Ornimegalonyx, the Giant Flightless Owl

[Shockal]

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New Art!

(+Dossier artwork)

Wild:
To my knowledge, there are no Terror Birds that inhabit this twisted, bioluminescent ARK. So supposedly, their absence is what caused Ornimegalonyx affinis to evolve in their place. But one should not take this fact with relief, for this enormous, flightless owl suits that niche a bit too perfectly.

As with all owls, its vision is impeccable; it can detect the faintest trace in the darkest depths. In fact, its retinas seem to be capable of producing charge light, which further bolsters its eyesight. And don’t be fooled by its flightless nature, because it’s one hell of an athlete. Their powerful legs allow them to bounce off walls  - and even the backs of large creatures - in order to reach higher elevations.

Domesticated:
A domesticated Ornimegalonyx is probably among the best scouts that this sunken ecosystem has to offer. Its huge eyes are great for spotting danger, and although its agility may be difficult to handle, once mastered, survivors will be able to use the terrain in creative ways in order to push onwards. Granted, its mobility still pales in comparison to the much larger feathered apex predator of this ecosystem, but nonetheless, I’ll take the owl over nothing.

Thank you for the fanart, WolfTek7!

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Gameplay Summary:

The Ornimegalonyx is designed to be a scout's best friend. With its telescope-like vision, it can detect various obstacles and threats from miles away, and its proficiency in doing so is buffed if the player has a spyglass, magnifying glass, or similar item on hand. Combined with its charge light eyes, it's an excellent spying mount. But that's not all; it's also a very crafty assassin. Riders of the Ornimegalonyx can perform some well-timed walljumps to parkour up rocky terrain, gaining enough altitude before diving down and pouncing on unsuspecting prey with deadly athleticism.

Sure, this giant bird may not be able to fly. But that's not going to stop it from trying to launch an attack on you from above.

Size: Raptor-height
Damage: Around the same as an Argentavis
Running Speed: Has a sprinting speed akin to a Direwolf
Jumping Speed: Remarkably fast, especially when charged up
Tier: Mid-game mount
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Abilities:

[Melee/Pistol Whip] Shrewd Eyes:

The Ornimegalonyx perches itself down and widens its eyes. This enhances the rider’s POV with night vision, alongside the option to flexibly zoom-in and out.

The zoom-in range is practically infinite, and will extend the rider’s render distance as it goes further. Theoretically, you could spy on the Rock Drake nest while still being inside the fertile zone! Zooming in will also allow the rider to hear noises from far away.

The downside to this ability is that the Ornimegalonyx will create a spotlight at whatever it stares at. So while it’s great for scouting from any distance, anyone that’s being spied on will know they’re being spied on.

Using a Spyglass, Magnifying Glass, or Electronic Binoculars while this ability is active will enhance this zoom-in feature with their effects, like their ability to identify level or torpor.

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[Crouch] Toggleable - Charge Light Retinas:

The Ornimegalonyx toggles its retinas to produce Charge Light, lighting up a cone-shaped area in front of its head, like car lights. This slowly drains stamina.

While active, anything within the “car lights” of the Ornimegalonyx are highlighted, which includes hidden creatures (including invisible ones), explorer notes, traps, and lvl150 creatures. Additionally, just like the light of a glow pet, this scares Nameless, as well as removes their resistances. Reapers are also weakened.

This ability works while using its [Melee/Pistol Whip] ability, Shrewd Eyes, allowing the Ornimegalonyx to detect said objects from a limitless distance away, as well as dousing Nameless and Reapers in charge light; but only if they are within in the AoE of its aforementioned spotlight.

If you have a Light Pet equipped, then the width of this ability's area of effect is increased.
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[Mouse1] - Blinding Flash:

By holding down Mouse1, the Ornimegalonyx will begin charging up a flash attack. Release it like a flash bomb to blind foes, then slip into invisibility for just a few seconds. Use the opportunity to escape!

If you don't hold Mouse1, then the Ornimegalonyx simply does a normal bite. But anyone bitten by the Ornimegalonyx will have their silhouette revealed and visible behind structures and walls for a long duration. They won't be able to hide!
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[Spacebar] - Wall Jump:

Tapping [Spacebar] will make the Ornimegalonyx jump. However, by holding down [Spacebar], the Ornimegalonyx will charge up a larger jump. 

When the Ornimegalonyx is airborne, the player can once again tap [SPACEBAR] within close proximity of a wall (or perhaps even a tree) to rebound off that wall in the opposite direction, therefore achieving a wall jump. The direction of the wall jump can be slightly angled with the player’s FOV.

Additionally, the player can hold [Spacebar] against the wall for an even greater wall jump. A fully-charged wall jump covers twice the distance of a fully-charged grounded jump.

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[Mouse2] - Aerial Dash / Slow Descent

Quickly tap [Mouse2] while airborne to dash in the direction you are looking. The dash is very brief, and can only be used once until you make contact with the ground or on a wall.

Any small creature the Ornimegalonyx makes a direct hit on while dashing will be pounced on.

If a larger creature is hit instead, the Ornimegalonyx will bounce off their back and greatly rebound into the air, effectively becoming a sort of big “double” jump; this also refreshes the ability’s cooldown and lets you do an Aerial Dash one more time.

Holding [Mouse2] will instead cause the Ornimegalonyx to glide, but only for around 3-5 seconds at a time before needing to touch the ground or a wall to refresh it back up (it's not as proficient at gliding as the Rock Drake!)

Imagine the possible combinations of mobility needed to ascend up rocky structures with the Ornimegalonyx! Say there was a massive wall in front of you. You wouldn't be able to just simply climb up it like a Rock Drake can. You'll need to string your mobility moves together! Find nearby structures to combo your wall jump with. Perhaps even a nearby large creature to dash into and leap off. And don't spam the glide - it's only active for a few seconds at a time. Get creative with the Ornimegalonyx's mobility and find opportunities in the environment to reach various heights.

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[Radial Wheel Option] - Sentry Mode:

While unmounted, the Ornimegalonyx can serve as a base-surveying sentry, using its huge eyes to pry for any nearby intruders. Players and creatures that stumble into its spotlight will be revealed and alerted. Invisibility won't help: the owl can detect even the most well-hidden of foes.

Should a wild creature be detected, the Ornimegalonyx will let out a skittering shriek and scare them away. If the wild creature attacks instead, then the Ornimegalonyx will drop down and battle it.

Players that attempt to snipe a surveying Ornimegalonyx from a distance will find themselves highlighted and revealed to the entirety of the tribe that the Ornimegalonyx belongs to.

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How to tame Ornimegalonyx:

Wild Ornimegalonyx live in the less-populated areas of the fertile zone. They can also be found alongside the fringes of the bioluminescent marshes. They are often in their Sentry Mode, spying for nearby prey like a terrifying living spotlight. They have a particularly developed taste for light pets.

Purposefully walk into the spotlight of an Ornimegalonyx, then throw your light pet off your shoulder. The Ornimegalonyx will lock onto the light pet and gobble it up. The higher the level of the sacrifice, the quicker the taming bar will commence. Take caution to make sure it targets the pet and not you.

Ornimegalonyx are quite fragile creatures. Do your best to lure it away from more powerful threats.

Alternatively, here's a Youtube comment suggestion that sounded really creative:

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On an unrelated note...

Some of you may know that I am also the creator of the Miracinonyx (the American Cheetah). Well, as of recently, I decided to remove my cheetah submission. The reason for my motivation is because both the owl and the cheetah were in top ten, and I couldn't help but to feel it was unfair that both my submissions were taking the top spots.

This does not mean the cheetah is gone forever. It will return for The Center and Valguero votes.

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Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave any suggestions.
I am more than happy to incorporate feedback, so go ahead and comment whatever wild ideas you might have.

[Digster5]

Looks great!

[imahuntya]

Honestly, I think that this bird doesn't receive enough love. Go Team Owl!

[roy3100]

This is an amazing suggestion, I love seeing prehistoric birds getting more attention. Hope this gets more votes in the next few days, good luck!

[LordSaladin16]

I really like the idea, and it fits abberation better than many of the other submissions

[Kyubel]

Omg I would call it hedwing <3

[Roida]

hope this guy win¡¡¡

[Romuluas]

Awesome idea as always, Shockai!

[Vice555]

This is amazing, would love to see this guy win . Definitely my favorite by far!

[ashgcy]

A flightless owl is the perfect addition for Aberration! What's weirder than a bird that doesn't fly!

[RaephClark]

I have some ideas for my own for this wonderful creature! I love your set of ideas though since it would totally fit with Aberration! Wish you luck!

 

Common Name: Ornimegalonyx

Species: Ornimegalonyx oteroi

Time: Late Pleistocene

Diet: Carnivore

Temperament: Reactive

Wild

The Ornimegalonyx oteroi is perhaps the largest owl to ever live pre-Holocene. Their legs are as long as their own body, and they will pin down prey with their strong talons. They could even hold down humans with incredible strength, albeit for a moment. They can turn their heads 270 degrees in both directions, giving them an impeccable range of vision. Though they would prefer to keep to themselves and may fight or flee depending on what’s approaching them. If the Ornimegalonyx feels threatened, it will let out a loud screech warning others of its kind and flee the scene but may also lure potential predators in the area. As a last-ditch effort, this long-legged owl will dig a hole below itself and hide in it until the coast is clear.

Be wary of your shoulder pets, as I’ve seen other Survivors lose their precious pals to hungry Ornimegalonyx. They can be quite a nuisance especially if there are other predators in the area.

Domesticated

The best way I’ve seen other Survivors tame Ornimegalonyx is to throw a bola at their legs to prevent them from running away, that is if you can catch them. They are quite fast, and they will flee if they see you holding bolas or any other weapons in your hands. The best way to lure them out is to throw your shoulder pet out in the open and let it attack your pet, so it’s occupied.

A group of tamed Ornimegalonyx can act as warning alarms for your Tribe in case any opposing Tribes decide to raid your base, or worse a hungry large predator. They can be paired with turrets—plant or machine—to target specific creatures that approach your base, given that you supply them with dermises of the respective species. They can also pin down any intruders, be it human or smaller, giving you time to apprehend whoever, or whatever dares to enter your domain.

Details

Ornimegalonyx are practically child-sized owls with legs for days! Both domesticated and wild Ornimegalonyx will target any shoulder pets first on any Survivors if they are ordered to do so and pin them down. They will either fight or flee from other creatures depending on their size and will burrow to hide themselves as a last resort (similar to how Purlovia hide in the ground). They may also let out a loud screech to warn others of the same species, but may also lure other predators in the surrounding area to keep their aggressors occupied.

To tame them, you’ll need to wear ghillie gear and throw one of your shoulder pets out in the open for it to pin down. Then you’ll throw a bola at it and tranquilize it until it’s knocked out. If you approach it with any weapons drawn, even as simple as a paint brush, it will flee.

Once tamed, these guys can be used as alarm systems for your base and can be synced with both plant and machine turrets to target specific creatures depending on what species dermis it is holding. They can also be paired with Parasaurs for greater effect. To keep themselves hidden, you can command them to hide in the ground and only pop up if intruders enter the premises. Ornimegalonyx will also pin down intruders for you, so they don’t get away easily, giving you the opportunity to handcuff, tranquilize or kill them.

[KrystalWulf]

I vote for the cheetah every time I see it. It's just one of my faves and I get upset every time it's soooo close to being first and the gets trumped by another theropod. I really like this too though, and I think it fits better than the cheetah. I'll still vote for both either way! 

[MakanakyGA]

Looks great AEA

[SaintSoulsborne]

Omg I love this! Its like a Ancestor to the Snow Owl.

[Shockal]

2 minutes ago, SaintSoulsborne said:

Omg I love this! Its like a Ancestor to the Snow Owl.

This is actually exactly what I was thinking when making this concept.

[ElPINGUcubano94]

Really cool creature! I would like to add a few suggestions.

 The aerial dash should definitely be recharged after a wall jump. Not only does it make sense as the rock drake recharges it’s dash ability when it latches on to another surface, but not doing so would greatly hurt it’s mobility which is one of the main selling points of this creature. If you make it’s mobility far inferior to the rock drake it’s going to see less use than it should. Look what they did to the poor mana with only allowing one dash before it has to land.

 

Also considering that this creature is supposed to be a Speedster, giving it a slow terror bird type parachute ability doesn’t seem fitting. The terror bird glide mechanic is painfully slow and A fast agile creature should not have that. Instead give it a fast glide but as opposed to the drake it can only hold it for 3-5 seconds to help make it to the next wall/surface. 
 

Lastly, I think it’s agility should really be taken advantage of. During an aerial dash you will be able to use a powerful kick attack that if strikes an enemy tame, will dismount the rider and stun the tame, preventing the survivor from remounting for 10 seconds. (There is a cool down on stunning the tame and you can’t jump off the creatures back if you use the kick attack). However, you can still pin down the survivor if you manage to pounce on them  afterwards (the pin is time based like a raptor pin). 
 

this would give it good pvp utility as a support creature and also maximize its travel abilities. 

[Shockal]

7 minutes ago, ElPINGUcubano94 said:

Really cool creature! I would like to add a few suggestions.

 The aerial dash should definitely be recharged after a wall jump. Not only does it make sense as the rock drake recharges it’s dash ability when it latches on to another surface, but not doing so would greatly hurt it’s mobility which is one of the main selling points of this creature. If you make it’s mobility far inferior to the rock drake it’s going to see less use than it should. Look what they did to the poor mana with only allowing one dash before it has to land.

 

Also considering that this creature is supposed to be a Speedster, giving it a slow terror bird type parachute ability doesn’t seem fitting. The terror bird glide mechanic is painfully slow and A fast agile creature should not have that. Instead give it a fast glide but as opposed to the drake it can only hold it for 3-5 seconds to help make it to the next wall/surface. 
 

Lastly, I think it’s agility should really be taken advantage of. During an aerial dash you will be able to use a powerful kick attack that if strikes an enemy tame, will dismount the rider and stun the tame, preventing the survivor from remounting for 10 seconds. (There is a cool down on stunning the tame and you can’t jump off the creatures back if you use the kick attack). However, you can still pin down the survivor if you manage to pounce on them  afterwards (the pin is time based like a raptor pin). 
 

this would give it good pvp utility as a support creature and also maximize its travel abilities. 

Sounds pretty good. I implemented the first two suggestions into the post. I didn't add the third because I don't think dismounts+stuns are fun.

[roy3100]

Something I just remembered makes this suggestion even better, whether it's a coincidence or not. Ornnimegalonyx lived in ancient Cuba, and when its bones were discovered they were initially confused for those belonging to a member of the terror bird family. The fact that they filled the same vacant niche in Cuba that terror birds were filling in nearby South America, and mentioned in the dossier are doing the same but on Aberration makes this all the more fitting. It gives the creature and its role a more realistic touch on a deeper level to its extinct counterpart. 

[DinoLover763]

wall jumping seems like a really cool idea!

[SNA]

Love the idea that the eyes works like lights haha

Team Owl! 

[DrawolfKnight]

I love an owl on a map like this, the atmosphere around it is incredible. I think doing parkour is what I loved to see in the ideas. I hope it in the finalists.

[ElPINGUcubano94]

54 minutes ago, Shockal said:

Sounds pretty good. I implemented the first two suggestions into the post. I didn't add the third because I don't think dismounts+stuns are fun.

Cool I’m glad you implemented those! Also I just realized this prehistoric owl was from Cuba and I’m Cuban, no wonder i liked it  

definitely getting my vote!

[Beelzebufo522]

This is my favorite submision already

[CuDeCabra]

I really liked its design! If this one gets into the game, I hope they don't change it too much. 

[Hellix]

Yes!!!!!! Another owl!!!