Wyvern Rider

The most iconic and feared element of elven warfare is the wyvern rider, or langàis, mounted upon his steed with his lance held high, both armored in glittering mithral armor. Similar to the medieval knight, armies of high elves primarily support the langàis in cases of open warfare.

Training
Langàis are selected from eligible recruits sometime in their 20s, often coming from mid to low range noble houses, though anyone who displays aptitude and aggression can join. The only powerful noble house that has its members become langàis the Fairleas (Skyrider), who hold a fairly dominent position in the field of raising and training wyvern. At this young age, the elf is taught the basics of riding and lancing as well as instructed in basic wyvern handling.

Female wyvern tend to be less territorial and more protective of individuals, for this reason they are the sort that are ridden, primarly. They seem to bond most readily with male elves, and therefore the vast majority of wyvern riders are male. Female langàis find themself at a disadvantage in either handling the more difficult and aggressive male wyvern, or risking rejection by the female wyvern, and so are often much fiercer than their male counterparts. On some instances, male elves prove strong enough to dominate the alpha male of a flock and are widely regarded as some of the most powerful wyvern riders around, though this is rare enough that most flocks lack a rider for their alpha. It is worth noting that langàis and alphas tend to combine such high aggression that their life expectancy is often perilously short.

During their training, the elf's strength and skill is analyzed and a wyvern type is selected. Upon completing his training, the elf is introduced to their freshly hatched wyvern and begins to bond with it. Eventually, the wyvern reaches maturity and the bond between the langàis and his wyvern is analyzed. If it is found lacking, they are seperate and the langàis begins bonding anew with another wyvern.

Combat
A langàis' primary role in combat is to attack key individuals, such as wizards and commanders. Most wyvern will attempt to grab ahold of their foes with a flyby attack and sting them, only the largest wyverns are capable of actively snatching up foes and carrying them elsewhere. If these individuals are too well guarded, the langàis then serve as skirmishers to smash apart any organized formations. Lastly, when foes are scattered, they wyvern particulary enjoy chasing down the fleeing enemies.