Keeatl
This egg hums beautiful songs softly to itself, and you occasionally find yourself losing track of time while listening to it.
Spoiler
A hatchling xericoatl is tiny and affectionate, but utterly helpless for its first few weeks of life. They are unable to fly, and depend on their parents to bring food to the nest. The parents take turns making food runs and incubating the tiny hatchlings, their larger bodies readily capable of storing enough fat and water to last for days. This is especially useful in the deserts where these creatures live, as even during the rainy season, food and water are hard to come by. The coatls nest in groups, sometimes with weiroatls and keeatls nesting side-by-side. Once the young are able to fly, the entire group sets off, moving from oasis to oasis in search of delicious nuts and sweet fruits. It takes several years for them to perfect their musical magic, and until then, they must stick very close to older coatls for they are vulnerable otherwise.
(m/f)
Spoiler
Xericoatls are so-named for their love of hot, dry climates. They are abundant in the most remote regions of the Etain Desert, commonly found congregating around any patch of desert bushes large enough to support the flock. Sometimes called the sirens of the sand, their melodious voices can often be heard from miles away, and have been said to lure weary travellers to their doom. Most magi consider these tales superstition, as the coatls seem to leave people alone, except for occasional raids on crops. Given the damage the creatures do during the rainy season, it is no surprise the inhabitants of Etain and Voltar are not keen on them. Elsewhere, though, xericoatls are popular companions for their bright colors and beautiful songs. Well-trained, a xericoatl is harmless and can even use its musical powers to help its human companion. However, a wizened adult is also surprisingly powerful, even alone, so magical authorities in many cities keep a close watch on anyone who carries one of these creatures around with them. It is not uncommon for a city to require the coatl have a visible silencing charm or similar spell over them, especially if they are of the more powerful varieties.
Spoiler
Xericoatls are among the smallest of their family, seldom longer than one or two feet in length. What they lack in individual size, they make up for in the size of their flocks, which can comprise several thousand animals that weigh down tree branches when they all land at once. The coatls come in many colors and varieties, each with their own abilities related to the music they sing. The keeatl is widely favored for its elegance, which is expressed with intricate songs that some describe as miniature orchestras. Their music is so beautiful, any person or creature that hears it will stop whatever they are doing to listen. The more powerful clouded keeatls have been known to keep people listening for hours at a time. One coatl can sing while the others escape from a would-be predator. While musicians often use their keeatls for inspiration when composing their works, the hypnotic nature of the birds' songs is such a potent distraction that the Keep requires the adults to wear silencing charms at all times.
Weiroatl
This egg hums catchy songs softly to itself. Strangely, you feel compelled to stroke it when it plays a certain tune.
Spoiler
A hatchling xericoatl is tiny and affectionate, but utterly helpless for its first few weeks of life. They are unable to fly, and depend on their parents to bring food to the nest. The parents take turns making food runs and incubating the tiny hatchlings, their larger bodies readily capable of storing enough fat and water to last for days. This is especially useful in the deserts where these creatures live, as even during the rainy season, food and water are hard to come by. The coatls nest in groups, sometimes with weiroatls and keeatls nesting side-by-side. Once the young are able to fly, the entire group sets off, moving from oasis to oasis in search of delicious nuts and sweet fruits. It takes several years for them to perfect their musical magic, and until then, they must stick very close to older coatls for they are vulnerable otherwise.
(m/f)
Spoiler
Xericoatls are so-named for their love of hot, dry climates. They are abundant in the most remote regions of the Etain Desert, commonly found congregating around any patch of desert bushes large enough to support the flock. Sometimes called the sirens of the sand, their melodious voices can often be heard from miles away, and have been said to lure weary travellers to their doom. Most magi consider these tales superstition, as the coatls seem to leave people alone, except for occasional raids on crops. Given the damage the creatures do during the rainy season, it is no surprise the inhabitants of Etain and Voltar are not keen on them. Elsewhere, though, xericoatls are popular companions for their bright colors and beautiful songs. Well-trained, a xericoatl is harmless and can even use its musical powers to help its human companion. However, a wizened adult is also surprisingly powerful, even alone, so magical authorities in many cities keep a close watch on anyone who carries one of these creatures around with them. It is not uncommon for a city to require the coatl have a visible silencing charm or similar spell over them, especially if they are of the more powerful varieties.
Spoiler
Xericoatls are among the smallest of their family, seldom longer than one or two feet in length. What they lack in individual size, they make up for in the size of their flocks, which can comprise several thousand animals that weigh down tree branches when they all land at once. The coatls come in many colors and varieties, each with their own abilities related to the music they sing. The weiroatl is favored for its personality, which it often expresses with short, snappy songs that easily become stuck in one's head. They are highly creative and often mischievous, able to influence one's behavior using different types of music. The more powerful pearled weiroatls have been known to use their magic to command people, often without the affected person realizing it. One coatl can sing while the others escape from a would-be predator. While musicians often use their weiroatls for inspiration when composing their works, the hypnotic nature of the birds' songs is such a potent distraction that the Keep requires the adults to wear silencing charms at all times.
