A Short Treatise on the Egg of the Predatory Devanu

The following notes are a combination of the practical wisdom of Jawuu, Hunter of Orel and the writings of Engineer Ikeem as well as a few of my own humble musings. The writings of Ikeem were discovered by myself during our short stay in Orel and compose a series of scrolls written many generations ago, concerning a large number of topics. It is my hope to examine these writings during our adventure to the lands of the northern Empire.

 – Apprentice Muri of the family Terak

According to Ikeem the eggs of the devanu are quite large, about the size of a Baruk’s head but Jawuu has informed me that this is incorrect. He says that the eggs themselves are much smaller and laid in a globby, sticky mess that hardens soon after it is deposited. From the few times he has destroyed a nest he says that the eggs always contain a number of young, but that several are often dead already - presumably killed by the other young. The devanu seem to compete with each other even before they are hatched!

A rather quaint trait in the devanu, according to Ikeem, is that they lay their eggs in trees, presumably to avoid the threat of their clutch being discovered. However, there are few trees in the Argoran Wastes and so the local packs have developed the habit of creating a crude, pre-prepared structure of woven sticks that forms a shape much like a goblet or cup. Apparently a fork in the larger branch, which is then stuck into the ground, supports the weight of the eggs. He guesses that it can even be moved around should the devanu be so inclined.

Jawuu tells me that the devanu have been known to re-use the same sites for nesting, The Honourable Danakan says this is evidence of their primitive nature but I wonder if there is a more sacred reason. He told me that sites once abandoned may be returned to and so he learnt the location of many former nests when he was an apprentice, some of which have not been used for generations. After much questioning he admitted that many hunters keep the location of old nesting sites a secret, each reluctant to share this information with any not of their kin; the better to safeguard any possible bounty from their re-use.

Source: The Twilight Traveller Issue 2