Ballyraven Cryptid Wildlife Protection Agency
The Ballyraven Cryptid Wildlife Protection Agency is an organization dedicated to studying cryptids, paranormal and supernatural organisms, strange phenomena, history - and nature in general! From folklore, scary stories, and sighting reports, to interviews, scientific studies, field trips, and more–the BCWPA explores the myths and real lives of our world’s rarest creatures, visitors, places, and happenings.
DISCLOSED CASES: From the BCWPA's archives, discover real stories submitted from real witnesses. From the strange, to the magical, and downright spooky, the world is brimming with tales of things we don't yet know about or understand.
IN THE FIELD: Following Ballyraven's notes and journal entries, learn about new wildlife specimens and the secrets of their lives.
This public broadcast is made possible thanks to these BCWPA Agents: Brandon Ruch, Colten Williams, Daniel Berry, Donovan Scherer, Kimberly Nichols, Layla Leutwyler, Madelynn ODell, Matthew Schang, Pyper Wilson, Lenin Roman, Ronald Miller, PHouseGames, Anthony Ferries, Dandan, Fox & Brambles, Jim Walke, Claire, Hallesy, Heather, HELGA, Kris Mitchell, Kylie Reed, Rick Belcher, Cryptid Clyde, T. Carter Ross, Agus Mercado, Ead Daniels, Elizabeth Lukjanczuk, Shelby Fulton, Veronica Mulvaney, Zodiac Gaming Industry, Mr. Blue Sky
Ballyraven Cryptid Wildlife Protection Agency
the Killing Owl | Day Hoot #2
Learn about the origins and current status of the - once - magical Day Hoot.
SOURCES
“OTHER IMPORTANT ECOSYSTEMS: Mature Forest.” islandtrust. Accessed 14 June 2018.
“Barred Owl.” Science Museum of Minnesota. Accessed 14 June 2018.
“Barred Owl Life History.” The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Accessed 15 June 2018.
CREDITS
This public broadcast is made possible thanks to these BCWPA Agents: Brandon Ruch, Colten Williams, Daniel Berry, Donovan Scherer, Kimberly Nichols, Layla Leutwyler, Madelynn ODell, Matthew Schang, Shawn Murphey, Pyper Wilson, Lenin Roman, Ronald Miller, PHouseGames, Anthony Ferries, Dandan, Fox & Brambles, Jim Walke, Claire, Hallesy, Heather, HELGA, Kris Mitchell, Kylie Reed, Rick Belcher, Cryptid Clyde, T. Carter Ross, Agus Mercado, Ead Daniels, Elizabeth Lukjanczuk, Shelby Fulton, Veronica Mulvaney, Zodiac Gaming Industry, Mr. Blue Sky
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Created and released in Appalachia during the mid-16th century, the Day Hoot is a true owl (a Strigidae), and a cursed, subspecies of Barred Owl. A pawn of various goblinoid cults, it was originally constructed by the Wick coven to clear out enemies, generate fear, emotional energy, and to gather bones. The activities of these unintentionally malicious creatures were responsible for several fae, animal, and human disappearances - even an entire exploration group in 1621.Their threat was so great, they replaced most forms of guard animals for several decades in spell-casting coven communities. The Day Hoot’s magic worked as a curse, causing those it inflicted to die before the next sunrise; the way this dark magic worked was unique to the bird - some conjured monsters, others brought bad luck or fast acting illnesses. Yet, as Wick spells and plans are wont to do, they harmed not only their enemies, but those of their own kind; indifferent magic based on the prerequisite of meeting the bird’s eyes, any who ran across them unaware were met with death. Upon seeing another living being, the owl would hoot, causing the target to look at it and meet their fate. The practice of setting one of the birds as a guard before convocations ceased when members inevitably looked up, forgetting their ward.
After centuries of losing territory and infighting, Wicks were forced away from other sentient beings and sent into hiding by the 20th century. With their retreat and growing disinterest in owls, Day Hoots were no longer often kept by the creatures. The animals quickly found a new life, one like that of their owl cousins - the Barred Owl.
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Here at the BCWPA, we have a few Day Hoots in our care, like this young female, Athena, who will soon be freed into the wild. Freedom and separation from goblinoid magic has lessened the majority of Day Hoots’ abilities - they are not nearly as dangerous today. Instead of only looking into the bird’s eyes to accept its Death Curse, one must not have eaten that day, heard its hoot, and looked it in the eyes during the daytime.
Yet, that doesn’t mean the more dangerous versions of the owl no longer exist anywhere. Some Day Hoots have been kept close by moon-centric covens; a rarity, only these have retained their original powers and uniquely dark magic. Once potency has been lost, it continues to degrade each generation. A Day Hoot’s magic may only be restored by grim “healing,” or recursing, and a close proximity to a Wick-ish coven each night.
Elves and other Light Domain fae, annoyed by these ‘abominations’, once tried to exterminate them and other Wick-altered animals. Creating and casting their own curse on groups of owl eggs, the hatchlings grew quick and were given the ability to find and kill any coven created creature. The Day Hoots’ lessened magic, however, caused a disruption in the execution of this order. Though the population of potent Day Hoots were halved, the rest were invisible to the seeking owls. Charming in their own species, several fae and Wick owls even interbred. These hybrids neutralized each other’s magic, producing strangely colored, yet mundane birds. Angered by elvish interference, the goblinoid cults set out to find and capture these new birds, burning and grinding them to dust; they used the powder as an alternative- and an inferior - pixie dust for spells and concoctions.
