Homebrew Central Park Duck Species Details

Avian Brethren

The Central Park Ducks appear as your average ducks. However, they have adapted their wings to function as hands, growing extra, stronger feathers which can now hold items while allowing the duck to fly. They are covered in feathers. The males have more vibrant colors while the females are more subtle, dull colors, which suggests the ancient mating practices of the once nomadic ducks.

 

Airborne Reluctance

Seeing less of a need to fly has reduced the strength of their wings, only now giving them short bursts of energy which can be used to escape predators looking to strike the ducks. The lack of flight has also taken a toll on their ability to migrate. But since these practice were long forgotten, there were no cares of it.

Once in the air, the ducks only have short ability to remain in the air, and thus will tire themselves out. They must return to the ground to get their flight speed back.

 

Duck Society

Before the Great Collapse, the ducks were quite the nomadic creatures. Life was simple, with the creation of only temporary, small tribes. Very little record is now kept of the time before the collapse, and nomadic has since long been forgotten. Today, the ducks live in more stable, permanent housing, and have since grouped up into larger groups and even into larger factions.

 

The Great Collapse

Migration was once the key unit to life for the ducks. But overtime, the practice was forgotten, and migration began to be forgotten. The park provided everything the ducks needed. But more importantly, the ducks had slowly began losing their ability to fly for longer duration, and the ducks saw no need to migrate. This combined with the pollution outside the park made migration a mystery, remembered now only in old writing. And thus the Great Collapse began.

The first winters of no migration took a heavy toll on the ducks, seeing as though they were only used to building temporary structures, their homes stood no chance against the cold. Many died, from frostbite, or from starvation due to lack of reserves for the season. After the first few winters, the bread came.

The bread was introduced by the gargantuan humans, the ones who didn't immediately kills the ducks. The bread created addiction, and soon thereafter many ducks began chasing after humans, to their death. Some ducks left their homes, their families, hypnotized by their human overlords. These humans began to be known as Breadweavers, using bread to weave the minds of ducks together, creating a mindless cult. The ducks that follow these Breadweavers, referred to as thrall, act entirely mindless, attacking other ducks, and fulfilling the orders of their human overlords.

All these sufferings came to be known as the Great Collapse, and it marked a dire need for change. More permanent housing was built, and rudimentary towns and villages were constructed with the need to protect ducks from the winter, as well as the reserves. Many programs were started to prevent bread from reaching ducks hands. But it was all in vain. It only takes one bite to lose your mind.

 

Avian Factions

After the Great Collapse, the ducks split into factions, with species variety between all. The three factions came to be known as the North Wing, the South Wing, and the Dead Wing. The North Wing resides in the upper lands while the South Wing resides in the lower lands. The Dead Wing took what remained of the center. The North and South Wing were built on law and order, maintaining their own government and keeping their population safe through authority and security. However, the Dead Wing was opposed to order, believing that anarchy and lawlessness was the true Duck's way, and thus it remained largely disputed territorially, acting almost like the Wild West, the only law being the strongest or most skilled with weapons. The North Wing built itself on an absolute monarchy, with a royal duck family taking charge. The South Wing built itself on a democracy, voting in their leader and voting for their own laws. The Dead Wing, however, was practically an anarchical variety of serfdoms, in attempts to gain some power. Bless your soul if you crossed paths with a Breadweaver in the Dead Wing, for their was no one who could save you.

Central Park Duck Traits

As a duck, you have certain abilities which other Central Park life might not have. Your minimal flying speed at 1st level makes it somewhat easy to escape predators with a short burst of flight. However, your flight is short-lived.

Weak Winged

Due to years of backwards evolution, ducks have practically lost their ability to fly for longer periods of time, having instead adapted the ability to hold things with their now weaker wings. These wings will allow one to hold items while also being able to fly away with a short burst of speed. While it is not fast, it is adequate enough to be used to escape a predator chasing after you.