| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 14 Jun 2006 : 18:26:45
I have some extra time at my hands right now and have decided to maybe translate some of my realms-notes and see if any one at Candlekeep finds any interest in them.
I thought I should try out some articles about bird species of the realms. This should be the first of about thirty.
At the end of the post follows an example of the format I was thinking of using but I would also like to hear any input from fellow scribes and any suggestions about improvements. Any thing you feel is unclear, missing or just out of place, then let me know.
Thanks.
Ashabafisher.
In my travels of the north-lands I have to say to have met few birds as loved as this little waterbird. In the charming backwoods of the Dales one can see the hardiest of fighting men cry over the sight of this bird, something one rarely sees in these semi-barbarous lands. In my opinion it is a result of beneficial influence from the elves who until reasonably lived in these lands. Most of my knowledge of this bird i got from a peddler of crockery from Archendale when i rested out from the hardy travels trough the western lands in a Marsember inn called The Roaring Griffon.
This Blue-green relative of the Kingfisher is common along the entire length of the Ashaba river and its many sub-courses. The bird is slightly smaller than the common kingfisher and the green of their wings clearer. There is relatively little difference between the sexes except for a slight reddish tone on the head-feathers of some males. These are generally the most successful males.
The Ashaba fisher lives mainly in the the lower branches of the Rhododendron thickets along the banks and nests in holes and crevices in the older branches and trunks of trees near the river. The fare consists mainly of the small silvery jaseti-fish and water-insects found in the shallows.
The birds are territorial and are well adapted to surviving the winters of the Cormanthor woods. Usually the only time during a Ashabafishers lifetime it travels for any length is right after leaving its nest, as it searches out its own territory. The females usually outnumbers the males for parts of the season as there is a tendency for the latter to fall pray to predators both under their dances over the water surface, trying to impress the females, and in fishing deeper out in the water when feeding the chicks in the summer months. Because of this it is common for several females territories to over-link the males, but the yearling males usually challenges the old males each spring, so the dance of the birds continues as it has done for years unnumbered.
The rest of Faerun knows the diminutive bird mainly trough Storm Silverhands ode to the bird, called The Song of Mantilia. Here the bard of Shadowdale pays homage to the at times tragicomic sincerity of male would-be lovers. In its basest forms and in the hands of performers of little talent it becomes a ribald comedy, but a true bard, with a sense of the originals nuances, sees this work for what it is, one of the realms greatest homages to the loosing dreamer.
Most people rarely find themselves noticing or even thinking of the Ashabafisher, as the bird rarely flies out of the wooded riverbanks and is, as far as one knows, silent despite various poetic licenses taken by second rate bards when singing about the river in the romantic ballads so popular in Aszouns Cormyr.
Only the luckiest of river sailors get a short glimpse of the small body hurling spear-like towards the water-surface. And then just as quickly returning to its hiding among the shadows. River people in the Dales often say its a lucky sign for lovers to see the males dancing over the river in the courtship, which takes place in the second week of Tarsakh.
This is of most importance in Deepingdale, where any engagements and decision to share a life together is traditionally announced in the courtship-period of the birds. Most couples see it as a bad sign to not see the birds dance in this period, so it is common to travel to known nesting-places of Ashabafishers a couple of days before the announcement is made. The most desperate even travel north to the lands around the pool of Yeven where the greatest concentration of birds can be found.
So, if you ever end up traveling along the great river winding its way through the great elven woodlands, keep your eyes open for this small servant of Sune. At the least you will see a sight of beauty and grace; and maybe, if you are really lucky maybe the Goddess herself will smile down upon you. |
| 30 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| MalariaMoon |
Posted - 29 Oct 2013 : 17:01:21
This is a fantastic thread. As a keen birdwatcher, I'd also like to make some contributions. |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 26 Oct 2013 : 14:43:51
quote:
Originally posted by Fellfire
Fun fact: Toxic Birds have the same toxin on their feathers as the poison-dart frog.
I may try my hand at a write up in a similar fashion if the mods think it appropriate and the OP wouldn't mind.
By all means, the more the merrier. But I would do a quick mention if you stay near canon. For some people a canon-true piece might be more interesting, and any subject started by me is more or less a minefield for anyone that cares about things like that.
It will be interesting to see how this turns out. |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 26 Oct 2013 : 14:39:59
Wow someone dug this one up again? The first of my many unfinished projects at the site, I stopped with five birds left,the Mistloom of the Moonsea was going to be next if I remember correctly. |
| Fellfire |
Posted - 21 Oct 2013 : 01:23:36
Fun fact: Toxic Birds have the same toxin on their feathers as the poison-dart frog.
I may try my hand at a write up in a similar fashion if the mods think it appropriate and the OP wouldn't mind. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 21 Oct 2013 : 00:43:58
In response to an emailed query, Ed mentioned that the Realms has nightingales. He also described another bird known for the loveliness of its songs:
quote:
Hi, Wooly! Lyrewings haven't yet appeared in published Realmslore. They are long, slender, mist-gray birds with gray-blue wings and pinkish-gray underbellies, and they get their name for their calls, which sound like descending runs (slow chords) being played on a lyre. Very pleasant, laid-back melodic.
When these calls are answered by another lyrewing, a lyrewing switches from them into a liquid warbling that sounds like a high-pitched human or half-elven soprano singing wordlessly, in a liquid, always-have-breath-enough manner (think the female vocal from Pink Floyd's "Great Gig In The Sky" from the classic DARK SIDE OF THE MOON, only about an octave higher and with no rough or "panting" passages). Lyrewings are highly intelligent (and emotional), and can converse in this language for long stretches of communicating quite complex ideas, statements, arguments, and responses.
Sages know this, and have communicated it centuries ago to bards, wherefore bards see lyrewings as transformed human lovers, or able to witness human love and report or even advise humans on love, and so on (or at least, they depict lyrewings thus in many ballads and laments).
The approval or befriending of a lyrewing is said to betoken near-future success in love; meeting a sad lyrewing presages doom or bad times for one's relationship or lovers or loved ones, and so on.
|
| BEAST |
Posted - 20 Oct 2013 : 22:53:48
Here are some other birds to consider. I don't have time to write articles about them just yet:
- great horned owl Hooter (Sojourn)
- diatryma (Siege of Darkness)
- crow (The Two Swords) |
| Fellfire |
Posted - 20 Oct 2013 : 20:14:25
I found this wonderful old tome hidden away and thought to leave it in the jakes in case one of newer Scribes might like to peruse its contents. Delightful reading. It amazes me that I sometimes still stumble across such marvelous lore here. |
| MerrikCale |
Posted - 18 Feb 2007 : 02:05:05
quote:
Originally posted by Jorkens
No, I have never really been that interested in birds until now, I am more of an animal guy as you say.
could a fooled me. I do enjoy these. |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 17 Feb 2007 : 18:51:13
I will probably take a break over the weekend after this one. Glad to see people still reading.
Trollseye.
If there is one creature I hate, it is trolls. If it is one creature everyone I have met hates, it is trolls. I have a feeling that even druids are uncertain whether the creature belongs among those that should be blessed as creatures of Silvanus’ realm or if they are some monstrosity of The Stalkers creation.
I am not a fighter in any sense of the word; true, I have drawn blade to defend the name of some young woman or man on more than one occasion. True, I have covered the Tethen outriders during caravan travel and even once battled a Leucrotta that attacked me during a highly necessary wandering into the brush during a nighttime camping. In spite of this I can never understand how any man or woman can gather the courage and bladder control to stand in front of one of the monstrosities that the people of the frozen lands call the Everlasting ones.
I have since my childhood dreaded meeting one of these green skinned butchers, even if trolls are almost unheard of in the eastern Orsraun mountains, and it was therefore with a prayer and a tight grip on my beard I saw our men ride out against the three hulking creatures running slavering and without fear against our wagons and pack animals. This was traveling along the Chionthar, a trip that I from the beginning new would be the most dangerous I had made to date. I can still wake up covered in sweat, even in a bed filled with the best silken pillows of Semphar and scented with the essences of lusty love and Chondalwood osmanthus, with a clear memory of the sight. They did not stop, even when spitted on horse lances and chopped with the curved swords of the riders. Even the dismembered limbs tore up the bellies of horses that fell screaming into the pools of their own guts. Standing before the burning pile of parts afterwards I could almost smell the confidence of the creatures spirits turning into an intelligible hate that perverted the air around us.
After hearing this story you can imagine my surprise when, lying in the blankets at night, Imalljaher and Astarata told me that there was one creature that seemed to love the trolls more than other creature. I had held that story in little belief, but assumed that some disgusting beings might live near enough to these creatures to give birth to such tales. Imagine my surprise when my lovers told me that the creature in question was a bird known for its beauty as well as the horror the sight of one spread among travelers.
The trollseye is a rather large flycatcher about the size of a hawfinch living in the rocky moors and lighter forests of the lands north of the Winding Water and the mountains east of Amn and Tethyr. It can often be found nesting near the caves of trolls and ogres, balancing their nests in the small trees and bushes (mainly conifers) growing out of crevasses or in fissures of the rock. These will usually be located over the cave entrance as the trolls have an annoying habit of seeing the eggs as a delicious snack. Groups of four to ten birds will usually nest in the same areas and the food is usually plentiful around the notoriously dirty ogres and trolls, with insects aplenty. The braver birds are even known to go into the caves themselves to find food. A few birds will travel with hill giants for a time, but they will not nest near the dwellings of these creatures. The reactions to the birds vary with the trolls usually killing a bird when they can catch it and the ogres at times letting them feed on their very bodies. It is unknown why, but the birds don’t go near the lairs of goblins, even if these are not known to be any cleaner than the ogre caves and troll-holes. I have a suspicion that this is mostly a long history of lessons given by the goblins slings.
The Trollseye is a beautiful bird, mostly black and white feathered, but with a deep purple area from the chest up to the underside of the beak on the male. The black upper backside of the bird has a white pattern making the back seem like glistening shells. The dwarven word for it is Noror Barparlyn, which, I have been told, means ”the beautiful armoured enemy”. The tail is striped black and white. Whereas the warning cry is a sharp Phii-Phii, the song is a short rather pretty melody that ironically enough is rarely heard by others than trolls and ogres.
The sight of the Trollseye during the warm months is a sure sign of trouble in the eyes of most travelers of the lands near the highlands and the mountains and a circling group of Trolleyes can cause panic in smaller groups. Trollservants will move after the large creatures catching both insects ”native” to the monsters and those scared up by the passing of the trolls and ogres. Even some herd animals have learned to fear the cry of the birds and can start a mindless stampede, so drovers unused to the lands near the birds habitat should be warned.
For the ogres and trolls the birds have a further use, as they will instinctively cause quite a ruckus if any large creature unknown to them is passing near their nests. Their ill-smelling hosts can therefore count on having eager guard posts while sleeping during the warm months. During the cold months of Aurils breath the birds are less dependable though, as they mainly find their food in the rotten wood and under the bark where insects hibernate. They will stay near though, so a troll-hole in the woods will usually be warned if intruders are in the area. The loyalty between the bird and these creature is as strong as to any flock-members, something that is rumoured to have made it nearly impossible for even the druids and rangers of the northern lands to influence the birds or make them betray their beloved trolls and ogres. |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 17 Feb 2007 : 07:30:52
No, I have never really been that interested in birds until now, I am more of an animal guy as you say. The interest is more or less limited to those I see when going for a walk or as literary and mythical symbols. Although I must admit that working on these has increased my knowledge of birds quite a bit. My motivations for writing these were as much a wish to play around with "folklore" and small realmslore as to increase the number of species of birds in the realms. And try to set up plots and adventure ideas from an unlikely source.
That being said, I found that I enjoy writing with the birds as a topos of sorts. I will probably do more of these in another area of the Realms at a later date. |
| MerrikCale |
Posted - 17 Feb 2007 : 02:48:34
quote:
Originally posted by Arkhaedun
I like the fact that the Realms is big enough to have a lot of small details, and I like the idea that its inspired you to write about wildlife, in the traditional, non-magical, not-likely-to-eat-a-whole-village sort.
I couldn't agree more. Jorkens are you a birder? Just curious as I'm a longtime "animal guy" and zoo volunteer. |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 16 Feb 2007 : 19:27:51
Well, here's today's bird. I liked working on this one, even though the name warbler seems decidedly unrealmish.
The Tethyr-warbler.
As I have previously mentioned, there are numerous birds seen around us in our daily life that we hardly ever think about. Some birds are very shy, some are too small or bland. Others are rare or just so common that no one thinks of them. For me in my travels, the names of these are by now more numerous than I want to think about, mostly out of fear of the need to write another volume of this work.
In spite of our unobserving daily existence there are times when one of these, much as the farmers and drovers that daily pass before our eyes, rise from the ranks of the unknown and becomes part of the world legends and our minds. It is difficult for me to say why it is this particular bird and not another species so much like it. One example of such a bird is the Tethyr-warbler, a creature known from numerous stories, but that passes unnoticed before the eyes of most people outside of the troubled kingdom that bears their name. I will not here give much place to the bird itself as it is as most other warblers, a small insect-eater with a great voice; I will rather try to tell you of the different traditions tied to the birds in Tethyr.
The Tethyr-warbler is a small, unseemly bird that lives in the lands between Calimshan and the areas near the Winding Water. The birds living north of the river Ith will usually migrate south to the lands east of Calimshan and around the Lake of Steam. As most warblers it is more often heard than seen and when seen and little thought over. Its feathers are a greenish brown, with a lemon-yellow breast. The birds back has a speckled appearance with darker feathers. Tethyr-Warblers are very territorial and the song of the bird will be used both to mark its territory and to attract a mate. The voice is strong, clear and the song varies from bird to bird. With the exception of within Amn, where the tongue of the bird is seen both as a delicacy and as an important ingredient in some magics concerning sound, the bird is mostly left in peace by most creatures with the obvious exceptions such as of birds of pray.
When the fall comes the Tethyr-warbler is the last bird that leaves Tethyr and when the spring comes the warbler is among the first birds seen returning. This has made the bird an important part of the farmers cult of Chaunthea, where the bird is seen as the messenger of the Goddess bringing the season’s last farewell and the news of spring. This is more of a farmer’s tradition than a part of the organized faith, but most rural priests will include the popular bird in their prayers and rituals.
This role as a messenger from the gods is a central thread when one looks at the stories told of the bird. This is clearest in the two most common tales, one of them ancient as the land itself and the other a tale from the time of my childhood. Both stories tell of the birds role as a bearer of warning of the gods.
One is the tale of the half-elven girl Varytha of the Ithal, from the years she lived in the great woods of her mother’s people. Wandering the great woods of old she once spoke to the small bird singing from a branch, and the bird, taking pity on her, learned her the language of all Silvanus’ children. Varytha used this ability to befriend the animals and birds of the land learning more wisdom and love than any human of the time. The creatures of the woods payed her back for her heart and kindness the day the goblin hordes came down from the mountains. The warning traveled from creature to creature until it reached Varytha. Which animals and birds that was involved can vary, but the last word is always put in the beak of the warbler. The girl ran with the words to both the elves and humans and saved them from the goblin army.
The other tale is a far newer one and takes place in the years just prior to the Dark Days of Tethyr. In the mountains the renegade mages of the south formed their dreamland of Mulsparkh and the paladin prince of Tethyr Rythan went at the front to negotiate, or fight if needed. The riders of Tethyr gathered before the massed army of the mages. All creatures except for the prince and his men could see the carpet of spells wrought by the mages, and hid in fright. All but one; the prince of the warblers could not let the humans go to their death and flew over the head of the prince desperately trying to warn him. Some say that a tear ran down Rythans chin, others say that even the warblers clear voice was now dead to the nobles of Tethyr. Which ever version you hear, the ending is the same, Prince Rythan rides to his death. The Prince of the Warbles, despairing flew to its death with him as they charged the Mulspharkan lines.
As I said, there are many stories told of the Warblers, and not only among the humans of Tethyr. If you go to the Purple Hills on the coast and talk to the Hin of that highland you will find that this little bird plays as large a part in their culture as in that of their taller neighbours.
The Hin of The Purple hills are not only known for making the best wine in the land of Tethyr, but are also known for their highly developed skills as whistlers. So great have they perfected this simple art, it is said, that they are able to make their tones magical. And who do you think taught them these mysteries but the Warbler? From an early age most young Hin entertain themselves with whistling contests trying to imitate as many species of birds as possible. As their songs are among the clearest and most varied the numerous species of warble are popular in these contests. What is little known, and that I was lucky enough to learn from a drunken Hin one night in one of Iriabors lesser known festhalls, is that most of these young Hin have a slight hope of being one of those lucky enough to be blessed by the gods.
At one time one of the gods, which one varies from telling to telling, heard a young Hin named Undrobolt Cloversole whistling along the riverbank and, impressed, the God sendt the Tethyr Warble down to test the limits of the Hins abilities. Undrobolt and the warble whistled merrily to each other for hours, until suddenly the young Hin found, much to his surprise, that he was able to understand the birds speech. Joyously he struck up a conversation with the bird. The god of the tale, impressed with Undrobolts skill as well as his connection with the bird decided to bless him with magical gifts of an even greater nature than those making him able to communicate with the Warbler. Thus the first Hin Whistler was born.
To this day it is said that the mysterious abilities of a Whistler is born out of an ability to imitate, and with time, communicate with the Tethyr warbler. Not knowing the truth of the legend or not, most young Hin (and most older in a lingering hope) will whistle away, trying to become one of the chosen few. |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 16 Feb 2007 : 10:11:06
Thanks for the compliment Reefy, there's a handful of birds left, but then I am done for now. I am thinking of maybe doing more birds for other areas later, but I think I need a break. |
| Reefy |
Posted - 15 Feb 2007 : 23:05:30
As ever, Jorkens, this is superb work, some of my favourite lore to be found on Candlekeep. |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 15 Feb 2007 : 19:41:39
This one is a bit short, but it turned out OK in my opinion.
Silver Eagle.
You can still hear minstrels and bards use the image of the Elahiarn in their verses, both when reciting old works from the days of Netheril and when spinning new tales; to most listeners of our age this is only a word of beauty, but of little meaning beyond that. Some beauties in this world does not deserve to be forgotten, I therefore choose to tell you the story of the Silver Eagle.
In the days of old Netheril there were woods and rich orchards, and there were seas and rivers in the lands of the great desert. In these waters there were innumerable fish that were the prey of the giant eagles of Netheril. The Elahiarn was a bird of pray that it is said was large enough to pick a quezarn out of the water and that could scare wyverns from their nests. The birds nested in monogamous pairs on rock outcroppings and broad cliffshelves near large bodies of water. Its food were mostly giant trouts and sturgeons of the inland seas and rivers. Their number was never large.
Many people of the age saw the bird as a sacred messenger of Selune and believed that the Elahiarn was able to travel to the Tears of Selune themselves. One remembered fragment that tells of the regard the bird was held in, is the memory of the now ruined port of Miirsar, in the kingdom of Asram, which continued to bear the sign of the bird on its banners and sails until the desert sands overtook its harbours and docks.
The birds were therefore mostly left in peace except by the dwarves of Delzoun who bordered the lands of Netheril. It is said that the dwarves themselves had a port city by a inland sea, the legendary Ascore, but I find this story unbelievable. As far as I know, no group of dwarves has ever sought the sea. Their distaste for the birds probably had little with them seeing the bird as a contender for fish and more with them fearing it going after their livestock.
It is actually unclear whether this giant bird still exists in our world or not. Within ruins of old magical Netheril and the fragmented survivor realms that grew up after the fall of the sky-cities, one can often find this bird depicted, both as a servant of Selune and on its own. It is also still mentioned in many of the fragments of poetry and songs from the period and the old elven chronicles often mention the bird in the days of Myth Drannor.
But with the growth of the great northern desert of Anauroch, the Elahiarn disappears from the minds and words of both men and elves. As far as I know, no one in the lands of the Dales, Cormyr or the lands south of the Highmoors has seen the bird for generations. It is unclear though if it still can be found within secluded areas such as the Nether mountains or the hidden lands of Evereska in the north. Several elves and minstrels of Berdusk I questioned on the subject of the eagle were very secretive and unwilling to tell me much either way. I personally have my doubt of the birds existence today, as a fishing bird of this size would need a rather large body of water to hunt in, and that disappeared from the old lands of Netheril a long time ago. The stories of the giant silver eagles disappeared with the water and the life of these lands. As a silver-shimmering eagle with a wingspan of over five metres would not exactly or unnoticed by most people. I myself believe that this beauty of the gods is today lost for our eyes. |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 14 Feb 2007 : 19:20:14
Here's another one; I have learned now to not watch Thin Lizzy while writing, so excuse me if I have missed something important when writing. Then again, the last one survived Marillion records and Rory Gallagher, so it should be OK
Obsidian-wing and Cloak-fisher.
I must admit that I am a horrible fisher. Ever since I was a youth in the service of master Bhadaian Nobrathan and as a boy in Orambuln I have always marvelled at how others, even old Druimal, drunk on Coulamn as always, managed to pull up carps, perch and trouts by the dozen. Myself? Well, usually I got the pleasure of supplying the others with bait after a hard days work. As in many other lands, both in the Vilhon and beyond a youths prowess in fishing is as important as it becomes when building up a reputation, needless to say I quickly found that the rout of the words and scrolls to be much more to my taste. Later of course I also found the sweet hands and kisses of my fellow beings to be to my liking, but that is a different story.
As you might guess, these years gave me a slight distaste for fishing, and fish for that matter. Even in settlements such as Marsember, known for their fabulous fish dishes, I have tried to search out a meal made of Chauntheas gifts and something that at least had lungs. Now, what does all this have to do with birds you ask, esteemed reader? Well, I hope the high lord Deneir will forgive me if I make the story a short one.
Traveling towards Berdusk I rested a few nights in the camp of a group of riverpeople at the banks of the Chionthar and was privileged in sharing many of moments among these usually withdrawn people. One one occasion I was asked to join in the morning fishing up river from the camp. I growled inside, but smiled courteously and went along. Coming to the fishing site I found myself intrigued at the method of fishing used by the riverpeople; the men starting wading through the shallow water splashing the water with a light willow-stick. The women had by then sat themselves by the riverbank with a light blanket or cloak draped over their form making a large shaded area over the water. In their hands they held light nets. I was curious as to what they were doing, but soon saw the women starting to throw their nets down in the shade before them drawing forth a number of Albrathers.
Back in the camp I learned that this method was not often used today except when fishing Albrather and was practised today mostly out of traditional, almost religious reasons. I asked how this tradition came to be and the smiling riverpeople told me the story of the Goldfish. Later I asked both the lady Dhamina and Jhaelder Illbraen about this bird and this is what I learned of the Cloak fisher and its relative the Obsidian-wing..
The Obsidian-wings, small herons about the size of a common rooster, wanders between the shadowy growth along the numerous waterways and ponds in the lands between the Moonsea and the Dragon Coast. The bird of the riverpeoples is much like it and can be found in the river-lands between Amn and the High Moors. This bird, known as Cloak-fisher is slightly smaller and more of a brown colour than its relative The lands near the great rivers where the Cloak-fisher lives in areas less dominated by heavy growth and the birds can at times be found in open areas. In habits it is much as its relative, except that its hunting is more centered around the areas of dusk and dawn. As most of the people in these lands don’t care for the taste of the meat, the bird is seldom hunted except by goblins, Quezlarn and the large pikes of the Winding Water.
The birds are mostly solitary outside of the nesting season and are not monogamous, although it is common for the same birds to mate times due to bordering territories. These territories are relatively small, and despite the birds defending their territories, direct fighting is uncommon. Two to three eggs yearly is common.
Both bird-species are known for their special method of hunting, which consists of the bird moving into a relatively open shallow, carefully through the water before stamping their feet quickly to scare up small fish and amphibians and then spreading the wings before them to form a ”shadowcloak” that attracts the fish, believing the shadow to be a place of hiding. This is what has given birth to the fishing method of the riverfolks. I have also been told by both the lady Dhamina and Jhaelder Illbraen that among many of the older families of Iriabor it is said that the hunt of these birds are the inspiration for the Tethen shadowdancers. They both mentioned the same source of this story, one Rakrune. I have not had a chance to examine this rumour any further and can not say if it is a common assumption or just a local faerie-tale. What I can say, is that the beautiful dance of the veils can at times bring forth the image of this elegant bird moving through the waters, especially when danced in the lands of the Chionthar.
Obsidian-wings can today mostly be found in the deep forests of Cormanthor and in the wetlands around the Dragon coast. The western birds will migrate to the Chondalwoods during the winter, but the higher temperature of the Cormanthor makes it habitable throughout the year. The few birds left within the Moonsea area will go into the forests during the cold months. It is said that the nature of the Cormanthor has made some of the Obsidian-wings far more intelligent than common birds, but I can’t say if this is true or not. In most stories these magical birds are found by springs near Sprite dwellings or in the areas of Misteldale.
The Obsidian-wing is exterminated in Sembian and the southern parts of Cormyr due to it being considered a delicacy during the time of Salambers regency over a hundred years ago. In my opinion the fish taste is a little to dominant, but each to his own; the bird is still being served in inns found within the northern parts of Cormyr, but the demand has lessened dramatically through the years. Many rural folks in Cormyr do in fact see it as a tragedy and a sign of ill omen that the bird is disappearing from their land as the bird was at one time the personal symbol of king Rhiegard I. A degree of superstition is tied to this depiction of the bird, wings folded in silhouette, to the degree that many of the border raiders of the north use it as their banner and at least three claimants to the throne has fought under the mark of the Obsidian-wing. This use of the bird by rebels is of course not popular among the Purple Dragons and northern nobles. |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 13 Feb 2007 : 21:33:02
Its been a while, but Jorkens feathery follies are back.
Skycrier.
When I was called up from my table at The Dusty Hoof by two armoured watchmen I suspected the worst, had I by chance been unlucky enough to disclose some well-kept secret of the city in my writings, offended some leading officials pride at one time? Or was it simply that the sweet Chansrin Aluar actually still remembered me? I still bore the teethmarks and a memory of her smile.
Sweating slightly I was lead through the streets steaming with herders, wild men from the high moors and cattle buyers from the Dragon Coast. In addition to the cattle themselves of course. Scornubel at the height of the trading season is not for those of a sensitive nose I can tell you. After spending the route trough the streets looking for a way to ”get lost in the crowd” I was politely led up the broad steps of Scornubel hall
It was with a slight quiver of the hand I squeezed the humidity from my beard in the steaming baths of the Lady Rhessajan Ambermantle, lord of the city. She laughed one of the sweetest laughs I have heard during my travels and I need not tell you dear reader, that I with the utmost pleasure accepted the proposition to join the legendary composer of the ballad The Magnolias Tear in the water.
I was slightly disappointed when I learned that her reason for inviting me was her curiosity over my writings about the birds of many lands. With a smile, a glass of Fighting Cock Wine and the promise of more to come she started to tell me about the Skycrier of the Reaching Woods.
The Skycrier is a large jay, a relative of the crows, but bear little resemblance to many of its kin, like the Shoon bird, both in manner and role in the stories of these lands. It is large, rather heavy bird, almost a meter in wingspan and with a plumage that shine as the jewel-clad breasts of a Calishite dancer among the forest giants. Blue, red and white feathers shimmer with the stray rays of sun that find their way through the leaves and in the mating season the feathers take on a metallic glean that increases the colours to the almost unbearable. This has made the bird the butt of many a joke among the traditional elves of Evereska from what I have heard, who claim that the bird could be used as a symbol of garish and tasteless human aesthetics. The plumage is colourful for these lands and some old texts claim that the birds are originally from the forests of the southern lands and fled the demonic magic of Calim. I myself doubt these stories. No matter what the truth is, the bird can today be found in any wooden area between the Storm Horns and The Fields of The Dead, but are only found in significant numbers within the Reaching Woods.
This view among the elves has most certainly not been helped by the ability that has given the bird its name, its characteristic cry. This ear shattering sound, created by a special tube located in the bird’s throat has sent even the bravest running in terror from the forest. According to Lady Rhessajan these cries has served to increase the ominous rumours about the Reaching Forrest. These cries are especially common during the mating season (the birds usually form lifelong bonds, but will go through the mating rituals each spring in spite of this) and it is said that they can drive the satyrs and even some humans into a mindless rut. This is not the case with the more plain feathered relative, the Bushcrier, that can be found in relatively open areas between Waterdeep and the Chionthar. Both birds prefer, strangely enough, to dwell in areas of relative quiet and are not found near the permanent dwellings of creatures making to much sound. Even a human farmer would be enough to drive the bird to another territory.
The Skycrier feeds on a combination of insects, nuts and seeds and builds their nests in the tall trees of the Reaching Woods, especially the older oaks. The Bushcrier is less particular and will nest in any tree or bush over tree meters tall and offering some degree of shelter. They nest near each other, but not in flocks, although the Bushcrier is known to rise in communal defence.
Both the heart of the Skycrier and the Bushcrier is said to be an alternative component in magics designed to invoke fear.
On a side-note I should also mention a rather sinister mage by the name of Beldegar Vrthalan, known to collect both monsters and rare magical items, has made a pretty sum the last ten years selling Skycrier eggs to merchants to use as guardian creatures. The eggs he gets from a dozen birds he managed to capture himself. It is said that he has even learned to modify the cry of the birds to incite different emotions.
For some strange reason the Harpers are said to have recently given him the secrets of making bronze figurines of the birds, with the same cry to sell instead of live birds. Most likely these figurines would not cry out an alarm if certain Harpers were to approach the place of their guarding. |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 26 Aug 2006 : 17:10:47
Someone please warn me if these are getting repetitive. Anyway, here's today's bird.
Shadow-Vulture.
During my stay in the beautiful city of Berdusk I spread the word that I would be very interested in meeting any one with experience from traveling in the grasslands known as the Pelleor-prairie, an inland area west of the great dessert Anauroch and south of the High Moors. One reason for this is my sister Duidraia’s husband Matroito, who is an avid collector of rare plants. He had given me a long list of plants that he had heard could be found in those areas, such as the Emerald Bell-flower, the Amanda cranberry (named by an ancient jeweler after the wife he lost and said to give a certain edge to late-year white-wines), Dahrenils ( a type of violet with a light taste used for seasoning among the Hin of the Sunset Vale) and the Bison Gourd ( the oil from this plant helps keep insects away if rubbed into the skin). The other reason was a bird I had found mentioned in an old scroll written by a master of archers in the service of king Azoun I of Cormyr, during the war between the Shoonites and Cormyr, named the Shadow-Vulture.
It took me some time, but after about a week in Berdusk Jhaelder Illbraen introduced me to a rather unwashed character by the name of Walzouil that traded with both the small human settlements of the inland and with the goblins living along the borders of the great desert. What little he knew of the bird he shared with me.
The Shadow-Vulture is a rather small vulture with a wingspan of no more than about 1.80 meters. Is is a slender bird with iron-gray feathers, except at the wingtips and tail feathers where the gray goes over to an ink-black colour. In my opinion the birds name comes from the colouring of its feathers although the legends among the Tethens claim that the bird is a denizen of the Shadow world and a messenger between the gods of light and the gods of darkness. This they claim, is proven by the fact that the bird is completely silent except at times when the gods themselves have words to mortals. Even Tethens I have talked to hold this to be a myth today, although Walzouil claims there are still those that revere the bird in the areas of the eastern High Moor. He allso told me that there are still those among the Death Riders servants that will wear the feathers of the vulture in their helmets and head coverings as talismans.
Unlike most vultures I have seen the Shadow-Vulture has a feather covered head making it a bit more appealing to the eyes, but from what I am told it still has a faint odour of carrion hanging over it. As the rest of the bird the beak is gray, the same are their feet and talons.
Shadow- vultures live in groups and form single year pairings that hatch one to two eggs each year in the cliff sides and ledges of The Hill of Lost Souls and near the Battle of Bones. Both parents bring meat to the hatchlings, usually only one survives, but there are exceptions in years of plentiful food. As far as I know this is the only area where the bird can be found today, even if old legends speak of the bird in most of the central Swordcoast lands down to the Green Fields. Jhaelder had heard a story that said that the carnage of the Battle of Bones had tempted all the vultures of the lands to gather in the area, but I find this somewhat doubtful. Diseases and competition from other predators are far more believable reasons for the bird to have disappeared from the western areas.
Today the silent birds as they were called, are no more than a symbol in poetry that has little meaning for most people and the reason the Cormites had their hopes of victory lightened when the vultures flew screaming over the Shoonite camp is mostly forgotten.
As far as I have heard the Shadow-Vulture is a pure carrion eater that is both too lightly built and slow to be an effective hunter of large prey. Thankfully the region has plenty of animal life, especially large shaggy cattle that are the pray of most large carnivores. It can take some smaller pray if it is hurt. They will then kill the pray the same way they brake larger bones, by dropping them from the sky down on rocks. As with other vultures the stories that they attack people by dropping stones on them is an idiotic misunderstanding of this.
The success of the bird as a scavenger can in my opinion be judged by the reverence the local goblins have for the bird. According to Walzouil, the shamans of Maglubiyet call themselves Drhagdah-Ghiur or ”Brothers of the Meatstealers” and are rumoured to be able to assume the shape of Shadow Vultures. Common goblins will always let a Shadow-Vulture eat of their pray in fear of it being a shaman in disguise that can make their lives very difficult if they don't share. It may be that this help from the goblins, an uncommon happening indeed, is what has kept the bird alive in this particular area.
The bird's only natural enemy are humans hunting for its feathers and blood for use in magic. Among the shadowmages of the Riverlands it is claimed that all writings of Shadowmagic should be done with a feather from the bird to make it as potent as possible and the blood of a vulture is a central component in the Shadow-walk spell. Walzouil warns me though, that any bird hunters should be careful, as the goblins don't take lightly to any one hurting the birds.
Strangely enough there are also legends about the Shadow-Vulture among the Aarakocra, where it is said that the bird is a distant relative that turned away from the learning's of the gods and then sunk down into the world of beasts again. I give the story credulence for no other reason than why would the bird people invent a familiarity with the vultures? |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 24 Aug 2006 : 13:53:13
This one came out better, and no, I don't have anything against crows. More to come.
The Shoon-bird or Corpse-crow.
You don't learn to love the soothing breeze of the Sea of Fallen Star before you have been out in a desert storm and you don't learn to love your home before you have been away. Sitting here at my veranda looking out over the bay and enjoying my Dragontongue and Ramrath delivered today from far of Tashluta I think back at the journeys I have taken to study the many aspects of the life of the northerners. Even though I have set this day aside to chase the sun and meditate over the aspects and faces of the Gods throughout the lands I have seen, my mind wanders back to the feathered travelers of the skies. After so many pages of musings over the avians it is becoming a habit hard lain to rest.
I can not keep from wondering about what bird I heard of in my travels that had the worst reputation. With so many superstitions, myths and stories, which bird is the clearest victim of the fantasy of the peoples from beyond our borders? The Bloodbeak is feared and the Dragon crow a creature of nightmare, but this is built upon logic and experience. The same can not be said of the stories told of the Corpse crow, that bird seems to be one of the the sacrifices given by the Mother of All, this one to the Lady of Misfortune.
In my study I have a large book written by the mage Muldrubin Greenspell detailing the future society of the Vilhon lands under the rule of the wizards cabal The Windlass. It is closely modelled after the ideas of the later day Shoonites to the west and plans for the mind-cleansing of all members of the future government of their empire. Symbolically enough the wizard has had the front piece of the tome engraved with a stylised picture of a yellow crow.
It may be a trick of evil fate that he used the symbol of the Shoon-bird on his minds lifework. Had he only known that the name of the bird is a derogatory one given by the Tethen peoples to this symbol of bad luck in the lands of the southern Sword Coast. The future empire builders fell long before realising their dreams for a eastern version of the empire; one can claim coincidence, but I am not completely convinced. .
The Shoon-bird is a carrion eating relative of the Black Crow that can be found from the northern lands of the Green Fields down into the northern Calimshan. It builds its nests in mountainous terrain, especially in the Small Teeth region of northern Amn though they can be found in all the smaller mountain-chains bordering the ancient lands of their namesakes. As I understand it the bird will follow armies when traveling as food will be plenty along the way, both with the victims of battle and the thousands of mishaps, illnesses and mysteries that happen along the road. For the Tethen peoples of the lands north of the Small Teeth the bird therefore became a sign of the Shoon legions approaching. They also found the bird a fitting companion to the bloody emperors of the south, hence the name.
The Shoon-Crow is about the sign of the common black crows, but with feathers coloured a sandy yellow; as I have seen, the bird seems to share habits with most other crows I have seen throughout my travels. They live in pairs that last throughout life and return to the same nests year after year; only the female lays on the eggs with the male feeding both her and the hatchlings. Although they are territorial during the nesting season they can gather in large flocks throughout the rest of the year. The birds will be seen flying singly scouting for carrion to eat and gather when food is found, it is extremely rare that they will attack living pray.
As most crows these birds are rather intelligent as birds go, but I have also heard stories that give the birds a far more sinister aura. Alone or in small groups the birds are more or less as common crows, but the difference can be seen when the great flocks gather during times of plagues and war.
It is said that the Mother of Plagues took the birds to her heart when she arrived in these lands and gave the birds two gifts. Other stories say it was the ancient evil of Moander that was responsible, but in both versions the gifts are the same. The first one was a spittle that made the meat touched start to rot and made it poisonous for others, so that the birds could have their meals for them selves. The other gift was a malevolent intelligence when the birds gather in large flocks.
When groups of more than fifty of the birds gather they are said to hatch plots worthy of the ancient emperors of the south. Among the crimes the birds are being blamed for are inciting the Shoonites to invade the north, bringing various diseases to the south. There is also a story that the birds were expelled from the land of Minsorran and in revenge went north and convinced the dragon Icehauptanarthanyx to attack and destroy the land of the priests. On a smaller scale it is said that the bird was responsible for tempting general Amnur of ancient Amn to go alone to meet the daughter of Mailir the Pretender-Nazir of Murran. No one ever saw the legendary general and prince again.
I myself find these stories doubtful, but there seems to be some sort of red thread going through the lands west of the Shining Plains, blaming the bird for all the woe that befalls Man. It may be a possibility that some elder evil or demon takes the form of a crow to tempt humans to evil and with this giving the birds an evil reputation. The idea that the birds collect their minds into some evil power that can lead one into damnation seems rather far fetched to me personally. |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 23 Aug 2006 : 14:12:39
I am back; I may have gone a little overboard with sappiness with this one, but I quite like it. I will try to not make the gaps between each posting this long in the future.
Darksinger
During my days of traveling with the caravans of the Riverlands I often observed the Tethens small rituals to ward of the detection of The Night Goddess when we traveled trough dangerous areas. The tension between them and the Cormytic traders and drivers where also increasing as these felt the Tethen superstition, as they called it, was slowing down the caravan. This tension grew the further west we got and my companions, the drovers Imalljaher and Astarata became increasingly irritable. Finally I had enough and cornered Imalljaher and asked him why everyone was so on their heels.
Imalljaher simply told me that each night the Darksingers had been gathering around the caravan; it was probably due to the flies on the bulls, but it could also be an omen. According to the scout Shillarchii the birds were protecting us from marauders of the grassland, but as Imalljaher told me, the scout was a believer of the Dark Moons cult and his judging were therefore doubted by the others. According to Astarata the bird was a holy bird for the cultist and a sign from the Twin-Goddess so the signs could spell both good and bad for the caravan.
I had wondered about the birds singing in the darkest hours of the night as I found that somewhat unusual, but my attempts to ask a Berduskan wheel-maker by the name of Holdrin resulted in him spitting at the ground and just staring threateningly at me. I had let the matter rest since that as I had a feeling of threading on dangerous grounds with the northerners. Imalljaher nodded at this and told me that most chondathans killed the Darksinger at first sight, as they saw the bird as a spy for the dark goddess. I asked him if he felt the same and he told me that it was not so simple, the Tethens were uneasy around the birds, as were the elves, but on does not simply kill everything one fears. He left, promising to tell me more of the bird in the morning, but warned me about listening to closely to the birds song. The Darksinger gave comfort from old sorrows, but those that listened to long would get lost in the song and meet the next day in disappear.
The Darksinger is a member of the thrush family as far as I can see, but it is a bit smaller than any other member of the family I have met upon in my travels, abut the size of a pipit. The feathers of both the male and the female are a wonderful bluish black without markings. The beak is a clear light yellow. As the size of both sexes are the same it is almost impossible to tell the two apart.
Darksingers are territorial with both the male and the female marking its territory with a constant song during the night hours, with each bird having a different tune for each season. They are usually found in areas of lightly wooded growth relatively near water with the nests in the inner branches of willows, laspars and other low trees. They will usually hide in the trees during most of the daylight hours and are rarely seen at all by most people as the feathers hide them during the night and the branches and leaves during the day. The birds territories will overlap, but conflicts over territory are usually settled with song, fighting between the birds is rare as long as there is enough food. As the birds eat all seeds and insects they can find lack of food is a rare happening.
From what I have heard the Darksinger is also easily tamed if rared from young, but this is rarely done except by a few rangers that use the intelligent birds superior sight in the dark to keep guard at night. They are also used as guards by some mystics of Shar in the wild who also use the birds wing feather as a form of holy symbol when working magic, with the feather being consumed by the magic in the process. Expect scowls from most people if you show up in human lands with a Darksinger at your shoulder.
It seems the bird can be found in all temperate lands on the west side of the Dragon Reach, but east of Priapurl the bird is usually only found in the wild lands as most people of chondathan heritage will kill the bird at sight. It is most common in the old tethen heartlands of the Riverlands between the High Moors and the Greenfields. Here the melancolic sound of the bird in the night have been the inspiration for bards since the days of Netherill.
Among traditional Tethens it is said that the bird thought the earliest singers of the humans to channel their sorrow into the song and that the last bits of the love of the Moongoddes and Shar the Dreamer, led it to give the evil of the goddess a form of blessing for humans if taken lightly. Because of this even the worshipers of Selune look upon the bird more with pity than with hate; I have even heard stories that claim that the bird is the descendant of one of the first human lovers of Selune that was misled and cursed by the Dark Dreamer. For them the song is a mark of its sorrow.
Even among the Tethens with less of a romantic nature the bird plays an important role. They know that listening to the birds song can make a person lose their soul, but they also know that the song will make the Deathriders (their name for Bhaal) servants forget their lust for dark deeds. I think they exaggerate the power of the birds, but if the Bhaalites themselves are of Tethen desent they are maybe given to following the same superstition themselves so it might work in a sense.
Interestingly, upon returning to Alaghon I learned that the bird can also be found in the western parts of our own beautiful country, but under the name of Baljuir-Thrush. The bird is simply seen as a variant of the Blackbird and is not given any special place in the beliefs of the people of that region. What I did learn is that wizards value the birds feathers as an alternative component for spells and magics that involve the dark. |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 08 Aug 2006 : 07:00:00
This one took its time for some reason. I am not completely happy with it, but I gave it my best.
Ruby beaked eagle.
If you have traveled the western lands that once stood under the banners of the Shoon emperors, you will sooner or later meet some noble or merchants dressed in their best Tulmon silk and black Semphar velvet. With them they will have a veritable army of servants, dogs and ladies suitable to his taste. For the rich, comfort and the joys of the social game must not suffer, even in the wild-lands. There will also be hunting birds handled by suitably trained servants.
The tradition of trained hunting birds among the nobles of the south and the west is a long one and in most lands one can find trained falcons and hawks among the wealthy. The art of eagle-hunting is more rare these days, in all lands I have traveled the only place I have found it practised still today is among the calimshite upper class of the west. The training of the eagle is expensive, difficult and will even in the best cases give a somewhat more unpredictable creature than the smaller hunting birds.
Ruby Beaked Eagles are now, as I said, mostly seen as domesticated slaves for the heirs of the emperors; a sad fate for one of the most stately birds of the north-lands that in elder times must have been a common sight for the travelers of the plains.
The most common eagle used by the calimshites these days is the Ruby Beaked Eagle of the northern river-lands and hills. This great bird has a three yard wingspan and feathers the colour of sunburned plains grass; its breast is lighter than its back and the beak, contrary to what the name leads one to believe, is jet black. Pairs stay together for life and will each year lay one to three eggs although it is rare for more than one hatchling to survive. Its died consists of large rodents and small hoofed animals. There has been no mention of the bird attacking sentient prey to my knowledge; even when its eggs are threatened the eagle will usually fly off instead of putting itself in danger trying to protect its eggs. It is said that the bird in earlier times was common in all the lands surrounding the Fields of the Dead, but today it is a rare sight to see the bird at all north of the great river Chionthar, much less seeing it flying freely overhead.
The only place one can hope to see the eagle in the wild today is in the areas near the Giant Run mountains where the birds still nests in numbers. The region's giants have kept most people away from these hills but even here the egg hunters have the latest generations reduced the birds numbers greatly. Still, I see some hope for the bird as drovers I talked to told me that lately many of the egg hunters have disappeared in the inner reaches of the wood-clad hill-lands.
Don't think me heard-hearted, I am myself a hunter and can see the need for all creatures to find their way of survival in the harsh lands of the north and the west, but most egg-hunters I have met are more gold-gleaming robbers than needy in my opinion. With this beautiful bird in danger of disappearing from our lands I will rout for whom ever hunts the hunters.
As to who the birds protectors are, the opinions are as numerous as rumours of king Azoun of Cormyrs offspring. Some say it is the giants protecting their old allies, maybe some of the legendary cloud giants of old that have returned, others say it is a group of druids sent from the lands of the Emerald Enclave to protect the birds, and in time, to punish the calimshites for their crimes against the wild lands of Silvanus. This last theory is popular among most tethens I might add. Others are more sceptical to these theories of organised help for the birds and figure that trolls or goblins have just gotten smarter or, at the worst, that some creature like a deepspawn might have crawled out of the underdark to make the highlands their hunting grounds.
In all fairness to the egg-hunters, they must not be given all the blame for the demise of the Ruby Beaked Eagles, a great deal of this honor also goes to the children of ancient Shanathar.
In ancient times, it is told, the lowlands between the Sea of Fallen Stars and elven lands of the Sword Coast were the hunting grounds of innumerable giants that at the time lived in the mountains, hills and even the skies of the area. These giants had dwelled here since the time of the Dragons and viewed the land and all creatures in them as theirs. These claims did not, of course, sit well with the bearded ones of the dark under-reaches and the dwarves fought many a hard battle against the giants in the ages where man was in these lands still among the beasts to be reckoned.
I will not here go into the old legends of wars between people today almost forgotten as rulers of the innlands, that is the work of other sages with these subjects as their special love. The reason I mention this is the fate of the eagles in this conflict. You see dear reader, the Ruby Beaked Eagle had since the beginning of time been the messenger of choice for the giants of the clouds and the mountain giants of the inner peaks. The dwarves on their side therefore took special care to shoot down any Ruby Beaked Eagle they saw flying over the lands of Shanathar. This went on for generations and even today the surface dwarves of the west see the birds as a sign of ill omen.
By the end of the giant wars there were hardly a nest of Ruby Beaked Eagles left south of the Chonthar river, where they had once been the topmost bird of prey. And then the Shoonites came. |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 15 Jul 2006 : 08:35:16
An other bird. This one came out nicely if I may say so myself.
The Redking.
This fascinating woodland bird is known for its beautiful song and has since the days of Myth Drannor and the last blooming of the fields of Asram been known as a sign of Tymoras blessing to all minstrels of elven or chondathan ancestry. To the more traditional tethen bards the bird is also the symbol of all the intelligent races destruction of the true art of nature's beauty. The Redking's position is mainly caused by the fact that the colour-sparkling bird is an imitator of sound.
Even if the Redking can be found throughout Faerun anywhere where there are trees, I had never seen the bird myself before traveling north. For reasons unknown the bird has never been a common one, lady Dhamina told me that even the elves of old wrote of the bird as a rare sight and most people I have talked of in tethen lands can not remember seeing the bird more than once or twice. The exception to this is Berdusk; my friend Jhaelder Illbraen laughed when I talked of the bird and took me riding to the glen of Abraima, two hours from the city walls. I was there met by a homely blond woman of the sweetest voice called Jhaelmira Illmaervar.
After Jhaelder talked to her a bit she nodded an signaled me to follow her into the shadows of the Blueleafs. There in the center of the sylvan setting; surrounding a field of Silvertear blossoms, woolfsclocks and purple snake lilies, where trees filled with Redkings all singing a song that instantly brought the tears of lost love to my eyes. In sheer extacy I proclaimed my amazement to my companions and were rewarded by the disharmonious cackle of my own words returned to me by a hundred beaks. After Jhaelder had led my laughingly out of the glen he told me that the area had since the time shortly after the Harpstar wars been a area specially blessed by the druids of Silvanus as a sanctuary for the Redking.
Where the name of the bird actually comes from is unknown, but it seems to be universal among all languages I have heard and the theory that it is a joke aimed at Lathander the Morninglord and heir to the Sun-god of Netheril is in my opinion therefore wrong. Among the Tethens it is held that the Redking was among the first creatures put in the physical world when it was created by Silvanus after his birth from the love of the Goddesses. All creatures he created afterwards where therefore presented with the birds name by Silvanus. For the same reason the bird is unable to imitate the trees and the rocks as these were created before and not part of the life of the bird always looking forward.
Even in the sanctity of Mistledale the sight of the Redking is a rare one, although the bird is not exactly what one might call inconspicuous. Its plumage is emerald green with black and red markings and a golden chest and the bird itself about the size of a Thrush. But if the sight of the bird is a rare one, the sound of the birds own song is a once in a lifetime experience. Redkings live alone most of the year and only form pairs in early Mirtul and go separate ways as soon as the hatchlings leave the nests. The half-grown redkings will then be fed by their mother alone until able to manage on their own. They are territorial, but are aggressive and will only fight intruders if food is scarce.
The birds live of a variety of insects found on the ground and in the crevices of tree-trunks. They are not nimble enough to catch flying insects but have in times of need and in winter been seen eating of cadavers. Their beaks bear a resemblance to the crows but it is slimmer, enabling them to both get it in to small crevices and to tear the layered bark of the northern conifers.
The Redking will compulsively imitate any sound it hears around it, except for natural woodland sounds like a branch snapping or a buck passing through the underbrush. Any bird, voice or instrument will be imitated although the bird has of course its limitations and, to take an example, its green dragon scream is downright ridiculous. This has led to it being killed on sight by many species, such as goblinoids and snakepeople that wish to stay hidden and see the birds habit of imitation as a danger. Harpys, to large to effectively catch the bird most of the time will leave an area inhabited by Redkings if they cant get a member of an other species to kill the birds.
The only species that seems safe from the birds imitations are the treants and Ghaleb Dhurs, one of them to slow of voice for the bird to notice and the other to like a natural rock-slide. For this reason it is quite common for the treants to let the birds nest in their crowns as this lets them have the birds as alarms of creatures approaching without the birds being able to give them away.
Because of its nature the bird will only sing its own song when there is no other sound near by and the Redking is bored. It will then sing the song that by Jaladha Tshamryl, Minstrel of Battledale and Kaelendra Mintiperlove was called the most beautiful tune in the realms of Silvanus.
The bird has in recent years been put to a more sinister use as spies and in some cases, ambitious minstrels will use the bird in their works. Combined with silence spells the birds can be used to imitate specific words or sounds, or can be made to listen in on conversations. It will then repeat the last ten to fifteen words it heard. Beware though, not only for the reason that most Dalesmen or bards will wring the neck of anyone they find holding the bird captive, but also simply because the bird will repeat anything it hears indiscriminately. |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 13 Jul 2006 : 20:00:20
I am back with another representative of Faeruns avians
Raindrop parakeet.
I grew up in a village called Orambuln a mere days travel by cart from the wild lands of the Aphrunn mountains. The area has always been known as the premier growing areas of the grapes used for the Coulamn wine that we all use at the Endless Revel of life and I started working with my brothers and sisters in the vineyards at an early age. We were always excited when we in late Eleint saw the first parakeets coming in from the north and flying over our fields. This would go on for days as flock after flock of birds flew over our heads. It was first later that my father told me I should be glad that we were grape farmers and not, like the farmers further north and near the coast, fruit farmers, as the birds were the bane of all orchards in the land. As my dear Dhamina told me one night as we were having a pause our explorations the theories of Shemeltra the Snakewoman, the Raindrop parakeet will never land in anything lower than a full tree. She herself had seen the birds often when traveling in bird form over the lands of Cormanthor and told me that they were a harmless, if somewhat stupid kind of bird that was one of the best examples of group thinking singlemindedness she had seen outside of the Purple Dragons.
Most people south of our beautiful homeland would be surprised to hear that the great northern forests of Cormanthor would hold a species of parakeet as we tend to think of these birds as warm loving creatures of the Chondalwoods and the steamy jungles of Chult. But one must remember that the forests of Cormanthor are slightly warmer than their geographical placing would indicate. Whether this is a natural magic of the forest, blessed by Jandath the Bountiful or a result of the elven magics I can not say.
The parakeet is a small yellow green bird that inhabit the forests of Cormanthor during the warmer parts of the year and travel south to the Chondalwoods by way of Turmish the beautiful in winter. Its head is marked with a bright red forehead on the male and more orange coloured markings on the female. The birds live in great flocks containing hundreds of birds that live in the highest branches of the Shadowtops and eat the fruits from the trees below. It is a rare thing for the Raindrop parakeet to travel down to the ground except during their migrations and the people of the dales usually see them only as small leaf-coloured flecks in the upper branches and hear the sounds of their cackling high above. This has made it somewhat of a test of marksmanship among young of the dales to see if they can hit the bird far up in the branches. Even if they do not, as in our country, have rules set up by the druids, most parents make it quite clear that the bird must be eaten if shot. This does not go among the parakeet-hating fruit orchard owners.
The parakeets live in pairs during the nesting season, but this does not break up the flocks that build primitive nests in the giant trees as near large fruit quantities as possible. The hatching period is, according to my dear lady Dhamina, very short and the flocks will start moving as soon as the hatchlings are able to take wings. The hatchlings are fed fruit mashed by their parents beaks until their beaks are strong enough to manage it themselves. This short nesting is the only real stop in the birds constant nomadic movements, following the same routs year after year, generation after generation. These routs lets the birds follow the ripening of the various sorts of fruits and in some cases berries as they come into season. Then, when the leaves of the woodlands start to change from the life giving greens of Jandath to the fiery reds of Talos the Destroyer, the birds will start their long flight to the evergreen forests of the south. During the months of Marpenoth and Uktar the birds can be seen flying over the Dragonmere and the reaches of Vilhon.
I include the bird here mostly because of the conflict is has had a tendency to spread among farmers and druids, the bird itself is rather unassuming and its habitat makes it little part of most ground dwellers life's with the exception of orchard owners. The bird is among the most hated creatures in the whole of Faerun among the fruit farmers of all the lands reached by their beaks. This little bird has therefore led to some of the bitterest conflicts between druids and farmers in recent years. This is not only the case among the Vilhon farmers that have a history of bad feelings with the druidic cults of the Emerald isles, even in the Dalelands the druids are hard pressed to keep the farmers from sending sling bullets after the birds at first sight. As the production of fruit wine in the northern Sembia and eastern dales increase so does the hatred for the bird.
In recent years the hardest conflict has been between the temple of Chaunthea in Harrowdale and its cherry orchard farmers. The priests of Chaunthea have a certain amount of sympathy for the farmers, but this have led to a new estrangement between the priests and the druids of the wild woods. My lady Dhamina tell me that its been mostly words until now, but if the situation is worsened it could lead to violence. The more aggressive and cynical druids of Sylvanus has hinted that they find the spread of humanity in the old elven woods quite aggravating and I fear for the safety of these lands if they decide to try to restore the balance. Lady Dhamina says she finds this highly unlikely but I, as one who has seen the work of the Emerald Enclave, am not completely assured.
It would be a grand irony in the history of fate if a row over this little bird should lead to large scale conflict in the dales. |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 11 Jul 2006 : 20:18:28
Sorry for the long break; here is another feathered friend.
Kezir Bittern
I have always been a great lover of rivers and their environments. Among my fondest memories of the early years of my life is the travels the honorable master Bhadaian Nobrathan took me on a trip to the Ombroul by the feet of the Perloush. We were going to study the Barnatnoil water lilies, the ones used for creating the pigment of the Trumal cloth so popular in the eastern land, but my eyes were only for the birds that flew up from the reedy banks as we made our way towards the string of pools and small lakes were the lilies can be found.
The sight I remember the best is of the bird that did not fly. Coming to the edge of the lake master Barnatnoil was seeking I saw into the eyes of a small gray Heron standing among the lilies, its curiosity overcoming its natural fear for humans traveling the wetlands. The birds yellow eyes looked into my heart, at least it felt that way at my tender age, and I felt a sudden compulsion to weep.
Now, master Bhadaian was a lovely man and I will love him til the day my heart is judged by the gods, but a sentimentalist he was not. The bird therefore flew up with a harsh scream at the sound of his hand clapping and whistling. The moment was over.
What was not lost was my love of the striders of the wetlands, especially the herons and their relatives and I look forward to present you with one of the most popular birds in the northern lands of the tethens, the Kezir Bittern.
The bird also known as Leiras daughter is a creature surprisingly seldom seen when one thinks of the role it plays in the local tales of the region of the Sister rivers. The tales of the birds courage in protecting the weak from the slitherers in the dark and the children of Seth the charmer of the Crimson scale, are many among both the rural people and the minstrels of the regions city's.
The Kezir Bittern has its name from an old myth of a now almost forgotten kingdom of the Northlands , the kingdom of the stag, Aumathar. In the tales of the seven changelings and the Ruby vessel of the Goddess the bird is named the Elven star bird, or Quessir Amaieldoin, today shortened into Kezir. The tale is today mostly forgotten, but the birds name has stuck.
The Kezir Bittern is a small bluish grey heron-like bird with white markings, that live in the lands between the so- called High Moors and the Green Fields north of Amn the merchants state. It is most commonly found around the two great rivers of the region, the Chionthar and the Winding water, but can be found near any water holding small fish and with a heavy vegetation near the waterline. The birds are social and form groups that stay together for most of the year with the exception of the mating season. These consists of between one and four pairs that hunt in a common territory that decides the size of the group. During the hatching season the bird will keep more to their single partner and see little of the rest of the group until the young can manage to go with their parents. The pairs usually stay together for years but each Tarsakh sees intense battle between the yearlings that have not yet found a partner. The birds who loose a mate will try to find a new one as quickly as possible.
The kezir Bittern is a shy bird that is seldom seen except by people with the exception of the river people of the Chionthar and local fishermen. One can count oneself lucky to get a quick glance of the bird as a blue-gray shadow in the morning mist hanging over the water as it is mainly active at dusk and dawn. As the birds meat is tough and bitter in taste so few people see any reason to hunt the bird. For most people of these lands the bird is a ghost in stories told of the river nixies and a creature from the romances. They know its out there, but have never seen it.
As already mentioned the bird is said to be an enemy of the scaly creatures of the northern lands and this has given the bird a special place in the hearts of the people of these lands. Among the tethens and the descendants of half a dozen other peoples of these lands there is a fear of snakes and lizards generally only encountered in the steamy jungles of the Chultan peninsula. I must admit that I saw quite a few snakes in my travels with the caravans across the Fields of the Dead and the tales told of the evils of the cold blooded creatures are many, but I still find it a mystery that these relatively harmless creatures should hold such a hand of terror over the people.
The Kezir Bittern is a great snake hunter, and if the wetlands holds a group of the birds you can be sure that there are no snakes near by. The birds long and powerful beak is perfect for grabbing the snakes and then breaking their back with a throw of the long neck; the bird has been known to stab larger snakes with its beak. Both water and grass dwelling reptiles will be taken, though I doubt that the large constrictors rumoured to habitat the Forest of Wyrms have anything to fear from the birds. In many tales the birds go out of their way to hunt snakes, but I myself hold these to be mainly myths, but there is a possibility that this is some sort of instinct to protect the eggs and hatchlings from the creatures. |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 02 Jul 2006 : 09:08:33
Pearl Curlew
The Pearl Curlew is an other of these inconspicuous birds that some humans have given a role of the greatest importance in their lives. Along the whole western coast people will see the bird as a sign when it comes to matters of the heart and more than one priest has based his service on the role of the bird.
Most of these ideas I have met seems to go back to the, to me, unseemly Tethen version of the creation of the universe and the place of the twin Goddesses. Their leniency toward the Dark sister is something I did not suspect, but when I talk to priests of Selune they inform me that the evil goddess has always been strongest among the people of the west. Interestingly enough this is the core area of the Moon goddess also.
In most ways the bird reminds me of the Eprastar I already have told you about when it comes to habits and in this can be likened with most of the other pipers and snipes of the coastal lands. I include the bird in this tome mainly to shed some light on its religious role so that any traveler in the lands of the North will be warned about its many roles among the people of these lands.
Pearl Curlew are a small waders mostly found along the length of the Sword coast, mainly along the sand covered seashore, but it can be met far inland along the rivers and creeks. The Curlew has a long beak, long legs and is a Snipe-like bird about the size of a Woodcock; it lives of sand crawlers, sea snails and other small creatures living on the sandy shores where the birds hunt during the ebb of the sea. The birds coating is darker brown than most other snipes and sandpipers and it has a droplet-pattern of tiny silvery spots over the whole body. They live in small groups that consists of several pairs of birds shearing the same territory and migrating habits but else having little to do with each other. New pairs are formed each spring. The Curlew nests on the grown in high grass with the female hatching the eggs and the male tending for the chicks when they are old enough to leave the nest.
The birds do not spend the winter north of the river Chionthar and most of the birds can in wintertime be found in the area between the river and Tethyr. The birds are mainly active between early dusk and late dawn, when one can hear the birds cry, a sorrowful Hyii-Hyii sound for great distances along the sea cliffs. The cry of the Pearl Curlew has become a common metaphor in the romantic poetry of the Sword coast lands, especially within what is known as the Amnian tradition in our lands.
When one hears these songs and odes of the western lands it is strange to think that the Amnians, universally viewed as gold-mad pouch-pincher's, has created a tradition of some of the most beautiful poetry in the human tradition. Here the best of the Calishites homage and fluency in form come together with the Tethen heartfeltness and the complexity of meaning known from the elven masters of old Ashavar. In these traditions the Pearl Curlew is the symbol of the cyclic feelings of love and the comforter of the heartbroken and the lovesick. An other expression of this can be seen in the region around Memnon where lovers will give each other a small amulet, made of the metal most fitting their station, bearing the likeness of the bird.
In the Tethen traditions the bird is seen as a messenger of Selune in the world of men, the Pearl Curlew is also seen as the only creature that can soften Shaars hard heart by making her herself forgets the slights of eternity with its cries. As the bird cries for the two sisters and, in both a cosmic and worldly sense, lovers they are both for one instant reminded of the birth of all existence and their earlier role as the caresses of Chaunthea the bountiful. At that moment the bird is able to bring the Dark Dancer the prayers of the sorrowful and desperate, for peace with their memories and a rest from pain.
The bird as a symbol of the stars and of comfort has spread far out of the lands of the Tethen with the church of Selune, but these have a tendency to downplay the birds role as a voice between the two goddesses as this fits badly with the more dogmatic modern image and role of their goddess than with the Tethens ancient Lurua. Today one can find domesticated Pearl Curlews in most temples of Selune near coastal lands or other food sources for the birds. Minor temples and wandering priests in more conservative Tethen areas such as the lands near the Highmoor and the highlands bordering Amn and Tethyr, have learned to not preach about the birds role as a servant of Selune and enemy of Shar, as the reactions to this have been more or less catastrophic. The bird has no role within the church of Shar, but a remainder of the birds role can be seen in a general ban against the harming of the birds by servants of Shar. It is said that among the Tethen mystics serving the Lady of the Black Veil in the wilder areas the bird still holds a high position.
On a side note; I have heard that in the great northern city of Waterdeep the birds role is reversed and the Pearl Curlew is seen as a harbinger of doom and a waring of broken hearts and sorrow. This can be a bastardisation of the birds role between the Twin Goddesses. |
| ksu_bond |
Posted - 01 Jul 2006 : 07:42:22
Thank you for the thought and work put into these excellent bits of realmslore, they are already making their way into my campaign. It will be nice to have a King's Pheasant at dinner for a change ;) And please keep them coming. |
| Arkhaedun |
Posted - 30 Jun 2006 : 16:37:42
I like the fact that the Realms is big enough to have a lot of small details, and I like the idea that its inspired you to write about wildlife, in the traditional, non-magical, not-likely-to-eat-a-whole-village sort. |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 30 Jun 2006 : 11:17:04
The King Pheasant
If you have seen some of the old murals made by the emperors of Shoon during their later days you will often see a slave following the flying chariot of the wizard emperor, leading a group of chained birds the size of pigs. This was to symbolize the emperors domination over the Tethen tribes of the lands between Calimshan and the Twin rivers.
Today the bird is a common sight among the gardens of the wealthy between Calimshan and the Vilhon Reach, as the bird is sedate and breeds happily in captivity. There has however been several incidents of traders from the northern, more traditional Tethen lands and the highlands bordering the nations of Tethyr and Amn, kidnapping the birds and setting them free.
I myself find these actions a little extreme as the birds them self are generally happy in their new environments and I have doubts about their ability to manage on their own in the wilds. I once talked to my Tethen companions Imalljaher and Astarata about this and for a second I thought Astarata would use that curved dagger on me in a far more effectual way than the teasing of last night. Both of them were enraged at my, in their eyes, belittling of their sorrow at seeing this majestic bird enslaved. I had to use all my abilities of persuasion to explain to them that I had not understood their feelings about the bird. A quick word of warning, even my lovely Jhaelder Illbraen of Berdusk shook his head when I told him of this incident.
The Kings Pheasant is a large bird, about double the size of most other species of Pheasant. The male has a shining black plumage with blue-green glowing eyes on the wings and the same colouring on the long tailfeathers. The bright red wattles of the birds swell and becomes blood-red during the mating season. The female is much less conspicuous with a brown and black coat that makes it easy to hide during the nesting season. The only markings of note on the female is a reddish stripe over the eyes and tailfeathers of the same colouring as the males, if somewhat shorter.
The Kings Pheasant lives a quiet life in the undergrowth of the light forests and the shrubs of the grasslands. The exception is during the mating season where the males give their all in a performance of posing and dancing near unequaled among the birds of these lands. The males will dance and prance chortling out their challenges to males and their lust to females. Now, dear reader, a word of warning. This bird is of a rather single mind when it is in heat; it will attack all creatures smaller than a horse that intrudes on its courting ground and the beating one might take from the wings, beak and claws of the bird is not a thing to take lightly.
Out of mating season the bird is rarely seen except near sundown, when it comes out into more open landscape, but even then the bird is careful and will take flight at any signs of a threat. A good archer will usually have little problems in hitting the bird though as it is a rather large target even at a distance. Even today the bird is pretty common along the caravan routs north of the Cloud Peaks, as the bird has a reputation for being inedible and even poisonous.
This is not completely trough as the meat is excellent if well roasted or cooked; but if one were to eat the bird raw or semi-raw the result would be days of stomach-cramps and diarrhea locally called Prince Iriiaes revenge. This has kept the bird from ever becoming popular on the cooking spits of travelers. If the birds are bothered at all it is usually by egg-hunters that sell the birds to the lands of the east. If raised from the egg the bird will become as tame as any dog and this has as I already mentioned, made the bird a popular pet in some lands.
Among the Tethen the bird holds a higher position. It is said that the bird is the symbol of the rightful ruler and his host and that the bird will only bless those fit to rule. The chief or clan leader will usually bear feathers from the bird on his helmet and he can give his most honored men the right to bear feathers from the bird on them self. even among the rulers of the city states on the borders of the Tethen lands and among the people of Amn and Calimshan the feathers are considered a precious gift and a suitable decoration for the regalia's of the rulers. The famous Cavaliers of the civilized Tethen lands of the north wear the feathers from their helmets as a homage to the old traditions.
If common man were to find a feather of the bird on the ground he will keep it as a lucky charm, even if it is forbidden to wear it openly except when given by a chief or other ruler. Most people will not keep the feather for long though, as it is considered the greatest gift one can give to a Tethen and it is always wise to have the good will of the ruler. The feathers are never traded, only freely given. Anything else would be an insult, almost as bad as plucking the feathers from the body of the bird itself, which is never done. This goes whether the bird is alive or dead. It is seen as a act dedicated to the Dancer of the Darkest Nights to pluck the feather from the bird. There are several legends that tell that the birds are children of Shar that teared themselves loose from their harsh mistress. They can therefore give the blessings freely, but their bodies are still of the Dark Ladys heart and therefore cursed. I have not had the possibilities to find out how the priestesses of the Night goddess view the bird.
There has been a tendency, especially among Calimshites, to joke about the Pheasant and the Tethen reverence for the bird. Many of these jokes compare nature of the birds rather unfavorably with the Tethens own. Those telling these jokes have often ended up with a rather red smile from ear to ear in a back alley soon afterwards.
In the Dragon coast lands there has been written several plays about monarchs and rulers that decide to try for their moment of glory , only to go down in bloody catastrophes. The most famous of these are Amvardraxes of Cimbars satires , By the Laws of Women, The King Pheasant, and On the Words of Men, which tells of the rulers Queen Regent Lharida, king Myntharan, and The Reaver king Gostaraj of Westgate.
Worth mentioning is also The Feathers of Harpys, detailing the last days of Shoon, written by Amanduc Aspenrod and Who’s next? The story of Azoun of Cormyr learning a lesson from Vandergahast, by an anonymous writer.
All of these stories play heavily on the thematic symbol of the Kings Pheasant and the would be conquerors fall. Well, the Azoun play is more about Azoun being changed into a bird to be thought a lesson, except that he becomes turned into a female bird by mistake. I will not go further into this, except to mention that the reward for the name of the writer has rissen to two thousand lions. |
| Varl |
Posted - 27 Jun 2006 : 05:00:58
I'm going to go back and read all the bird entries you made, Jorkens, but one species you might consider covering (a favorite of mine) is the shrike. An interesting bird that likes to "spike" its food. Heh. If you've already done one, please disregard this post. Just a suggestion. |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 24 Jun 2006 : 11:31:23
As I feel a little burned out when it comes to birds right now, I will take a couple of days break at least. I will not write more birds before I feel prepared even if I may post a couple of things on other subjects.
I don't know how long it will take, but be sure, there is more to come. |
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