The Dustwight

The Dustwight is a carnivorous bird species that sheds dense shards from beneath its feathers. The shards are formed from a liquid solution secreted along the bird's wings, which then hardens and breaks as the bird flies. The resulting dust is deadly to anything with lungs, and is used to ward off predators, and kill prey.
Dustwights are often mentioned in connection with Aleis, as a bird she influenced when she was angry, and put something despicable into the world to repay her brothers, the rest of the Aviri, for caring only for her beautiful craft. Being the only ugly thing created by the goddess of beauty, they are seen as an evil omen, and harbingers of doom. It doesn't help that they secrete dust that can pop your lungs.

Appearance

Dustwights look like crows, but grow twice as big and have a white patch of feathers on their chest.

Habitat

Dustwights frequent warmer climates, but can flourish just as well in colder locales. They build enclosed nests in cold weather to protect their young.

Diet

Dustwights eat anything with flesh. They often hunt in packs, some chasing their prey while others fly ahead, filling the air with the equivalent to glass dust.

Uses

Dustwights' dust can be gathered and used in warfare, but the birds are mostly used directly in war, leveraging the relationship their owner has with them to the destruction of their enemies.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Dustwights are spread across the mainland of Vadra, but are not found on any islands or smaller continents.

Average Intelligence

Dustwights have been trained by cultists and can bond with their owners while still living with their own kind most of the time. They respond to different calls and signals, and can outsmart humans when hunting them.

Lifespan

15 years.

Conservation Status

Dustwights are mostly exterminated wherever possible, but people don't generally mess with them too far out into the wild, and only trained hunters deal with them even when they are close to big cities or villages. Some groups of warriors and cultists maintain territory for the birds they use though, to ensure their companions are well-fed, and to have a natural defense against enemies who would encroach on their land.

Average Height

1.5 feet when standing.

Average Weight

8lbs.