MagiStream

Your naricasa phoenix hatchling has been singing all afternoon, its song a soft, cheerful patter from the tiny hatchling perching beside the window as you begin to prepare to brew one last potion. The cauldron in front of you shimmers a soft silver as you slowly tip in the ingredients, carefully stirring to combine after each addition, when your hand slips and a too-large clump of moss splashes into the simmering mixture. The reaction is instant, the potion bubbles and boils over, covering everything, including you. You brace for the pain of scalding water burns, but there is nothing, no pain, just a song that you can almost feel wrapping around you, shielding you from harm. You blink in astonishment and look at your naricasa hatchling, who is now hopping excitedly on their perch and singing louder than ever before. Your hand is shaking slightly as your reach out to it, thinking back on the many previous afternoons you have spent with it singing as you worked, and wonder at what might have happened.

Naricasa Phoenixes are small and inquisitive birds, their bright fiery plumage a friendly shade of bright yellow. While they are best known as the companions to travelers and traders, they are often found among the master craftspeople who create magical items, particularly charms and amulets. A naricasa's song of protection can utilized in the making of certain items, such as a necklace charmed to protect the wearer from animal attacks or a cloak woven with spells of fire resistance. The feathers of naricasa phoenixes are sometimes used as well, though this is a rare thing for the feather must be given freely by the naricasa or else the spell will fail, often backfiring on the one who tries.

From north to south and from east to west the roads are home to the caravans that move people and goods across the continent. Newcomers to the trade routes are often surprised at the number of naricasa phoenixes that travel with the caravans, their cheerful songs weaving with the sounds of hoof beats, creaking wagon wheels and chattering voices. More experienced travelers know of the powerful protection magic the songs of the naricasa bestow upon those they favor and are quick to offer a few choices treats to the small birds, who will happily perch on an outstretched hand for a moment. Naricasa phoenixes can be found living alongside the roads from the depths of Silva Forest to the deepest parts of the Raza Jungle, and while more than one long running trade route lays claim to being the original home of the naricasas, no one is quick sure where they originated.