History

As of now, Peryton history is unknown, and information on both true Perytons and Peryton shifters is sparse. Even in stories, winged stags only occasionally show up in medieval art, gothic art, renaissance art, and British heraldry, and they have little mythology of their own. According to Jorge Luis Borges, who wrote a book about mythological creatures with a.. slightly dubious source, perytons lived in Atlantis until an earthquake destroyed the civilization and the creatures escaped by flight. A peryton casts the shadow of a man until it kills one during its lifetime, at which time it starts to cast its own shadow. A sibyl once prophesied that the perytons would lead to the downfall of Rome. The name Peryton was derived from the Spanish word peritio, and the possible origin of peritio would be peritius, which is also the Latin name of the fourth month on the ancient Macedonian calendar.

Appearance

A far cry from the standard image of normal deers with wings, or with taloned back legs, Perytons are hunters, with a mouth full of sharp teeth made for killing and going through bone and flesh. Their hind legs are reminiscent of the deer they resemble, but their front legs are bird-like, and ended with sharp talons made to grab and carry away prey. They have large, feathered wings, and a length of tail feathers. Their eyes are closer to a hawk's than a deer, so they can spot their prey from far above. While they may look like they have antlers on their head, the protrusions are actually branched horns, with a bony inner core and a keratin layer that grows larger with age.

Behaviour

Peryton's are skittish, preferring to stay out of sight and away from danger. Despite this, they are social beings, who live in herds. Peryton's are highly protective of each other and those that they consider a part of their herd. They hunt by flying in the sky, searching for prey. They then dive down and effectively kill, grab, and fly their prey back home to the herd. They are crepuscular, meaning that they are more active during the dawn and dusk hours. Rarely will they be seen in the afternoon, or late into the night.