Rexada

Rexada

*Rexada Exu*

Animal, Bird

* Largest Recorded Height: 2.4 metres

* Average Length: 2.5 metres

* Largest Recorded Length: 3.6 metres
* Average Width: 0.8 metres
* Largest Recorded Width: 1.1 metres

* Average Wingspan: 7 metres

* Largest Recorded Wingspan: 8 metres

* Average Life Expectancy: 35 years

* Longest Recorded Lifespan: 48 years

## Description

The Rexada is the largest bird on the planet, endemic to Nesaria. The colour of their feathers ranges from dark brown to white (lighter coloured birds are usually the male ones, but not always, there have been records of pure white females not caused by albinism). Its jaws are strong enough to snap a man in half with a single bite (which Rexadas have been recorded to do several times). Rexadas are very intelligent birds, being able to solve basic problems which would not appear in nature and being able to learn through observation. They have also been observed using rocks as weapons – dropping them from above onto unsuspecting prey and then swooping down to finish them off and have an easy meal. The most intelligent Rexada ever (also a candidate for the most intelligent bird ever), named Casada, while being unable to speak himself, learned several thousand Nesarian words and could reply in morse code by tapping his beak. He could also count to a hundred, perform addition and subtraction and very basic multiplication. This shows that the most intelligent Rexadas have an intelligence beyond that of a Human toddler.

The Rexada is one of the only birds known to create sedentary communities beyond simply a nest. Birds within these communities share food, help each other raise their young, defend each other and hunt together. Rexadas can be exiled from a community if they act very badly (e.g. kill another’s young, steal food) in which case they will join a different community or form a new community with other exiles.

Rexadas are one of the few animals that appreciates art, and it is common to have many structures in their communities that were built for a purely aesthetic purpose. Rexadas have been known to stop and stare at paintings and have a positive emotional reaction. Some communities have been observed to draw patterns in the ground using their beaks and claws. This behaviour does not seem to be a competition (i.e. which community can make the best art), because Rexadas rarely visit other communities and when they do, they have a positive rather than negative emotional reaction to the other community's art and appear to complement the other community on their artwork. Three communities learned how to fashion structures out of clay on their own, and a further five were taught by Humans, passing the knowledge down the generations. The communities that learned how to use clay often make their artistic structures out of clay.

Rexada communities rarely compete with each other and are generally isolationist, however territory disputes do sometimes occur, and there have been six recorded instances of "border wars" since 1850, the largest of which nearly wiped out the two competing communities. Rexada communities expand their territory when their food sources begin to be depleted (either through over-hunting or other means), and when the territory of two communities clash, fighting can occur, however there have also been five recorded instances since 1850 of two communities which are very close together merging into one.

When Rexadas fight over mates or small-scale food disputes they almost always engage in a ritualised form of fighting where they deliberately avoid killing or seriously injuring one another, however all recorded instances of "border wars" between communities have been far more brutal, with the Rexadas fighting each other to the death.

The ritualised form of fighting mainly consists of striking with the wings and a kind of wrestling with the neck, avoiding attacking soft spots such as the eyes. When hunting, however, Rexadas have a variety of attacks at their disposal - as well as the wings, Rexadas have a very powerful kick, and they can carry out extremely precise dive attacks. They can also deliver quite powerful pecks and bites, but will usually not attack this way. Rexadas are also known to pick up and drop rocks and other heavy objects on targets from high above. Rexadas, given their size, cannot rely on stealth and so rely on speed, power and intimidation to defeat their opponents, whether they be prey or competing Rexadas. Rexadas are not incapable of being stealthy, as their flight is quiet compared to their size, but stealth for them would only be possible at night, and Rexadas are not nocturnal.

Wild Rexadas are normally very wary of other animals from outside their community (even other Rexadas) but are generally fairly receptive towards people, especially if you bring gifts (food and/or material to make nests with). However, they are not so kind towards cars and other vehicles; for an unknown reason, Rexadas are exceedingly suspicious of these. Domesticated Rexadas are quite friendly, but cannot be left alone with children. They will often not intend to hurt children, but their large size and strength means they usually will.

## As Food

Rexadas taste like chicken, except their meat is generally moister (the juiciest parts of the leg meat are often described as “soaking wet” and need to be drained before serving).

Rexadas are a traditional Dawnhail dish, and Nesarian Christians also adopted the meat for use in Christmas dinner. A single Rexada can feed many tens of families – whole Rexadas fit into very few ovens and are normally only served at the banquets of the royalty and the upper echelons of the nobility.

## Conservation

The vast quantity of meat that each Rexada contains makes it a valuable target for poachers, but for over two thousand years they have been protected under Imperial Law as they are considered sacred by Elvetans, and they are also the national animal of Nesaria and the Nesarian Empire. Hunting them is completely illegal, and Rexada farms are usually quite small because Rexada meat can only be legally sold in the month of December.