Blood Red Kraik
The Kraik is a bird that deceived the earliest settlers. From a distance, they resembled the cranes of Earth. The long legs and the large wingspan. But they only resembled them from a distance. In truth, the Kraiks were 2x larger than a typical Earth Crane. And their prey was not just fish. On Kiannon, the Kraik ate anything it could pick up with its claws and fly away with. At the end of their long legs were claws that could slice through flesh and bone. Their beak could tear at the flesh of their prey.
Kraiks nest primarily in the grasses of the Esle Plains. They used to feed on the herbivores that live in the Esle Plains. The colonists did not encounter them except when they left Cathay and crossed the Esle Plains. The early colonists could only take the Kraik down with several blasts from a laser rifle.
Stories of the Kraik are told as horror stories to children so that they don't go beyond the town's barriers alone or without a laser rifle. During the early settlement of Eldritch, Kraik flew overhead, assessing the strength of the settlers. The first two days of staking out boundaries, they took pictures and wondered about how tasty the birds might be. The night before, a few Kraik landed a couple hundred feet away and observed them.
The following morning when they began setting up the barriers to protect the camp, Kraik dove out of the sky and grabbed one of the settler's wives, biting off her head before leaving ground. Her screaming alerted the other settlers and when they came out, they were set upon by a 4-5 Kraik, there were many injuries and two people were taken. The settlers quickly realized that the barriers needed to be up immediately, so they had 10 snipers stationed around the camp to take the birds down with laser rifles. After a day of fighting and hard work, they established a perimeter and set up guards to patrol it, day and night.
Scientists have wondered about the sentience of the birds after additional incidents occurred where the birds took down one of the pillars and with it, the barrier that kept them out. But the Mothership has not had time to spare resources to capture or begin studies because soon after the Day of the Kraik, now commemorated in Eldritch, the settlers caught the Esle Plague. The Day of the Kraik is a day off for everyone in Eldritch: Schools and Merchants. Most Eldritch settlers have a relative that fought or died in establishing the barrier that keeps them from attacking from the sky.
The Kraik is the symbol of the AGP (Ascendant Group Party). To them, it is the toughest and the dominant predator that they've encountered on Kiannon. Most Kraik are black with blood red beaks and legs, although there are some White Kraik. Kraik are beautiful to see in flight. Deadly in their hunting. Hunters tell of Kraik that swooped down and carried off Elk and small predators. Their claws are like sharpened knives, their beaks can tear through flesh. They have a song that is more of a caw. You will not appreciate their birdsong, but hunters keep their ears open to hear the raspy caw. If you are not paying attention, it is likely the last thing you'll hear.
The most resourceful hunters hunt Kraik to reuse their claws as knives. A Kraik knife sells for 3x times the cost of a well crafted knife. Some swear that even the Mothership couldn't smith a knife that cuts so cleanly. It is with good reason that Black, Red and White are the colors of the AGP. Their settlers were bloodied by the Kraik and so have a healthy respect for its strength and power. On the AGP's White Flag there is Kraik's black feathered head with its blood-stained beak.
Kraiks nest primarily in the grasses of the Esle Plains. They used to feed on the herbivores that live in the Esle Plains. The colonists did not encounter them except when they left Cathay and crossed the Esle Plains. The early colonists could only take the Kraik down with several blasts from a laser rifle.
Stories of the Kraik are told as horror stories to children so that they don't go beyond the town's barriers alone or without a laser rifle. During the early settlement of Eldritch, Kraik flew overhead, assessing the strength of the settlers. The first two days of staking out boundaries, they took pictures and wondered about how tasty the birds might be. The night before, a few Kraik landed a couple hundred feet away and observed them.
The following morning when they began setting up the barriers to protect the camp, Kraik dove out of the sky and grabbed one of the settler's wives, biting off her head before leaving ground. Her screaming alerted the other settlers and when they came out, they were set upon by a 4-5 Kraik, there were many injuries and two people were taken. The settlers quickly realized that the barriers needed to be up immediately, so they had 10 snipers stationed around the camp to take the birds down with laser rifles. After a day of fighting and hard work, they established a perimeter and set up guards to patrol it, day and night.
Scientists have wondered about the sentience of the birds after additional incidents occurred where the birds took down one of the pillars and with it, the barrier that kept them out. But the Mothership has not had time to spare resources to capture or begin studies because soon after the Day of the Kraik, now commemorated in Eldritch, the settlers caught the Esle Plague. The Day of the Kraik is a day off for everyone in Eldritch: Schools and Merchants. Most Eldritch settlers have a relative that fought or died in establishing the barrier that keeps them from attacking from the sky.
The Kraik is the symbol of the AGP (Ascendant Group Party). To them, it is the toughest and the dominant predator that they've encountered on Kiannon. Most Kraik are black with blood red beaks and legs, although there are some White Kraik. Kraik are beautiful to see in flight. Deadly in their hunting. Hunters tell of Kraik that swooped down and carried off Elk and small predators. Their claws are like sharpened knives, their beaks can tear through flesh. They have a song that is more of a caw. You will not appreciate their birdsong, but hunters keep their ears open to hear the raspy caw. If you are not paying attention, it is likely the last thing you'll hear.
The most resourceful hunters hunt Kraik to reuse their claws as knives. A Kraik knife sells for 3x times the cost of a well crafted knife. Some swear that even the Mothership couldn't smith a knife that cuts so cleanly. It is with good reason that Black, Red and White are the colors of the AGP. Their settlers were bloodied by the Kraik and so have a healthy respect for its strength and power. On the AGP's White Flag there is Kraik's black feathered head with its blood-stained beak.
Comments