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{{Info fauna
{{Info fauna
|officialname = Mooan
|officialname = Mooan
|nicknames = Wagglenecks, Ground Birds.
|nicknames = Wagglenecks, Moaning Bird
|classification = Bird.
|classification = [[Bird]]
|habitat = Grasslands in [[Daendroc]]
|habitat = [[Westwynd]] and [[Altaleï]]
|domesticated = No.
|domesticated = Yes
|status = Common.
|status = Common
|}}
|}}
Mooan are large, wingless birds found roaming the expansive grasslands of Daendroc. Eating a simple diet of insects and seeds, these creatures are endlessly preyed upon. Most consider the wingless fowl to be incredibly useless and stupid overall. While the flightless birds see their fair share of peril, they certainly aren’t as thick as most would first assume.  
Mooan are large, wingless birds found roaming the many grasslands of [[Westwynd]] and [[Altaleï]]. They eat a diet of insects and seeds, which is just about as simple as their brain. Known for their distinctive “Mooan” cry that gives them their name and their tactic of falling over as a distraction, the animal has been known to be domesticated in the modern day, but is also notable for having survived countless harrowing events. It is unlikely that the animal will vanish from the many grasslands they call home anytime soon.


==History==
==History==
It is unknown exactly when the Mooan were originally discovered, but ancient Seraph texts show they hunted these wingless birds for sport long before the birth of the Elven Empire. The first widely-documented account of a people meeting Mooan came much later, when a group of Dwarven historians explored some old Elven ruins in Daendroc. They discovered several large groups of strange bird-like creatures seemingly penned within the ruins. After further exploration, it appeared to have been an Elven farm. It is theorised that once the empire had fallen, the Mooan colony thrived within the large, predator free field that was allotted for them, while their free brethren were driven to near extinction by unchecked predation during the post-empire period.
The Mooan, despite their silly appearance and actions, have endured for untold generations in [[Aloria]]. The [[Seraph]] seem to have had some sort of relationship with the bird, as they appear in some Seraph murals from ages long past. When the [[Allorn Empire]] later emerged, they discovered the bird in great numbers in several regions of their territory, but most populous in a region later known as the Ullaren Plains. Over the subsequent centuries, Mooan were bred into captivity and their wild counterparts were occasionally hunted by [[Elves]] princes and those seeking target practice for their magical arts. By the time of the [[Cataclysm]] and [[Wildering]] however, the animal's population has plunged to a low point, as many were used as animal scarifies in a range of rituals. Those great disasters, however, were the Mooan's saving grace, and the strange, simple bird was able to thrive in the century and a half that followed the disastrous end of the Allorn Empire. The Maquixtl in the regions where the bird thrived took to domesticating them, while elsewhere, the animal was restored to the status of target practice or as a simple bird to be hunted. The Mooan continues to have large numbers today, greatest in the Ullaren Plains, but also able to be found in [[Ithania]] and in smaller pockets elsewhere in its proximity.
Years later, a decline in the overall populations of predatory species in the greater area allowed those colonies of a few hundred to swell to countless thousands. Multiple sightings have now confirmed that they are sustaining heavy numbers.


==Physical Appearance==
==Physical Appearance==
The head of a Mooan appears disproportionately small when compared to their large bodies, lengthy necks, and incredibly long legs. They stand slightly shorter than the average man, most standing at five and a half feet and weighing one hundred and twenty five to one hundred and fifty pounds. Their feathers are their most distinctive features, which entails various shades of deep blue, purple, and yellow.
The Mooan is a fairly large bird despite its inability to fly, standing at five and a half feet while weighing anywhere between 125 to 150 pounds. Their heads are disproportionately small when compared to their larger bodies, with a small dull yellow beak and a pair of large green eyes but also a singular, notably long head feather. Their head is attached to their plump body by a long neck while a pair of equally long legs support them upright on large, three-toed clawed feet (though the claws are often dull). The Mooan possess no tail fan and their wings are almost inconsequential, each barely reaching a foot long though they are rarely if ever extended outside of stressful situations. Their bodies are covered in distinctive feathers known for their blend of strange colors, with a main coat color of deep blue and purple mixing with patches of brown and yellow with various patches of deep blue, purple, brown and yellow along their bodies and across the two genders.  
Mooan are fairly consistent in their appearance; however the southern Mooan do not have feathers adorning their necks or heads, whereas northern Mooan are covered from the head down to the upper reaches of the leg. It is assumed that the southern Mooan do not have as many feathers due to the warmer temperatures in the southern climates where they live.
 
===Diversity===
===Diversity===
With an ever-growing, almost untameable population, the Mooan have a fairly equal amount of males to females in their populus. It tends to vary from flock to flock, but it’s easy to tell at a first glance, given that the females have dull brown feathers, instead of the flashy colours the male Mooan boast.  
The Mooan has an equal number of males and females in their population, though individual flocks can skew male or female. Their species has one of the greatest levels of diversity in the animal kingdom due to the startling and exotic colors along their bodies. The patterns of multicolored dots are somewhat random, and can be highly artistic or refined, or like a child painted them. As for further diversity, those who live on the plains possess fluffed feathers along their neck and legs while those who live in captivity or domestication possess thinner, smaller feathers in these areas. This does not affect their single head plume.
 
===Life Span and Development===
===Life Span and Development===
Emerging from their shells tiny, blind, and featherless, the Mooan are incredibly reliant on their mothers for the first year of their life. At that point, they’ve reached half of their total size, and will not stop growing until the age of five. The lifespan of an average Mooan lasts ten to fifteen years.  
The Mooan is born from a small beige egg with blue speckles laid in clutches of anywhere between ten to twenty. When they emerge from their shells they are tiny, blind, and featherless. Their mother will do her best to help them and for those Mooan who are domesticated, animal tenders often help as well. Over the course of two years, the chicks will grow from their small original size to their full adult one. At this point, they are considered mature though many animal professionals note the curious lack of intellect demonstrated by the Mooan at all levels of development. Some believe that the creature has been permanently scarred from generations of hunting and death by the Seraph and all their successors, resulting in irreversible mental damage. Despite their lacking intellect, Mooan are able to reproduce at the age of two and have the ability to live anywhere between ten and fifteen years, though many die earlier in the wild given their limited intellect.


==Mental Overview==
==Mental Overview==
They also supply a ready source of meat for the predators of Daendroc. While stringy and thin, they are exceedingly stupid, and known for a peculiar adaptation where one or two of the flock will faint during an attack, allowing the others to flee to safety. Countering this survival tactic is their excessive birthrate. One mating pair may produce up to twenty young for each year of their pairing. Few have ever considered taking on the Mooan on as a pet, simply because of their idiocy. Despite this, a few Daendrocquian nobles have taken on these wingless birds for their flashy appearances.  
The Mooan is a dull bird with only basic survival and parental skills intact inside their small heads. They do however possess one interesting mental trait: If a flock is in danger of encirclement or attack, anywhere between two and five of their number will faint, making their trademark “Moo-aaaan” sound to distract and draw the attention of the threat. This either allows the flock to get away, and those Mooan that fell will follow them soon after, or those that fainted will be eaten or attacked as the rest of the flock gets away. To make up for this, pairs of Mooan reproduce every mating season in order to ensure their flock has a stable population. As parents, Mooan are lacking in many areas. While they do show their children how to eat and methods of walking, they frequently intermix their offspring to the point that over the course of a day, a chick can wander through the family of six different pairings. This does have a purpose as by the time they grow up, families will be so mixed that children are incredibly unlikely to mate with their siblings as they often very near to suitable mates. These traits are also present for those Mooan in captivity, though the animal's keepers help ensure the animal’s safety and that they mate with proper partners. It is important to note however, that Mooan stampedes are a dangerous threat. While rare in the grand scheme, the bird's mindless migration activity and ability to be chased from one threat into another can cause them to simply trample obstacles in their way, or crash into them rather than seeking to avoid them. This is the case with predators as much as it is for Aloria's [[Races]], but that sometimes helps hunters in bagging the kills they desire.
Though a native predator can feed itself for a week simply by traveling alongside a flock of Mooan, the birds are rarely considered a desirable food source by more intelligent races due to their notoriously fibrous and gamey meat.
===Territory and Groupings===
===Territory and Groupings===
Mooan inhabit the grassy plains of Daendroc. They sometimes travel in large flocks of up to one hundred, although it is more common for them to number around thirty. They eat insects and seeds, a plentiful food source in their habitat. They also supply a ready source of meat for the predators of Daendroc. Most flocks of Mooan are nomadic, wandering about the various grasslands in search of the most plentiful resources.  
Mooan inhabit many grassy plains dotting Westwynd and Altaleï, while also being nomadic creatures. Their flocks often number more than 100 and they move randomly across the grasslands as they consume their diet of insects and seeds. The speed of their running is greatly varied and chicks are sometimes left behind or fall behind the flock, though if they are not swallowed up by some creature of the night, they will have rejoined their flock the next day.


==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*Supposedly, there has only been one recorded case of a Mooan ever killing a human being. In 274AC, a wealthy nobleman sent three hundred hunters and trappers into Daendroc in order to retrieve the Mooan feathers in vast quantities. To his surprise, only two hundred and ninety nine returned.  
*Mooan meat is gamey and unappetizing to most sentient Races, so when they are hunted, it is for their feathers and their bones.
*The name ‘Mooan’ may have been a cruel joke by the Seraph derived from the sound they make when fainting.  
*Maquixtl examination of Mooan Genos has revealed another possible reason the bird is so intensely unintelligent: genetic blockers in their lifethreads. Why someone would create a purposefully stupid species, or perhaps, alter an existing one into such a permanent state, is completely unknown, nor have the Maquixtl learned how to undo these blocks, despite decades of trying.
 
*Mooan get along surprisingly well with [[Ollivear]], the hulking ogre-birds somehow brought from [[Westafar]] by the [[Eronidas]]. Why the Ollivear doesn't attack and kill the Mooan is not clear, but it can result in some nasty situations when a Mooan flock scatters, only for a dormant Ollivear to rise up and attack whoever or whatever thought it smart to go after those particular Mooan.
 
*There is an amusing series of children's stories in Ullaren Maquixtl society, about a Mooan so stupid, he is able to avoid the many clever traps and tricks of a cunning [[Silat Wolf]]. The moral of the tale often comes down to not underestimating anyone, but also, to never overprepare to the point of hindering your own efforts.
{{fauna}}
{{fauna}}
{{Accreditation
{{Accreditation
|Writers = PonyoWantHam
|Writers = HydraLana
|Processors = Aespair, MantaRey, LumosJared
|Processors = SupremeCripple
}}
}}
 
[[category:Fauna]] [[category:Birds]] [[category:Westwynd Fauna]] [[category:Altaleï Fauna]]
[[category:Fauna]] [[category:Birds]] [[category:Flightless Birds]] [[category:Daendroc Fauna]] [[category:Ithania Fauna]] [[category:Teled Methen Fauna]] [[category:Hyarroc Fauna]]

Latest revision as of 23:48, 1 September 2023

Mooan
Noimg.png
Fauna
Official Name Mooan
Common Nicknames Wagglenecks, Moaning Bird
Classification Bird
Habitat Westwynd and Altaleï
Domesticated Yes
Current Status Common

Mooan are large, wingless birds found roaming the many grasslands of Westwynd and Altaleï. They eat a diet of insects and seeds, which is just about as simple as their brain. Known for their distinctive “Mooan” cry that gives them their name and their tactic of falling over as a distraction, the animal has been known to be domesticated in the modern day, but is also notable for having survived countless harrowing events. It is unlikely that the animal will vanish from the many grasslands they call home anytime soon.

History

The Mooan, despite their silly appearance and actions, have endured for untold generations in Aloria. The Seraph seem to have had some sort of relationship with the bird, as they appear in some Seraph murals from ages long past. When the Allorn Empire later emerged, they discovered the bird in great numbers in several regions of their territory, but most populous in a region later known as the Ullaren Plains. Over the subsequent centuries, Mooan were bred into captivity and their wild counterparts were occasionally hunted by Elves princes and those seeking target practice for their magical arts. By the time of the Cataclysm and Wildering however, the animal's population has plunged to a low point, as many were used as animal scarifies in a range of rituals. Those great disasters, however, were the Mooan's saving grace, and the strange, simple bird was able to thrive in the century and a half that followed the disastrous end of the Allorn Empire. The Maquixtl in the regions where the bird thrived took to domesticating them, while elsewhere, the animal was restored to the status of target practice or as a simple bird to be hunted. The Mooan continues to have large numbers today, greatest in the Ullaren Plains, but also able to be found in Ithania and in smaller pockets elsewhere in its proximity.

Physical Appearance

The Mooan is a fairly large bird despite its inability to fly, standing at five and a half feet while weighing anywhere between 125 to 150 pounds. Their heads are disproportionately small when compared to their larger bodies, with a small dull yellow beak and a pair of large green eyes but also a singular, notably long head feather. Their head is attached to their plump body by a long neck while a pair of equally long legs support them upright on large, three-toed clawed feet (though the claws are often dull). The Mooan possess no tail fan and their wings are almost inconsequential, each barely reaching a foot long though they are rarely if ever extended outside of stressful situations. Their bodies are covered in distinctive feathers known for their blend of strange colors, with a main coat color of deep blue and purple mixing with patches of brown and yellow with various patches of deep blue, purple, brown and yellow along their bodies and across the two genders.

Diversity

The Mooan has an equal number of males and females in their population, though individual flocks can skew male or female. Their species has one of the greatest levels of diversity in the animal kingdom due to the startling and exotic colors along their bodies. The patterns of multicolored dots are somewhat random, and can be highly artistic or refined, or like a child painted them. As for further diversity, those who live on the plains possess fluffed feathers along their neck and legs while those who live in captivity or domestication possess thinner, smaller feathers in these areas. This does not affect their single head plume.

Life Span and Development

The Mooan is born from a small beige egg with blue speckles laid in clutches of anywhere between ten to twenty. When they emerge from their shells they are tiny, blind, and featherless. Their mother will do her best to help them and for those Mooan who are domesticated, animal tenders often help as well. Over the course of two years, the chicks will grow from their small original size to their full adult one. At this point, they are considered mature though many animal professionals note the curious lack of intellect demonstrated by the Mooan at all levels of development. Some believe that the creature has been permanently scarred from generations of hunting and death by the Seraph and all their successors, resulting in irreversible mental damage. Despite their lacking intellect, Mooan are able to reproduce at the age of two and have the ability to live anywhere between ten and fifteen years, though many die earlier in the wild given their limited intellect.

Mental Overview

The Mooan is a dull bird with only basic survival and parental skills intact inside their small heads. They do however possess one interesting mental trait: If a flock is in danger of encirclement or attack, anywhere between two and five of their number will faint, making their trademark “Moo-aaaan” sound to distract and draw the attention of the threat. This either allows the flock to get away, and those Mooan that fell will follow them soon after, or those that fainted will be eaten or attacked as the rest of the flock gets away. To make up for this, pairs of Mooan reproduce every mating season in order to ensure their flock has a stable population. As parents, Mooan are lacking in many areas. While they do show their children how to eat and methods of walking, they frequently intermix their offspring to the point that over the course of a day, a chick can wander through the family of six different pairings. This does have a purpose as by the time they grow up, families will be so mixed that children are incredibly unlikely to mate with their siblings as they often very near to suitable mates. These traits are also present for those Mooan in captivity, though the animal's keepers help ensure the animal’s safety and that they mate with proper partners. It is important to note however, that Mooan stampedes are a dangerous threat. While rare in the grand scheme, the bird's mindless migration activity and ability to be chased from one threat into another can cause them to simply trample obstacles in their way, or crash into them rather than seeking to avoid them. This is the case with predators as much as it is for Aloria's Races, but that sometimes helps hunters in bagging the kills they desire.

Territory and Groupings

Mooan inhabit many grassy plains dotting Westwynd and Altaleï, while also being nomadic creatures. Their flocks often number more than 100 and they move randomly across the grasslands as they consume their diet of insects and seeds. The speed of their running is greatly varied and chicks are sometimes left behind or fall behind the flock, though if they are not swallowed up by some creature of the night, they will have rejoined their flock the next day.

Trivia

  • Mooan meat is gamey and unappetizing to most sentient Races, so when they are hunted, it is for their feathers and their bones.
  • Maquixtl examination of Mooan Genos has revealed another possible reason the bird is so intensely unintelligent: genetic blockers in their lifethreads. Why someone would create a purposefully stupid species, or perhaps, alter an existing one into such a permanent state, is completely unknown, nor have the Maquixtl learned how to undo these blocks, despite decades of trying.
  • Mooan get along surprisingly well with Ollivear, the hulking ogre-birds somehow brought from Westafar by the Eronidas. Why the Ollivear doesn't attack and kill the Mooan is not clear, but it can result in some nasty situations when a Mooan flock scatters, only for a dormant Ollivear to rise up and attack whoever or whatever thought it smart to go after those particular Mooan.
  • There is an amusing series of children's stories in Ullaren Maquixtl society, about a Mooan so stupid, he is able to avoid the many clever traps and tricks of a cunning Silat Wolf. The moral of the tale often comes down to not underestimating anyone, but also, to never overprepare to the point of hindering your own efforts.

Accreditation
Writers HydraLana
Processors SupremeCripple
Last Editor HydraLana on 09/1/2023.

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