Roc Physiology

The ability to use the abilities of a Roc. Variation of Mythical Avian Physiology and Raptor Physiology.

Also Called[]

Roc Mimicry
Rukh Physiology/Mimicry

Capabilities[]

User with this ability either is or can transform into a Roc bird, a gigantic bird of prey from Middle Eastern Legends that was described to be able to carry away full grown elephants.

In ancient mythology the Roc or Rukh was an enormous bird of prey reportedly large enough to carry off and eat full grown elephants. Usually described as a white colored bird, its wingspan was reported to be an amazing 48 feet in length complete with feathers as big as palm leaves. The Roc was so big that its eggs were said to be over 150 feet in circumference and according to Arabic Tradition the creature would only land on the mountain Qaf, the center of the world.

Origins[]

Both Marco Polo’s Book of Travels and the Arabian Nights described the Roc, the mythological bird of Arabia. Marco Polo describes rocs living in Madagascar, and envoys from Madagascar present the great Khan of Cathay with a roc feather.

Marco Polo sighted the creature and recorded it in his Book of Travels:

"A bird of enormous size, bulky body and wide wings, flying in the air; and it was this that concealed the body of the sun and veiled it from the sun."

In the account of Marco Polo the wingspan of the roc was 16 yards and the feathers 8 yards, its feathers were as big as palm leaves. The wind was the rush of its wings and its flight was lightning. The bird is usually described as being white. The egg of the roc is said to be over 50 yards in circumference. The Roc could carry an elephant in its claws which it would kill by flying to a great height then dropping the unfortunate creature to crash to its death on the rocks below.

According to Arabic tradition, the Roc never lands on earth, only on the mountain Qaf, the center of the world.

There are four sightings about the roc in the Arabian Nights, two involving Abd al-Rahman, and two involving Sinbad.

In one story involving Sinbad, the roc unknowingly carries Sinbad to safety after a shipwreck. Sinbad was then stranded in a Roc’s nest on top of a mountain where he found an egg as large as 148 hen’s eggs. When the adult bird returned to its nest, Sinbad left his confinement by lashing himself to the Roc’s leg with his turban, without the bird even noticing him. He flew with it so high into the sky that he lost sight of earth. Eventually, he was able to escape when the Roc flew near another island.

In the other story involving Sinbad, and in one of the Abd al-Rahman stories rocs destroy ships by dropping boulders on them.