The first sketches I did of the giant runner birds that live in a zombie apocalypse sort of world that, with the help of my wonderful  Tamaron, I've been building a bit. Slow goings but good ones.

Taurornis - Butchered greek/latin (I'm no expert) for "bull bird".

They range in size from about 5' at the shoulder all the way up to 8'-9'.

The ones for general use are earthy colours. The brightest they get are reddish or greenish and always with browns. Some have high contrast marking patterns with flecks of sandy hues or white.

Males and females have wattles around the eyes similar to those seen on ring-necked pheasants (thanks to a friend for suggesting them!) but in males they're larger and brighter coloured for display.

As a breeding display, males will utter deep booming sounds between "drumming" sessions, where they beat their wings rapidly much like the display of the ruffed grouse.

Babies are able to walk soon after they're hatched and stay with their parents until about a year old, when they gather in yearling groups to forage a little wider.

In this setting, Taurornids -or Tawnies as the people have affectionately come to call them- have been domesticated and are used to run supplies and messages between outposts in the Outlands. The Outlands are a series of outposts and runner stations set up in the deserted area on the outskirts of a desert, the front line between zombie plague infested territory and somewhat sanitised land and a reclaimed city.

Tawnies make loyal mounts, with large dark versions being ridden by the policing force. You can find two types of Tawnies for running - bonded and unbonded birds. Unbonded birds are socialised enough in their early years to make general mounts for just about anyone. Bonded birds are Tawnies raised by a single individual who they remain loyal too for their entire lives. Whilst they can be as socialised as unbonded birds, the latter will seldom stand and defend their rider as well as a bonded bird.

Runners can ride Tawnies or, as this has been a VERY long time in happening, use their own two feet. Trained for the task, human runners can run a steady course for hours along the specially built runner roads.

In the Outlands, it is banned for anyone who isn't a runner to walk on the carefully maintaned runner roads lest they upset runners. Instead they use their own trails.

Out in the Outlands only birds and reptiles are able to survive the plague relatively unharmed. They seem unaffacted by bites, scratches or infection.

Mammals however are not so fortunate. Strict rules are maintaned in the Outlands. All cats, dogs, rats or smaller mammals are to be shot on site. Especially if they're seen within the secured walls and anywhere near Runner roads. Large mammals are banned from these places.

Outlanders themselves have developed a mild immunity to low levels of the plague. They can tolerate small cuts, scratches and grazes inflicted by infected individuals but deeper wounds require observed quarantine for up two two weeks. Once they pass that without a problem then they're let out.

Many young Cityfolk often dream about the Outlands as some sort of fantasy cowboy adventure but soon find it's a lot more work than they bargained for. They have to be climatised to the harsher conditions and the levels of plague still prevalent thanks to rats and mice.

Outlanders survive on a combination of dried and salted meats combined with specially cultivated fungi, many of which also have medicinal properties. They also have some abilities to propagate green crops via adapted irrigation. All meats and other such products are cooked to within an inch of their life just to be sure.

Outlanders are often viewed with disdain by city dwellers, who have a very easy life by comparison, viewed as simple folk who live like rogues and cowboys and ride strange giant birds.

There are old vehicles available.

Here we see a Tawny and it's rider being accosted by a zombie plague infected dog. Runners on Tawnyback will carry up to four or five spears as well as other weapons to fend off attacks. Some Runners have taken to the habit of tying their own unique flags to their spears to mark kills along the Outlands. It's not uncommon to pass through an outbreak zone and spot several colours fluttering in the feint breeze.

You can thank  Tamaron for a LOT of this development, without her it'd be a silly little idea.