 One of Morphius' vultures attacks, 1647 GUE Vulture Transit, Overworld (A) / (B) Vulture Transit, Underground (A) / (B)  |
Vultures are carrion eaters; they like their meat dead and do not mind a bit how ripe it is. A rotting steak, especially one long past its supermarket pull-date, attracts the birds like garbage draws flies (but have better table manners). These buzzards are good for just one thing, and one thing only: their talons are like boomerangs.
A vulture was used as a spy for Gladys, recounting to her every significant detail from high overhead the islands. This vulture was especially searching for an opportune time to snatch Wishbringer. Flocks of these buzzards were employed by the evil Morphius, who also used them for his eyes and ears.
VULTURES AS SERVANTS OF MORPHIUS (1640s GUE)
The evil force Morphius possessed hundreds of vulture. These mindless buzzards, nesting at the Vulture Pits, roamed both levels of the Valley of the Sparrows, passing through unknown portals. The dwarves had been charging too many zorkmids per hour for mining labor, and thus Morphius sent these vultures to raid their mines for illumynite chunks and brought them to the underground.
The Citadel of Zork was the first structure built with illumynite and translumynite as an incubator for the Cluster. Here, the vultures delivered the stolen chunks of illumynite, which were absorbed into the structure housing the Cluster. Energy then was drawn in large quantities to speed up the mutation of the Cluster.
Plans went forth to continue building an entire town for Morphius, but more materials were required. The vultures regularly raided the dwarven mining areas, but the dwarves became resistant. Along with the vultures, Morphius hoped that the Cliffs of Depression would be successful in breaking the dwarven union permanently, but it only grew stronger. The buzzards also preyed upon any living thing that was stupid enough to isolate itself.
These vultures were also the eyes and ears for the evil force. Able to zero in on subjects who spoke or acted against the force, they would swoop down and carry the offender away, never to be seen again. Most of these unfortunate persons were used for the mutation process. They also regularly stole anything that was not nailed down. Their magnetic talons helped by easily drawing up anything metal with it as they flew by.