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[Rat Of Wisdom]

I know the "What the f*** are these things supposed to be anyway" issue was more-or-less resolved (with input from Toady, no less) but I came across this passage while reading and instantly thought "OH SO THAT'S WHERE HE GOT THEM".

They were in sight- racing through the rain. A man frantically spurring an equally frightened horse- and behind him, the distance decreasing, a pack of what at first appeared to be dogs. But these were not dogs- they were half-dog and half-bird, with the lean, shaggy bodies and legs of dogs but possessing birdlike talons in place of paws and savagely curved beaks which snapped where muzzles should have been.

- "While The Gods Laugh"

Disappointingly simple, I know, but remarkably well-suited to the name, Toady's description of them as having talons like Velociraptors, and to being ridden by small greenskins.

Feel free to discuss beak dog-related shenanigans if you don't care.

[Lurking Grue]

The first (and last) time I saw them in game was on my second ever fortress, My reaction was "Pfffft Beak...? Dogs...? what next Owl Bears?" and sent my commander out with his 2 wardogs thinking he would get rid of them easily... 30+ dead dorfs later the tantruming survivors were locked in the basements of the fort drinking vomit and eating the last of the kittens till they went away.

[Akura]

The guy's name is Moorcock? Poor bastard...

Judging from that description, they're similar to wingless hippogriffs, which look like a cross between birds and horses and fly.

There's no hippogriffs in DF, is there? Might be time to get some modding on.

[Hyndis]

Judging from that description, they're similar to wingless hippogriffs, which look like a cross between birds and horses and fly.

This is always what I figured beakdogs to be. Essentially just a wingless griffin like creature. They're not all that large either if you compare their body size to that of a dwarf, but in large numbers they can be dangerous.

[Tcei]

The last time I had to deal with with beak dogs, I sent a small squad of three axe dwarves out to slaughter a massive pack. Somehow one managed to sneak its way up to my booze stockpile and proceeded to drink all but one barrel of booze, I went from something like 800 units down to ~20 in just a few seconds! D:

[K4el]

I know the "What the f*** are these things supposed to be anyway" issue was more-or-less resolved (with input from Toady, no less) but I came across this passage while reading and instantly thought "OH SO THAT'S WHERE HE GOT THEM".

Disappointingly simple, I know, but remarkably well-suited to the name, Toady's description of them as having talons like Velociraptors, and to being ridden by small greenskins.

Feel free to discuss beak dog-related shenanigans if you don't care.

Here:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[Labhras]

Wow, I almost choked on my drink because I was laughing so hard.

[smjjames]

That description doesn't say whether they are bipedal or quadrupedal. If they are bipedal, the description matches one of those 'Terror Birds' like Diatryma and others that lived in South America many millions of years ago.

Otherwise the quadrupedal does sound like a hippogriff, or maybe griffon.

Also, cute pic K4el, and really silly

[Urist McDepravity]

The first (and last) time I saw them in game was on my second ever fortress, My reaction was "Pfffft Beak...? Dogs...? what next Owl Bears?" and sent my commander out with his 2 wardogs thinking he would get rid of them easily... 30+ dead dorfs later the tantruming survivors were locked in the basements of the fort drinking vomit and eating the last of the kittens till they went away.

Never encountered wild beak dogs, but goblin squad mounted on them is kinda same in terms of strength as non-mounted - my squad of axedorfs eliminates it in mere seconds w/out casualties.

Only creature which had described by you effect is giant toad. "Oh, just a toad? Guys, go punch it to death". For some reason, these beasts enjoy tearing limbs from bodies, leaving cripples instead of corpses.

[K4el]

Wow, I almost choked on my drink because I was laughing so hard.

damn.... almost had him.... next time... next time...

[elizar]

I remember looking at the raws and seeing a hint of a bipedal build. But it was a long time ago so I can't remember what led me to that conclusion, sorry.

I recall reading somewhere that Toady was inspired by Shriekers of Tremors series. Another has thrown out that it is a Velociraptor.

[Fredd]

I guess they are Toadys version of Wargs, another orc mount.

[Labhras]

Hmm, at that mention of the tremors series, I would really enjoy seeing tunnelling monsters if it were possible. Urist McTender cancels Run Like Hell: Nommed.

[Vattic]

The original inspirations were, as far as I remember, those things from tremors 2 and for riding, yeah, the labyrinth things, though we didn't get the beaks from that, and the original cautionsaurus.  Velociprators weren't an inspiration -- I think that just came up in that thread and I was trying to describe it in those terms.  Our crayon pictures of them devolved pretty far away from that though, and they end up looking kind of like wingless featherless versions of my brother's lovebirds.  I don't think they have little arms any more.

Here's what the Labyrinth ones look like: