Axe Beaks
Axe Beaks are one of Rothlia's most terrifying birds.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Standing at 9 feet tall, Axe Beaks resemble ostriches in most things aside from their heads, which -true to name- bear an appearance quite similar to the head of an axe.
Genetics and Reproduction
Axe Beaks mate only once or twice in their lifetime, usually in the latter years of their life but sometimes at a younger age when influenced by Yonalla. They lay only one egg at a time, with both parents guarding it fiercly until it hatches. Axe Beak eggs are large, around a foot in diameter at their widest point. Baby Axe Beaks, which are often called Axlings, are usually 3 feet tall at hatching and spend their time inside the egg curled in a tight ball.
Even newly born Axlings are fast enough to evade most predators, so at this point the parents go their separate ways, leaving the chick to find its own way.
Growth Rate & Stages
Axe Beaks grow quickly, maturing from a gangly 3 feet tall to a full height of 9 feet within a span of fourteen months.
Ecology and Habitats
Axe Beaks make their home in Rothlia, on the great grassland known as The Rhine. They are perfectly adapted for this environment, where they often form small packs and hunt together.
The grasses of the Rhine are often six feet tall, but Axe Beaks' wedge-shaped heads easily part the thick grasses as their powerful legs carry them through the brush at high speeds.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Axe Beaks compete with several other species for a position at the top of the predatory food chain of the Rhine. They are obligate carnivores, although they may suppliment their diet with tubers and other greens.
Additional Information
Domestication
The Rhine's three nomadic tribes -the Koprin, the Yenaz, and the Sozari- have each domesticated Axe Beaks, although each has done so in a separate manner.
The Koprin, who were the first of the three to attempt domestication, stole eggs from nesting mother birds (a fair number of casualties were sustained on both sides in this attempt), then raised the chicks in much the same way as the people of Falinor raise horses. The Yenaz chose to build a relationship with wild Axe Beaks, spending months offering food and getting closer and closer bit by bit, until finally their birds were fully comfortable with their presence. After that, chicks could be raised and trained easily. The Sozari chose neither tactic; they simply stole some already-domesticated birds from the other tribes when their cities next clashed.
Domesticated Axe Beaks are much like wild ones: aggressive and carnivorous. These traits serve the warlike tribes of the Rhine quite well, so there has never been an attempt to breed this behavior out of the species.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
The nomadic tribes, who live in great cities atop the backs of the gargantuan tortoises, use Axe Beaks as mounts, racing both in the wake of their tortoises -which may be slow but are so huge their stride covers huge swaths of land- and into battle, usually against the other nomadic tribes.
Facial characteristics
Axe Beaks, as their name suggests, have strangely-shaped beaks which curve vertically along their leading edge.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Axe Beaks are, for the most part, found only on the Northern Continent of Aren, Rothlia, where they thrive in the grassland known as the Rhine.
Average Intelligence
Axe Beaks, while fierce and territorial, are not a very intelligent species. Using 5e mechanics, they have an average intelligence score of 2, with a modifier of -4.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Axe Beaks, fairly unique among predatory species, have a large field of unocular vision, but no binocular vision to speak of. That is to say, their eyes are on the sides of their head rather than at the front. This is thought to have developed far less recently than their predatory diet: Essentially, Axe Beaks were once a prey species rather than a predator. Their wide field of vision ensures that Axe Beaks are nearly impossible to sneak up upon. The position of their eyes is also helpful when sprinting headfirst through the thick grasses of the Rhine at high speed.
Lifespan
50 years
Average Height
9 ft
Average Weight
400-500 lbs
Average Physique
Axe Beaks stand at an average full height of around nine feet, with powerful legs built for both long-distance travel and for short high-speed sprints.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Axe Beaks come in shades ranging from black to a dirty brown to a light yellow, their plumage meant to aid them in concealment within the tall grasses of the Rhine.
Geographic Distribution
