Wannit

The Wannit was a large bird that lived in the upper Phiaro basin at the beginning of the third era. It is now considered extinct thanks to the incessant hunting perpetrated by some Nāqqiād tribes.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Since the Wannit is extinct, our knowledge about it come from a handful ancient documents and depictions of it, not direct observation. The wannit was a large bird, the biggest specimen were even up to two metres tall; most of their height was due to their long legs. They had a large beak which they used, presumably, to break coconuts shells as well as shellfish carapaces.

— Nysian Creatures: the Desert, Sinle Liapue

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

The Nāqqiād have often been considered the main perpetrator of Wannit pouching and hunting, since they considered their beak and talons fine materials for amulet; however, recent researches have highlighted how in the Shajīn Kingdom of the first centuries, the talons were a highly-sought luxury among the rich as they made excellent funaral gifts; even the beak, properly ground, was used as an ingredient in some strength magic potions.
If we are to believe the sources, the Yūl’i considered the bird a gift from the gods and protected it against pouches. The few written sources with have clearly state that the bird was almost impossible to domesticate, however, pictorial depictions seem to show people riding it; it is currently agreed upon that the Yūl’i were the only capable of training it. In the ninth century, when the tribe was defeated and its territories annexed by the rising Shajīn Kingdom, the birds died with them.

EXTINCT

Geographic Distribution

• Khata Shaghah