Saqra

Saqra are flying birds that stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ursinin, and are used as flying mounts in some parts of the world. They can carry up to 450 lbs. in weight and are effectively used for scouting from the air, or defense against other flying dangers. Saqra come in a wide variety of colors and plumage patterns, and experts can pick out the home region of a saqra based on the shape of its beak. With a twenty-foot wingspan, they may seem massive to most folk, but they're still preyed upon by larger flying creatures such as wyverns and roc. For this reason, saqra riders are encouraged to bring weaponry when venturing into the wild.

  A mature saqra can fly with a rider for up to three hours at a time, and requires an hour of rest between flights. This makes saqra most commonly used for short-range travel - scouting or patrolling, message delivery between settlements, or launched from on board an airship to repel airborne threats. For times when long-distance travel is needed, rookeries are stationed sixty miles apart in many settled regions, allowing a rider to rest and feed their saqra among like company. Experienced rider and saqra teams can push nine hours of flight time a day, but doing so for too many days in a row will exhaust the bird.   Saqra are deeply stubborn creatures. Many will refuse to eat anything but their favorite meats, or let anyone but a preferred keeper trim their talons. Novice riders will find that the bird they're on will simply land when it feels tired, rather than continue even a bit further as directed. It's for these reasons that saqra riders spend nearly as much time training their own skills as they do the bird's. Trying to capture a wild saqra to train proves nearly impossible - specialized hatcheries raise them from eggs, socialize them to sapient species, and teach them to tolerate and work with riders. They're considered fully grown and ready for a large rider (such as a Leonin) at five years old.   While there are several dozen breeds of saqra across the World, the following are some of the most common:

• Mountain Hunter: The original descendants of the wild saqra of Honamaya, the mountain hunter is the most common breed of domestic saqra, and retains the look of its wild brethren. Typically shades of brown with banding on the wings, the mountain hunter is known for their piercing gold eyes and the crown of dark feathers atop the head.

• Carassian Crested: Bred to be swift and highly mobile in combat, the Carassian crested saqra was dispersed around the World after the old Republic fell. They're peculiar among saqra in that many will prefer to walk when able to, much to the chagrin of novice riders. Their brown baby feathers turn black as they get older, but the white belly and orange face remain the same.

• Great Crowned: The largest of the domestic breeds, the great crowned saqra is named for the double crest of dark grey feathers that sits at the back of the head. The only breed able to carry riders as heavy as a Rhox or Loxodon, the great crowned saqra trades some speed in the air for this increase in strength.

• Nightmask: Bred in Anahvas originally, the nightmask is known for its ability to soar with a rider for longer than most other breeds. They have an oddly stumpy build, with shorter legs and a puffed ring of feathers on the head and neck that make them look squat. The bright red beak and feet contrasted against its black and grey feathers give it a striking look.

• Royal Red: Black wings, a crimson torso, and a white head make the royal red stand out anywhere. The preferred saqra of the Lusian elite, royal red eggs were once kept exclusively in the region, but decades of smuggling have led to the breed cropping up elsewhere. Royal red feathers are especially prized due to their extraordinary softness and unique color.

• Slatewing: The most even tempered breed, the slatewing is easily identified by their massive, broad beaks. Though their bodies and heads can be a variety of earthy colors, the flight feathers of all slatewings are a cool grey. They don't mind strangers or new riders, and don't tend to react much to anything beyond imminent danger. Young riders-in-training often begin learning with slatewings due to this mildness.

• Balvedan Blue: Once bred exclusively for the royal family of Balveda, this majestic looking saqra lineage is known for the eye-catching blue coloration on the top of their beaks, behind their eyes, and on the wings and tail. Thinner and longer than most saqra, they can't carry as much weight as their stockier relatives, but their graceful appearance still puts them in high demand. Balvedan blues cost almost twice as much as other saqra.

• Dwarf Warbler: The smallest breed, the dwarf warbler has been selectively bred to be a more comfortable size for riders like Lagombi or Timus. They stand half as tall and weigh half as much as a mountain hunter, and are only noticeably slower over long distances. Males have red and blue coloration with a white belly, while females tend to be a uniform brown on the back and head.