Dune bird

Dune birds are flightless birds standing 8’-9’ tall. These giant, carnivorous birds are tamed by eastern lyres to travel over longer distances and carry cargo around. Their running speed of 80mph helps the bird and rider to avoid predators their riders can’t outrun as easily on their own, and the dune birds preys on troublesome pests to protect the few crops settlements can grow. 
Eastern lyres and dune birds share centuries of a mutual relationship based on codependency on each other for survival. These tall, fast running birds help to get their riders from one place to another as quickly and safely as possible while the lyres protect and shelter the birds and their eggs/offspring from their own predators. Poachers stealing their eggs are a common threat that has worsened overtime.
Bonding with and training dune birds is much harder to do for non-eastern lyres or other species. It’s encouraged by breeders of these birds to raise them as soon as they’re old enough to leave the care of their parents and not a moment later to ensure the strongest bond possible. Dune birds are slow to trust new people, so people eager to obtain one will travel a long way just to assist in raising their desired chick the moment it hatches to strengthen the bond.
Eastern lyres sometimes raise one or two caribox at a time, but dune birds are more popular in Sphraga for their speed and simpler to manage feeding requirements.
Category:Bestiary