Harpies

The only known monsters of Turien are the species known as Harpies. They are denoted as monsters due to their limited sentience and inability to speak more than a screeching cry, as well as their 'attack-first' response to just about everything. There is not much known about Harpies, and not many are willing to seek them out. In fact, many believe them to be a myth.

Location

They live solely around the Harpy Tree in the Badlands. The closest settlements to them are the Beast-kin settlements of Dragon-kin Mountain and Solkry, thus, most residents of Turien do not have to fear them.
For some reason, unkown to anyone alive today at least (expact maybe Aunt May but for her *demetia), Harpies cannot move outside of a certain radius of their Harpy Tree. At least, that is what is suspected, we all hope that is the case. Any forced transference of a Harpy outside of this radius has caused the Harpy to initially go beserk (even more than usual if you can imagine that!), before their energy peters out. They have not lived long enough (for one reason or another) for any person tofigure out if this is just a ruse or a consequence of leaving the Harpy Tree's radius.

Appearance

Harpiers have two legs, two arms (mostly) and four feathered wings. Not all Harpies seem to have arms, and there was a spotting of a three-armed Harpy, though that has never been confirmed. Their two upper wings are nearly the size of the Harpy, often trailing on the ground when the Harpy isn't in flight. Their lower wings give the appearance of a Fairy's wingset, though in a skewed way. The lower wings are not always seen in flight and there is suspicion about whether they are useful for anything at all.

They grow to about 2.5 metres in height (as far as can be safely assessed) and are brown in colouring. Their faces seem to fit in a spectrum similar to a mix between a Dryad sapling and a Warbeast-kin.

Habits

The screams of a Harpy are what is first thought of when they are mentioned. The sound is, at best, unsettling and tends to reverberate an anger throughout the listener's mind. This anger can also be seen in their attack of any other living being, including other Harpies.

It has not yet been properly researched, though from the rare and minimal eyewitness accounts, there seems to be a single Harpy with limited rule over the other Harpies. She is the suspected reason as to why the Harpies have not killed each other yet, as she sees to be able to break up fights between them.

Myths

The main reason wehy Harpies have not been forgotten by most residences of Turien, is their roles in stories taught to youn children. Each race have different stories, but at least one in every race boils down to "Be a good child or a Harpy will eat you."

One famous Human story is an origin story of a Hero, who was taken by a Harpy in place of his naughty brother. The child was to be flown to the Harpy Tree and eaten, but managed to escape mid-flight. Each major City has different methods as to how he escaped, but each one is representative of a particualr set of 'good deeds' children are taught to emulate.

Council Notes

The town of Solkry was found to be illegally experimenting with Harpies - see observation log Harpy Talismans

Dragon King Notes

Harpies are used in the sacred Metamorphisis ritual of all Beast-kin. See Fight for Metamorphosis.