Lore:Cliff Strider

A Cliff Strider (Legends)

Cliff Striders are a species of large, winged, reptilian creatures once found in Vvardenfell and the Telvanni Peninsula. They are related to Cliff Racers and Cliff Darters,^[1] and the three species coexisted contemporaneously. Unlike Cliff Racers, Cliff Striders have great difficulty flying despite their wings, and consequently spend their lives on the ground, while using their wings to glide from cliff heights. This lack of true flight does not stop them from being successful predators however, as they prey on much of the local wildlife, including man and mer. Their young are known as Cliff Skippers and are hatched from large nest mounds built from dung. After hatching, the young enjoy some measure of protection from at least one of their parents, but it is unknown whether both guard their progeny or not.^[2] Despite their aggressive nature, and distasteful attributes, they are still admired by Vvardenfell culture, and some are tamed as pets.^[3] When threatened, they have been known to projectile-vomit the contents of their stomach into a stinging, acidic spray.

In the mid-Second Era, one Thetys Ramarys of Balmora, selectively bred the Cliff Strider for their wing strength, in the hopes that they would eventually be able to take flight and dominate Vvardenfell's skies.^[4] However, by the late Third Era, Cliff Striders had been exterminated from Vvardenfell by the Ash Blight, along with several other unique Vvardenfell species.^[5] It was recorded that the physiology and behavior of the Cliff Strider is similar to the hackwings of Black Marsh, and it is possible that they shared ancestry. Some historians theorize this possible divergence resulted from Dark Elves raiding Black Marsh for thousands of years to bring back things they deemed valuable, such as slave labor, livestock, and critters.^[6]

Several breeds exist but share a commonality with their loud screeches and terrible smell.^[3] The most common was known as the Bitter Coast Cliff Strider. Despite their name, they were once found all around the island of Vvardenfell.^[4] Other subspecies were more localized but could be distinguished by their coloration. The Ascadian Cliff Strider was known for its beautiful blue coloring^[7], while the breed from the Molag Amur area were known for their golden coloring.^[8]. Flocks of red and black Striders could be found in Bal Ur.^[9]