General
Birds of all kinds grace the lands and skies of Aereth. Species of birds include, but are not limited to robins, ravens and crows, geese, ducks, quail, pheasant, raptors, vultures, and owls. There are also several species of giant predatory flightless birds.
We are not going to document every bird species indigenous to Aereth, only the ones that have been adapted specifically for the game.
Griffin Eagle
Griffin Eagle
This is a massive, crested eagle that haunts the deeper forests of Aereth. Its wingspan averages ten to twelve feet from wingtip to wingtip, and it is one of the heaviest birds of prey in existence. Its favorite food is small to medium mammals (such as the giant otter) and large fish. It is rumored to take small children, but there are not factual accounts of such had happened.
Griffins, also known as the Crested Forest Eagle, is endemic to the forests of Aereth. It has brown and white-colored plumage and a shaggy crest. It generally measures 2.82 to 3.35 feet in length and weighs from 10.4 to 17.6 lbs. The Griffin Eagle is considered the largest of the extant eagles in the world in terms of length and wing surface, with the Steller's sea eagle and the Harpy eagle being larger in terms of weight and bulk. It is among the rarest and most powerful birds in the world,
Highland Condor
This is the king of vultures. It is a magnificent bird with gleaming black plumage and a snow-white ruff of feathers around the base of its neck. It has a ten-foot wingspan and primarily feeds on large carrion leaving the smaller stuff to lesser buzzards.
The Highland Condor is so named because its range is almost exclusively the highest mountain ranges of the world.
Kelenken (Kels)
Kelenken
Kelenkens, commonly referred to as Kels, are massive, flightless birds. It is omnivorous, although it prefers meat. There is nothing that frightens a full-grown Kelenken except, perhaps, another full-grown Kelenken. There are several species of Kels that range in size and weight. All are extremely dangerous.
Plains Kel
Kelenkens wield their large, heavy, pointed beak like a hatchet, repeatedly closing in on prey, inflicting deep wounds with quick stabbing motions, then withdrawing to a safe distance as its unfortunate victim bleeds to death. It does not care if its prey is completely dead when it starts eating. Kelenkens roam the plains and forests. Rarely, when prey is scarce, they will come into inhabited areas.
There are other flightless birds, some large, but none as imposing or potentially dangerous as the Kelenken.