Mooan

Mooan
Fauna
Official Name	Mooan
Common Nicknames	Wagglenecks, Ground Birds.
Classification	Bird.
Habitat	Grasslands in Daendroc
Domesticated	No.
Current 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.

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. 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

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. 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

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.

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.

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. 

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

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.

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.
• The name ‘Mooan’ may have been a cruel joke by the Seraph derived from the sound they make when fainting.

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Accreditation
Writers PonyoWantHam Processors Aespair, MantaRey, LumosJared	Last Editor Jared4242 on 10/20/2016.

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