Goblin's Biology Notes: Ch. 6 Not so Harpy

Specimen- Ianira Coronis

Species- Half Harpy

Location- Corfu, GRC

 

I had been hearing rumors fluttering about the guild. Mentions and whispers of a Raven taking residents here, though something was off. This was no familiar or simply a lost bird. This was was reported to have written conversations with others guild members and draw with ease. I had to see it for myself. 

 

And it was true. I met with the bird in a common room for tea. It was rather polite, offering to draw me as it answered questions with a nod or shake of the head. The conversation shifted when I dropped my notebook, startling the creature. It fell off the table, but a larger claw reached up. It was no bird, but a person! She apologized profusely for "tricking" me but I assured it was fine. For now I only had more questions. 

 

The big one being, what was she? Specimen states she's not sure herself, only calling herself a "half harpy" for a lack of a better term. Her mother is a Harpy who had fallen in love with a sailing merchant who'd pass her island. The two grew close, marrying in secret and by some miracle, having the specimen. Specimen did have some outward features that appeared more bird like, though she shared more external traits with a human. 

 

Across her neck, tips of her ears, under her eyes, forearms, forelegs, and any area with peach fuzz were a range of small and large black feathers. The skin in these areas also seems thinner and more delicate than the other parts of her body. It's more similar to the skin of a bird, soft. Really soft. Her fingers as toes are however, more like traditional claws, scaled and spattered with micro feathers. She only has four toes on her feet. In structure their similar to a birds, just with no back toe as if it was moved to the front.

 

I asked if she knew of anyone else who shared her unique lineage. Specimen took a moment before shaking her head. She explained "I'm an anomaly. I-I'm not supposed to exist." She was the family secret. She spent most of her time growing with her mother, while her father continued to do merchant work, no matter how much she wanted to go with him. By age 13 she learned she could transform her shape into something more covert. A Raven. With this cover, she could go out with her father on trips, posing as a ship bird around the crew. 

 

I asked if she could turn into other things. She couldn't answer.