The
Winterdrake is a flying, bird-like creature, possibly related to
drakes, living in the upper reaches of the
mountains in southern Sarvonia. It is noted
for its strange, striking appearance. Indeed, the creature possesses scales,
feathers horns and hands, leading some to wonder if the classification of
“dracoid” is little more than for lack of a better name to put to it. Their name
derives from the peculiar shape of the head, resembling that of a
drake or dragon
and the fact that the young Winterdrakes are most often sighted during the early
winter months. This is sometimes taken as an indicator of the coming of the
first snows. Its bright red and white feathers are prized by amanters, perhaps
because the creatures themselves are quite difficult to catch.
|
Image description. Illustration of two
winterdrakes, a strange bird-like creature, possibly related to drakes. Picture
drawn by
Sheil. |
Appearance.
The Winterdrake stands perhaps half a
ped high, with a total
wingspan of a ped and two
palmspans from tip to tip. It has a long neck, akin to that of a heron and
long, red and white feathered wings. Most striking about its appearance are the
strange hands it possesses, with black talons perhaps two
nailsbredths long, which it
uses for climbing. Its head is crowned by a pair of black, spiraling horns and a
crest of light grey feathers. The Winterdrake’s long muzzle is decidedly
reptilian, with pointed teeth jutting out over both the upper and lower lip. The
tail of the Winterdrake is also feathered and instead of being fanned-shape is
more like that of a lizard, covered in feathers instead
of scales. The legs of the Winterdrake end in feet similar to that of many birds
of prey, though lacking the rear “toe” which is replaced by a single larger,
thicker talon.

Special Abilities.
The Winterdrake has an unnatural tolerance for cold, owing to its thick feathers
and a protective layer of fat common in other northern creatures. Winterdrakes
are very adept with their hands, capable of using simple tools, such as rocks
and sticks to break open bones to get at the marrow within.

Territory.
The Winterdrake can be found in the mountains of the
United Kingdom of Santharia, in the
highest reaches of the Dragon’s Maw to the south of the
Ashmarians, Rimmerin’s Ring and the
Mithral Mountains in
Manthria.

Habitat/Behaviour.
Winterdrakes are known for their bizarre method of hunting creatures, putting
their hands to good use by using them to grab pieces of ice and rock and bombard
the prey with them, or grabbing the prey and dropping them from often dizzying
heights. This usually proves fatal to the prey, who cannot discern from where
the assault comes, though the creatures' aim leaves something to be desired.
Smaller prey is often carried away by the Winterdrake after it is killed, and
the animals have been observed using their hands to help in breaking the bones
to get at the marrow inside. Winterdrakes nest in hollows in the snow or caves
in the rock, protected from the winds.
Winterdrakes are familial creatures, so it is not uncommon for a small group of
them to share a single nest. Winterdrakes use their hands to carry bits of
plants and branches up to cover the entrance to their nest, and eventually to
add to the walls. The resulting nest is very warm, and may remain intact for
several seasons after the Winterdrakes that made it have left.

Diet.
Though they nest in the higher reaches of the mountains, the Winterdrakes must
fly down to find any sizable prey, their particular favourite being things such
as hares, though two or three Winterdrakes might assault a wild goat or
sheep, and share the spoils. Rodents on the order of the
minch and stone weasels are often the subject of an
assault by a Winterdrake. When food becomes leaner, Winterdrakes are often
observed cracking the bones of animals using the edges of convenient rocks or
similar items, since they lack the strength to break them with their teeth or
hands, to get at the marrow inside.

Mating.
Like most birds and lizards, Winterdrakes lay eggs. Unlike most
lizards and birds, these eggs are protected by the
male, who possesses a flap of skin which the egg is kept warm in. Females lay a
single egg during the summer months, when more food can be found. During a
period of roughly six months, the male remains within the hollow, brought food
by the female, keeping the egg warm and protecting it and the nest. By the end
of this period, the male is very often exhausted and must spend another few
weeks recuperating before it can hunt on its own. Despite their rather large
range, the populations of such creatures remain small because of the natural
lack of food, and because they lay only one egg. These eggs are speckled grey
and look like stones a rough two
palmspans lengthwise and half a palmspan across. The chicks look like their
parents when they hatch, perhaps a quarter of their size. The chicks are born
with a short downy fuzz of white feathers and without the long red feathers,
crests and black horns that characterize the adult animals. These chicks will
learn to fly within four months of their hatching and they grow at an astounding
rate during that period, with the bright red feathers for flight appearing
during the last month. After this it is another three months before the chicks
finish growing their horns, which indicates their maturity.

Myth/Lore.
Legend holds that the Winterdrakes are the descendants of those
dragons that were diminished by the Year of Darkness
following the Dragonstorm, or even
those that made a pact with the dragons that both might
survive the Year of Darkness.

Usages.
The bright red or white feathers of the WWinterdrake and the grey feathers of
its crest are greatly prized by
amanters for use in jewellery or other forms of decoration. The horns of the
Winterdrake are prized by bowyers for the use in composite
bows because of their durability, or for use as
nocks for strings. Winterdrakes are not considered suitable for eating, owing to
the difficulty in cleaning them and the fact that there is very little usable
meat within the animal. What meat there is, is tough and stringy, and it has an
unpleasant taste.
