Mefkaht Ostritch

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Racial Magic

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First Ability

Fliris' Agility AllMefkaht Ostriches are able to move with astonishing speed, velocity or agility using their magic energy as fuel. This is useful for extreme bursts or for minute boosts at their discretion. Only affects their own speed, dexterity or agility, only enhancing their own movements.

Second Ability

Rithaldis's Form These ostriches can convert their stomach or stomach acid into solar plasma, melting down most anything they eat. They are also immune to damage from radiant energy, magical or natural, including radiation.
Rithaldis's Shield These birds are immune to all damage or ill effects from radiant energy including sunlight, solar plasma and ionizing radiation. They are totally immune to all forms of radiant magic or naturally occuring radiant energy.
Flithmar's Shield These birds are immune to all damage or ill effects from flames. They are totally immune to all forms of flame magic and natural fire.
Ilnid's Diet These ostriches are able to eat glass and quartz as sustenance, to heal or to replenish their magic energy without harming their body. They also cannot be harmed by sand or glass, magic or natural, absorbing the magic instead. Often seen combing the Arabiyyan Desert for glass shards.
Ilnid's Form These ostriches can convert parts of their body into glass, sand or quartz. Which kind and which parts of their body they can change differ from ostrich to ostrich. They are also to immune to damage or hinderance from these materials and all sand magic. This includes sandstorms!

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The mefkaht ostrich is one of the largest birds in Emynea, even among other ostriches. They are often equated to camels due to their long necks, large eyes with long lashes and their way of moving. Both these ostriches and the Shamsi Camel are capable of living within the Shamsi Desert despite high temperatures and little water. They make their home in the wide open spaces of northern Alkelbulan.

While all Mefkaht Ostrich inherit Fliris' Agility, their secondary ability differs by habitat. Nimble and speedy, these massive birds are astonishingly fast and agile even without magic! Those living between Balkurtiz and Birit Narim usually inherit blessings from Ilnid while those living within the Shamsi Desert rely on radiant magic to survive. Yet they are most at home in Kasar Wuta, blessed with elemental protection by Flithmar. Wherever they live, Mefkaht ostriches are a symbol of deftness, truth and talent!

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Anatomy

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Original Ancestor

Struthio camelus camelus
North African Ostrich

Lifespan

10 years

Height

Female

~6 ft
(~2 m)

Male

9 ft
(2.7 m)

Weight

Female

200-242 lbs
(90-110 kg)

Male

200-290 lbs
(100-130 kg)

Coloration

Sexually dimorphic, males have all black and white feathers while females are grayish brown and white, all young resembling females until maturity. While their ancestors had bald necks and heads, these ostrich have developped feathers often matching the colors of their elemental protection, some even having a flashy crest!

With characteristically long necks and large eyes, these massive birds are perceptive of predators. While incapable of flight, they can nimbly run at and maintain impressive speeds, surprisingly maneuverable with impressive and dangerous legs. Unlike most other birds, they have only two toes which actually alots them greater balance when running. Their feathers are also loose and soft, not hooking together. They can become soaked by rain, ostriches lacking the special glands most birds have evolved for waterproofing. Finally, ostriches have excellent eye sight with the largest eyes of any vertebrate but they also have good hearing, all critical for detecting predators in grasslands.

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Adaptions

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Ostriches have an impressive array of adaptions helpful for their life in northern Alkelbulan, holding the position of fastest and largest bird on land! They are most known for their incredible mobility, running at speeds of 40 mph (70 km/h) before even activating their magic form. They can cover 10-15 ft (3-5 m) in a single stride! They aren't just sprinters either, able to maintain a steady speed of 31 mph (50 km/h) without tiring. Even chicks can run 35 mph (56 km/h) at just a month old. Another adaption are their famous feathers, acting as ample insulation during cold desert nights as they are both soft and fluffy, not hooked together like those of other birds. They may even be seen covering the naked skin of their legs with these feathers at night to conserve heat or alternately leave them bare in the heat of the day to thermoregulate. While flying isn't possible, their wings and tail can still be used to maneuver when running, useful for braking, turning and zigzagging.

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Life Cycle

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These birds live in small flocks, usually led by a single male and a harem of two to seven females. Males perform a courtship display to attract females with their contrasting black and white feathers. In fact, he will use the flashiness of his magic form to further dazzle whether he has searing white radiant feathers, bold fireproof feathers or (most dramatically) translucent glass feathers. There are even local dancers who are known to imitate him for special performances, making use of fans crafted of actual ostrich feathers! He slinks close to the ground in a way that resembles bowing and he shakes the each wing alternatingly while also fanning his tail up and down. Next he approaches the female, stomping his feet and holding out his wings. She will only mate with him he manages to impress her! There is usually one dominant female among the harem as well, both of these dominant members responsible for incubating the eggs and caring for chicks. The rest of the females might mate with the male or with other wandering males but they all lay their eggs in the same nest, a shallow depression scraped out by the dominant male.

The top hen places her eggs in the center of the nest so that they have the best chance of hatching. Each female can lay 7-10 eggs, about 6x5 in (15x13 cm) in size and weighing about 3 pounds (1500 g). These eggs are highly sought after by predators including Manid Hyena, Wata Jackal and Masyreen Vulture. These pilferers must be careful though as a kick from an mefkaht ostrich is powerful enough to kill a lion! Incubation lasts between 42-46 days, the dominant female incubating them during the day while the male takes over at night. Because of their tendency to make one large common nest, upwards of 60 hatchlings are born together.

Hatchlings are not much bigger than common chicken chicks but they grow by 1 ft (30 cm) per month, nearly the size of their parents by 6 months! They are fawn colored with dark brown spots and stiff, spiky down, gaining adult plumage slowly by their second year. Chicks will first leave the nest a few days after hatching, travelling with their parents and being sheltered underneath their wings from rain and harsh sunlight. When a predator is spotted, the male gives out a loud alarm, neck outsretched and mouth open. Both he and the rest of the flock might perform distracting displays to draw the attention of the predator, allowing the chicks to scatter or run for cover with their mother. Oddly enough, when two flocks of ostriches meet, they might challenge each other to a short race. The winning adult pair steals the chicks of the other flock, some flocks managing to gather more than 300 chicks! Chicks are usually mature after three to four years.

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Ecology and Habitat

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Mefkaht ostriches can be found across Kasar Wuta, Kemet, Birit Narim, Parsa and Kna'an but can also be found along the margins of Shamsi Desert, Arabiyyan Desert, Nyasi za Rangi and Gaarreen Ho'aa. They prefer living within open fields, savannahs, grasslands, semi-deserts and plains but they are fully capable of surviving in desert envrionments too. It isn't uncommon to see them grazing alongside herbivores like Raqs Gazelle even though they themselves are omnivorous, appreciating the percipience of these tiny gazzelle.

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Diet

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These birds are omnivorous, most of their diet including plant matter, but they will also eat invertebrates, small reptiles and even rodents. They actively seek out seeds, roots, leaves of shrubs, grass, fruit and flowers and will eat locust, lizards, snakes, rodents or even carrion left by carnivores if the opportunity arises. Their gizzard can hold up to 2 lbs and 14 oz (1300 g) of food though up to 45% of this might be sand and pebbles. Of course, those with Rithaldis' Form are capable of digesting nearly anything thanks to the radaint plasma in their gut, and those with Ilnid's Diet can consume glass and quartz when food is scarce. Yet even those without these abilities are able to digest food which most other animals cant, their intestines and stomach incredibly tough and stretching to 46 feet (14 m). They don't actually need to drink water either, drawing out enough moisture from their food like many other desert species. They will drink water if they find a watering hole though and even bathe.

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Social Behavior

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These are a social species, living in flocks of 5-50 birds, though usually most of these are chicks with around 7-10 adults. These are nomadic, seeking out food with surprisingly mobile chicks. While they usually run from a predator, they might press themselves flat against the ground if they cannot flee or kick attackers with their powerful legs. Ostriches travel in larger groups during droughts or scarce seasons, upwards of 100 birds being led by a top hen or even travelling alongside other grazing animals like zebras, gazzelle or antelopes. Raqs Gazelle in particular appreciate their company during the day, even aiding in the ostriches escape with their magic in return.

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Domestication

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Ostriches have been domesticated mostly by the Masryeen though recently some Eluzian pastorialists have taken to raising and farming them too. Ostriches are farmed for their soft feathers, large eggs and lean meat. Feathers have always been worn by royalty as a symbol of status or luxury, adorning the helmets of knights and placed in the hair or hats of ladies.

Within Khalifah al-Rasul and especially Ahl al-Bayt, only those of divine blood are allowed to wear these feathers, mostly descendants of Ilnid himself. His female descendants possess fans made out of ostrich feathers as a symbol of their status but all descendants might be fanned by long golden poles with ostrich feather fans on their end when in public. There is a peculiar tradition of ostrich racing in Inid's court, these beasts difficult to tame and manage let alone ride. This is exactly why Ilnid and his court enjoy watching these unpredictable and often amusing races, skilled jockeys highly respected. Outside sport, they are also raised for their huge eggs whether as an expensive cuisine or for the shell itself. The shell is useful as a container or used decoratively in temples or as lamps.

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Myths

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While not a sacred animal to the Masryeen, they have still come to represent prosperity, truth, life and rebirth. Throughout the ages and across many cultures, ostriches are seen as symbols of balance, maneuverability, grace and talent and are often associated with Fliris. To the Arabiyy, their ability to eat anything, even glass, has made them a symbol of strength through resistance and hardship, single-mindedness, concentration and determination.