OVERALL DESCRIPTION
“It is said, where the bird is seen, the great misfortune may come.”
Neridian Kaen
Dragoncaller birds are a mysterious species of birds infamous for bringing bad luck to places they visit. They were never observed in their natural habitat but are spotted in big flocks before a catastrophe takes places. Because of their random and unexpected appearances and ties to misfortune, most nations fear them. However, instead of bringing damnation upon people, they can sense huge amounts of soul building up and try to warn people before it’s too late.
Their heads are in different color than their bodies, head color usually being vivid and bright like red or gold, while bodies being in darker, cold colors such as black or blue. Each color coordinates with a different threat ranging from the appearance of especially powerful humans or creatures to huge magical catastrophes.
While they’re not on their messenger duty, Dragoncaller birds reside in soul swamps where they are safe from curious adventurers and human research.
Table of Contents
3. Anatomy 3.1. Size 3.2. Movement 3.3. Senses 3.4. Reproduction
4. Ecology 4.1. Diet 4.2. Natural predators 5. Behaviour 5.1. Habitat 5.2. Social structure 5.3. Communication 5.4. Life expectancy
6. Interactions with humans 7. Magic
CONTENTS
1. ETHYMOLOGY
The name was coined by the researcher and adventurer Neridian Kaen who called them after dragons. Dragons are legendary beasts present in mythologies of all nations and are closely tied to danger. Since the birds represent the arrival of said danger, the name is fitting: they are “Dragoncallers” because they “call danger”.
2. HISTORY
Dragoncaller birds were known to bring bad luck to people since the beginning of time. There are countless legends about disasters happening after the birds had been spotted throughout all nations, so they have a bad reputation and had become synonymous with “danger”.
Although they are wide-known and feared, there are few bits of information on them aside of myths. They are all-present but remain a mystery.
3. ANATOMY
3.1. SIZE
Dragoncaller birds are 40 hCH in length, 12 hCH of which is tail, and 50 hCW in weight. Their wingspan is 80 hCH.
3.2. MOVEMENT
They rarely walk, spending most of their life flying. They are fast and high flyers, flying so high people can’t see them from the ground. This is the reason why they can appear and disappear unnoticed.
3.3. SENSE
Dragoncaller birds’ strongest sense is acute eyesight, allowing them to spot settlements while fying at high speeds.
Other than general senses, they can sense the amount and type of soul in their vicinity.
3.4. REPRODUCTION
They are one of the highest-nesting birds in the world and they use this advantage to protect their young from enemies. Both male and female birds help build the nest and they will often return to the same nest year after year. The female lays a clutch of two to five eggs and incubates them for two to three weeks.
4. ECOLOGY
4.1. DIET
Dragoncaller birds are omnivores. Their diet changes by seasons, consisting of bugs such as beetles, snails, grasshoppers, caterpillar and larvae in warmer weathers and berries in colder ones. They sometimes eat flowers as well.
4.2. NATURAL PREDATORS
They have no natural predators due to speed and isolation as well as soul-sensing powers.
5. BEHAVIOR
5.1. HABITAT
For the most part, they live in soul swamps, but they summon to any place high in soul levels.
5.2. SOCIAL STRUCTURE
Dragoncaller birds are socially monogamous, gathering for mating twice a year.
The only time they form flocks is when warning people that danger is approaching.
5.3. COMMUNICATION
They communicate vocally among themselves at great distances, allowing them to call each other and organize visits to people.
5.4. LIFE EXPECTANCY
They live up to 20 years.
6. INTERACTIONS WITH HUMANS
Humans don’t have a lot of information of Dragoncaller birds since they’re almost impossible to observe outside of their visits to villages and towns. They are still infamous and feared for bringing misfortune. Although there are known situations where tragedies took place right after Dragoncaller birds were sighted, many of them are mere legends of historical tragic events.
However, they are not always misunderstood. While UDUU and Ladvoljan people fear them greatly, Öffgast people appreciate and consider them messengers and protectors instead of bringers of damnation.
7. MAGIC
Their powers are hardly classified as magic but are more a form of sixth sense.
Dragoncaller birds possess soul-sensing abilities, sensing their precise amounts and types withing a certain range. When they feel sudden spikes of soul in the area, they call upon other birds and spread the word. After enough birds got the message, they form flocks according to color and gather around places high in magic to warn people of the upcoming danger.
Each color sends a different warning, some alerting about unstable area of magic, possibly creating a natural catastrophe, some about powerful magical being approaching. Dragoncaller birds hold a purpose of being messengers and helping people prepare for the worst.
8. TRIVIA
every nation has a myth about a dragon creature symbolizing big danger Dragoncallers were named after
they are still a great mystery of the modern world
Written & edited by: Worldbuilding by: Cadence Nocthonax