Boarialdra; AKA the "Flying Pig"
Species: Nearly Aerial Boar Chimera
Size: 5 feet tall from leg to head. 8 foot wing span
Weight: 600 Lbs.
Threat: moderate- high
Location: Outside Negav, near the various swamps, open fields
This was an interesting creature I felt would be appropriate. I just really hope nobody has thought of it yet.
The Boarialdra (or Flying Pig) is a special type of creature which is a fusion of boar, chicken and eagle. It's face and body is that of the boar, with horns on it's face, a large snout, floppy pig ears, and a pink body complete with a curly tail. Their mouth and legs are those of a long chicken, reverse jointed and covered in feathers. The mouth itself is a combination of a regular pig mouth and an oval shaped beak. Their arms , situated on the sides of their pig bodies, also function as their large eagle wings, which have nothing but large and beautiful feathers on them.
These creatures are an oddity of nature, since their attitudes and habits switch often between the creatures that make them up. Often they'll be lazy like a pig, or be hyperactive like a chicken. After research, it's been suggested that their environment determines their overall attitude, meaning that the swamps, being dank and dark, will make them lazy, while open fields and areas near cities will make them hyperactive.
Their wings are extremely powerful, and are capable of generating large gusts of winds for multiple uses. Sadly, though, their wings are not designed for aerial flight. They can only be used offensively or for high speed running. In fact, their nickname of "flying pig" is only because of how fast they can run and how good their jumping ability is. You'd never imagine six hundred pounds of white meat being able to cover so much ground, but it's quite possible with these creatures.
Onto their hunting and feeding habits:
The flying pigs are often prone to search for anything that is edible. They do not eat humans or anything bigger than them, as this requires too much effort for a single one to do. They will eat scraps left by adventurers, various fruits and seeds (like chickens and other birds) and will even pig out on smaller creatures. To catch any living prey, they usually remain completely still until they see the food come into range, then they pounce using their incredibly agile chicken legs. They require about five to ten pounds of food a day to keep their high metabolism in place and will scour any area to get to it. They can smell out their food and will often chase after it if hungry enough.
Hunting, behavior and territorial nature:
The Boarialdra is actually not very territorial. It doesn't care if you intrude in it's territory, and if you do, it will simply sleep or go about it's business. They are actually not that harmful to humans or humanoid creatures, and can actually be kinda friendly if you know how to befriend them. (a few food scraps will do the trick). They know peace with many of the Felaryan predators and do not know any actual rivalries.
Though they are mostly peaceful, the creatures are not to be taken lightly. If they are hunting for food or and you disturb them in any way which brings them harm or makes them lose their meal, they can easily go after you and tear you apart. The Boarialdra are a moderate threat when alone, but more often than not travel in groups. A swarm of these buggers is too much for even a fully grown predator to handle, as their greatest weapons are their razor sharp chicken talons, the mighty gusts generated from their wings, their sharp as nails beaks and powerful boar tusks. (take it from this explorer. You'd rather jump into Crisis' stomach than confront a flock of angry flying pigs) Fortunately, these creatures are only slightly immune to magic, so a powerful mage could escape with his robes intact. It's been noted that they have quarreled with the dridders in certain territory, Harpies and deerataur in the open field, Arthronodes near the ocean, and even humans and nekos near Negav's walls and on occasion emerged victorious. Most of the quarrels were over particular food sources, since humans carry alot of food on them.
Mating:
They mate like mammals. That's all you really want to know.
Special traits and other funny facts:
Their snouts are highly trained and are enhanced by the magical effects of the Felaryan soil, as some say they can even smell a prey as well as how Crisis can sense them. You can be miles out of their range, and the flying pigs will still find you. Some of these creatures have actually been tamed as trackers for both predator and prey alike. It's rumored that a fairy once trained one of these beasts after increasing it's size and taught it to smell out humans miles away. Overall it sucks to smell like human in her territory.
These creatures are perfectly edible for humans and predators. When eaten, they reportedly taste like an odd mix of poultry and pork. You have to eat around the horns and other appendages, though.
Adventures have also written lore about how these creatures have a strange connection to the guardian Notys, being that they are a form of chimera. One bit of lore even states that Notys made the creatures herself out of boredom.
Subject: Boarialdra: Pigs will finally fly... sorta 
Mon Mar 24, 2008 6:11 am
