Freestian Wyverns
The Freestian Wyvern is the most populous species of the Draconi family of reptiles within the Freethinker Commonwealth. Highly intelligent and extremely loyal, these large reptiles have become an important part of Freethinker agriculture and commerce, supplanting the horse (and more recently even most vehicles) in many areas of Freethinker agriculture and security. Along with their larger larger cousins, the Freestian Sand Dragon, they are considered as one of the defining natural icons of the Commonwealth.
Contents
Physiology
See also: The Draconi Family
Domestication
Truth is, without these lil' fellas you wouldn't find a single human being livin' for long beyond the city walls, in fact, I doubt anyone here can say that the Commonwealth would be anything more than a few isolated towns without the help these beautiful creatures. - Outbacker Alliance Spokesman Ross Wells
Wyverns are considered extremely ideal for domestication due to a large number of factors:
- They are extremely intelligent animals, capable of understanding and performing a wide variety of tasks on command.
- Their ability to survive on a wide variety of foodstuffs means they are relatively cheap and easy to feed, especially in the outback where certain dietiary items would be strictly unavaliable.
- Their size and loyalty, as well as their Draconi heritage makes them able protectors against other desert predators. They retain many of their pack hunter instincts, capable of working within a small herd to attack much larger attackers, even including the huge Sand Dragon.
Because of these features, the Wyvern has succeeded the horse as the principle mount of farmers and security personnel. Given it's ability to manouver (or even fly) across almost any terrain, its natural toughness and strength and its powerful endurance they are still ubiquitous in rural environments.
Agriculture
Wyverns are synomenous with the great Outback ranches, and it is notable that there is not a single Outbacker farm without a small pack of these creatures attached. Generally a small, mostly female herd of around 15-30 individuals will be maintained by a single ranch, and individual riders will often bond with a single animal for life. Stud males are traditionally brought in from outside herds in order to reduce inbreeding that may result in genetic defects.
Security Services
Rural police (and to a lesser extent medical) services rely heavily on Wyverns for their ability to conduct long patrols in the hostile outback. Security service stations will often, like ranches, have their own small herd for patrol duties and protection.
A significant number of these creatures are also housed in inner city precincts, replacing horse-mounted police officers, and are considered extremely useful in many regards to urban policing. In terms of protest management and riot control, they offer their rider unparalled views (especially when backing up on their hind legs), a commanding presence and a much safer position for the police officer, given few rioters or protesters are willing to attack a two ton mass of muscle, teeth and claw. There have been a small number of incidents where rioters have sought to attack the riders, which given the loyalty of Wyverns to their masters has resulted in several serious injuries and a handful of deaths. Wyverns can also be trained to utilise their size and features in other useful ways as well, for instance they can be taught to rear up, growl loudly whilst stamping their forward limbs to both silence and seize the attention of the crowd. They can also be instructed to raise on their hind legs and spread their wings out to their full span, creating a walking screen about twenty foot across which is useful in keeping rival groups of protestors (or even sport fans) apart. Exerienced riders can even instruct their mounts to pluck unruly rioters from the crowd by using their forearms and jaws!
Use of Wyverns in the police forces has ensured the creation fo a variety of interesting tools for use by the security services, including Stunpikes, cattleprod-like devices for use in crowd control. Wyverns in police service will, like their army couterparts, recieve additional barbing to protect the animal against injury.
Armed Forces
See Also: Crown Free Legions
