Ouranoi Avis



An Ouranoi Avis is a gargantuan creature native to the world of Finisterre. Though Ouranoi are known to live in ecosystems worldwide, they are usually found either on the massive plateaus on the continent of Llwyfandir or on the two ice caps; North Gaeafary or South Gaeafary.

Appearance
Ouranoi have much different appearances depending on the phase of their life. Newborns generally look like a pure-white avian, almost like the appearance of a hawk but a little bigger. The exoskeleton common to all beasts on Finisterre is hidden under the feathers. Also, while one pair of wings will grow, the other two grow generally slower.

Once they get to around adolescence, they have a form similar to a full grown adult. They are the size of a large condor, and the exoskeleton partially shows under their feathers. A second exoskeleton has begun forming. During adolescence, this second exoskeleton will be shed off and grow back multiple times. Their two other wings also generally grow much faster during this stage of their life. In the ice caps, the feathers also gain a bluish hue and grow a small tuft of hair.

As they turn into adults, the Ouranoi have generally grown out all of their features. All six of their wings have grown out, they have become huge birds, with a wingspan of 36 ft and a weight of almost 350 pounds. The second exoskeleton has also fully grown out. In females, this second exoskeleton is much larger in order to protect the newborns that perch in the feathers.

Biology
An Ouranoi Avis is generally aggressive to creatures that it feels threatened by, which are usually beasts larger, faster, or more muscular than itself. Strangely, it also attacks anyone or anything made of large amounts of metal. This is why safari guides who lead people to see these creatures walk, and wear mostly leather.

A female Ouranoi usually lays over 20 eggs at one time. The newborns, once they hatch, immediately clamber up the mother to her chest. This is where they perch until they reach adolescence. The mother then hunts for meat, usually either some of the massive herbivores that live on the Llwyfandir continent or many Thirio for those in the ice caps. They also eat the trash and waste of the Eithrael, though if there is large pieces of metal in the pile they will refuse to eat it. After the mother has eaten, the newborn fly down and devour the remains. Since usually there is not enough meat left for all the newborns, it is a battle for survival. By the time adolescence occurs, only one or two newborns survive, or the rare three. If the mother is attacked, the newborns often help their mother fight.

Males live a solitary life hunting. Perhaps because of this, male Ouranoi have the tendency to hoard shiny objects and line them in their nests. The only time they interact with the rest of their kind is during mating season. Then, the males try to attract females by performing amazing aerial stunts. Females that find a male attractive will then start performing the stunts along with their chosen mate. Once the stunts are done, the mates return to the female's nest. Once the female has laid her eggs, the male returns to their own nest.

Interaction with Sentient Species
In ancient times, the Eithrael believed that the Ouranoi Avis were messengers from the gods. When they performed their aerial stunts, the Eithrael priests would interpret them as messages.

Nowadays, the Ouranoi are pets and workers. Ouranoi Avis adolescents are often kept as pets for a couple of years before being let go into the wild. However; the Eithrael must have a permit in order to have it as a pet, as it requires special care.

The Eithrael also have used Ouranoi Avis as workers. Before ships and vehicles were created, the Ouranoi Avis were used to carry messages and mail all around the world. They were also used as a sort of "Waste Disposal" system for the ancient Eithrael. They would do their buisness in a large pit, where Ouranoi Avis would then descend to eat (Apparently, Eithrael waste and garbage is quite healthy for Ouranoi). Even now, on Finisterre there is no problem with waste control. They simply leave the trash and other...products in a pit, where the Ouranoi still devour it. All the Eithrael have to do is remove large pieces of metal, which is melted and recycled.

Also during ancient times Ouranoi were used as mounts to be used in battle, the the Ouranoi could fly much higher than the Eithrael ever could. Though now this has become obsolete, there are still Ouranoi Riders, which do aerial stunts for entertainment as well as help civilian police. Riders live in settlements called Rhisgl Dinases (Bark Cities). These towns are made out of almost all wood and plastic. The only metal used is in the nails and hinges. Rhisgl Dinases are always right next to a large body of water, for safety purposes in case of a fire. The Ouranoi of the Riders are always male, not only to help preserve the species, but also because they are more aerodynamic then the females (as their second exoskeletons are smaller and more streamlined). Ouranoi always become attached to their Rider, and protect them to the death. If their Rider dies before them, the Ouranoi tend to lose the will to live. Even if they do still live, they almost never accept another Rider.