A Roc
Rocs were a species of giant bird found in the lands of the Burning Sands and beyond, creatures big enough to carry a horse and rider in their talons. They were encountered by the Ki-Rin Clan shortly after the birth of the children of the Kami Shinjo. They were ridden by a pale-skinned, long-haired race of humans, of which little else was known. [1] They were also called Greater Northern Hawks by the Rokugani. [2]
Known knowledge[]
The Great Northern Hawks were extremely intelligent and truly massive. They were natural predators, and could devastate entire herds of livestock when their migrations brought them to the northernmost Dragon and Phoenix villages. The rocs sited their lairs on mountain crags and other such inaccessible places. [3] The rocs attacked with their talons, and they supposedly were originals from an island south to the Ivory Kingdoms. The Khadi Indira owned a book which said the rocs dwelled in a mountains north of the Burning Sands. It was said that a roc could only be trained if it was begun shortly after they hatched, so attempts to steal eggs from the nests happened, whith badly results. <[4]
Tamed[]
The Yobanjin Sons of Wind selected a few hatchlings each year and raised them in captivity. They were more colloquially known as the the Hawk Riders, using the creatures as mounts. [3]
The Ki-Rin and the Rocs[]
In 45 the roc-riders' attack came as the Ki-Rin were exiting a mountain valley and the Ki-Rin were unable to effectively respond to the attack. It was Iuchi whom saved the Ki-Rin, as he summoned a magical wind that crushed the birds and their riders against a wall, sadly this also caused a massive avalanche that killed over half of the Ki-Rin (including one of Shinjo's own children). [1]
Worst, the avalanche closed off their only path back to Rokugan, the Ki-Rin could not turn back even if they wished. [1]
See also[]
External Links[]
- Roc (LBS - Shadow of the Tyrant )
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Way of the Unicorn, p. 34
- ↑ The Age of Exploration, Part 2, by Shawn Carman, Seth Mason, and Robert Denton
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Creatures of Rokugan: Third Edition, p. 110
- ↑ Legend of the Burning Sands Roleplaying Game, p. 289
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