Crowwyrm

Summary

Crowwyrms are a species of large beast that resemble a union between a crow and reptile believed to have been created jointly by Nios, the god of inspiration and Gessar, the goddess of sorcery. They are fiercely intelligent and powerful creatures with a complex social hierarchy, which was used prior to the first age as a means of gaining control of the beasts in order to make mounts of them.
During the first age the majority of Crowwyrm nurseries were destroyed with the aim of depriving the Seltien warriors of such fearsome mounts, a campaign that proved so successful that they were nearly driven to extinction. Indeed for the majority of the first age they were believed to have died out entirely during the razing of the Northern Kingdoms belonging the Seltien peoples, and it wasn't until the last decades of the first age that they were discovered to still be alive.
Like their supposed (and likely) creator Gessar they have a strong grasp on the basic laws of magic that allows them to use many primitive spells as well as make use of many natural magical talents, particularly those that muster strong winds and heat vents that help them to fly. In addition to these gifts it would seem Nios had a great deal of influence in their creation as the underside of their wings shine in an iridescent rainbow when struck with intense light, and they have a keen ear for music, a fact that can be used to help gain their trust.

Description

Crowwyrms are quite a lot larger than most animals used as mounts, as adults can stand between 4.2-4.8 metres tall and 12.6-14.4 metres long, even longer when their tales are considered. However even at such immense sizes both Tiorathan and Seltien documents note a far larger variety existing in the past that was more intelligent and endowed with far greater magical gifts. Many of these texts refer to these as Archon Ravens, and many documents claim that there intelligence was far greater than that of a regular human, even allowing them to speak. These Archon Ravens were said to be larger than the largest adult Crowwyrm during their adolescence, while adults could reach 10 metres tall.
Despite not being quite as impressive as their speaking counterparts the Crowwyrm is still a force to be reckoned with. They are lithe and muscular creatures with relatively low profiles and long bodies with even longer tails. Their form makes them both incredibly dexterous and powerful, helping them to burrow into the cliffs and mountainsides of their nurseries. However their physical prowess is used for so much more than nesting. Their four powerful legs end in four toes ending in sharp, curved talons. The back legs have three forward facing toes and one back facing, while all four toes on the front legs face forward, the innermost toes forming basic apposable thumbs.
Their flesh-rending beaks are long with a slight curve that ends in a small hooked tip. Behind their beak they have a pair of beady, dark brown eyes with large black pupils. They are covered form head to tail tip in smooth onyx black feathers that shine iridescent on the underside when lit by bright light. The iridescence of the Crowwyrms feathers is most visible on it's four major wings, a larger primary pair and a smaller secondary pair. In addition to these four main wings is a pair of tertiary wings towards the end of it's thin tail. The beasts tail ends in a collection of long feathers, similar to the tail of a non-arcane crow.

Behavior

Crowwyrms are highly intelligent with an advanced social hierarchy. In the wild young Crowwyrms are usually solitary, defending their territory from invaders whether they be others of their own kind or any other rival apex predator. However this demeanor changes greatly when the animal fully matures. The male Crowwyrm will seek a mate, moving great distances from it's home territory to find a female. Once the male enters the territory of a suitable female the courtship process will begin, however the full process is unknown as the beasts become secretive during this time.
Once bonded the pair will move together to the males territory and clear it of any potential rivals where they spend many years hunting together. After a few years bonded the pair will make their way to the mountain or cliffside where the female was born, digging a hole to form their nest (or simply find an empty nest). During this time many pairs may share the same nesting site, where the eldest are in charge of the newer pairs. The young are raised in clutches of 3-6 for a year until they are old enough to fend for themselves, at which time the parents return to their home territory for another few years.
During the animals twilight years it returns to the nesting ground it raised its young in (the nest of the female mates birth) to assist younger couples in raising their young. Crowwyrms mate for life, and if one of them is killed the other will leave to guard their nesting grounds early. Whether by old age or the death of their partner once they leave to guard their nesting grounds Crowwyrms will guard their nesting grounds for the rest of their lives.

Uses and Relevance

In antiquity Crowwyrms were used as battle mounts by the greatest warriors of Melnir and Herost.

History

Crowwyrms were used as mounts by the highest ranking Seltien knights under the kingdoms of Melnir and Herost for the duration of the pre-age period, and the cultures taught that these creatures were gifts from the gods Nios and Gessar. However they were nearly made extinct during the first age, and were believed to have disappeared until their re-emergence in the closing years of the first age.

Size:

Sizes are rough due to the rarity of living individuals.
Height: 4.2-4.8m
Body Length: 12.6-14.4m
Tail length: 12.7-14.6m

Animal Family:

Mystic (Avian-Reptile in appearance)

Diet:

Meat

Regions of Habitation:

Native:North Hyeros, Melnir, Herost
Introduced: N/A
Domesticated: Melnir, Herost