Thunderbird

The Thunderbird is a creature from the Age of Legends that can still be found during the Age of Heroes; although their numbers are greatly reduced.

During the Age of Legends they looked like a merge of two bird having four wings, two tails, and two heads. During the Age of Man they only had a single pair of wings, one tail, but still had two heads. By the Age of Heroes Thunderbirds looked like other birds, just far larger and with lightning arcing along their wings.

Regardless their eyes have always shined bright. At night their eyes can be seen several miles away.

When they first appeared in the Age of Heroes Thunderbirds were one hundred and seventy feet (51 meters) with a wingspan of one hundred and sixty feet (49 meters). By the Age of Heroes Thunderbirds are usually around twenty-five feet long (7.6 meters) with a wingspan of thirty-five feet (10 meters).

Their wings have always been far longer than they are wide. This provides Thunderbirds the ability to control themselves while slower, nearly hovering in flight. Their wings provide for dynamic soaring on the wind shears above the seas.

Unlike most birds both males and females are equally colorful. Most of the body is dark blue fading into black at the wing tips and tail. Males have a white hood, while females only a white hat. All will have individualistic patterns of white feathers mixed in with their body and wings.

During the Age of Legends these creatures were not avians, but instead creatures of the water. They lived along the surface of the water migrating with the great storms. When the lightning fell from the sky the Thunderbirds would leave the water and dance among the lightning. As the storm would break up the Thunderbirds captured as much of the lightning as they could and would fly off in different directions. When storms would gather individuals would migrate towards the storms again - it is not sure if they are drawn to the storm or the storms are drawn to their numbers.

By the Age of Man Thunderbirds became true avians and have moved from the surface of the seas to the high mountains. They can still dive into the water to feed on fish, but are not water birds. With high aspect wings, Thunderbirds can hover inside the wind sheer of the mountains or seas seemingly holding themselves stationary in the air.

During the Age of Legends Thunderbirds would gather in large flocks of thousands when the storms arrived, but live as individuals during the calm. As they moved inland and their numbers Thunderbirds spent more time as individuals. In the Age of Heroes their numbers are so few a Thunderbird will only see another of their kind during mating season. After laying her egg a female will circle around the egg calling for any male. As males arrive she will defend her egg, so that only the strongest and swiftest can reach her egg.

Once the first male reaches the egg the female will leave, never to return. The male will fertilize the egg with near continuous lightning, sometimes for days. Once done they will cover the egg and leave the nest as well. A newly born Thunderbird is fully capable of feeding itself and will take to the sky within the first weeks.

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