Roc
A roc is a carnivorous bird known for its extraordinary size and its hunting prowess.
The roc has been used as a symbol of power since time immemorial. The Roc-Talon Horde, one of the oldest and most feared Orc bands, revered them for their fierceness. Their battle-flag was a depiction of a three-toed roc claw in red and black, and the tailfeathers of rocs were woven into the yurts of their most feared warlords. In more modern times, the roc has been worshiped as a symbol of Zeus. A roc clutching a lightning bolt adorns the crest of the Rex Aetherum, and is therefore also seen on the seal of the Olympian Triumvirate.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Rocs resemble other raptors, with two legs ending in three-toed talons, two large wings designed for long-distance soaring, and a large, sharp beak. They have proportionally longer necks and tails than their distant raptor cousins. The beak of a roc is lined with hundreds of six-inch-long teeth in rows, so as to easily strip its prey of protective scales, wool, or armor.
Ecology and Habitats
Rocs prefer to nest in difficult, mountainous terrain, where their nests are safer from potential scavengers while they hunt in the hills and steppes. Rocs are native to Draxhaven, Erdelan, and western Scalados, though they have been seen as far south as the Impossible Mountains and as far east as Cypruvalu.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Behaviour
Rocs tend to be solitary creatures who carefully defend their large territories, since a single roc can singlehandedly consume the equivalent of ten human villages a year.
I'm such a sucker for birds and I love that Rocs ended up showcased in such a way. How do the orcs get the tail feathers? Cause the idea of someone traversing dangerous mountains for such a thing is the most entertaining and I wouldn't be surprised at all. Would make them all the more impressive and valuable, I imagine...