Name: Common Raptor (Neoraptor domesticus); colloquially called "Grunts", "Scouts", and "Bulletcatchers" by various groups
Height: 2.5-3 feet (0.76-0.91 meters) at the hip
Length: 6-7 feet (1.83-2.13 meters)
Other Information: The first and most popular civilian breed of raptor produced by Udenberg, the Common Raptor live in large, nomadic packs, and possess a female-led hierarchy. The largest part of their diet is composed of smaller prey (mostly rodents), as well as the eggs and juveniles of other raptors, and when hunting alone, they rarely attack humans. In groups, however, they are known to be bold enough to attack even armored vehicles. They are mostly nocturnal, though also show crepuscular tendencies. Due to their size and high reproductive rate, they are often prey themselves to larger raptors. Excellent at jumping (a healthy adult can leap between 3 and 5 times their length without a running start), though their true strength lies in their ability to climb.

Name: Brute Raptor (Neoraptor vigiles)
Height: 4-6 feet (1.22-1.83 meters) at the hip
Length: 14-16 feet (4.27-4.88 meters)
Other Information: The first breed of raptor created for use by military and police forces, the Brute Raptor is, as its name implies, larger and stronger than the Common Raptor. Though slower than their smaller counterparts, Brutes make up for it with endurance and resilience. While all raptors show great intelligence, Brute Raptors are exceptional at following complex commands and figuring out situations they haven't faced before. They are often found in small groups between two and five individuals, though groups of eight or more aren't unheard of when there is enough food around. While physically smaller than females, males tend to be more heavily built, and have brighter plumage on their heads, arms, and tail. Unlike other breeds created for use in combat, their hides are unarmored, making them vulnerable to gunfire. A healthy adult can jump between two and three times their body length, with males being able to jump slightly farther than females due to being lighter. Juveniles are adept climbers, and will often climb trees or other structures to avoid predators.

Name: Lyre Raptor (Neoraptor mimos); colloquially called "Mimics", "Piranhas", or "Flyers"
Wingspan: Around 70 inches (177.8 centimeters)
Length: Around 30 inches (76.2 centimeters)
Other Information: Named for their uncanny ability to mimic sounds, the Lyre Raptor usually avoids humans unless provoked, living in flocks and eating prey like insects, small birds, and rodents (though, like other raptors, are certainly not above scavenging a free meal). There are only two exceptions to this: the first is being near a nest with eggs or chicks; the second is during times of extreme scarcity. At this time, flocks of hundreds of Lyre Raptors will take to the air and attack any animal unfortunate enough to be spotted. Once potential prey is spotted, the flock swarms around the victim in a feeding frenzy, ripping chunks of flesh with their teeth and talons before quickly retreating so as not to be attacked by other members of the flock.

Name: Shogal (Neoraptor chacal); colloquially known as "Jackals", "Skulkers", and "Creepers"
Height: 2 feet (0.61 meters) at the shoulders
Length: 12 feet (3.66 meters)
Other Information: Despite originally being bred as a cheaper alternative to the Jaeger (Neoraptor venator), the Shogal has established itself in the new world as a prolific scavenger. Often living alone or in pairs, they often follow other raptors and take parts of their kills. The only reason this seems to be tolerated is because Shogals will occasionally lead packs to potential prey. While they normally don't attack humans, if they're desperate enough for food, they will attempt to hunt humans that are alone or in a small group. While they're individually very weak, they possess certain compounds in their saliva with narcotic effects, making bitten prey feel drowsy and less likely to fight back. Shogals are poor climbers, but excellent sprinters. Other than leaping at prey (a healthy adult can usually jump twice their body length), they rarely do any kind of jumping.

Name: Jaeger Raptor (Neoraptor venator); colloquially called "Hunters"
Height: 2.5-4 feet (0.76-1.22 meters) at the shoulder
Length: 12-16 feet (3.66-4.88 meters)
Other Information: Originally bred for the purposes of sporting, Jaeger Raptors quickly became the go-to choice for wealthy hunters who wanted a better status symbol than a rare hunting dog. Known for their sharper than average senses (even by raptor standards) and seemingly endless endurance, the breed was one of the first spotted in the wild, where it was able to outcompete many apex predators. Packs tend to be small and closely knit, with the young's care coming first and foremost. If one ever finds a Jaeger Raptor nest, egg, or hatchling, it's best to move out of the territory as quickly as possible, since they are known to kill anything that intrudes on their nest, even if it means tracking down the culprit to the edges of their territory. Females are smaller and more gracile than males, as well as faster. In addition to being incredible jumpers (in terms of vertical and horizontal leaping), Jaegers are adept climbers, with wrists and ankle joints not unlike squirrels or snow leopards; in fact, juveniles can hang on to trees in a very squirrel-like fashion.

Name: Wu Long (Neoraptor draco); usually called "Longs", "Ryus", or "Dragons"
Height: 5-7 feet (1.52-2.13 meters) at the hip
Length: 17-20 feet (5.18-6.1 meters)
Other information: Originally a one-off creation for an eccentric billionaire, the Wu Long entered mass production when it was shown to be highly effective as a sort of bodyguard. Intelligent, undyingly loyal to its alpha, thick, heavy skeleton, skin with enough natural armor to stop a small-caliber round, and the ability to spit a sort of natural pepper spray (as well as its fierce, draconic appearance) made the breed a popular choice for those like celebrities and politicians. Now, they're most commonly seen in major cities, and are known to be considerably aggressive due to competition for food. Unlike most raptors, they are poor jumpers, thanks in part to their bulk, and instead rely on ambush tactics and their caustic saliva.

Name: Wu Lieren (Neoraptor nublarensis)
Height: 5.5-6 feet (1.68-1.83 meters)
Length: 16-20 feet (4.88-6.1 meters)
Other Information: The second breed commissioned by the eccentric billionaire John Wu, the Wu Lieren was conceived purely for the purpose of catering to nostalgia. Its physical abilities and senses are similar to the Brute raptor (Neoraptor vigiles), though they are better at running long distances. Uniquely among raptors, their hands are incredibly dexterous (though incapable of grasping in a manner like a human), allowing them to manipulate items better than other breeds. In another quirk discovered after breeding in the wild, Wu Lieren's skin pattern and color (and, to a lesser extent, skin texture) can vary greatly between individuals, and even between parent and offspring. Aggressive and territorial, the breed seems to enjoy stalking prey. Females are usually larger and stockier than males, while males are usually brighter in color, and possess small crests above and just in front of their eyes. Unlike many raptors of their size, they are astonishing jumpers, able to jump vertically almost twenty feet, and pounce from one spot roughly three or four times their body length.

Name: Jungle Warfare Raptor (Neoraptor vigiles saltus); also known as "Jungle Brutes"
Height: 4-6 feet (1.22-1.83 meters) at the hip
Length: 14-16 feet (4.27-4.88 meters)
Other Information: A subspecies of the Brute raptor (Neoraptor vigiles), Jungle Warfare raptors were bred specifically for military and police operations in environments with dense vegetation. They are faster and tougher than normal Brute raptors, but also much rarer. Among the different subspecies, they are only slightly above the nominate Brutes in terms of jumping ability. Despite mostly being found in tropical locations, they can occasionally be found with groups of Brute raptors in other environments.

Name: Desert Warfare Raptor (Neoraptor vigiles eremus); also known as "Desert Brutes"
Height: 4-6 feet (1.22-1.83 meters) at the hip
Length: 14-16 feet (4.27-4.88 meters)
Other Information: A subspecies of the Brute raptor (Neoraptor vigiles), Desert Warfare Raptors were created for use in arid combat theaters. Though more lightly built than their kin, they possess an armored hide that makes them incredibly difficult to kill, as well as help them to blend into rocky environments. Despite this, their jumping ability is below the nominate Brute subspecies; rather, they usually hunt by utilizing agile maneuvers and ambush tacics. Like Jungle Brutes, they're uncommon outside of desert and mountainous regions, but can still be found with other Brute raptors

Name: Special Operations Raptor (Neoraptor vigiles hashashin); also known as "SpecOps Raptors"
Height: 4-6 feet (1.22-1.83 meters) at the hip
Length: 14-16 feet (4.27-4.88 meters)
Other Information: The rarest variation of the Brute raptor, SpecOps raptors were created for use by special operations teams. Thanks to their modifications, they are powerful swimmers, and are able to withstand extreme changes in pressure, as well as hold their breath for up to twenty minutes. Out of the Brute subspecies, they are the strongest jumpers, only surpassed by the Wu Lieren (Neoraptor nublarensis) They seem to have an almost preternatural ability to stay quiet while moving; indeed, they rarely vocalize outside of their nest, and communicate by a combination of eye and fin movement, as well as tapping their toe claw. Though able to adapt to nearly any environment, they tend to live near sources of water, be it fresh or salt water.

Name: Tyrant Raptor (Neoraptor rigas)
Height: 12-14 feet (3.66-4.27 meters) at the hip
Length: 30-35 feet (9.14-10.67 meters)
Other Information: The largest of the raptors produced by the Udenberg Corporation, Tyrants usually live solitary lives, and are the apex predator of their territory. Incredibly territorial and aggressive, they do not tolerate the presence of humans in their territory. When a Tyrant moves into a new area, the raptors nearby behave in odd ways, including different breeds that would normally attack each other working together to hunt. Many theories have been posited, but unless information about the Tyrant Project can be found, all anyone can do is speculate. Poor jumpers, but what they can't reach they can usually dislodge with brute strength.

Vincent never had much direction when he was younger, a pretty average kid from a fairly average family. From a small town, he grew up pretty much always outside and went hunting fairly regularly with his dad and uncles, and his family was constantly going on camping trips. Throughout his youth, interests passed from one thing to the next but the outdoorsy thing always stuck encouraging him to join scouts; his interest in that faded as friends stopped wanting to participate and by the time he was 13 he’d fallen out of it. As far as school went, the only thing he really had going for him aside from being a pretty decent student was he was fairly charismatic and naturally fit in with most everyone with ease. It led to a few flings - not really any actual relationships - until junior year when a girl named Loralie finally kept his attention long enough to get him to really think about what he wanted out of life.

He joined the military after graduating, and continued his relationship with her long distance. It turned out, it was probably the best call he could have made. Basic helped him discover a side to himself he hadn’t realized was there; after placement, additional training, and serving his first tour overseas in a battle, he discovered he was good at a lot of other things too. He got a taste for what military raptors could do, but always had a bad taste for ops that required his unit to work with the beasts. After serving for eight years of a twelve year contract, he came home from active duty to become part of the IRR.

Loralie and he married a year later, and welcomed their first born - Logan - into the world a few months later. Turns out, adjusting back to civilian life was a bit harder than he intended. The first year was difficult - a lot of places not interested in his resume - until he landed on a place looking to hire people interested in hunting down rogue raptors. It was dangerous work, and Loralie wasn’t thrilled about it, but it was work he knew he could do. That was how he made his living, hunting down rogues. They welcomed their daughter - Dakota - into the world a few years later.

Then, his world ended. Vincent returned from a hunting expedition to find his town a disaster zone. Doors and windows busted, blood trails from houses, it was a nightmare. He sped faster and saw the same of his house. Disbelief drove him inside - he’d told Loralie a million times what these creatures could do, what the packs he hunted were like, trained her and Logan what to do if they saw a raptor outside the house and he wasn’t home - and what he saw inside nearly broke him in ways the military never could.

After a few hours, he picked himself up off the floor and gathered what he could from his house, including momentos of each. Reaching out to his CO, he returned to base in time for their raptors to turn. He geared up with the rest and coordinated with teams to put the monsters down. Half the base was lost to just a few creatures. He was back on active duty.

Each unit was outfitted with the heaviest gear they could, including specially trained dogs. Deployed to help eradicate nests, they worked as efficiently as they could. It just happened the raptors were better. Each pack they went after had at least one military grade beast. The tides were not turning in their favor. Each pack they took out left them with fewer men. The unit he was with dwindled, but they kept doing their duty until no one back home responded to report ins. With nothing else to do, the men agreed to trying to find others - survivors - and help them continue on rather than continue on the fool's errand of destroying the infestation. Numbers continued to dwindle, until it was just Vincent and Cody moving on with the idea that, some day, there’d be a safe place to settle down and humanity could have a shot at surviving.