Kings of the Earth

A non-comprehensive list of the honourifics of the Bird Kings: Kings of the Earth; Kings of the Eight Lands; Those Who Rule Where Others Claim to Rule; Kings of Kings; Those of the Royal Aspect which Horrifies the Soul; Kings of the Universe.

These were all titles given to the Bird Kings by others, because the Birds did not have language. The were highly intelligent, formed complex social hierarchies and sophisticated military organisation, and were masters of metal-working and jewel-crafting, but they did not have language.

They ruled the earth for a million, million years. They ruled, and they ate their subjects. They were the first murderers. They are said to have farmed humans before humans knew who they were; before God, before magic, before writing, before fire, when the world was appeared exactly as it was, without abstractions or projections of any kind. 

The terror of their hunts, of their impunity, is deeply engrained into the psyche of all lesser animals, humans included. The thing that kills you in your most primordial nightmares is a three-foot-long beak as sharp as a whetted knife, and a pair of bright and horrible eyes, burning with alien intelligence.

The power of the Bird Kings and their terrible armies was broken over literally thousands of years, in a series of utterly genocidal wars with a nascent humanity and their dog and cat allies. During these wars language was slowly developed and refined as a weapon to counter the advantages of metallurgy, adornment, and decimal organisation.

Few outside the academies now remember them, except in their darkest and most animals hearts, but the gnostics maintain (heretically) that it was from them that humans learned to work steel, cut gems, lead armies, and conduct themselves with regal majesty. 

Like this, but without arms. Art by Chris Riddell. 

BIRD THANE

A 12-foot-tall hunting nightmare with long, powerful legs, a heavy beak shod in bronze, and kill and mating tokens woven through feathers, hammered into keratin, and looped around the neck. Bird Thanes hunt in packs of ten, usually led by a distinguished noble. 

HD8, Killing Beak (2d8, crit range 19-20, rolls d12s on a crit), claws d8, armour as leather, speed: 5x that of a human, disposition: cruel, fearless, sadistic, curious. 

Freezing Stare: If you lock eyes with a Bird Thane you must test CHAR or freeze in terror, which renders you unable to move. 

Limited Flight: Bird Thanes do not take falling damage, and can glide 50ft with a 30ft run-up. 

Bird Thanes are completely immune to psychic and fear damage. 

BIRD NOBLE

Leaders of roosts and hunting grounds, subject to the Kings and responsible for their Thanes and clutches. Often artisans of superlative skill. Veteran hunters of prey-subjects. Skilled in the use of political terror to undermine rebellion and defiance, generally via collective punishment and elaborate public torture. 

Stats as Bird Thane, but HD10, armour as chain, and with an improved Freezing Stare (you subtract 3 from your check to resist). Also has skill in one of either jewel crafting or metallurgy. 

Like Bird Thanes, Bird Nobles are immune to psychic and fear damage. Additionally, if a Bird Noble is targeted by an attack that deals either damage type, a single point of the appropriate damage is reflected back onto the attacker.