Thunderbird

temporary artwork by Dry-Oasis

Thunderbirds, also known as Quetzalcoatl, are a rare Seroran familiar and simultaneously one of their greatest enemies. The thunderbirds are naturally sentient and extremely dangerous, especially in large flocks. They have been known to attack and destroy entire traveling groups - thunderbirds make no distinction between equines and common prey animals, given the opportunity. Thunderbirds are known to be proud, intelligent and absolutely vicious in a fight.

## Appearance and Biology

Thunderbirds are large birds with impressive wingspans. Their heads are large and dominated by large, sharp beaks well-suited for hunting and eating other animals. They have colorful crests on their foreheads. Their faces are usually almost featherless save for a stripe of feathers ending in a beard like tuft under their beaks.

Their necks are extremely long and alarmingly bendy, allowing them to easily strike to their sides, as well as under themselves in flight.

They have prominent wing-arms and can walk on their wings and back legs when grounded, albeit they are not particularly swift when doing so. Their back legs are fairly long as well, and usually heavily feathered.

Thunderbirds are considered young adults around the age of 10, and keep growing until that time. At the latest, they reach their adult wingspan around 12 years of age, although even a young thunderbird is quite a sight to behold.

Although Thunderbirds don’t have true sexual dimorphism, the females tend to be bigger than males. Some females grow even larger and become dominant within their communities. The dominant females, known as the matriarchs, are easily recognizable by their immense size, growing to be up to 50  feet in wingspan, easily dwarfing other thunderbirds.

Thunderbirds are exclusively carnivorous, and prefer to hunt large mammals, but have been known to eat fish, or snack on smaller creatures. Prey is carried off to a safe location for feasting, as thunderbirds gorge themselves to the point where flying is impaired for a day or two after a good meal.

Adapted to the scarcity of the desert, thunderbirds can go for up to 2 weeks without eating more than a few snacks. They are opportunistic and will hunt whenever food is available, however, so never trust that a thunderbird will not attack because it has fed recently.

## Society

Thunderbirds are naturally sentient and have their own societies and culture.  They live in large flocks, referred to as clans, that consist of up to 200 birds. Some matriarchs are powerful enough to lord over several clans.

Their language is based on various screeches, squawks, stomps, clicks and gestures, and although the language is completely unintelligible to someone who is not a familiar whisperer, thunderbirds are capable of communicating fairly complicated ideas to one another.

Their society is a deeply hierarchical one, with each clan led by a matriarch, a large and experienced female who makes the decisions regarding the clan, as well as keeps peace among the lower-ranking thunderbirds. Several younger but large females, usually her daughters or sisters, act as enforcers and “captains” of sorts.

Underneath the elite females are the other females and all males, forming the majority of the flock. They have a complex hierarchy of their own, but it is less explicit and based more on merit, personality and hunting prowess than family relations. Each thunderbird knows their exact position in the hierarchy at all times.

The young, although lowest in the hierarchy, are cared for by the entire flock. The matriarch has the right to grant and deny breeding rights based on available resources, and in most clans, only the higher-ranking females get to breed.

The leadership of the group is usually passed from mother to daughter, although there is a chance the clan might choose to follow a different leader if they find the candidate unagreeable.

Thunderbirds are extremely territorial and will not suffer any perceived dangers to their land, whether it be other thunderbirds or equines.  They mark their territories with totems made of skulls, feathers and painted rocks - a warning sign to intruders.

Some clans are more tolerant and friendly than others, but most should be approached with extreme caution. It can be assumed that individual clans have their own traditions and possibly even belief systems, but the thunderbirds rarely humor such questions.

Thunderbirds are capable of basic crafts, but these are generally very rudimentary (you try making jewelry with those talons) and focus on personal decoration, such as hanging bones or feathers off of their forms. Some thunderbirds proudly display tokens from slain Serorans, including pieces of armor or bones.

## Relationship with Serora

Thunderbirds have been the enemies of the equines of Sedo from time immemorial. They were originally created by Alya and Ignacio as worthy opponents for her Furies, and these distant ancestors of the modern thunderbirds were hunted in yearly ceremonies. In ancient times their populations and territorial ambitions were kept at bay by a strong and united force of Furies, which meant thunderbirds generally avoided pegasi.After the God’s War and the slow desolation of Sedo, thunderbirds became more numerous as some of their other natural enemies disappeared, and the equine population of Serora waned. Large areas of Sedo became their hunting grounds, and they became more confident and aggressive, openly hunting equines for sustenance.

With a growth in population, their societies became more advanced and complicated, as well as increasingly territorial, even towards other thunderbirds.

In modern times, most thunderbird clans are hostile with Serora, and will attack equines on sight if they seem like easy prey. Furies, but also Skirmishers and even Warders and Screamers regularly fight thunderbirds in an effort to keep the herd safe from them. Thunderbirds seem to consider Seroran warriors worthy adversaries and may pursue them for the sport of it, making trophies of their kills.

Some clans are more reasonable. The clans under Great Matriarch Malaika made a temporary truce with Serora during the war with Aodh, and although the alliance has now ended, they remain neutral unless provoked.

### Matriarch Malaika's Flock

The Great Matriarch received permission in late December 1701 to bring her flock into the area surrounding Alhaj, where they currently nest among the high mesas surrounding the city. The Thunderbirds are not hostile, but do not appreciate intrusion near their nests, especially from domestic Thunderbirds, who should keep their distance.

The Thunderbirds mostly mind their own business, although some individuals may stop to chat with a respectful familiar whisperer. Malaika and her closest generally remain high up on the mesas, near the nests, and are rarely seen.

### As Familiars

Thunderbirds are rare as familiars due to their natural intelligence, independence and generally adversarial relationship with equines. They may choose to join forces with an equine for a variety of reasons, however; most commonly respect for their combat abilities, or due to personal like of the individual. Weak or injured thunderbirds may seek equine companionship to survive.

It should be noted, however, that thunderbirds are not truly domestic nor tame - they are individuals and will turn on their companion if mistreated. Even thunderbirds born in “captivity” have a strong independent drive and will abandon a companion they don’t respect.

Thunderbirds living in clans generally view “domestic” thunderbirds with disdain or even hatred. Many clans, should the opportunity present itself, will hunt down and kill such thunderbirds.

Due to their natural sentience, thunderbirds can not be uplifted. Familiar Whisperers are capable on communicating with wild and "domestic" thunderbirds alike (at their own risk). Thunderbirds can learn to understand equine language (rather like one would study a foreign tongue) but not all of them wish to learn this skill. Thunderbirds can be called on by Beast Summoning but can break out of the summoner's control if they are not careful.

## Abilities

Thunderbirds are best known outside Sedo for their ability to cause rainless thunderstorms. These storms are often the first and only warning sign of an approaching flock before it sets upon a traveling band, leading Serorans to be naturally suspicious of such phenomena.

The thunderbirds' powers over weather are extremely limited when alone or in small groups. A single thunderbird can at best create a slight spark from its wingtips, hardly enough to stun even the smallest prey animal.

Based on observation, at least five thunderbirds are needed to create even a small storm, while only a large flock can create a truly impressive storm. The storms are born when a group of thunderbirds fly close to one another for an extended period of time. The exact means of causing these storms are unknown, and they seem to be magical in nature.

The thunderbirds have limited resistance to electric shock themselves, with their bodies able to pass the electricity through with minimal damage. Extremely high voltages can still paralyze and kill them. They are not immune to heat or flame.

Thunderbirds are also excellent fliers, although more equipped to fly long distances at even speeds, rather than being very fast or agile. Their beaks and claws make for deadly weapons.

## Creation Rules

Thunderbirds will always:

* Approximately resemble the example provided
* Have feathered wings
* Be feathered throughout their bodies and be mostly bald on their faces
* Have a "beard"
* Be somewhat resistant to electricity, but not to heat or fire

Thunderbirds can:

* Have variation in their “beard” shape and size
* Have variation in the shape and size of their crest
* Range in color from brownish red to orange and yellow. Warm, naturalistic tones only (no neons).  May be pale or dark, as well as gradiented in colored.
* Have minor natural markings on their bodies or additional black markings on their faces.
* Have natural color mutations, such as leucism, albinism, and melanism. Color mutations tend to be unhealthy and/or smaller in size.

Thunderbirds can not:

* Be uplifted as they are already sentient
* Be communicated with without familiar whisperer
* Be “tamed” by an equine they don’t respect
* Have leathery wings
* Be larger than 36ft in wingspan (for familiars)