Elka'Oah

Before the return of the Amaran region, remains of Elka’Oah were found across the east coast. Academics believed that the bones belonged to a featherless beaked terror which stalked the night. None could’ve expected that these terrific bones belonged to the close cousin of the otherwise un-terrific Elka’Bird. Since their return, the familial resemblance is clear to see. Historically, Amarans used the Elka’Oah as a mount both in transportation and in war, though this art was largely lost. Recently, more and more Amarans have begun to reclaim their ancestral ways, beginning with the bonds they forged with these birds.

#### Physiology and Anatomy

Elka’Oah are flightless predatory birds. Their bones aren’t hollow like their cousin, sporting powerful muscles. These incredibly powerful legs allow the Elka’Oah to run at speeds comparable to a thoroughbred horse. While other fast-moving animals struggle to turn with momentum, this is of no issue to the Elka’Oah. Their wings and tail feathers act as air rudders, allowing them to weave between the trees without losing speed. These incredibly precise and fast movements make the Elka’Oah ideal for ambush and surprise, ill fit for attrition as they may tire easier than other mounts. Still, a stationary Elka’Oah is still a deadly one. Their feet are each ended with three claws, their kicks able to disembowel aggressors and rivals alike.

Though Elka’Oah are technically omnivorous, they are more active predators than they are foragers. Their favorite method is a strike from their powerful beaks. An Elka’Oah’s beak is supported by a series of extremely powerful muscles, when swung with force, a strike can break bone and dent plate armor. In the wild, they use this method to strike the back of their victim’s neck to paralyze them. Their serrated beaks also let them carve into flesh for ease of consumption, allowing them to dig into their victims oftentimes while they’re still alive. An Elka’Oah’s feeding habits make for a gruesome sight.

Elka’Oah are coloured similarly to their smaller cousins, having bright vibrant blue heads and sturdy brownish white bodies to match. Like their smaller cousins their feathers are used as a form of display to attract likely partners, with males having more extravagant arrangements of feathers. These integuments have often been used in clothing although many opt out of attempting to harvest such things lest they find their insides spilled out over the floor. Such circumstances have raised the demand for these feathers, causing a balance in both risk takers and the population of the Elka’Oah. During the dry season, Elka’Oah lay their eggs. A female may have a clutch of up to six eggs, each the size of a human fist. Like most birds, Elka’Oah are born largely featherless save for a layer of fuzz. Babies will quickly learn to stand within hours. They’re still dependent on their parents until they’re about six months old, by the end of which they’ll be ousted by their former caretakers into the wild.

#### Psychology

Elka’Oah are not only territorial but quite aggressive towards both man and each other, routinely attacking both in predation and in competition. Female Elka’Oah regularly find themselves forced to protect their own young as males adopt a cannibalistic lifestyle as the season fades to winter, causing a bitter squabble between younger males and older males as they clash for the scraps of fall. These fights almost always end in goring and regularly end in death, leading to fields covered in carcasses of rival males. This usually causes an unbalanced distribution between males and females, allowing for the wider dispersal of the victor's young across the gene pool.

Elka’Oah are not easily tamed, nor will they ever be domesticated. It is a common practice in Amare elves to go and tame such a creature, facing it down in the midst of the great trees. The taming of such a creature normally involves bringing the creature down without killing it. Such a feat is often the detriment to the young Amare, leading to many simply not returning from their trials in the woods. Those that do come home with a creature loyal to them and only them, bound by a will to protect them and no one else.