Rooks

[CallieO]

This information is directly copied from Matwyn's information sheet on Rooks from a Rook Auction awhile back, with minor spelling, grammar, and syntax corrections made.

Original post here: viewtopic.php?f=108&t=22759

Greater Rook; the Shieldwall Mountain Rook; Corvid Emperor. A bird of many names among scholars, but readily identifiable by the feeling of dread one has upon its shadow crossing overhead. They typically grow to a height of eight feet, with a wingspan of sixteen feet from wingtip to wingtip.


An intelligent beast able to aptly mimic and even, arguably, roughly converse akin to smaller crows. They tend to form colonies and feed as a roost, bonding with each other and those trained in their handling. The species hails from along and beyond the Shieldwall. Smaller than the mephos and lacking some of its strength and speed, it makes up for this with its hardiness to cold weather from its thick plumage ranging from russet reds and browns but most commonly in pitch black. They will hunt as a flock favoring deer, as well as fish. Their glossy feathers allow them a quick dive underwater when not encumbered to snatch a meal. The hunt as a flock brings prey home to dine communally.

Perhaps owing to tampering with smaller ravens and crows in prehistory they have a magpie-like attraction to areas with arcane and spiritual energy, to the point they enjoy, as a treat, feasting upon necromancer constructs, as this combines their love of magic and carrion. They will often, in a rookery, have assorted minor magical constructs, among shiny treasures they hoard, not unlike dragons but nowhere near so in scope. The rookerys are often located high in mountains where ley lines converge.

They can, with training, haul roughly between two hundred and three hundred pounds, making them a more popular choice than the mephos for smaller races, or those adverse to the habits of the creatures. They are mischievous creatures using their vocal mimicry to their own delight and handlers' dismay.


Training these birds has some challenge due to their intelligent nature. One handy trick in dealing with them the Vulpines living atop the shield wall have managed is the barter system of exceptional shiny rocks enchanted to be, enchanted. Often given as a reward and relatively useless for all but tokens given to them to line their rookery with for a job well done. Once a rookery has accepted someone, generally, most members of that flock will allow themselves to be ridden, using custom tackle to prevent falling. They can usually be trusted to fly parcels between established rookerys without a rider once the birds are familiar with the location. With their desire for shiny enchanted things, they will sometimes try to collect items to line their nests the keepers wish they hadn't. Necromatically infused creatures pose a temping treat due, to their semi arcane and fully carrion bird nature.

They are generally found in mountains particularly the Shieldwall range, as well as secluded parts of Virelith and St Eva, for wild populations. The Birds live up to and sometimes exceeding eighty years in age, similar to humans, though Vulpines at times argue which is smarter. While a bird can be trained to accept only one rider, they still have a tendency to fly to their home rookery for the night, as they are social creatures at heart, and using this is the key to their training. These birds are not fit for larger races such as Ogres, Minotaur, and Trolls. They are also not fit for Centaur, Wemic, or Sithian due to the make-up of their bodies. Torians, Magi, chirot, and winged Drak-Sen will find them difficult to tame as the birds with their intellect tend to get their own feathers ruffled when someone who they think can already fly, tries to ride them.

Feeding the birds is usually the occasional whole deer a day dropped off near the rookery, supplemented with giant earthworms, and what they hunt themselves. Small pets in the area may come up missing. Rookerys are usually placed atop towers, or places of high elevation, to simulate their natural nesting sites.

[Dante_Ambrogio]

Ooooooh.... this interests a certain Magi of mine.... They sound lovely... I really do kind of want to know if there is anything closer to a Raven than these that is similar in stature though now... or how much variance these Rooks have in their resemblance to Magpie vs Raven and other Corvid-like species of Bird