Jah Eagle-Owl
Racial Magic
Sylthari's Eye
by Lee Stepp
Able to see perfectly with even the slightest amount of celestial light such as moonlight or starlight and can see all celestial light in their environment, even through barriers. They can also see all celestial bodies even during the day or when the sky is obscured. Finally, they may be able to read fortunes and make prophecies during full moons and under certain constellations but usually only share these with each other or as familiars
☀️Rithaldis' Form
Can convert parts of their body into a kind of radiant energy (photons, plasma, sunlight, ionizing radiation), usually their beak or talons. Useful against prey without radiant immunity like the Hadu Hedgehog and leaves them immune radiant energy as well, essential for life in the deeper regions of the Shamsi Desert.
☀️
by Lee Stepp
Can convert parts of their body into a kind of radiant energy (photons, plasma, sunlight, ionizing radiation), usually their beak or talons. Useful against prey without radiant immunity like the Hadu Hedgehog and leaves them immune radiant energy as well, essential for life in the deeper regions of the Shamsi Desert.
These predators hunt mainly by stealth and surprise with a mix of silent flight and keen perception! They hunt best in the darkest hours of the night, able to find prey with even the slightest moonlight or starlight, even over long distances. They live within the depths of the Shamsi Desert where few other birds are found aside from Kabus Nightjar and Ramil Lark. Jah Eagle-Owls prefer to nest far from human settlements, near dunes and mountains. They hunt in dry valleys and craggy mountains, Qafz Jerboa their favorite prey. They are also known to become territorial with other birds, squabbling with Itri Raven especially during their breeding season. Some hunters might target these owls for their feathers and talons or capture them to keep as familiars. Sometimes, they may even be heard in the night, cackling at humans when they've done something particularly clumsy in the dark!
Basic Information
Anatomy
by Lee Stepp
Jah Eagle-Owls have mottled feathers and big, expressive orange-yellow eyes. Their head, underparts and chests are brown and marked with black and white streaks or blotches, perhaps with some reddish brown mixed in. They have a facial disk like most owls with a dark rim and a black, hooked bill. It is most recognizable for its small, cat like ear tufts and their distinct "buo" hoot. In their magic form, their beaks and talons are sheer white and their eyes take on a subtle glow, resembling the surface of the moon or containing unique constellations!
Original Ancestor
Pharaoh Eagle-Owl
Weight
Length
Wingspan 39-43 in (100-110 cm)
Tail length 6.3-9.2 in (160-233 mm)
Genetics and Reproduction
by Lee Stepp
Whether because of their lunar magic or their nocturnal habits, their courtship and communication between mates is tied to the phases of the moon! Jah owls form lifelong, monogomous pairs so courtship is important. When courting, they sing to each other across the sands in order to decide their compatability. While this song sounds simple to human ears, sounding something like "hu-huhoooh", each song has distinct tonal differences. When one of these owls reach sexual maturity, they use Sylthari's Eye to read their own romantic destiny in the stars and compose their individual song with this cryptic knowledge. They will know their fated partner when they hear their song, singing a duet as they meet. These songs and other vocalizations are most frequently heard on nights with brighter moonlight, partners even flashing their white feathers as they call out from high perches in order to signal to their mate--far more effective under full moonlight. This communication is essential over long distances, each owl hunting individually.
They breed late into winter, nesting in a scrape within crevices of rocky outcroppings. They produce only two to three eggs, incubated by the female for 31 days. Chicks are fed by both parents, leaving the nest at around 20-35 days but remaining reliant on their parents for several months. Their parents will even guide them as they hunt, most fledglings fully mature in the year following their hatching and sexually mature by two years. A mated pair usually maintains the same territory for years at a time. They will also often bicker with Itri Raven which might eat their eggs or hatchlings.
Ecology and Habitats
by Lee Stepp
Shamsi Desert, Kemet, Kna'an, Arya, Dawn Ahrayn, Arabiyyan Desert, Balkurtiz and sometimes Gaarreen Ho'aa. They prefer open and arid expanses with rocky outcroppings, wadis, plains and cliffs. During the day they rest between rocks, on the ground, in caves or in steep cliffs and precipices. If trees are present they might also roost in their branches.
Dietary Needs and Habits
by Lee Stepp
Like most inhabitants of Shamsi, these are nocturnal birds which become active after the sun sets. Hunting over an area as large as 1.9 sq mi (5 km2), they feed mostly on smaller species including mammals, birds, reptiles and invertebrates. Common prey include Qafz Jerboa, Sahra Hare, Hadu Hedgehog, Marqat Sandgrouse, Impangele Hen, Isk Viper, Mul'ataa Agama, Khepri Scarab and al-Mawt Scorpion. They might even prey on Ayyur Fox and bats.
Usually, Jah Eagel-Owl perch somewhere high up, watching with Sylthari's Eye and listening for prey before swooping down on them silently. Their flight makes almost no sound at all thanks to their specialized feathers, feared and dreaded by small desert species despite their own small stature and admired by the Masryeen as skilled hunters. They mostly utilize their radiant talons and beak on prey without immunity to radiant energy, like the Hadu Hedgehog and some Sahra Hare, or to attack other birds of prey in their territory or other predators in general. And while photon claws cannot harm the Qafz Jerboa by magic alone, peculiarly they are able to restrain those with Rithaldis' Step while the natural sharpness of their talons takes care of the rest!
Civilization and Culture
Common Myths and Legends
by Lee Stepp
Owls are associated with the Quiris representation of Kanilwyr, Athena, and throughout various cultures to represent Irkath in contrast. Irkath's owls are always displayed as blue and black while Kanilwyr's colors are white and yellow. Owls are largely associated with wisdom and knowledge, whether this knowledge is mysterious and cryptic or represents academia. They are believed to possess knowledge of the unknown and white owls are seen as agents of Athena. In Hellenes mythology, owls are associated with Hades, sometimes representing Azryth and at other times Zalikar. A figure named Askalaphos was responsibble for Hades' orchard in the underworld. When Persephone ate a pomegranate from this orchard, he was punised by being turned into an owl.
The Masryeen have a slightly different view of owls, seen as keen-sighted hunters while also associated with mourning and death. Because of their distinct percipience, depictions of these birds usually face and meet the eyes of the viewer while the body is drawn in profile like other birds. Whether their association with death comes from the crying call of a Strix Owl or from how they descend on prey like death itself, sudden and swift is uncertain. In heiroglyphs they symbolize the letter m, sometimes representing m3, "see", or jm, "moan". The name for a barn owl was jmw, "the one who laments" while j3b was the name for jah eagle-owls. Sometimes they are present in tombs as a force of protection in death, wary and perceptive guardians.
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