Peryton

## **Biology**

A Peryton is a deer like creature with sharp carnivorous teeth and a set of wyvern-like feathery wings in place of its front legs. Depending on region they may or may not have a long Mohawk of feathers trailing down its back where it eventually meets its bird-like tail. Both male and female Peryton have antlers, although male antlers are generally larger and shed in the winter, where females are shorter and shed in the spring. Unlike a typical deer, Peryton not only consume meat, but many have developed a taste for the internal organs of humanoid creatures. Because of this, Peryton often take residence in the Bexstone mountain range where they live off the flesh of higher demons.

## **Personality/Instincts**

In terms of behavior, a Peryton acts more like a bird of prey than a deer. They live in the skies and on the mountains, staying as high up as possible in order to remain unseen. Peryton are ferocious hunters. Once they begin stalking a creature, they won't stop the hunt until one party is dead. They'll obsess over their prey to the point of insanity, often refusing to eat anything else even if more food is readily available.
Peryton mate for life, and they can often be spotted in mates pairs. In order to court a mate, a male Peryton will bring the female the heart of its victims. Depending on how intact the heart is, the female will reciprocate his affection. The more intact a heart is when presented the better. People aren't entirely sure why they favor this, but some believe it has to do with showing restraint or dexterity while hunting.

When not hunting or stalking, Peryton are known to be mischievous and playful creatures. Young Peryton have been known to headbutt large rocks off Cliffsides in order to scare adventurers, which they seem to take enjoyment in. They also enjoy injuring small animals and flying them high into the air, where they'll play a game of catch with them by dropping them and trying to grab them again before they splat on the ground.

## **Relations**

Most creatures are wary of Peryton, and more intelligent demons of the mountain range will take great care to make sure they aren't targeted as prey. This usually includes wearing very concealing clothing to not resemble a living being, or wearing highly reflective armour to ward them away.

Peryton have an interesting relationship with other large flying predators. Males and females alike have been spotted trying to court Phoenix and Griffin. Some speculate that they're unable to tell the difference between these large feathery creatures and their own kind. Others believe they're simply attracted to both species bright flashy colours, where theirs lean more towards the natural palette. Some even believe it simply has to do with the amount of magic these creatures all possess, and that Peryton may have an unseen bias towards creatures with large mana pools.

Peryton and Deer have what some consider to be a symbiotic relationship. Peryton only eat humanoids, which doesn't put deer on the menu despite the fact they're prey animals. Its speculated that Peryton "adopt" herds of deer, protecting them from other predators, and lie in wait for the deer to attract hunters, which the Peryton will then eat for themselves. Most deer aren't afraid of Peryton, as they look and smell similar enough to be mistaken as one of the herd.

## **History**

Its speculated that modern Peryton populations are a direct result of the great demon infestation. Records show that they did exist far before then, but once the mountains became overly infested and access to humanoid creatures became easier their populations skyrocketed. Since then they've been stalking the mountains and terrorizing mortal and demon settlements alike.

Its not entirely clear when the first Peryton came into existence, but some believe it was a result of deer crossbreeding with a Roc. A bird of that size is one of few birds large enough to successfully crossbreed, and considering Peryton lack the striking colour and fiery demeanour of Phoenix there aren't many other options. Not only that, but Roc have been successfully crossbred with a number of species, so it's not all that unlikely.

## **Adventures**

Peryton rarely leave the mountain range. On the off chance that they do, its almost always as a result of their incessant stalking tendencies. There's been stories of mountain adventures returning home,  only to wind up dead weeks later found completely disemboweled. Some report feelings of unease as if someone's watching them even months after leaving the mountain range, although its not clear if this is a direct result of Peryton stalking or if its simply due to the nature of the mountains. Either way, Peryton don't generally leave their home range unless situations become dire.

## **Abilities**

While they don't have access to a lot of magic, Peryton are knows to be masters of illusion. They're able to cast a magical aura that makes their shadows appear humanoid in order to lure in their prey. Many of them have also learned to mimic words in demonic and standard in order to further this illusion. They've been known to scream or cry for help, using their shadows to draw in curious victims,  then ambushing them from above. Its a simple and mundane spell, but Peryton have become masters at it.