Okororo, the Glacial Feathergiants
Friendly snowbirds of the ice
They look mighty big, sure, but in reality these large birds are over 50% pure feathers by volume.Located in all icy expanses throughout Artazia and other countries, but found most numerously within the Cradle of Ice, Okororo are large wingless birds that are perfectly adapted to their frigid environment thanks to their endlessly growing thick feathers. They are named after the light trilling sound they make of "Okororororo" and have no natural predators, and instead are often kept as livestock by Artazians living close to or on top of the ice.
Feathers Abound
Throughout the entire life-cycle of an Okororo, from chick to death, new feathers never stop growing. Each new feather is slightly larger, and slightly thicker than the previous, leading to an incredible volume of feathers on adult birds. In the wild, these feathers are naturally shedded, or plucked by one another, in regular grooming processes. These discarded feathers are used as bedding for eggs or newly hatched chicks who haven't yet grown a thick coat.
Look at the poor thing! When was the last time you groomed him? He's overloaded with feathers! Shame on you!When kept as livestock, generally in fenced areas along side glaciers or snowy mountainsides, Okororo do not groom eachother nearly as often. This will sometimes lead to adults who are so over-grown in feathers that they begin to have trouble moving about, and ocassionally have issues with overheating.
Stats
Diet
Okororo are omniviorous grazing animals who will eat just about anything they can easily reach. Generally, this is limited to a mix of small sparse plants that survive under winter snowfall, or to species of invertebrates that survive near and among the snow and ice. In central Artazia, the Okororo are known to survive off of almost exclusively Ice Worms, the unique species of worms that live within the glaciers at the Cradle of Ice.Sure makes taking care of 'em easy, when they eat the same thing you like eating. Nothing like enjoying an ice cold worm slush after a day of grooming.
Life Cycle and Growth Stages
Egg
Chick
Adolescent
Adult
Overgrown
One adult will usually have 1 or 2 eggs per year, and each egg is cared for by the entire herd of animals, both in the wild or when living as livestock.
Livestock
Okororo are incredibly useful animals in the frigid mountain biomes of central Artazia. They are light, with most of their body volume consisting entirely of feathers to fend off the dreadful cold, and therefor do not consume food in any overwhelming amounts, making them easy to care for.
Their endlessly growing feathers are plucked on a weekly basis, and used to create bedding, insulation or clothing for those who call the glaciers home. Okororo feather cloaks and shawls are the traditional clothing of the central Artazian people, and the striking style of bright white feather jackets has started to spread to other cold-biome countries across all of Cathedris as well.
Why yes indeed, this is an Okororo feather coat, thank you for noticing! I had it shipped here via priority mail specifically for this dreadful winter we're experiencing this year.
More than Feathers
For some on the ice, Okororo make for more than an endless source of warm feathers -- they also double as an easily accessible food source. Grazing constantly off of the spare mountain shrubbery and countless ice worms, these large birds are found to be easy to take care of in terms of ensuring they stay fed.Some eat their Feathergiants. Not me, though. Could never bring myself to kill one, not with the way they look at me. I mean, how could I?
BIRB!!
GIANT FLUFFY BIRB!!