Kengrūlar

Owlers

Kengrūlar are natives of the Nar Drūden. These ursine monsters fill the top tier of the regions’ predatory food chain. Some believe that Kengrūlar are a Created species, but mentions of the creatures exist in the earliest Dwürden records from the region. Druids of northern Teréðor believe the Kengrūlar descend from a Bloodling named Orlyrbathyran, The One That Sleeps. Several Teréðori peoples have tried to domesticate Kengrūlar for use as flying mounts, but all efforts have failed. Attempts to magically tame the beasts have succeeded to varying degrees, but ultimately fail for reasons that have generated great interest among Arcanists over the centuries.

Physiology

Kengrūlar are large flying mammals with powerful owl-like beaks, heads, and wide feathered wings and tails. They are clumsy fliers, preferring to catch their food on land or in streams. Their massive chest musculature makes any resemblance to bears fleeting. Because Kengrūlar are so heavily weighted toward the front, they are unable to stand upright without beating their wings to maintain the posture. Kengrūlari claws resemble those of bears, the fore paws being similarly powerful.

Kengrūlar are monotremes, laying a clutch of one to three eggs once a year. Their eggs are gray with black-freckling. Kengrūlari eggs are hard, and difficult to crack with anything less than stone or metal tools. Kengrūlari nests are usually made of small woven trees and found in high and hard-to-access areas (e.g., river cliffs, old ruins, large trees).

Kengrūlyr typically kill prey by pinning them beneath their large fore-paws and ripping them apart with their powerful beaks.

Psychology

Kengrūlar are solitary and savage creatures. Only during mating periods, where the deep guttural hooting of the females lure mates to their nests, do adult Kengrūlar tolerate the company of one another. Juveniles leave the nest after a full year, before a male is called to the nest. Males have a tendency to kill all juveniles of less than two that are not their own. A single male can sire multiple litters within a region.

Culture

Kengrūlaryn are solitary except during mating.

Language

Kengrūlyr communicate through a series of growls, postures, and hoots that can travel several miles. They are not believed to have an intelligible language.

Religion

While Kengrūlar are much too bestial to have a religion of their own, the Druids of Nar Drūden believe them to be descendants and guardians of the Bloodling Orlyrbathyran. The Bloodling is believed to slumber somewhere in the region, possibly beneath the Nar Drūden or Ardùwū. The Druids believe the Kengrūlari preference for this region, has to do with keeping close to, and protecting, their progenitor.

Magic

Kengrūlar are not believed to be magical. They do however seem to possess an uncanny ability to shed magical effects. Studies of Kengrūlari anatomy and auras have revealed no insight as to how this occurs.

Nomenclature: Owler Dekàlic: Kengrūlar (beast), Kengrūlari (pertaining to), Kengrùlyr (many), Kengrùlyn (individual)