Jubjub

The Jubjub is an enormous species of avian found across the Chain of Fire. They're incredibly ill-tempered, territorial, and savage beasts that are known to swoop upon creatures that so much as dare walk beneath their shadow. Despite their notoriety as distant cousins to drakes, their status as an apex predator with tremendously brilliant patterning across their feathers makes the Jubjub revered as the perfect aristocratic pet amongst Elven kind. What differentiates them from the common drake, however, is their ability to breathe flame comes in the form of capturing wind within their maw, before releasing it in devastating, concussive blasts capable of knocking down the trees they fly over.

Violent Tendencies

Jubjubs are extremely territorial, attacking any whom dare tread upon their domain. The sheer danger Jubjubs pose to both man and creature alike leads to a mutual understanding between hunter and prey. Few would dare neglect the dangers that await should they not take adequate precaution by steering clear of the Jubjub's distinguishing stripes at every opportunity. Jubjubs stand their ground to the point of suicide; this extreme level aggression leads most predators to recognize their red and white patterns to serve as a warning sign that the monumental amount of effort required to topple one is not worth their time, nor risk.
Furthermore, Jubjubs attract mates through acts of aggression. Both male and female alike harbor immense attraction to violence and relish in it, from ruthlessly slaughtering lesser beasts to the brutal displays of power between two Jubjubs to prove themselves worthy enough to stand atop the food chain. A couple of Jubjubs are a nightmare; and though paired, even they compete with each other in a brutal displays of aggression.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Jubjubs are gargantuan avians with long, serpentine necks. Their neck is made up of a saggy, thick and loose skin covered in dense plumage from bottom to top, granting the illusion of a far smaller neck-span. The Jubjub has a third lung that acts like a vacuum, allowing the beast to siphon air from its surroundings. The suctioning strength is so great that lighter, smaller prey can often find themselves caught within the rift, dragging them to the jaws of demise.
Their necks are capable of containing a high volume of siphoned air, leaving a bloated swell around their throat that leaves their entire neck expanding into a round ball. When the Jubjub isn't craving smaller prey to satiate its hunger, it can use this pouch as a dangerous weapon that fires off concussive blasts of pressurized wind that can shatter or fragment bone, chitin, and keratin alike. Should debris find itself into the Jubjub's maw, it's spat out as dangerous fragmentation that shreds and tears through flesh.
Jubjubs have very long beaks and carry a crest of long feathers at the top of their head; this crest can raise up and fan out at the top of their head. Their beaks are filled with an arrangement of needle-like teeth designed to interlock and trap prey should they clamp their jaws. As befits their avian features, they carry a set of talons tipped with sickle-like claws that are capable of hooking and grasping into prey. They are notorious for using these claws to restrain prey before unleashing a barrage of concussive air blasts to reduce their victim into a gory mush, which can be horrifically suctioned into their mouths with one deep breath.
Despite these horrifying traits, their imposing size, and their vicious tendencies, Jubjubs are also known for their beautiful, vibrant feathers. They are striped with red and white streaks; scholars are unsure why the Jubjub has such garishly vibrant feathers, though some often claim that their raw savagery and association with these feathers leads to them making a deterrent to the few predators that would be strong enough to attempt facing one. Jubjubs are capable of alternating airflow across the length of their neck to create a beautiful illusion of shifting colours, weaving a magnificent display to attract prospective mates.

Ecology and Habitats

Jubjubs are a menace to whatever ecosystem is unfortunate enough to house them, to the point that even their homeland of Kalni considers them to be invasive pests. Jubjubs ravage anyone and anything unlucky enough to be caught within its eyes; this level of unparalleled hostility reaches beyond carnivorous habits, as Jubjubs proactively hunt down whole herds of fauna simply to satiate their bloodlust, leaving battered corpses beneath the wake of their flapping wings.
This level of aggression, paired with their large, lumbering size, means that Jubjubs are genuinely a problem to whatever ecosystem that doesn't carry sufficient amounts of megafauna to keep them in check.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Jubjubs are strictly carnivorous. They are well documented for using pressurized air blasts to reduce their prey into a mess of gore before siphoning the pasty remains into their maw.
Furthermore, their necks, being unusually extendable, are capable of being used as constricting tools to restrain smaller prey; such as humans, Elves, and Fianni.

Additional Information

Domestication

The Jubjub is expectedly difficult to domesticate given their wild, bloodthirsty temperament and thus require an extreme measure of caution for any would-be tamer to not become a red stain. Whilst nigh impossible to imprint upon an adolescent or adult specimen, it is plausible to bond with a chick. Much like their avian heritage, Jubjub chicks imprint upon the first visage to enter their sights whenever they enter the world. As such, the care and time required to domesticate such an animal, as well as the premise of housing one, comes at a greater cost. Their market value does often outshine the danger, but for those willing to take the risk, they are swiftly rewarded with a loyal and ferocious companion.
While expensive due to the difficulty of acquiring such an egg, Jubjubs are seen as a status symbol amongst Elven aristocracy.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Jubjub meat is known for being rather chewy and lean, with the exception of their neckmeat, which is considered a delicacy due to the fat found within the neckflaps providing a unique marbling that causes the flesh to melt in the mouth when cooked. Just as it is seen as a status symbol to have a Jubjub as a pet, it is also seen as a symbol of power to eat one; as every Jubjub hunt is a violent and dangerous one. 
Jubjub eggs are seen as a prized, potential pet in the future to Elves. 
To the Fianni, however, their eggs are actually seen as a delicacy. All Jubjub eggs are fertilized, and it leads to a bizarre meal left stillborn within the egg. The Fianni treasure this, though outsiders often balk at the idea of eating a half-developed avian carried within an egg the size of a man's head.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Dragons

Origin/Ancestry

Drakes

Average Height

8~9 Feet

Average Length

A wingspan of 36~38 Feet

Geographic Distribution

• Chain of Fire