General Information/Misc/Blackeron

From Westaven

Blackerons are a black, nautical bird, something like a cross between a crow and a pelican. Their pitch-like feathers, unkempt features, and piercing yellow eyes lend them a disturbing appearance. Their call--a guttural, garbling caw--is likewise unnerving.

Blackeron hens nest in high seashore cliffs, and bite themselves to feed their brood upon their own blood. Their numbers can be great in some locales.

These birds dive deep into ocean waters to catch fish, although sometimes they do not resurface. Old sea tales claim they in fact dive to the deepest depths of the ocean---to the underworld---where they deliver the souls of the dead (to Gharv) which they snatch from the air and keep locked in their beaks.

Many sailors call them "ronnies," and because they can perch on their riggings, crow's nests (i.e., lookouts) are often called "ronnie's nests."