Strix Nocturna

“*Feathers, and blood... I don't like where this is going.*”
―A witcher's words examining evidence of a Sheeree attack.

The **Strix Nocturna** also called the **Sheerree** or **Estries** is a type of vampire womanoid of the Ammurun Tribe, which is related in some way to the Alp of the Gharasham tribe.

A **Sheerree** is considered to be much more powerful and dangerous than their Gharasham cousin the **Alp**. As **Strix Nocturna** often flies about using their owl-like wings, they're very difficult opponents even for a veteran witcher, but have come to be a little easier to take on as witchers have come to employ crossbows and later guns.

Like their cousin the Alp, a **Strix Nocturna** can generate a cone of concussive compressed sound that can easily knock a human off their feet.

## Physiology

As a humanoid, they tend to take the form of physically beautiful women. However, some of their bird-like traits show through like wide eyes, a tendency to face something with their full head instead of looking at them sideways, their hair while in human form is the same color as their feathers in their true form so it can potentially be used as a measure to identify one if one has a unique coloring. They have fangs in this form though they are capable of disguising them.
A **Strix Nocturna** can change into a form between human and their full vampiric form similar to a therianthrope, they are slightly taller than their human form this form is quite similar to a werebird but has owl-like characteristics. In this form, a Sheeree can glide but not fly and acts as a lazy go-between form when the **Sheeree** wants to conserve energy.
A **Strix Nocturna** in her true form resembles a bipedal owl similar to a screech owl but much larger slightly bigger than a large man so around the 6 foot 2 inch mark when it stands fully upright, it sports massive feathered wings a unique feature among its kindred, it has a few fingers on its wings that it can use as rudimentary weapons or as a more clumsy set of hands, often the claws and mouth of a **Strix Nocturna** are stained in blood and viscera.

## Abilities

* **Vampire Physiology**:
	+ **Blood Consumption**: A **Strix Nocturna** has the power to gain power from blood usually by ingestion.
		- **Blood Absorption**: A **Strix Nocturna** has the power to absorb blood to temporarily increase its abilities.
		- **Blood Empowerment**: A **Strix Nocturna** possesses the power to gain strength from the ingestion of blood.
	+ **Enhanced Bite**: A **Strix Nocturna** have an inhumanly strong bite, due to their vampire fangs and jaw structure.
	+ **Strix Physiology**:
		- **270-Degree Neck Rotation**: A **Strix Nocturna** can see in almost any direction by rotating its neck and turning its head at any angle it wants up to 270 degrees.
		- **Daytime Walking** (Limited): By concentrating the aura they usually use for light refraction around them, A **Strix Nocturna** can generate a sunlight-proof field around them to go out into the sunlight for short periods with no adverse effects, a **Sheerree** in disguise might do this to attend to public appearances.
		- **Enhanced Senses**:
			* **Enhanced Hearing**:
			* **Enhanced Vision**:
				+ **Night Vision**: A **Strix Nocturna** can see in low light conditions or even total darkness.
		- **Invisibility** (Limited): Weaker in this ability than a Mula or a Bruxa, the **Sheerree** is capable of emitting a light refraction aura field around them rendering them temporarily invisible for a short time.
		- **Sonic Scream**: A **Strix Nocturna** can emit an extremely powerful scream of high amplitude for a variety of purposes from their vocal cord and mouth, typically for offensive purposes, like causing destruction. The attack usually manifests as a destructive stream or a destructive wave of sonic energy and can only destroy anything in front of the **Sheeree** unless they turn around, moving the scream in the process. Normally whenever the **Sheeree** screams, it requires them to be extremely loud and have perfect aim. Once a **Strix Nocturna** starts its sonic scream attack, it can't stop until all the energy is released.
		- **Wing Manifestation**:
			* **Flight** or **Gliding**:
			* **Ptérygakinesis**: A **Strix Nocturna** can control various aspects of its wings such as size, density of its plumage, etc.
				+ **Feather Manipulation**: A **Strix Nocturna** can create shape, control, and otherwise manipulate feathers, one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering (plumage), on birds and some non-avian theropod dinosaurs
					- **Feather Projection**: A **Strix Nocturna** can can project feathers as projectile weapons, using **Ptérygakinesis** it can make the feathers as strong as iron.

## Resistances

### Iron

Iron does not cause as much damage as silver does to them so using a silver sword is preferable when fighting them.

### Steel

Steel does not cause as much damage as silver does to them so using a silver sword is preferable when fighting them.

## Weaknesses

### Alchemy

The effects of the Black Blood Potion and a Vampire Oil-covered sword can weaken and/or poison a **Strix Nocturna** rendering it weaker.

### Certain Metals

Regis implies that a combination of silver, dalvinite, and meteorite steel is the only metal capable of withstanding a Higher Vampire, thus it would also be effective against a **Strix Nocturna**.

Silver is highly effective against them though it has to be specially processed to be viable as a weapon usually a Witcher's silver sword is the best version of a silver weapon.

## Behaviors

**Lairing**:

**Predation**:

## Harvestable Parts

### Sheeree Saliva

The saliva of **Strix Nocturna** is an alchemical ingredient of the Hydragenum family as such can be used for potions and processing into the alchemical substance known as Pure Hydragenum.

### Vampire Teeth

The teeth (particularly the fangs) of vampires is an alchemical ingredient of the Caelum family as such can be used for potions and processing into the alchemical substance known as Pure Caelum.

## Notes

* No known male specimen of **Strix Nocturna** has ever been seen so it is unknown if they exist, most experts think they do not.

## Trivia

* **Strix Nocturna** or **Sheerrees** are based on their mythological counterpart: Strix as well as Estries.
* Within the classification of vampires, they are in higher grades.

### EAPEU Trivia

* If a **Sheeree** were to gain the blessing of Huses, it would evolve into a **Death Empress Strix Nocturna**. This can also be the result of purposeful breeding, having a Death Empress ancestor or mutation. A Death Empress is more powerful than a regular Sheeree with several additional abilities granted to them such as TBD

## Notes

* The vampire species known as the **Strix Nocturna** is a purely fanon creation as such there is no official proof of their existence in the Witcher works outside the fanon community.
* The existence of the **Strix Nocturna** are a personal iteration inclusion for the fanon by Adalwulf of Aedirn, as such their existence in the fanon is not 'definitive' and is subject to the decision of inclusion in others head canons.