#zhenniao

[thecringeking]

Fanart of Zhen (Zhenniao) from the SMT series!!!

I gotta say I REALLY enjoy their color scheme (I know the feathers shouldn’t be purple but shhhhhhhhhh!!! Don’t send the mafia after me!!!)

[evolutionsvoid]

If I was a poet, I could write up something real fancy here about deadly beauty, but I am not and thus I can't. I would ask Eucella about such a thing, but then it would be an all day thing with her explaining that boring stuff to me (Gosh, I wonder how THAT feels -E.R.). Regardless, things that are pretty can also be dangerous. It isn't the most eloquent way of saying it, but that's what I got. No matter how beautiful or cute something is, you need to be aware of the potential hazards it brings. Don't make the mistake of thinking that other species think and do like us. A beast reared up with arms open wide is not looking for a hug. A brightly colored amphibian isn't just touting such vivid coloration to look nice. Make such assumptions at your own peril.

With that in mind, I wonder how long it took for people to realize the danger in this species. I feel that its appearance is distracting while its methods are subtle, so one could easily miss the fact that this bird can be a killer. The zhenniao is certainly up there when it comes to beautiful birds. Such plumage! Such colors! Such grace! They stand tall on long slender legs, strutting about in the wild. Their feathers are long and colorful, flowing in the wind as they move. Their faces look as if they were wearing makeup, and some compare their draping head feathers to luscious hair. With such a look and an obvious aura of pride and elegance, the zhenniao certainly sticks out to many! It is no wonder that when royalty and nobles learned of such a species that they rushed to have it in their gardens and estates. Collectors and artists desired their wondrous feathers to use in decoration and pieces. To have such a specimen in your possession made all your rivals green with envy, but only until you were blue with dead (What? - E.R.).

It took some time to realize the culprit, when collectors and nobility started turning up dead in their homes. The problem was the fact that these were people with a lot influence and money, which meant there was a myriad of reasons why folks wanted them dead. It was easy to write these deaths as the work of assassins or thieves, as the world is filled with more blades than throats. But then smarter minds got to work, and they begin to notice that many of these strange deaths occurred not long after a zhenniao or one of its parts had been obtained. Folks started to look further into this species and realized oops! This bird is incredibly toxic!

Much to many people's surprise (at least the live ones), the zhenniao is absolutely dripping with poison. Now I don't mean that literally, as then it would have been obvious if your new pet bird is leaking toxins all over the place. No, what I mean is that its body secretes a potent poison from its preening gland that it then spreads to everything. It gets applied to its feathers, coated on its talons and beak, and is even infused into its meat. And as the years go by with constant preening and applications of the toxic oil, the whole bird is just a walking poison cloud. And people were keeping them as pets, or using their feathers for decorations, dusters, or quills! Those who had the whole bird on the premises would die the quickest, as they typical touched the animal and then didn't wash their hands before touching their face. Those with only feathers would suffer a slow decline, as the dander and dust that came off these objects would kill them bit by bit. And with that single discovery, the zhenniao collecting craze came to a real swift end!

So the zhenniao is a highly poisonous bird, which leads to the question of: How and why? Like I said, the toxin is found in the preening gland, but it turns out that that isn't the whole story. You see, like cockatrices, the zhenniao's weapon isn't entirely made by them. While they do possess a poison, its true legendary potency is unlocked with its diet. The bird loves to feed upon poisonous berries and toxic amphibians, but its real favorite treat is snakes. The zhenniao is the bane for all venomous serpents, as the bird has a taste of their deadly weapon. While other animals may shy away from the killing bite of a viper, the zhenniao rushes right in! The bird moves with incredible speed upon seeing a snake, attacking before the serpent even knows it is in danger! It sprints forth and then unleashes a flurry of kicks and stomps upon it prey, practically dancing upon its skull until it stops moving. Now you may think that a thin-legged bird like this can't really hit all that hard, but you would be surprised! Not only does their kick have real force to it, it is also the crazy speed it can throw these things out with! They can hit their prey in less than a second and they keep the blows coming! Snakes and other small animals have their bones reduced to dust beneath the endless onslaught, and the bird will eventually gobble up the mashed remains. They typically target the head to dispatch their prey as fast as possible, and since the snakes keep their venom there, that is the first part they eat.

All the venom and toxins they feed upon are worked into their oil, which makes it even stronger. The obvious reason for such a defense is so that nothing else dares try to eat them. No wonder they strut about with such confidence! In fact, zhenniao feathers can be so potent with poison that they will use molted feathers to line their nests and protect their eggs from parasites! It is incredible how deadly this beautiful bird can be, even when they don't try! Obviously, the zhenniao doesn't intentionally try to hurt or kill people, but they will fight if they feel threatened. Those same stompers that crush vipers will be used on you, and they can kick hard enough to bruise. However, that part really isn't the issue. The real problem comes from their talons scratching you, which means you just got poisoned and it is time to start running to a doctor.

Now that it is well known that the zhenniao is a deadly species to be around, surely their popularity and influence has vanished. Well, kind of not really. It more so shifted from being a regal creature of beauty and elegance, to the deadly allure of a graceful assassin. Their swift movements, deadly dance and aura of lethality has caused this species to be commonly called the "Assassin Bird." You may find many plays or stories who have assassin characters bearing the name or look of this bird! And such a name isn't just for show, as their poison and feathers have been used for the real deal! Assassins may dip these feathers into drink to poison it or spread its dander onto clothes or bed sheets. Tiny knives made from their talons and spurs are perfect for hiding in sleeves and jabbing into unwary targets. This reputation and use then makes this bird even more popular in art and fashion, as they symbolize deadly beauty. Makeup can be done up to resemble them, and gowns may be made in their image (but not using real feathers). I have also seen a fair share of tattoos bearing these birds, as they are practically walking pieces of symbolism and art!

Though they do have their popularity and reputation, it is interesting that such beauty can only be admired from a distance and never up close. Despite their wondrous looks, every inch of them is deadly, even their meat. Once again, I feel that something poetic may be said about such a thing. Like what good is the beauty that which cannot be touched? What shall thine heart feel beneath all the luster and sheen when only appreciated behind the cold distance of glass? To stand apart despite thine yearnings, a world away yet so close? (Chlora, if you are making fun of me with this garbage: stop it. If this is an actual attempt at poetry: stop it. - E.R.)

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

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"Zhenniao"

Yeah, I won't lie, I certainly used a lot of liberties with this one, as the descriptions and colors didn't really gel for me. So instead, just went more with a secretary bird!

Also a big thanks to @Delta-Hexagon for helping me figure out the colors for this one!

[mrsketchy]

Ko-Fi

Twitch

[oriondagger]

Some HV OC stuff. Jay Hunt, son of Doc Hunt, then Captain Zhen of Jincan's fleet and some random ghost liar.

[briefbestiary]

Ancient toxin, lost to time.

The legendary poison of the zhenniao, zhèndú, was so effective and reputed in its use that zhen poison likely became shorthand for any poison used in assassination, successful or not.

[kallenchi]

Poison Feather Girl

[phoenixdice]

Just a single fiber from the feather of a Zhenniao is enough to draft a devastating poison, but are you smart enough to trap the bird? Capture your set at the shop today! Don't forget to use "MONSTERMASH" for 20% off storewide!

Phoenix Dice

Dungeons & Dragons Gaming Accessories

[kshimimi-art]

Day 17: China I feel like I’ve made too many birds, despite the fact that I’ve so far only done so with 3 of the 30 potential prompts. However, this was inspired by the Zhenniao, a bird attested to by various accounts of ancient China as a poisonous bird, coupled with the culinary phenomenon of millennium eggs. --- ZHENNIUM Poison Feather Pokemon Ability: Corrosive / Merciless / Infiltrator [HA]

The sharp wing feathers contain a potent poison used to incapacitate prey in an instant.