Virtuosic Lyrebird

Virtuosic lyrebirds present an excellent case study in how specialty-bred animals can escape captivity and become pests. A small team of apprentice mages established the original virtuosic lyrebirds as part of their graduation thesis, in an attempt to create a familiar that could better aid in spellcasting. The vocal mimicry of these birds did indeed allow them to harmonize with their bonded spellcaster; however, initial progress was slow, and the impatient students chose to hastily elevate the birds' abilities before their thesis deadline using experimental magic. Unfortunately, the specimens' newfound vocal mimicry was so supreme that they could mimic spell incantations as easily as any other sound they heard. The virtuosic lyrebirds soon vaporized, teleported out of, or befuddled their keepers into opening their cages, escaping into the wild and flourishing.

Virtuosic lyrebirds use their spellcasting abilities mostly to play pranks and alleviate boredom. They tend to travel in pairs, but when these pairs congregate into larger flocks, their mischief and fun can quickly turn dangerous.