Terrible Claw

In the grasslands of Sowande's interior, a graceful and ancient predator stalks unwary prey through the long grass. Standing taller than most men and with each foot ending in large, retracted sickle-like claws, the swift and cunning terrible claw is regarded as the most fearsome hunter in the savanna.
Terrible claws, or 'Kuruaqnis' to the tribes peoples of the grasslands, have a dazzling array of colourful feathers; 'elegant' would not be an inaccurate description. They vary from almost entirely white with black and red stripes, to entirely golden-yellow with several brilliant shades of blue and violet. Both sexes adorn a colourful ridge on their heads called a 'casque', with the males having much more prominent ones to attract mates. They are not unlike a large eagle in appearance, lending to their other alternative name 'terror bird'. Though their primary weapons are the two large claws on each foot, their hand claws are quite capable of disemboweling prey in short order.
They possess uncommon intelligence and must never be dismissed as 'simple beasts'. Terrible claws hunt in large packs to bring down much larger prey, though even solitary they are quite efficient. Large prey are targeted at their vulnerable bellies, where the predator's hand claws are used to spill them open so they are disabled quickly. Because the savannas are populated by a wide range of 'apex hunters', terrible claws often have to defend their kills from equally formidable predators.
Terrible claws live in packs of up to but no more than eight individuals and are lead by a female alpha and male beta with several sub-ordinate females. During mating season, alpha females will choose a mate based on the colour and size of the male casque. Eggs are laid in clutches of three to eight and are pale blue in colour.

Lifespan

55 years

Average Height

Male: 1.98 meters or 6'6"
Female: 2.08 meters or 6'10"

Average Weight

Male: 99 kg or 219 Ibs
Female: 110 kg or 243 Ibs