Vira Beko

Vira Bekos are turkey-like birds. Bekos were released on Thanksgiving Day, 2020. They are occasionally found in the Cupboard and can be purchased from the Genome Splicer. Lore-wise, Bekos were discovered by Iris Evada near the Outpost, as detailed in BULLETIN #83.

## Growth

### Capsule

"A viscous yellow liquid fills this heavy oblong capsule."

### Young

"With a head almost too big for its body, this juvenile wobbles about on slender legs, making small cheeping sounds when hungry. It is attracted to bright hues and can sometimes be found staring at colorful wildflowers. If startled, it will dash for the nearest hiding place, whether that is behind a tree, a rock, or an adult Vira Beko."

### Adult

"The massive Vira Bekos are aggressive and territorial birds with sharp hooked foot claws and a powerful beak. They feed on small mammals and birds, swallowing their prey whole. Undigested parts, such as bones and fur, are regurgitated in oblong pellets about twelve hours after ingestion. Young Vira Bekos consume a similar diet, although they or their parents may tear off parts if the prey is too large. In autumn, Vira Bekos flock together in large groups—colloquially known as terrors—to find mates. Vibrant displays of their tail feathers and a swaying courtship dance are used to gain attention and reflect interest. Same-sex pairings are not uncommon, and although they cannot produce their own young, they will help raise surplus young from other nests. A typical clutch is four to six eggs, but raising more than two chicks is difficult for a single pair, so extras are adopted out. Partners take turns in guarding the nest and hunting. Once a clutch has grown, both parents and offspring go their separate ways until the following breeding season, when new mates are chosen. Despite their antagonistic nature, Vira Bekos show a surprising interest in colorful objects and have been observed patiently studying flowers or even stray Cielarka Cimos."

## Variations

### Body

Body variations are shown on Bekos with an aabbcc tail, AABBCC (black turkey) wings, and an AABbcc head for visual clarity.
Body genes also affect the color of Beko's legs and feet.

Chicken

Chicken

### Tail

Tail variations are shown on Bekos with an aabbCC (simple monochrome) body, AaBBCC (white hand) Wings, and an AaBBCC head for visual clarity.

Chicken

Red Chicken

### Wing

Wings can be either Turkey, Hand, Velociraptor, or Therizinosaurus style. Therizinosaurus genes also feature some feather details on the legs, and Velociraptor genes include a matching Velociraptor tail.

Wing variations are shown on Bekos with either an aaBbCc (cream) or aabbcc (black) tail, either an aaBbCc (cream) or aabbcc (black) body, and an AABbCc head for visual clarity.

(Feathered)
(Feathered)

(Feathered)
(Feathered)

(Feathered)
Chicken (Feathered)

(Therizino)
(Raptor)

(Raptor)
(Therizino)

(Therizino)
(Therizino)

### Head

Head variations are shown on Bekos with an aaBbCc (cream) body and AaBBCC (white hand) wings for visual clarity. Silkie Chicken genes (AabbCC and AaBBCC) add fuzzy silkie details over the legs.

Facing Right
Facing Right

Facing Left
Facing Front

Facing Left
Facing Right

Facing Right
Facing Right

Facing Left
Facing Right

Facing Front
Facing Left

Mouth Closed
Facing Right

Facing Right
Facing Left

Mouth Open
Facing Left

### Cielarka Cimo Companion

There is a rare chance that adult Beko sprites will include a Cielarka Cimo companion. Lore wise, this is due to Bekos' affinity for "colorful objects" like Cielarka Cimos (stated in adult description).

This occurrence is not linked to genetics; the likelihood of a Beko having a Cimo companion is random and rare. Below are two Beko with identical genes. Despite having the same genes, one has a randomly generated Cimo companion, and the other does not.

The Cimo companions have two possible positions, shown below.

## Trivia

* Regarding juvenile Beko sprites, artist Virida mentioned that they "tried to match the hatchling colour to the adult colouring in tone. So if you have a yellow hatchling you are more likely to end up with a lighter adult. But since there are 27 adult colours and only 3 juvenile colours that is just a very rough approximation. Also since some colourations are based on real birds I tried to chose the colour that was closest to that species chicks."

* TFO uses Esperanto as a basis for creature names (although it's not always exact—accents are ignored and spellings occasionally shift). “Vira Beko” means “Gobble Beak.”