Utkrośa (uʈ.kro.ɕa)

The Utkrośa are a hybrid species created during the days when Muria ruled the Great Ring. They were created by the notorious Rangdayan, the mother of monsters for the Murian army. She blended aspects of the Nakaal with the great eagles to create a flying soldier that the Empire could deploy against their enemies.

While most of Rangdayan's creations were destroyed when the Clarati wiped out Muria, some of the Utkrośa survived in the mountains of Gili. They were spared because they had accompanied their creator when she rebelled against the Murian emperor, and thus they never faced the Clarati in battle. Instead, they have survived in the mountainous parts of the Kanluranan. They call themselves the Jatayu.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Utkrośa are large, reaching nearly seven feet in height, and have enormous wings and birdlike heads. Only their heads and wings are completely covered with feathers, with scales over most of the rest of their bodies. Some Utkrośa will have lines of feathers down their spine and on their long reptilian tails, but this is not universal. They have sharp beaks filled with small, triangular teeth, and their hands and feet bear sharp claws. Like most birds, they are lighter than they appear due to their hollow bones.

Growth Rate & Stages

Utkrośa are hatched from eggs, like the Kikipua and eagles they were made from. They grow rapidly after hatching, and reach physical maturity after a decade, after which their aging seems to halt for half a century. At any time after their sixth or seventh decade, an Utkrośa may enter a period of rapid decline, which lasts for less than a year before they die of old age. The first indication that they have begun this process is a rapid loss of wing feathers, and most Utkrośa who are senescent can no longer fly.

Ecology and Habitats

Utkrośa prefer to live in high places, particularly in the mountains. This is a good thing, since they have historically been in conflict with the lowland populations of the Kanluranan, and have never been free to live anywhere else. They make their settlements in the high valleys and canyons, and Jatayu villages are hidden throughout the mountains of Kanluranan.

Behaviour

Rangdayan crafted the Utkrośa for war, and this has left its mark upon their psychology. They tend to be aggressive and territorial, and fiercely loyal to their communities. They have a great deal of respect for leaders and hierarchy, and while peers may fight for status, they will rarely challenge their elders or bully those beneath them.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Kikipua

Geographic Distribution

• Kanluranan

Related Ethnicities

• Jatayu

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