Population: One individual

 

Size: 210cm tall, wingspan unknown (speculated around 3.2 meters)

 

Diet: N/A

 

Call: The same infrasonic hum emitted by the Monolith

 

Threat Level: Critically High

 

While the huge, arrow shaped head of this SuperFauna appears to be geologic in makeup, the presence of a heat signature within suggests the existence of a fleshy cavity, possibly containing sensory/cerebral organs. While it has not been possible to obtain a sample, it is speculated that this rocky headpiece may be of the same material as that of the Monolith which, given its seeming imperviousness to damage, would render sample collection all but impossible. The evidence for this comes in the form of an infrasonic hum which Leptoptilos meteochalybs emits at a frequency consistent with that detected in the Monolith.

 

The Stork’s miasmic aura (around 9 square metres) has a property not present in that of the Monolith in that the passage of time is significantly slowed, one minute within equating to roughly 3.4 hours outside. As such, the researchers who initially discovered Leptoptilos meteochalybs spent 204 real time hours (8.5 days) within the perceived 1-hour period of field study spent inside the creature's aura. This was noticed by the researchers when late evening spontaneously manifested from early morning after exiting the Stork's close vicinity. Exiting the aura also seems to prompt a number of short-term physical ailments (vomiting, dizziness and ringing in ears) in addition to longer term psychological issues including prolonged episodes of anxiety, paranoia, restlessness, depression, lethargy, dissociation, amnesia, hallucinations and what has been described as a peculiar feeling of “falling through infinite space” that is very difficult to shake off. As such, a ban has been placed on all further close study of Leptoptilos meteochalybs, and researchers should exercise extreme caution when encountering it within the Zone.

 

The Meteoric Ore Great Stork has only once been seen engaging in locomotion, walking with glacial slowness in a somewhat unnatural manner atypical of other members in the Ciconiidae family. It seems to spend almost all its life in a statuesque standing pose and is the only SuperFauna outside of Dinornis barbalonga to engage in ‘communion’ (see Bearded Dragon for information on this phenomenon). It has never been seen in flight and it is speculated that it may lack this ability entirely due to the weight of its disproportionately large head, which in turn may explain its extremely slow ambulation.