The Dead God
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To create a Sithy means of transporting messages between other Sith.
- Image Credit: Here
- Canon: N/A
- Links: Blackwell Industries
- Name: Birds of Hermes
- Designation: Non-Sentient
- Homeworld: Barbatos
- Language: N/A
- Average Lifespan: 24 Standard Years
- Estimated Population: Rare
- Description:
Vultures of an unknown origin, the very nature of the birds disgusts on look. Carrying multiple sets of eyes, beaks and claws able to under flesh to bone, and a twitchy malignent movement; they disturb anyone with a weak stomach. An obvious Sith Spawn, the creatures radiate dark side energy, and are covered from neck to leg in feathers darker than the empty arena of space, while a feathery wreathe of gray straddles their neck. With the addition of eyes with an unnatural void like black to them, they are the fundamental nightmare of children across the galaxy.
PHYSICAL INFORMATION
- Breathes: Type I & Type II (Can Exist Temporarily In Vacuum up to 15 Minutes)
- Average height of adults: 0.75 Meters w/ 1.3 Meter Wingspan
- Average length of adults: N/A
- Skin color: Grey │ Blotched Tan
- Hair color: Black or Grey Feathers
- Distinctions:
The Birds of Hermes are Sith Spawn vultures tasked with being messengers for Sith Lords with no fear of the disgusting or disturbing; as the very nature of the beast is terrifying. They are wrinkled, twitching abominations that reek of Dark Side presence, carrying with them the sensation of death and an indignation to reality. With it, their relatively massive wingspan forms and imposing creature that moves with the grace of a berserker amidst battle; choosing to glide when able.
One of the most distinguishing feature of the birds is their head; the one area without feathers, they are wrinkled grey aspects similar to the face of Sidious himself, no doubt a side effect of their Dark Side genesis and presence within The Force. Each is given a set of three eyes, allowing for a full 360 degree vision, made capable by the endless void of each blackened eye, as not even light reflects off any of the six instead being absorbed. Their beaks are harsh, some even carrying teeth, but each are capable of sundering flesh with the iron like quality of the enhanced beak; though hardly used for actual combat, and more the consumption of meals.
Their body is large, as mentioned prior, and requires much to eat. Standing almost three quarters of a meter tall, with a wingspan almost double that, they are a very large bird capable of hunting other Birds of Prey with little strain; and more importantly are capable of reasonable flight speed while actually in physical flight. Black feathers line the entirety of the body, with a grey collar reminiscent of volcanic ash, leading a very imposing nature to each. Just the simple glance of the creature is enough to run the blood cold, heavily in part due to its size.
As the creatures age, they begin to molt more and more feathers, slowly losing their ability for flight, and restricting them to a cage for those with some sentimental value often by the age of twenty. The eyes begin to glisten as the creatures go blind, and pieces of the flesh will begin to flake off heavily in part due to dark side degradation; making their viable working lifespan only 18 years after their initial maturing section. Females are very similar to males excluding the singular addition of a crest on the back of the head, very small but enough to be seen by those with knowledge of the species; but past this they are a very asexual creation.
[*]Races: N/A
[*]Strengths:
- Messenger of The Gods
Unlike conventional messenger birds, The Birds of Hermes are capable of holding both Telepathic messages and advanced voice mimicry capable of copying voices they have heard, though not able to fake this. They are only able to repeat the exact message they are told, and once they have said such they are immediately forgotten for the sake of security; a measure that was instituted for the sake of secrecy between Sith that choose to utilize the bird.
Second, the birds are able to carry within them a parcel they will often regurgitate, or die trying, that can be up to half their body size. Unignited lightsabers, holocrons, even some weapons can be held within the creature at will with little concern for what may come of them. This is heavily in part because of the ability to reduce the amount of stomach acid the creature holds, and the extremely strong mucus layer within their gut that allows for such means.
[*]Neither Snow Nor Rain, Nor Gloom of Night
- What truly differentiates The Birds of Hermes is their ability to do two things; the first is the natural ability to meld with objects and travel through them like Jedi or Sith. This allows them to move through space ship hulls, windows, and more for the sake of transporting a message or object to someone within said area; an extremely useful ability that lets it compete with the more common move of digital transportation of messages.
The second however, is where its true prowess comes in. Falling in line with the Melding ability, is the Birds ability to teleport; making its transportation techniques extremely effective in a number of areas that would otherwise kill it through a conventional meld. This also increases the speed at which it is able to transport messages and objects, disappearing in a sudden cloud of black feathers before reappearing wherever it is destined to move.
Both of these abilities are limited to around 100 meters at most before the effects of such would kill the creature, and even less should they intend to continue flying afterwards. Not only will these two abilities tax the creatures to an almost deadly exhaustion, they are only able to commit to these actions every few minutes, assuming they're minor uses, and every few hours for larger uses of these abilities. Pushing these will kill the creature, and while the general mindset of the creature is for self preservation, a master can force its creation to push these limits in a life or death scenario; though the creature is bound to die following.
[*]Weaknesses:
- Glass Bones
While the birds are certainly fast in what they do, they are set in their ways and are not capable of much else. With hollow bones, and no true means of assault besides beak and claws, the bird is not capable of taking down even an untrained human in most cases; though might try and eat a child if they're unattended. Generally, the creature will be struck down by even a glancing blow or shot if it is seen, having no built in defenses or means of protection from anything but mental domination.
[*]Force Lizards Are Terrible
- Being so heavily founded in The Dark Side of The Force, The Birds of Hermes begin to break apart and die when subjected to Ysalamiri fields, and even the passive touch of one strong enough can make the creatures lose not only their destination, but the message they were carrying. This makes for a grueling weakness when facing down opponents on a battle field that are actively negating the force in a large region, or even the wrong area at once.
[*]Force Light Are More Terrible
- When subjected to Light Sided powers similar to Force Light, The Birds of Hermes begin to fester and bubble, as if being boiled alive. They are extremely weak to the ability, and will die with even minor exposures to such powers; as they have no viable defense against any sort of force powers in this category. Deathly assaults by Jedi are a constant fear for those who utilize the beast, as they are the bane of its existence.
CULTURE
- Diet:
The Birds of Hermes are carnivorous in all means, eating almost exclusively the carrion of fallen creatures when in the wild, and more notably the raw flesh of humanoids if not. The latter being a natural favorite amongst the creatures, the ability to eat and consume raw flesh is their primary means of sustenance; unable to feat on anything else. These serve as treats, meals, and everything in between for those willing to feed their chosen bird with care.
[*]Communication:
- Unable to perform normal communication, the creatures are unable to do anything besides give off bodily communications of aggression, hunger, or need for attention. They are conventionally on the level of a smart dog; capable of barely communicating its needs to their master. However, they are able to communicate given messages from their master to a designated other, in both physically remarkable mimicry and the secondary means of telepathic means if able; though they are not able to communicate using this ability normally.
[*]Technology level:
- N/A
[*]Religion/Beliefs:
- N/A
[*]General behavior:
- The very nature of The Birds of Hermes are disturbing, they twitch and blink in uncanny manners, never moving like a normal bird. They eat, pull, tear at anything they think is prey, abiding by only the dominating will of a Sith Lord they bond with. Loyalty is bred into the creatures, from birth to their chosen master, while they breed only at certain times in their life; a passive instance that comes once a year for a week at a time. Naturally, they are capable of feeding off the dead corpses of other animals, but they are not natural hunters by any means; but past this they abide by the one rule of their bonded lord.
Moving from point a to point b with extreme prejudice, they are very single minded when it comes to the task they are given. When on messenger missions they suffer no distractions, choosing to press onward in the face of all adversity if able, releasing their chosen message to no other than the imparted chosen, returning only after they have committed their message to completion.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
As digital messages and package carriers are hired to carry between Sith, there is a vexing problem of security and loyalty amongst couriers. Mistaken deliveries, raids on less than secure couriers, and even the occasional traitor there is a serious problem many are facing with what they want delivered. In time, this forced Blackwell Industries hand on making something viable enough to be used by most Sith in the modern era.
Created from the natural vultures on Barbatos, small populations of force sensitives messenger vultures were made through the cruel manifestations of a goal nobody but the few within the industry itself understood. Founded in the depths of The Harper Center, the creatures have small populations situated in various rooms tucked far beneath the surface of the planet; genetically augmented to handle the nature of the Dark Side pressed into every cell of the creature.
Their force abilities were given to allow them to wander, delivering their messages with not only stealth but a terrifyingly quick process; The Birds of Hermes are designed in every aspect to bypass the conventional restrictions of security, most importantly unable to be hacked or stolen through slicers, or even jammed. Only if the the careless Jedi comes across them, are they bound to be stopped.
This creates a tool for Sith Lords across the Galaxy, one built on speed and efficiency; carrying with it a darkness few other Sith Spawn can hold a flame to. Their nature is brutal, their goal singular, and they do all of this with an extreme effectiveness that makes them highly sought after.
