A fun exercise I did as part of  wanderingrae 's peryton concept contest :)

Once the terror of the mountain region it calls its home, the Parokki pack of peryton has dwindled to a few secluded groups, hidden deep within the forests of the Edrothi ranges. These vicious hunters stalk men in order to become "complete," as they cannot breed until they have slain a man and have gained their true shadow. This necessary part of their breeding cycle has unfortunately singled them out for extermination by adventurers and mercenaries above other threatening monster species. The proud Parokki pack's bright plumage strikes fear into their prey, but also makes them easy to spot in the underbrush.

A peculiar loophole exists in their biology that has allowed them to survive; females may breed after partaking of flesh brought in by their males. They did not do the killing, but have still devoured the flesh. Their shadows are only partially altered, often frightening amalgamations of human and peryton, but they do not gain the bright colored feathers that mark their "completion," allowing them to remain hidden among the local deer population when hunters come to call.

Each peryton pack has its own unique traits based on region, and only the Parokki pack has been noted to have the "brightfeather" trait. Some other packs are noticeably more deerlike, able to blend in with the local wildlife. Some are more outright monsterous, purple and scaly for example. The Parokki are somewhere in between, resulting in their exotic look.

Their unusual coloration has also drawn the attention of collectors of rare things, and several have been captured for private collections of wealthy, often foolish men for private zoos, and in one unfortunate case, a personal pet. Only those with the most fortified cages have managed to keep their prizes, the rest ending in disastrous massacres.

The change from vicious nightmare told by campfire to prized prey for bounty or capture has nearly snuffed out these proud creatures, but the tenacious beasts carry on.