Farac ((F-ah-r-ah-k))

Faracs are falcons that are native to the Soighir mountain range. 
They have white feathers with navy blue speckles and tail feather tips in the same colour. They also have slightly darker circles around their eyes.   The Farac is often seen as the bird of Feaíocht and is a widely recognised symbol of the old magocracy. 

After the Fall

  After the Fall of Feaíocht, the Faracs that had once been owned by the guards of Feaíocht became feral. They returned to the mountains with the coming of the magical storm that enveloped the Soighir mountains. 
The feral faracs reunited with their wild brethren and now command the skies just bellow the storm.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Faracs are a breed of falcon that have grey feathers on their underside, and have white feathers with navy speckles on their backs, wings, and head. The tips of their tail feathers are the same navy colour as their speckles, and they have slightly darker circles around their eyes.
They have a 1 meter to 1 and a half meter wing spans, that lets them fly in the tougher conditions and for longer periods of time when they reach the highlands--where they do most of their hunting.

Genetics and Reproduction

They mate for life and stay in the same nesting area for life.
They lay eggs, which have a 36 day gestation period.

Growth Rate & Stages

They are dependent on their parents for the first 5 months of their lives. After this they fledge and will live in a group of other fledglings for four years.
Eventually they will choose a mate and find a nesting site, where they will stay for the rest of their lives.  Faracs generally live until thy are 14 years old in the wild. Domesticated faracs may live to the age of 22.

Ecology and Habitats

They live in the Soighir mountain range which is the Northern most mountain range in all of Bréafír. These mountains have always had extremely harsh winters meaning the faracs have evolved thicker feathers to keep them warm in the almost constantly below freezing temperatures. 
They often nest in communities in alcoves on the sides of mountains. However, since the fall of Feaíocht they have taken to nesting in abandoned buildings which retain more heat.

Dietary Needs and Habits

They are carnivorous. They mainly eat small rodents, but have been known to team up when they are in the fledgling communities to go after newborn speckle lambs.
Very few animals can survive in the cold of the Soighir mountains, meaning a lot of the time faracs are seen hunting in the highlands instead of the mountains themselves.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

They have extremely keen sight, but their sense of smell and hearing are quite bad. 
Since the Fall of Feaíocht and the moving in of the magical storm, it is said that the faracs have gained magical abilities. Supposedly the flecks in their feathers retain a trace of the magic from the storm. This helps them fly almost unaffected by the storm, and helps them sense and avoid magic strikes.
It is theorised that if a person had a feather they would be able to traverse the storm safely. However, this has never been proved.

Origin/Ancestry

Soighirian