Silver Roc
"Sure, only an eagle. I need you to understand how hard it is to judge sizes with a clear sky. That wasn't close, that was a couple hours away by horse. And it probably saw you too, even at that distance. But there's good news... it usually doesn't hunt things smaller than an elephant."While extraordinary to behold, the silver roc is a bird of prey which is exceedingly rare. The basic shape of their body is very similar to eagles, while their wings are larger in comparison to their body. Despite the name, the "silver roc" has plumage which is more a very light grey from the underside and a darker brown along the top. This, combined with cloudy days, can make them rather difficult to spot before they dive on their chosen prey. Sharp talons are capable of penetrating even tough hide, though they have been known to use their beaks to tear apart meals too large so they can find a safe place to eat. While this habit seems to be something kept from youth, the sheer size of the silver roc is an adequate deterrent for many who would see it as prey.
A juvenile silver roc is easily large enough for one claw to tear apart an average wagon or uproot smaller trees, and fully-grown rocs have been reported to be large enough to be able to hunt nearly anything which can't escape its dive. The encroach of civilization usually entails the removal (either by destruction or displacement) of most creatures which would serve as prey, and the removal of rocs who would defend their nesting territory fiercely. While humanoids are too small to make an efficient meal, some rocs are prone to hunting people when desperate enough. The combination of their size and their chosen territory make being targeted by a hunting roc almost certainly will end badly.
With a combination of power, rarity, and a promise of danger, the silver roc has been chosen as a heraldry for many noble houses over the eras. Currently, only House Rauva of northern Rhyliss uses the roc as their chosen symbol. On a field of light blue is a black silhouette of a roc striking with both claws at a fortified city. Before House Rauva, there was the lost kingdom of Hiera which had claimed territory north and east from the city of Sanguine. Hieran royalty used the image of the roc perched atop a mountain, and the "silver roc" name was actually used colloquially for their coins.
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