Harpy Breeding

[DMDarcs]

From The Slayer's Guide to Harpies:

As noted previously, harpies have only one gender, which for all intents and purposes can be termed female. Upon attaining maturity (between three and five year of age), a harpy becomes capable of reproduction by laying a clutch of four to six large, leathery eggs. Most harpies lay these eggs once per year, usually in late spring or early summer, although some only lay ever two to three years. The ability to lay eggs is inextricably tied to diet and health. Harpies that have eaten well over the course of the year and are in good physical condition can produce eggs more regularly (and in large numbers) than those that have gone without good food or favourable environmental conditions. Similarly, these eggs are not the result of any form of sexual reproduction. Rather, they are a natural consequence of a harpy's maturity and well-being, and are produced regularly throughout a harpy's adult life.

Harpy eggs measure approximately 12-inches across and are covered with a thin shell that has the consistency of cured leather. These eggs are extremely susceptible to environmental conditions, particularly moisture, which prevents the thickening of the shell into a sturdier, almost scaly texture. However, the growth of the egg and the young harpy within is not guaranteed. Unlike other creatures, whose eggs develop with minimal effort on the part of the parents, harpy eggs do not do so without outside assistance, specifically, large quantities of humanoid blood.

Each harpy egg must be coated daily with a thin layer of humanoid blood. Human and elven blood seems to be preferred by most harpies but the blood of any humanoid will work just as well. Over the course of the four-month gestation period, each egg must be tended to carefully and given a steady supply of nourishment. If an egg is given insufficient blood, or if the blood is improperly applied to the egg's exterior, it may not develop properly or the young harpy that hatches from it may prove sickly or deformed (in which case it is killed and consumed by its mother). It is estimated that each egg requires the blood of approximately 16 fully-grown humans (one a week) to develop properly into a healthy young harpy. It is of little wonder that these creatures have such a reputation for viciousness.

This information can be pieced together between Dothan, Eldthor, and the library.

[Phoebe]

Wowza!