Vulture Drake

Vulture drakes, known ominously as deathwings, emerge from the shadows as a testament to the necropolis' corruptive touch. These formidable creatures are a macabre fusion of predatory prowess and dark magic, their appearance an unsettling symphony of skeletal form and taut, unnatural skin.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Skeletal Frame: The vulture drakes' bodies are dominated by a skeletal structure, a haunting reminder of their former selves. Their bones are prominently visible beneath their taut and stretched skin, giving them a gaunt and emaciated appearance. The bones themselves have taken on a pallid hue, further accentuating their eerie visage.
Wings: One of the most striking features of vulture drakes is their wings, which have undergone a twisted evolution. Once graceful and powerful appendages, their wings have become elongated and unwieldy, bearing a resemblance to the wings of a vulture. These wings, however, have a haunting quality, with tattered membranes stretched between the bony wing structure.
Corrupted Skin: The skin of vulture drakes is tightly stretched over their skeletal frames, emphasizing their emaciated and otherworldly look. The skin itself bears the marks of corruption, often exhibiting unnatural discolorations and blemishes that hint at the necropolis' malevolent influence.
Sinew and Tendons: While the flesh of vulture drakes has been reduced due to their transformation, sinew and tendons still play a crucial role in their movement. These elements, though diminished, provide the necessary strength and flexibility for their skeletal bodies to function.
Glowing Eyes: Their eyes, once vibrant and filled with life, have taken on an unnatural and ominous glow. This eerie radiance is a testament to the necropolis' corruptive energies coursing through their bodies, lending an unsettling aura to their presence.
Death Shriek Organ: Unique to vulture drakes is a specialized organ that allows them to unleash their dreaded death shriek. This organ, a product of the necropolis' corruption, is responsible for the spine-chilling wail that disorients and incapacitates their adversaries.

Genetics and Reproduction

Necrotic Infusion: The core genetic alteration in vulture drakes stems from the infusion of necrotic energy into their DNA. This corruptive force has resulted in skeletal development being prioritized over muscle and flesh, giving rise to their gaunt and skeletal appearance. This infusion also affects their sensory organs, granting them heightened perception and extrasensory capabilities.
Mutation of Wings: The wings of vulture drakes have undergone a significant mutation. Their wing membranes, once robust and functional, have become tattered and fragile due to the necrotic influence. The elongated wingspan is a result of the distortion in their genetic code, granting them aerial agility despite the apparent frailty of their wings.
Spectral Vision Enhancement: The genetic alteration has led to the development of specialized ocular cells that allow vulture drakes to perceive the spectral and ethereal realms. This spectral vision enhancement is a unique genetic adaptation that enables them to detect supernatural phenomena.
Corruption Resonance Organ: Vulture drakes possess a unique organ in their physiology known as the Corruption Resonance Organ (CRO). This specialized genetic structure amplifies the necrotic energy within them, allowing them to emit the dreaded death shriek. The CRO is a product of the necrotic infusion, serving as a focal point for their disorienting wail.
Enhanced Night Vision Genes: Specific genes responsible for low-light vision have been amplified and enhanced in vulture drakes. These genetic modifications grant them exceptional night vision, a useful adaptation for their nocturnal activities and dark environments.
Spectral Empathy Enzymes: Genetic alterations have led to the development of specialized enzymes that allow vulture drakes to sense and interpret emotions and energies associated with death and decay. This spectral empathy provides them with insights into the emotional states of living beings and the remnants of departed souls.
Dark Magic Resilience: The genetic alterations have inadvertently rendered vulture drakes more resilient to the negative effects of dark magic. Their DNA has adapted to process and harness necrotic energy, granting them a level of resistance to curses, hexes, and other malevolent spells.

Growth Rate & Stages

Egg: The vulture drake life cycle begins with the hatching of an egg. These eggs are typically larger and darker in color than those of their non-corrupted counterparts. The corruption from the necropolis is already present within the genetic makeup of the embryo, setting the stage for their eventual transformation.
Hatchling: Upon hatching, vulture drake hatchlings display a more pronounced skeletal structure compared to their non-corrupted drake counterparts. Their wings, though underdeveloped, exhibit a hint of the elongation that will characterize their adult form. Hatchlings are notably more sensitive to the corruptive energies of the necropolis, which can accelerate their growth and development.
Juvenile: During the juvenile stage, vulture drakes experience rapid growth and transformation. Their skeletal structure becomes more pronounced, and their wings continue to elongate, albeit at a slower rate than during the later stages. Their spectral vision begins to develop, allowing them to perceive ethereal phenomena and dark magic to a limited extent.
Adolescent: As vulture drakes enter adolescence, their skeletal form becomes more prominent, and their wings reach a size that enables them to engage in short flights. At this stage, their necrotic infusion becomes more apparent, and their heightened senses, including spectral vision, begin to fully manifest.
Adult: The adult stage marks the culmination of a vulture drake's development. Their skeletal physique is fully realized, and their wings have grown to their characteristic elongated state. Their spectral vision is fully developed, allowing them to perceive the supernatural realms with clarity. The Corruption Resonance Organ (CRO) becomes functional, enabling them to unleash their deadly death shriek.

Ecology and Habitats

Necrotic Ruins: Vulture drakes are often found lurking amidst ancient ruins, especially those tainted by necrotic energies. These ruins serve as both a source of sustenance and a natural habitat, providing them with ample opportunities to hunt and thrive within an environment suffused with dark magic.
Desolate Wastelands: The desolation of wastelands, where life has been stripped away and replaced by decay, aligns with the corrupted essence of vulture drakes. These barren landscapes serve as hunting grounds, allowing them to prey upon any unfortunate creatures that dare to venture into their domain.
Cursed Forests: Vulture drakes may inhabit forests that have been cursed by necrotic forces, where the natural cycle of life and death has been disrupted. These twisted woodlands provide ample cover and sustenance for the drakes as they prowl through the shadows, hunting and scavenging.
Haunted Mountains: The eerie heights of haunted mountains, where dark energies gather and swirl, are another favored habitat of vulture drakes. The peaks and valleys of these mountains provide the drakes with strategic vantage points and hunting grounds, allowing them to spot potential prey from afar.
Corrupted Caverns: Vulture drakes may establish nests within cavern systems that have been corrupted by necrotic influence. These underground lairs provide shelter and protection from the elements while allowing the drakes to access hidden pathways to their hunting grounds.
Necropolis Vicinity: Unsurprisingly, vulture drakes are often found in close proximity to necropolises, where the necrotic energies are at their strongest. These areas serve as breeding grounds for the drakes and offer them an abundance of prey attracted by the dark magic.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Carnivorous Diet: Vulture drakes are obligate carnivores, meaning they primarily feed on meat. Their corrupted nature and unique abilities are well-suited to hunting and consuming other creatures.
Necrotic Energy: The necrotic infusion within vulture drakes has altered their dietary requirements to some extent. While they still require traditional sources of sustenance, they are also capable of absorbing necrotic energy from their prey, which contributes to their overall vitality.
Scavenging and Hunting: Vulture drakes exhibit both scavenging and hunting behaviors. They are attracted to areas tainted by necrotic energies, where they scavenge the remains of creatures affected by dark magic. Additionally, they hunt living prey that is drawn to these corrupted areas, using their spectral vision to detect potential targets.
Necropolis Associations: These creatures are often found in proximity to necropolises or other places where necrotic energies are strong. This association provides them with a consistent supply of necrotic-infused prey.
Death Shriek Utilization: Vulture drakes use their unique ability, the death shriek, as both a hunting tool and a means to incapacitate or immobilize prey. They may emit the death shriek to disorient their targets before swooping in for the kill.
Corruption Metabolism: The corruption within vulture drakes' genetics allows them to metabolize and process necrotic energy more efficiently. This adaptation contributes to their ability to sustain themselves in environments where traditional sources of food may be scarce.
Cycles of Feast and Famine: Vulture drakes may experience cycles of feast and famine, as their dietary habits are closely tied to the availability of necrotic-infused prey and the fluctuations of necrotic energy in their habitats.
Nutritional Balance: Despite their corrupted nature, vulture drakes still require a balanced diet that includes a variety of sources of meat and necrotic energy. Their unique abilities and adaptations have allowed them to find a niche within ecosystems tainted by the necropolis' influence.

Biological Cycle

Birth and Hatching: The cycle begins with the hatching of vulture drake eggs. These eggs are already infused with necrotic energies, setting the stage for the drake's transformation from the moment they emerge into the world.
Growth and Development: As hatchlings, vulture drakes already display skeletal features and hints of their adult form. They grow rapidly, with their wings elongating and their spectral vision beginning to develop. This growth phase is marked by a heightened sensitivity to necrotic energies.
Maturation and Adaptation: As juveniles and adolescents, vulture drakes continue to develop their skeletal form, wingspan, and sensory abilities. They adapt to their corrupted physiology, harnessing spectral vision and other unique traits that align with their dark nature.
Reproduction: During the adult stage, vulture drakes reach reproductive maturity. They engage in courtship rituals, using their eerie abilities and corrupted traits to attract potential mates. Once mating occurs, females lay eggs that carry the same necrotic influence.
Hunting and Survival: Throughout their lives, vulture drakes rely on their heightened sensory perceptions, including spectral vision, to hunt and survive. They seek out environments where necrotic energies are strong, allowing them to feed on creatures drawn to such areas.
Death Shriek and Communication: The adult vulture drakes utilize their unique organ, the Corruption Resonance Organ (CRO), to unleash the death shriek. This serves as a means of communication among individuals and can also be employed as a hunting tactic to disorient and incapacitate prey.
Continued Corruption: As vulture drakes age, their connection to the necrotic energies deepens, causing them to become even more attuned to the spectral and ethereal realms. This continued corruption fuels their spectral vision and other extrasensory capabilities.
Cycle of Renewal: The biological cycle of vulture drakes is perpetuated as they reproduce and pass on their necrotic-infused genetics to the next generation of hatchlings, continuing the cycle of transformation and adaptation within their corrupted lineage.

Behaviour

Predatory Instincts: Vulture drakes are apex predators with well-honed hunting instincts. They possess a keen awareness of their surroundings, using their heightened sensory perceptions, including spectral vision, to locate potential prey and threats.
Hunting Strategies: These creatures employ a combination of stealth and calculated aggression in their hunting strategies. They often target creatures drawn to areas suffused with necrotic energy, capitalizing on the presence of weakened or corrupted prey.
Necrotic Energy Sensitivity: Vulture drakes are acutely attuned to the presence of necrotic energy, which influences their behavior and habitat choices. They are drawn to locations where dark magic is strong, such as necropolises or cursed environments.
Territorial Behavior: Vulture drakes may establish territories within their chosen habitats, defending their hunting grounds from rival predators and intruders. They utilize their death shriek as a means of intimidation and asserting dominance.
Eerie Communication: Vulture drakes communicate with one another using a combination of vocalizations and their unique death shriek. This eerie form of communication allows them to coordinate hunts, warn of danger, and establish hierarchies within their groups.
Adaptation to Corruption: The corruption from the necropolis has led to psychological changes in vulture drakes. They have adapted to harness necrotic energy, leading to an unusual level of symbiosis with dark magic. This adaptation influences their thoughts and behaviors, as they are drawn to environments that resonate with these energies.
Spectral and Ethereal Perception: Vulture drakes' ability to perceive the spectral and ethereal realms shapes their psychological experiences. They may possess a unique perspective on reality, being able to sense emotions, energies, and supernatural phenomena that are beyond the perception of other creatures.
Isolation and Ominous Presence: The corrupted nature of vulture drakes often leads to their isolation from other species. Their ominous presence and affiliation with the necropolis set them apart, evoking both fear and fascination in those who encounter them.
Darkly Mysterious: Vulture drakes' psychology is shrouded in a dark and mysterious aura, making it difficult for outsiders to fully comprehend their thoughts and motivations. Their behaviors and actions are driven by a combination of instinct, adaptation, and the enigmatic pull of the necrotic forces that have shaped them.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Heightened Night Vision: The vulture drakes possess exceptionally keen night vision, allowing them to see with remarkable clarity even in the darkest of environments. Their eyes have adapted to low light conditions, enabling them to hunt and navigate during the night and in dimly lit areas.
Spectral Sight: A result of their corruption, vulture drakes have developed the ability to perceive the spectral and ethereal realms. This unique sense allows them to detect supernatural phenomena, such as ghosts, spirits, and other entities that exist beyond the mortal plane.
Corruption Detection: Their corruption by the necropolis has bestowed upon vulture drakes the ability to sense and detect the presence of necrotic energy and dark magic. This heightened perception allows them to track and locate sources of malevolent power, making them effective at hunting down those who dabble in dark arts.
Death Shriek Resonance: Vulture drakes have the sensory capacity to resonate with the frequencies of their own death shriek. This heightened awareness allows them to gauge the impact and effectiveness of their terrifying wail on their targets, enabling them to adjust their tactics for maximum disorientation and incapacitation.
Echo Location: In flight, vulture drakes can employ a form of echolocation, emitting faint and ghostly echoes that bounce off objects in their surroundings. This assists them in maneuvering through complex environments, allowing them to navigate with precision even in obscured or cluttered spaces.
Spectral Empathy: As beings tainted by the necropolis, vulture drakes possess a form of spectral empathy that enables them to sense emotions and energies associated with death and decay. This heightened sensitivity grants them an eerie insight into the emotional states of living beings and the lingering echoes of departed souls.
Necrotic Aura Detection: The vulture drakes can detect the presence of necrotic auras emanating from beings or objects influenced by the necropolis' dark magic. This sense aids them in identifying potential sources of corruption and malevolent influence.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Black Firedrake

Scientific Name

Alarum Mortis

Lifespan

20-35 years

Average Height

Vulture drakes typically reach a height of around 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 meters) at the shoulder.

Average Weight

A fully grown vulture drake usually weighs between 80 to 120 pounds

Average Length

The length of a vulture drake, from the tip of their snout to the end of their tail, is approximately 8 to 10 feet

Discovered by

Renaesella Vaeltigar