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SiteAn Owl is an Owl
An owl is an owl, of course, of course. And no one can talk to an owl, of course. That is, of course, unless the owl is the famous Alatus!
– and then you pray that the wretched beast doesn’t speak back. Oh, Elune, if that owl could speak!
I am, of course, speaking of my hunter’s pet of choice. Eszti “Iron Legs” Nightwing, former Captain of the Swashbuckler’s ship Sparrowhawk, former General of the military organization The Regiment, and skilled huntress befriended a strigid owl hatchling in her youth; that venerable creature has been her animal companion for quite some time now. However, Alatus is a cantankerous creature more apt to nip the kal’dorei than play nice.
An aged strigid owl, Alatus is a temperamental beast prone to frequent outbursts, excessive doleful glances, and even the occasional nip. Their relationship is one of extreme give and take, since Alatus chaffs at even the perception of obedience and Eszti is a firm taskmaster. Despite all this, the two are boon companions and are rarely seen apart. The bird’s overwhelming personality tends to complement Eszti’s more reserved one.
Alatus’s personality was created in defiance of the relationship I see that many people roleplay with their characters. Often pets are portrayed as the hunter’s best friend or the lovable-yet-fearsome companion that can tear out a man’s throat in one moment and then cuddle with his master — bloodied paws and all — the next. I’ve always enjoyed being contrarian and an animal companion1 who doesn’t always listen or will bite when agitated appealed to me; and since he’s frequently distressed you can imagine how frequently that may be.2
The bird, as Eszti is want to call Alatus, was a infamous member of my previous guild, The Regiment. His personality was well-known and even neophyte members were wary to approach him. However, he was oddly enough recognized as an able and contributing member of the guild, often moreso than the hunter. I fondly look back on those carefree and innocent days prior to The Burning Crusade when my friends and I had a core group that would bravely traverse the continents or explore the world’s numerous dungeons, caverns, and ruins. Oddly enough, this was back before we managed to befriend a tank and so the bird often served in that capacity in our groups; as a result, Alatus is extremely fond of one person and one person only — Tanriel Vassily, our group’s healer and Eszti’s former lover.
And, as if the bird weren’t notorious enough, he’s the only bird I’m aware of that had a notable part in a Feathermoon US battlegrounds movie!
