Lords of Prey

Morbin Blackhawk, a Lord of Prey, in his lair in the High Bleaks.

The **L****ords of Prey**, also known as the **birds of prey** or **Preylords**, are a collection of raptors that live in the mountain clefts of Natalia, such as the High Bleaks. They prey upon rabbits, and thus both races hold each other as mortal enemies.

The various members of the birds of prey include **hawks**, **eagles**, **owls**, **falcons**, and **kites**.

## History

### *The Black Star of Kingston*

The rabbits of Natalia encountered the birds of prey when Fleck Blackstar and an explorers' expedition led across Ayman Lake from Seddleton came upon the future site of the settlement of Kingston. There, they were attacked by the birds of prey and were thus forced to flee across the Lake. Their flight was unsuccessful, however, and upon the waters of Ayman they fought the Battle of Ayman Lake, which the rabbits won in the end. King Whitson Mariner commented during the pursuit that the rabbits had legends concerning the raptors, indicating at least one previous encounter between the two species.

### *The Wreck and Rise of Whitson Mariner*

Massie Burnson privately recalls the events of the Battle of Ayman Lake, and how Fleck Blackstar had risked his life to save King Whitson Mariner and thus saved them all from the raptor attacks.

### *The Green Ember*/*The Last Archer*

After the reigns of Whitson Mariner and Lander, the Lords of Prey encroached on the rabbit territories, notably making the gap between the Great Wood and East Wood nearly impossible to cross successfully. King Walter Good was killed by a party of hawk raiders, but his son Jupiter would dedicate himself to making Natalia safe for rabbit habitation. Through the efforts of his legendary army, Jupiter eventually forced those raptors who had encroached upon the rabbit territories back into the High Bleaks. Among the victories achieved under his reign was a successful campaign against a number of eagles from Dell Beck, which was waged by Lord Captain Perkin One-Eye.

Tragically, due to the treachery of Garten Longtreader, King Jupiter was slain by Morbin Blackhawk, the leader of the Lords of Prey. Gern, Morbin's close lieutenant, then led a force of raptors and wolves in a devastating attack on the rabbit capital of First Warren. The devastation, later known as the afterterrors, saw the city occupied by the predators, with Prince Winslow Joveson acting as a figurehead governor under the cruel regime.

The Lords of Prey were mentioned throughout the book, with the inhabitants of Cloud Mountain hating them and their work.

### *Ember Falls*/*The First Fowler*

While they were on a mission to rescue the slaves, three birds of prey attacked Smalls and Picket. With the help of reinforcements, they were able to end all three.

Lord Solus commanded the wolves near Cloud Mountain, killing some who did not follow his directions. He killed Aubray of Jo Shanks' company, and outrage at this and the fact that Solus was hunting the remainders of his company prompted Jo to suggest *they* hunt Solus instead. They proceeded with this plan, and eventually trapped and killed Solus.

Elska expressed fear of the Preylords to Heather, saying that they had come for her mother and they came for children. Heather comforted her by saying that Picket was a hero, but Elska expressed doubt that Picket could hold back all the birds.

Morbin Blackhawk held a council, among which were five other Lords of Prey, including Gern, Shelt, and Vardon.

The Lords of Prey participated in the Battle of Rockback Valley. Picket noted that Morbin's army was enormous. The birds circled overhead, and they had armored breasts and gripped blades in their talons. The bird Gern was presumably in command of the attack.

Heyward sends blastpowder barrels into the birds with the aid of catapults. He then introduces Picket to the glider cape he invented, with which Picket kills an eagle. Garten Longtreader uses a whistle to summon a bird to take him away from Cloud Mountain. Emma later uses the same whistle to summon a hawk to take her to Morbin. Heather prevents this, and the hawk carries Heather off instead.

Heather is carried to Morbin's lair, where Morbin expresses displeasure that Garten is late. When Garten arrives, he tells Morbin that Heather is not Jupiter's heir, but prevents him from killing her by saying that she is a hero to the rabbits. The raptor Shelt thinks this a reason to kill Heather, but Garten believes Heather to be a valuable pawn and Morbin agrees. Shelt then discusses tactics with Garten, and when Sween sings Shelt orders for the slave to be killed, but cannot tell which slave sang.

### *Ember Rising*/*The Archer's Cup*

While Jo was at Blackstone Citadel, Slimmo gave Jo a mug with a leaping buck shooting an arrow at a bird of prey, saying that he thought it would suit Jo. Jo expresses that shooting at fixed targets was not intimidating to him, as he had fought with birds of prey.

A Lord of Prey carried Heather Longtreader from Morbin's lair to Akolan.

Falcowit, one of The Six, ruled First Warren. Statues of The Six defiled First Warren's Seven Standing Stones. On 'Victory Day', many Lords of Prey arrived in Akolan. One bore Garten on its back. On Garten's orders, the eagle picked up Heather in its talons and they flew southwest.

During the Battle for First Warren, Picket Longtreader used blastpowder to blow up the statue of Morbin Blackhawk on First Warren's seventh standing stone. An army of raptors joined the army of wolves in an attempt to keep control of First Warren. Picket later stood atop the statue of Falcowit waving the double-diamond banner. Falcowit, enraged, sent a raptor sentinel to attack Picket. Picket sent the flagpole through the raptor before falling off the statue. Cole Blackstar tells Picket that one of the reasons they took First Warren's wall, at great risk and with terrible losses, was to make sure that none of the raptor sentinels escaped and got word to Morbin, because they needed time to fortify the city before Morbin attacked. Just before Helmer kills Daggler, Daggler tells Helmer that Morbin will send so many Lords of Prey from the High Bleaks that they would only have the city for a moment. After Helmer killed Daggler, Picket saw many raptors lying dead. Whit told Emma that there were only two raptors left. Emma saw Falcowit flying above the city, but did not see the other. Whit spotted Jo Shanks on the west wall, making a heroic last stand against a raptor. Jo had shot many arrows at the raptor, but it kept dodging, and while wounded was preparing to dive and attack Jo. When the raptor raised its head, Jo fired an arrow that pierced the raptor's throat. The raptor died, but as it fell, it knocked Jo off the wall and he fell into the rubble below. After slowing Jo's fall, Picket saw Falcowit leaving, and shouted to Emerson and his team, who were busy aiming a bowstriker, that they could not let Falcowit escape. However, time was running out. Emerson called to his team to stop securing the weapon, and they would fire without it. Picket remembered how Falcowit had killed Emerson's father. Emerson carefully aimed, then fired the blastarrow. It found its mark, exploding and ending Falcowit.

After First Warren was liberated, the statues of the Six were removed from First Warren's seven standing stones.

### *Ember's End*

Morbin massed his army near Grey Grove to put First Warren under siege. The rabbits of First Warren did their best to prepare, but knew they would be hard pressed to defend against the wolves and birds.

Many birds laid waste to Harbone Citadel after they were let in by undercover members of the Longtreader Command.

Morbin's army planned for the Six to lead the raptors and wolves in attacking First Warren, in waves. They planned to come in wave because the Six are somewhat worshiped. According to Prince Winslow, although Morbin is overall king, each of the Six rules their own part of the High Bleaks. After the death of Falcowit, Falcowit's sector fell into disarray, and part of what Morbin's army was busy with near Grey Grove was installing the new Sixth, which took several days.

Sure enough, Morbin's army came in waves to attack First Warren. The heir of Falcowit, called Falcowitson by the rabbits though his true name is unknown, led the first wave of raptors. They were well organized, attacking in pyramid formation, with Falcowitson the tip, at the line's back. The bowstrikers on the wall shot blastarrows at the Preylords, but they made an evasive maneuver, and most of the blastarrows either missed or struck the shields on the Preylords' talons. Some of the raptors were injured or even killed, falling out of the air by the blasts. However, many passed the wall and began using exploding weapons that they carried, setting fires all over the city. The soldiers on the wall improved their strategy, however, and the Preylords took damage. One Lord of Prey attacked Emma, but between the combined efforts of Picket, Jo Shanks, Kylen, Whit, and Helmer, it was subdued and then killed. Emma realized that they needed to kill the alpha, and Picket volunteered, but Helmer told him that no one could defeat one of the Six one-on-one. Desperate, they decided to use the Blackhawk Option on Falcowitson, a massive bowstriker which they had been saving to use on Morbin. Falcowit was thus killed.

More raptors arrived, reinforced by two more of the Six. However, Jo Shanks killed those two with one shot, using an incredible black arrow given to him by the Pilgrim. Picket Longtreader, using a glider cape, later killed a raptor much larger than he. After Jo's incredible shots, the second and third raptor hordes were successfully driven back. Soon after, though, two more of the Six showed up, and the Lords of Prey in their command used their incendiaries to explode and set fires around First Warren. It was agreed that it was time to blow First Warren's dam, but the raptor fires had knocked out the triggers and it needed to be done manually. Lord Captain Helmer blew the dam, sadly dying in the process. The ensuing flood wiped out many of the raptor lords and their fires. Many raptors retreated.

Morbin Blackhawk then arrived, wielding his scythe with terrifying effect. He wreaked havoc in the city and his armor was such that none could kill him. The R.F.A. bucks all attacked him but "[broke] on Morbin like water on an ancient rock". Prince Smalls, having escaped the dragon tomb, arrived wielding Flint's sword, leaping from standing stone to standing stone, intent on confronting Morbin. To distract him, Picket Longtreader flew at Morbin and succeeded in blinding the black hawk in one eye. He made a final desperate rush, suffering brutal wounds to distract Morbin. Smalls was then able to drive the sword into Morbin's formerly unbreakable breastplate, the sword broke, and Morbin Blackhawk fell dead. There were no more Preylords left afterward.

## Physical characteristics

The Lords of Prey are much larger than rabbits. Some of the biggest, such as Marbole, are so large that they can wrap a talon around a rabbit's entire body. They have large wings and sharp, pointed beaks. Feather color was varied. When prepared for war, many bore shields on their talons and carried incendiaries, which they used to set fire to rabbit settlements.

## Sociocultural characteristics

The Lords of Prey hate rabbits. They would attack rabbits, and since they were so much larger than the rabbits they would usually win. They would then either kill them or make them suffer as slaves. The Lords of Prey were under the Six, the most elite raptor lords who seemed to be worshipped by the other birds.

The Lords of Prey partnered with the wolves against rabbitkind, although Morbin Blackhawk, king of the Preylords, seemed to be king over the wolves as well after Redeye Garlackson's death. They were also willing to take advantage of traitor rabbits such as Garten Longtreader, but will eventually get rid of the traitors as well.

## Former members

* Falcowit
* Falcowitson
* Gern
* Marbole
* Morbin Blackhawk
* Shelt
* Solus
* Vardon

### Groups

* Dronzer family
* The Six