Birds
This is the end of Caori Week, and since the caori are a race of intelligent birds, what better way to end the week than a selection of Top Ten birds to provide memorable encounters for your game?
1. A foul-mouthed parrot. Previously the pet of a sailor, this parrot has absorbed all of its former owner’s salty language, and most of the phrases it speaks are strong enough to curdle milk. When its previous owner fell on some hard times, he sold the parrot, but the bird freed itself and now roams free. Sometimes, it almost seems to take a perverse pleasure in the reactions humans have to its cheery repetition of words unfit for any ears, as though it understood what it was saying, but it gives no real indication that it can understand any speech, let alone the meaning of what it says.
2. A hungry blue jay. This blue jay is a particularly daring specimen of its kind, and does not fear humans, due to years of living outside the cabin of a kindly elderly couple who fed it regularly. In fact, the blue jay acts rather entitled, flying up to travelers and passersby, landing on their packs, and beginning to pick through them for food without delay. Although it is canny enough to recognize that some humans do pose it a threat, and is always ready to fly away in case an attack comes, it nonetheless continues to rob from all who pass through its territory, even more effectively than some human bandits.
3. An affectionate hawk. For whatever reason, this hawk takes a shining to a particular party member, and begins to follow the party as they travel. It watches the object of its fascination from above, landing on a nearby tree when the party stops to rest, and simply sitting and staring. Occasionally, it will give the party member gifts in the form of small rodents it has hunted, dropping them in the PC’s lap while they are eating.
4. An inquisitive raven. Once a wizard’s familiar, this raven’s former master died in a tragic accident, severing the arcane bond between them and dulling the raven’s mind nearly back to that of a regular animal. The raven still retains just a tiny sliver of its former intelligence, however, and has a strong sense of loss, knowing that it used to be much greater, though it no longer can understand exactly how. It attempts to fill this void by spending time around humanoids, especially spellcasters. It makes a habit of repeating phrases spoken by others and turning them into questions, as though it were trying to understand their meaning, although there is little indication it really knows what it is saying.
5. A territorial sparrow. This small bundle of brown feathers has staked out a small area as its own, and is quite prepared to defend that area to the death against any creature that might threaten its sovereignty, no matter how big. The sparrow’s territory could be anywhere, although bushes or a tree just outside of a building that the PCs frequent often would be ideal. Whenever they pass by, the sparrow rushes out, chirping angrily and flying in their faces, harassing them until they leave its territory.
6. An uncommon owl. This owl’s feathers are as black as pitch, and it is quite large, making it stand out considerably from others of its species. Even more striking is the fact that it is encountered during the day, and though it does not speak, its eyes seem to hold a surprising intelligence. Some might take this unusually colored owl to be a spirit creature, and it will lead the party if they are willing to follow it, though whether it leads them to an important spiritual discovery, or into some kind of nefarious trap, is best left to the GM’s discretion.
7. A gossipy canary. This canary was granted human intelligence by an awaken spell, at the behest of a noble who desired to have a canary that could sing operatic scores. The now-clever bird arranged an escape, however, and has been struggling to make its way in the world ever since. It gravitates towards human settlements, which it finds fascinating, and is an incorrigible gossip, always eager to trade secrets. Though it doesn’t give them away for free, it is happy to trade for equally juicy information, and can also typically be bought for the low price of a few coins’ worth of food.
8. A skillful peacock. This peacock is the partner of an eccentric and grandiose entertainer who travels from town to town performing shows with the animal, which include acts of juggling, balance, fire eating, and more. The peacock has been taught a variety of acrobatic stunts, and is well-trained in this regard, but its master allows it to roam freely, and it has a tendency to wander off on its own and get into all kinds of trouble that only an entitled and curious peacock with first-rate tumbling skills could possibly get into.
9. A well-traveled penguin. A bird out of water, this penguin is found far from the icy regions such creatures normally inhabit. Originally transported from its home when it accidentally stumbled across an ancient teleportation rune long-buried in the ice, the penguin now roams far and wide, waddling slowly but surely towards an unknown destination. The PCs may encounter the penguin numerous times in their travels, always in improbable locations, leaving them to wonder just how the bird managed to get there.
10. A manipulative chicken. This hen was granted intelligence by a druid with an awaken spell, who hoped to free her from captivity, and then have her speak to townsfolk about the indignities and suffering imposed by domestication. Instead, however, the chicken decided it preferred a farm life, and it has moved in with a particularly thick family of farmers, keeping its intelligence a secret, and fooling the humans into believing it speaks with the disembodied voice of a deity. It now runs their lives through its commands, effectively managing the farm.