Revision as of 22:53, 24 May 2011

Rickirr

History

Domesticated around 2000 BC by herders in what would later become Conmarra Nation, they were originally trained as flock guardians. It is believed that the rickirr were once four foot tall opportunistic predators, using their sharp teeth to eat eggs and small mammals. Pyracani trained the rickirr to attack and kill the humongous insects that plagued their flocks, and used their steel tools to break open the insects so that the rickirr could feed. By 0 CE, Pyracani were riding rickirr for keeping their herds in line, and 742 CE holds the first recorded instance of using the rickirr as a war mount. Since the giant insects they once protected against have long since gone extinct and rickirr feed consists almost totally of stringy jerky and occasional rat treats, rickirr are used only rarely in herding, and are mostly used in rural areas for transport or as pets, though they have been used for war as recently as 2499, when a crippled Pyracan frigate sent two rickirr riders through an enemy boarding tube, eviscerating over twenty Hiver-coerced marines before being killed.

Breeding

Breeding of rickirr has become an industry, with regulatory boards imposing standards on specific breeds. Rickirr breeding has gone in five main directions: plumage, temperament, speed, jumping ability and battle readiness. Some breeds exist merely as ornamental creatures for ceremonial guards and dignitaries, with standards not having changed in over six hundred years, while some breeders constantly evolve and stretch the physical limits of the working breeds. Some breeders breed the rickirr as pets, and these can be extremely gentle. Mutts are often found in many rural areas, and can be a mix of any of these features.

Plumage Breeds

Rickirraii

Sleek and lithe with an energetic demeanor, they stand between six and a half and seven feet tall. Females have black skin and dark metallic purple plumage with black wingtips and tail. Males have black skin with a bright metallic purple head and dark metallic purple body with black wingtips and tail. They have a hooked toe claw on each foot.

Rickirrupp

Stocky and muscular with narrow heads and an aloof manner, they stand between five and a half and six feet tall. Females have blue skin, a blue-black head with white upright upside-down comma between beak and eye and a blue-black stripe from the top of their bill to the back of their head. One to three small white dots are present near each ear. The blue-black head leads down to a gray-blue chest, and black or gray wings and tail. The males are the same, save for the fact that the blue-black portions are metallic blue and they have a white or metallic blue plume atop their heads.

Temperament Breeds

Rickirrekk

Thick and squat with an extremely docile temperament and narrow heads, they stand little more than five feet in height, and are unsuitable for riding. Females have blue skin, with a white bottom of their head, black top, a dark chestnut or sienna chest, light chestnut body, and a gray or black tail. Male heads are covered in black and white stripes, and the tail has a metallic blue feather.

Rickirritt

Thin and stringy with a playful temperament and triangular heads, they stand between seven and eight feet in height. Females have brown skin, an apricot or red-brown head, a tan neck, white or tan spotting on brown shoulders, and tan, brown or red-brown wings with dark brown tips. In males, the head and wingtips are a metallic copper, and the shoulder spotting can include bright red or orange spots.

Speed Breeds

Rickirrukk

Narrow and gangly with a businesslike air, they stand between six and a half and seven feet, with long, lithe legs. Females have gray skin, tan-brown heads with darker brown streaks behind the eye, brown bodies with a blue, purple or dark red feather, and the same color tail and crest. Males have a metallic blue, purple or dark red head, white chest, and white tail. They have a small hooked toe claw on each foot.

Rickirroon

Stringy and lithe with triangular heads and an aloof personality, they stand between seven and seven and a half feet, with long, sleek legs. Females have brown skin, a gray, blue-gray or black head, a dappled brown or black over white neck and chest, white underside, gray wingtips and tail. Males have metallic silver or platinum heads, wingtips, and tails.

Jumping Breeds

Rickirrict

Well-muscled with massive legs and an aggressive personality, they stand between six and a half and seven feet. Females have gray skin, and are uniformly apricot, fawn, white, black, brown, chestnut, blue-gray or gray. Males have light blue heads, white chests, and a white tail in addition to one of the aforementioned colors. They have a hooked toe claw on each foot.

War Breeds

Rickirriek

Strong and thick with an alert and high-spirited personality, they stand between seven and a half and eight feet tall. Females have black skin, a white body, black wingtips and a white tail with black spotting near the tips. Males sport a metallic purple streak behind each eye, as well as in their wingtips and tail. They have a large, wicked hooked toe claw on each foot.