range and an extremely difficult shot at close-range. It has to be noted that, however unlikely, a well-aimed thrust upward under a scale might indeed puncture flesh if a long enough knife is used. Out of all these spots, it would be easiest to target the wings and render the dragon incapable of immediate escape.

Secondly, a dragon is by no means fast. A wolf's speed is one of his greatest weapons against such a massive creature. Be warned, however, that a dragon is capable of whipping it's head and tail around at high speeds if angered. If this happens, it's best to confuse the beast or set it off balance.

Thirdly, its pride often leads to its downfall. A dragon would never resort to trickery (another difference between its cousin, the wyvern) and is above pleading for its life. Most dragons are magical enough to have an immediate understanding of all creatures, and can therefore communicate to and understand the words of a wolf. While insulting a dragon is unadvised, the tactic has been known to have an effect on the dragon. Effect dependent on individual encounters with different dragons.

Valuables;
Most of the dragon, if not all of it, is considered valuable. Teeth, horns, claws, bones and scales are often made into highly effective weapons or used as trinkets to show wealth and status. The flesh of a dragon is considered a delicacy that only the high class can afford. The blood is often bought by menders and shaman for ceremonial or healing purposes (handle with care, it has acidic properties until treated). The only thing not usually touched or used is the organ that generated fire or acid for the dragon while it was alive. It is usually this organ (or the heart or brain) that is burned as an offering of thanks and forgiveness.

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☠ W y v e r n s .

General Knowledge;
As mentioned in the previous section, wyverns are the only known relative to the dragon that remains alive today. It is suspected that long ago the two species were in fact one, and were split apart only in some strange twist of genes and the need to adapt to survive. Wyverns are perhaps the most difficult creature to slay in all the world, given their defenses and natural tendency for evil, trickery, and deceit. In general, most wyverns value their own lives more than any other and would go so far as to slaughter their own kin if it could save their own hide. Unlike their four-legged cousins, wyverns have no standard code of honor or conduct, which makes them all the more dangerous.

Wyverns favor the darkness of caves, lake bottoms and forests to the clear skies. It is rare to see a wyvern in flight during the daylight hours; most of the species is thought to be nocturnal. Due to their sunless lives, most wyvern scales lack much color. These muted scales still retain the ability to change color with their host's mood. One can also notice that the scales of a wyvern are thinner and more pointed than a dragons, though equally as strong and sharp.

Wyvern have a set birthing period that takes place during winter. They are unable to birth live young but can instead lay up to four eggs (of rounder appearance than a dragon egg) in one season. These eggs are kept warm in a small, sphere shaped cavern that a female wyvern will dig and then line with coal. It is thought that this cavern serves as a natural womb of sorts until the small wyverns are ready to emerge. The female wyvern will then set fire to the cavern daily to keep the coal burning hotly while she hunts for herself. Unlike dragons, wyvern males do not stay with their partners during the brooding process. When the eggs are ready to hatch, they will push out of the shells themselves or die inside. Though brutal, the female gives no help to her hatchlings and will instead wait for them to come to her. Only the strongest wyverns will make it through to adulthood.

Appearance;
Wyverns and dragons are so alike in appearance that only a few key details enable a wolf to tell the two apart, which could be vital. The first being that the wyvern is naturally more serpentine in appearance, it's body slimmer and build more for speed. That being said, do not underestimate a wyvern's strength, which is often described as “damn surprising given its appearance”. But the most startling difference between the wyvern and its cousin is the fact that, while the dragon possesses four legs and wings, a wyvern possesses four legs, two of which are wings. The front limbs are more elongated and slimmer than their bulky back legs, which usually bear most of the wyverns weight. Unless leaning down to consume prey, a grounded wyvern walks upright on their hind legs, its wing-arms tucked at its side, similar to a bird.

Like dragons, wyverns possess two horns on the top of their brow (the females of this species lack the third horn in the middle). However, each wyvern possesses a slightly different set of horns; some curl to frame the wyvern's face while others may stand stark straight. It is thought that males use these differences to attract a mate with similar horns.

Male and female differences in appearance are slightly less visible at first than a dragons. Both males and females grow to a similar length (one hundred paces) and as mentioned before, no third horn sets the two apart. However, males possess a giant, hooking claw in addition to the claws normally present on their forelegs. Older males are also known to possess a barbed tail, perhaps to more easily defend their mates.

Hunting;
The similarities between hunting dragons and wyverns are so great that it is thought that a separate section for hunting the two is unneeded. Refer back to the hunting section on dragons if needed.

Valuables;
Most parts of the wyvern are considered valuable for one purpose or another. While the bones and scales may not be as strong as a dragons, they are most certainly stronger than natural stone or wood. The meat of a wyvern is a delicacy only when cooked first-- some wyverns have cursed blood that would lead to a poisoned death. One would be wise to stay away from the caustic venom that serves as a wyverns tears.