He was born a normal owl in a set of two, to a large family of Great Grays in a forest far away. His given name was Holutu, and his brother was named Luhotu. He was a bit large for his age always. Wuhuutu, his father, embraced this. Luhotu, on the contrary, was the smaller of the two. Holutu was the favored child, and learned to fly before his twin. On the day he completed his flight training, there was a great ceremony! The twin owl didn't mind, for he liked life in the nest. Even though he was Great, Holutu helped his mother Uutu raise his other siblings when more hatched. Normally, when a male in the Tu family blood line became great, the following day was the start of battle training. This was not so for Holutu, until of course Luhotu learned to fly. The day after Luhotu became Great, Holutu was whisked away by his father to begin lessons on battle. Luhotu embraced nest life, even as a male.
One horrible day, the forest was raided by poachers, trappers, and tamers. The animals had another idea. Wuhuutu himself lead the uprising, and was proud to have Holutu on the wing. The battle was rich, even the deer joined in! Luhotu and Uutu were able to successfully evacuate most of the aviary population, and the front lines were holding strong until...
Blinded by owl droppings, an unknowing poacher rabidly swung around his torch, singing the wing of Holutu. He was down! Captured! Wuhuutu vainly tried to save his son, but was stabbed and sliced until death.
Holutu was collared and sold as a slave. He was spunky, the tamers gave him that, and donned him with the name "Spitgray". He refused to respond to it, naturally. His name was Holutu, he was of the Tu blood line, and he would avenge his father. He was bought by a hunter who wished to use him instead of a weapon, a task he didn't mind all that much. His Master renamed him "Hooty," which wasn't all so far off from his original name. He supposed, since the man fed and watered and sheltered him, he would respond. He would hone and tone his skills.
The sky was smeared in blood the night he killed his master and flew away, flew towards the forest he belonged in.
He was instead swept away, by a windstorm, into a land unfamiliar. It was dead and strange.
He came across a large castle growing out of the mountains and peaks.
No living thing has crossed the threshold of these lands in three thousand years!
A voice boomed from the darkness, and then there was nothing but a green flash.
The following 600 years consisted of doing Helyns dirty work, for with a large ball of glass she showed him the death of his family. She enchanted him, and he finds he has powers.
They can also communicate telepathically.