Aether Eagle
A large raptor native to The Canopy Isles that has greatly enhanced its flight capability by accumulating Aether particles in air sacs inside its body.
A Raptor Living in The Canopy Isles
A species of raptor that has long inhabited The Canopy Isles, greatly enhancing its flight capability by accumulating Aether particles in internal air sacs. Some individuals have wingspans of 3–4 meters and can carry loads equivalent to a horse's weight.
Selective Breeding and Uses in Captivity
Wild individuals migrate around the periphery of The Mist Sea, preferring airspace rich in Aether particles. The Canopy Council has conducted selective Aether Eagle breeding for several hundred years; current captive individuals have been bred to have higher buoyancy and a more gentle temperament toward humans than wild types.
They are mainly used as transportation for nobles and senior government officials, but also employed as messengers for urgent communications. When Aether Crystals are depleted, even captive individuals' wild instincts return and they become aggressive, requiring regular feeding of Aether particles. This is the reason it is said "the maintenance cost of Aether Eagles is higher than airships."
The "Sky Beasts" The Root Realm Keeps Its Distance From
In The Root Realm they are kept at a distance as "sky beasts," and diplomatic problems over Aether Eagle-based surveillance activities and airspace violations never cease. The Root Realm Federation holds the ancient saying "when the sky beast descends to earth, the world ends" and formally requests that captive individuals be prohibited from landing on the ground.
The Aether Eagle selective breeding program is one of the Canopy Council's top secrets. Current captive individuals are divided into three lines: "Palace Eagles" (for transportation, most docile), "Messenger Eagles" (speed-specialized), and "War Eagles" (attack-specialized). War Eagles' existence is officially denied, but there are multiple eyewitness accounts from past military conflicts.
The Special Response to Shimobe
Interestingly, Aether Eagles show a special response to Shimobe. Even War Eagles that can become aggressive toward ordinary Canopy or Root Realm people go quiet in front of Shimobe. One of the bases for Shimobe's self-description as "guardians of the Middle Sky" is the observation that Aether Eagles recognize Shimobe as "fellow sky-dwellers."
Wild Aether Eagles are sensitive to Great Fall omens — large-scale migrations are sometimes observed the day before abnormal fog appears on lower islands. Some Canopy Isles fishermen use Aether Eagle movements as weather forecasts, and the rule of thumb "when eagles flee upward, mist is coming" has been passed down across generations.
관련 요소
- Mistfish— A species native to The Mist Sea that has adapted to its environment. Semi-transparent creatures that absorb Aether particles for buoyancy — halfway between fish and jellyfish.
- Mycelium Symbiont Tribe— A species inhabiting the deepest depths of The Root Realm, biologically fused with the mycelium network.
- Shimobe— A winged species inhabiting the "Middle Sky" between The Canopy Isles and The Root Realm. Both intermediaries of the two civilizations and smugglers.