Roc Down

The under-down of a Roc can be used to create a variety of magical items, the most popular of which is a pillow that allows you to sleep deeply, awake refreshed and have lucid dreams. These benefits are currently for the wealthy only. The reason is fairly obvious. Rocs are incredibly large, dangerous birds that roost high in the mountains. While there are ways to hunt them the goal for collection is to preserve the animals, not do them harm. Poaching, or killing the animal, ruins the down and makes it worthless.
A new company is attempting to find a solution and to make this down widely accessible. The plan to accomplish this is to work hand in hand with the scientists researching Rocs. By observing and being patient, they have learned that the Rocs pull their own down out for their chicks. Once the chicks have grown and left the nests, the down can be more safely harvested. It is still a challenge to harvest because the nests are so high in the mountains. Research also showed that it was important to harvest within six months of the Rocs leaving the nest. If harvesting occurred after that, the Rocs would not reuse the same nests and the nests would be relocated, often higher in the mountains.
The team is working on a new plan this year. They intend to create artificial nests. These nests would be in the same area, and not completely constructed but would be on special towers built to resemble the spires the birds prefer roosting on. These spires would have manual elevator systems that would allow researchers and collectors to access the nests more safely during non-nesting times. It would also allow for researchers to use cameras to observe the Rocs as they raise their young.