Leaf harpy

ok, didnt see anything like this in any of the other topics, and not in the wiki so Im hoping this will work

Leaf Harpy

Appearance: They look like a normal harpy in terms of basic shape, but are only the size of a large parrot, their skin is mostly green, anywhere from a lightish green to a dark green, their wings and tail feathers look like normal leaves, but are just as strong as any harpy's wings.

Habbitat: They live in the forests feeding off of anything smaller then them. They use their skin color and leafy looking wings to blend into tree branches and bushes

Defense: If they are found by a larger prey that attempts to eat or harm them, they will quickly fly behind their predetor, biting and clawing into their back, unless it is some kind of amorphous enemy, then they will run. They can control wind magic enough to help with their teleportation like movement, but it will only work for very short distances

Talent: Because of their weak control over wind magic,they can get a very short burst of speed, or blow dirt and dust into their target's face,allowing them to get away

Pets: Exploers find them very helpful as pets and allies, able to scout out while blending in, and able to use their talent to help them escape larger predetors

You don't, by any chance watch Naruto?
Sounds just like a tiny version of a harpy with naruto style ninja skills stuck on.

dont take this from me dude

the last line was just a joke
besides, thats like the only power it has aside from clawing and biting things to pieces

Came up with a drawing during class... I have to say I was a bit shocked at how good it came out


Reproduction: Since only female leaf harpies exist, they reproduce by laying eggs and keeping them warm.They will either try to raise the eggs themselves or try to find another leaf harpy to help. Since they also need to gather food, it is sometimes hard for a leaf harpy to raise their own by themselves, but never impossible. They are extremly protective over their eggs and will punish anyone who tries to take them, ripping and clawing at them until they are dead. Explorers believe that the attitude of the leaf harpy that hatches, depends on who is keeping it warm, which is why most leaf harpies tend to hatch their eggs by themselves

At least, from what I gather, they don't actually have plant parts but plumage that helps them blend in. Such an adaptation would work alright for harpies based on early birds, I suppose.

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They can change their skin color to any type of greenish color to help them blend into different trees and grass types

Well that's interesting. I still don't see much evidence that such a trait is greatly beneficial to them, seeing as harpies fly around more than stalking. Being able to blend in is something that everyone would like to do, which is fine if they just have one color. The ability to alter their color doesn't fit with their bird base, that's something more in the realm of reptiles and cephalopods.

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Defense: If they are found by a larger prey that attempts to eat or harm them, they will disappear and reappear behind the predetor, biting and clawing into their back, unless it is some kind of amorphous enemy, then they will run. They can control wind magic enough to help with their teleportation like movement, but it will only work for very short distances

Those are definitely powers. I suggest getting rid of the ninja tricks or logically explain them. Wind magic is typically a trait of rock harpies.

The thing about having other species watch their eggs instantly puts their eggs in extreme danger. At any time the person with the egg could take it hostage, or simply steal and and eat it later, or sell it. That's not good parenting. All other harpies manage to hatch their eggs and raise their young. A dependency on one another in a group for such assistance makes infinite more amount of sense than bringing in strangers of other species.

Now the size. They are at a really weird size, being, as your illustration says three feet tall. Uh... Can they not decide whether they'd like to specialize in human-sized races or tinies or something? <<

I suggest increasing their size to fit that of their mates. Otherwise they're going to be stuffed into a birdcage... Or worse! Tripling their height to nine feet would seem logical to me, as they would have a much smaller chance of ending up being abused by a potential breeding mate. At this size it would also be clear they aren't the normal Felaryan variety (although it would still make sense more than their current size), but then it can be assumed they originated somewhere else.

Overall, I'm not getting a strong feel for this design. I'm getting "Oddly-sized, color-changing harpies that need egg-sitters but have ninja tricks and wind magic".

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normally if they are hit with something that makes them grow they will go after their now smaller prey until they are full or unable to find anything else.

wat

/Fish/ wrote:

Well that's interesting. I still don't see much evidence that such a trait is greatly beneficial to them, seeing as harpies fly around more than stalking. Being able to blend in is something that everyone would like to do, which is fine if they just have one color. The ability to alter their color doesn't fit with their bird base, that's something more in the realm of reptiles and cephalopods.

Would you want to fly around with your species if they were carnivores and you were half their size?

...and ROCK harpies controlling wind magic? Did I miss a logics class?

They're called Rock Harpies because they live in rocky areas, like cliffs... where wind blows constantly.

huh... ok, that makes sense...

but why is it hard to accept a smaller sized harpy that is smart enough to keep itself hidden instead of flying around in the sky for its larger sisters to swoop down and eat it?

"Sisters" may be a bit much. It's just that there are quite a few breeds of relatively large predators that are toned down smaller and cuter, such as human-sized nagas and seagull harpies, there really isn't need for it. Plus, the idea itself seems a little awkward for some reason I can't explain...

pirostyle wrote:

Would you want to fly around with your species if they were carnivores and you were half their size?

Um.... What?

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...and ROCK harpies controlling wind magic? Did I miss a logics class?

They can vacuum prey out from hiding places between rocks. Because they hunt in such areas, this is where their name comes from.

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but why is it hard to accept a smaller sized harpy that is smart enough to keep itself hidden instead of flying around in the sky for its larger sisters to swoop down and eat it?

It's fine to try to hide yourself or have some form of natural camouflage, and the smaller sized harpies aren't being stricken out. The only things I've pointed out are particularities of the means of doing so.

pirostyle wrote:

Reproduction: Since only female leaf harpies exist, they reproduce by laying eggs and keeping them warm.They will either try to raise the eggs themselves or try to find another leaf harpy to help.

Self-fertilisation? Do they choose to reproduce, or does it happen automatically on a cyclical basis?

If a leaf harpy has only one parent, she will be (unless I'm much mistaken) a clone of her parent. And genetically identical to all her sisters.

/Fish/ wrote:

Now the size. They are at a really weird size, being, as your illustration says three feet tall. Uh... Can they not decide whether they'd like to specialize in human-sized races or tinies or something? <<

Actually, I thought all kinds of sizes existed. There's no reason for all sentient creatures to be either tomthumb-size, human-size or giantess-size. There are intermediate sizes.

French snack wrote:

/Fish/ wrote:

Now the size. They are at a really weird size, being, as your illustration says three feet tall. Uh... Can they not decide whether they'd like to specialize in human-sized races or tinies or something? <<

Actually, I thought all kinds of sizes existed. There's no reason for all sentient creatures to be either tomthumb-size, human-size or giantess-size. There are intermediate sizes.

I agree, and that discussion needs it's own topic.

French snack wrote:

Actually, I thought all kinds of sizes existed. There's no reason for all sentient creatures to be either tomthumb-size, human-size or giantess-size. There are intermediate sizes.

A non-tiny/human/giant specific scale works for most species fine, but harpies are supposed to breed with other species. They have the ability to breed with a wide variety of races, of a similar scale. Thus it would make a great deal of sense for each variety's size to match up with a certain scale, as opposed to an odd scale of which perhaps only one other compatible species exists, or at a size they can be easily harmed by a potential mate.

I actually like the idea of some middle-sized creatures, but I agree with Fish that it would be very difficult for them to find compatible mates. And as for the idea of self-fertilization, that makes no sense whatsoever for anything other than an amoeba or the like, and certainly doesn't make sense for a Harpy.