Peryton

Swift death from above

Perytons are violent chimeric creatures whose generally unassuming appearance belies their true viciousness. While grounded and unmoving, a casual observer could be forgiven for thinking that Perytons appear to be noble and gentle creatures. However, Perytons have proven time and time again that they are violent, bloodthirsty creatures that would sooner tear your gullet out than tolerate your presence in their territory.

Description

Perytons' front halves resemble stags, including the females which tend to have smaller antlers. Their rear halves resemble a large, taloned bird, most often likened to some kind of eagle or falcon, and they also possess large, feathered wings and fanged teeth. Their plumage is usually shades of brown, tan or golden yellow, and their eyes tend toward black or brown. Peryton adults range between 82-98 inches long from the nose to the base of the tail, 3.5-4 feet high at the shoulder, and can weigh between 370-530 lb, with males typically being larger and bulkier than females.

Variations

Perytons that reside in snowier climates tend to develop white and grey colouration to their bodies and feathers, in order to help them blend into their surroundings more. Interestingly, these colourations often include hints of pink on their undersides, which is said to help them blend into the sky and clouds.
Some Perytons possess vibrant colouration in the form of reds, blues and greens. It is not known why these colour differences occur, but Perytons with this kind of plumage are often sought out by crafters of Foci and magical tools for their aesthetics as much as their magical properties.
Greater Perytons are incredibly rare, only formed when a Peryton consumes the hearts of multiple powerful Weavecrafters. Greater Perytons are able to take on a Sapient form and are maliciously intelligent.

Behaviour and Abilities

Ill-tempered and quick to anger, Perytons are incredibly fast flyers with keen sight and smell. The majority of a Peryton's time is spent hunting, and it will view anything of a suitable size (usually that of a medium-sized dog) that wanders into its hunting territory as a potential meal. Perytons will kill and eat regularly throughout the day, and if they cannot find anything to kill themselves, they will gorge on leftovers from carcasses killed by other means. When not hunting, Perytons may rest on cliffs and preen, though they never engage in such behaviours for long. Perytons are generally tolerant of other Perytons in the same territory, creating loose communities with heavily established hierarchies, though they may react aggressively to a brand new Peryton the first time they meet. This is generally a show in order to establish dominance, and rarely leads to a fight to the death.
As the merging of deer and bird, Perytons will often hide their wings and rear ends using the environment and pretend to be a regular deer while grounded, luring prey closer until it strikes. However, Perytons prefer to strike from the air, diving down onto unassuming prey from high in the sky. The biggest giveaway of a Peryton’s presence is that its shadow is shaped like a Human, something which it cannot hide. Some Perytons have learned to use this to their advantage in order to hunt Sapients, particularly Humans, Elves and Duinesìth, whose hearts are a favoured food for them.
Perytons magical abilities include an Aura of Dread, which breaks down the mind's defenses, as well as a scream which induces paralysing fear. Both of these abilities are known to directly attack the mind of their prey, making it easier for Perytons to hunt down and catch the food they require. They also possess acidic spittle, which can be used to blind or slow down prey.

Ecology

Habitat

Perytons predominantly live in temperate forested, mountain regions, nesting high up mountain sides or on cliffs, and typically within flying distance of meadows or open grassland of some kind. They have also been known to live within arctic mountain ranges, generally overlooking large gorges or lakes. They have few natural predators, with Griffons being their most hated foe, but will often fight for territory with Manticores, Chimeras and Wyverns.

Diet and Feeding

Perytons are obligate carnivores with a hefty appetite, needing to consume a minimum of their own body weight each day in order to remain active and efficient. Perytons prefer to hunt mammals and reptiles sized at least that of a medium-sized dog, but will also catch and consume birds if food is in short supply. They have also been known to attack and bring down prey much larger than themselves, such as large Manticores or Chimeras, Mastodon, Mammoths and Wyverns.
Perytons' favourite prey, however, are Sapients. Perytons become stronger the more hearts they consume, and some Perytons will actively seek out nearby villages to raid.

Reproduction

Perytons generally live as a mated pair, raising their young together until they are old enough to fend for themselves. Little is known about their courtship practices, but most vague accounts describe an aerial "dance" where the two Perytons make their intentions known. Once a mate has been chosen and the pair have bonded, they build a nest together, usually at the site of one of their previous nests.
Female Perytons will actively seek out Sapients before mating, which usually takes place in early spring, and it is believed that they are driven to consume Sapient hearts around this time as they are infertile without them. Scholars speculate that this may be due to the high iron content within hearts that helps Peryton eggs to develop. Once mating has occured, the female will usually lay one or two eggs within the nest, the shells of which are compared to iron and are around the size of a melon. The eggs are incubated for around forty days, and both parents would share the duties of caring for and incubating the eggs. When hatching begins, the parents assist in the process by dribbling their acidic spittle onto the eggs to weaken the shells.
Once hatched, the young Perytons are entirely dependant on their parents for the first three months, with the parents often bringing live prey to the nest for the young to kill, or oftentimes, consume alive. Once old and developed enough to learn to fly, parent Perytons begin teaching their young the intricacies of flight, hunting and stalking. The young will remain with their parents for up to a year and a half before fledging and leaving the nest to find their own mate. This generally means that Perytons only raise young once every two years.

Taming, Harvesting and Taxidermy

Attempts have been made in the past to tame Perytons, however their inbuild desire to consume the hearts of Sapients often overwhelms any training they may receive. Perytons are also not fond of confinement and will actively resist any attempts to force it into small spaces. Some warlords have used this to their advantage, often luring Perytons to the locations of their enemies to have the beasts attack instead of wasting their own resources. However, this strategy only lasts as long as a warlord has enemies to feed the local Perytons, and once their enemies have been defeated, the warlords ultimately have to face off against the Perytons themselves.
Perytons can be harvested for their saliva, feathers, bones and claws, which can be used for a variety of magical potions and objects, particularly Foci. Peryton saliva typically brews highly potent acids that can eat through most materials, while their feathers are used as the core of many magical Foci, such as wands, staffs and amulets. Peryton bones are often ground up and used in potions pertaining to flight, or are used whole to create magical flutes or wands. Peryton claws have a more practical use in that they are extremely tough and incredibly sharp, so they tend to be used to make tools. On rare occasions, a Peryton's dense hooves may be harvested to create bludgeoning weapons, though due to their relatively small size they must often be combined with other materials to create anything of suitable size for anyone of Dwarf size or taller.