Creature Conversion Challenge - The Wyvern-Hawk!

This is another conversion of one of the literally hundreds of creatures Chris Van Deelen has created. His Dreagle is a mutated post-apocalyptic terror, as befits the Mutant Future RPG.

I decided to convert the Dreagle for Runequest and Glorantha. So here is the Wyvern Hawk.

The Wyvern Hawk (sometimes referred to erroneously as the Wyrmfalcon) is the indirect result of the draconic experimentation of the Empire of the Wyrms’ Friends. Not that the Empire would ever have condoned the bestowal of Draconic Essence upon a simple beast like a hawk. But since the destruction of the Empire centuries in the past, some of that Draconic Essence remains and collects, altering the environment and its creatures. Eastern Sartar, Prax, and the River of Cradles regions boast a number of such places. It may be that this is the true reason for the existence of similarly altered creatures like the dragodon, the dragonfang, and the wyrmic sable, which are also found in the region.

The Wyvern Hawk has a wingspan of over 30 feet when mature. On the ground, it stands roughly 7 feet in height and weighs between 150 and 250 pounds. The feathers of the hawk that was the Wyvern hawk’s progenitor have become somewhat feathery-looking scales that are much more resistant to damage. The head of the hawk is much changed, with a draconic muzzle and teeth replacing the curving beak.

The creature prefers remote rocky aeries on mountain ledges, where it may perch and scan for prey – mountain goats, deer, and other sizable ungulates are among its favored prey, but the Wyvern Hawk will hunt smaller, or larger prey when hungry or feeding young. Horses and Praxian herd animals are sometimes targeted, but Wyvern Hawks have a healthy respect for men and prefer not to attract their ire.

If captured young, Wyvern Hawks can be domesticated, but their nesting locations and natural ferocity make this a daunting and rarely attempted feat. Their strength and natural intelligence allows them to take to training well and they can even wear light armor in addition to a rider. The Savini clan of the Aranwyth Tribe are known to have domesticated a number of Wyvern Hawks, used to herd their cloud sheep and repel raids by the nearby Gorakiki wasp riders. Until recently, these Wyvern Hawks were thought to have been wiped out attempting to carry messages to and from besieged Boldhome. But recently, a pair of starving Wyvern Hawks with tatters of armor, saddle and tack, were captured by Aroman the Herder, a hero of Swenstown. What he intends to do with them is not known.