Male Hatchling
Name: unnamed
Species: Phoenix Simurgh
Birthday: Monday, May 29, 2017
Owner: Loop
Mother: unnamed
Father: unnamed
Element: Neutral 
Simurgh hatchlings are incredibly unique. Unlike most hatchlings, as soon as they are born they are already graceful and coordinated, and have keen hearing and eyesight. Even more intriguingly, they can master new things and learn from their parents with only repetition, and as a result many people think simurgh are among the most intelligent creatures. However, further studies of these hatchlings at the keep have suggested that they can only learn certain behaviors this quickly, such as tracking and flight. While they are still considered keenly intelligent, it is thought to be deep instinct that drives their incredibly fast learning abilities.
Simurgh in many colorful varieties are found all around the world, and are beautiful, elegant creatures. The males tend to be brighter and more showy than the females, with crests and long feathered tails, in order to attract mates. Simurgh are suited more for flight than for terrestrial hunting, and when they hunt in a pack, whether it be in the tropical jungles of Raza or the cold wastes of Arkene, they never miss their intended target. Simurgh hunt in the evening and dawn, and they communicate via growls, whines and barks to organize pack hunting efforts. When the prey is caught, the pack will howl together in a hair-raising melody that evokes the flow of the recently completed hunt. This is thought to be another form of learning for the simurgh, as adults with little hunting prowess become tremendously skilled after only one kill with a pack. A lone, juvenile simurgh will sometimes join a pack for one hunt and then leave, their hunting skills having improved immeasurably from only one experience. Adult simurgh will also vocalize to their eggs, and this is thought to underlie the grace that hatchlings are born with.The only thing that will quiet a simurgh is water - they will not hunt or howl in the rain, will avoid rivers and streams, and if doused in water, the simurgh will stay silent and will appear to lose much of its instinctive grace and skill until it dries off. When this happens, they are vulnerable, and this is the only way simurgh have been observed to lose their lives in the wild. At times people will observe simurgh and attempt to unlock the key of their hunting song, but other than reports of fleeting images that the howls evoke, no one has truly understood it.
Sprite art: Tekla (hatchling) | Description: Raneth