Parrot (SLASH'EM)

c parrot
Difficulty	8
Attacks	Bite 2d6 physical

c parrot
Difficulty	8
Attacks	Bite 2d6 physical
Base level	7
Base experience	95
Speed	15
Base AC	6
Base MR	0
Alignment	0 (neutral)
Frequency (by normal means)	1 (Very rare)
Genocidable	Yes
Weight	75
Nutritional value	30
Size	Small
Resistances	None
Resistances conveyed	None
A parrot: has no hands. is an animal. is herbivorous. can be tamed by feeding. wanders randomly. can be seen through infravision.
Reference	SLASH'EM_0.0.7E7F2/monst.c#line362

This article is about the monster in the Lethe patch, SLASH'EM and SlashTHEM. For the monster in other variants, see parrot.

A parrot, c, is a type of monster that appears in the Lethe patch, SLASH'EM and SlashTHEM. The parrot is a small herbivorous domestic animal that is part of the cockatrice monster class—it is flightless like the rest of the monster class, it can be seen via infravision, and it has a tendency to wander while moving. A hero can throw apples and other vegan food at a parrot to make it tame.

A parrot has a single bite attack.

Chatting to a parrot causes it to give one of eight responses, a trait shared with the cockatoo.

Generation

Randomly generated parrots may be peaceful towards a neutral hero.

In SlashTHEM, Pirates have a ¹⁄₂ chance of starting the game with a tame parrot as their default pet.

Strategy

Though they are somewhat fast at 15 speed, parrots are not especially threatening when hostile, and at worst a hero can throw a food ration or other vegetarian "people food" to pacify it. As a pet, a parrot has a slightly stronger bite than a large dog but slightly weaker AC, and Pirates in SlashTHEM that use pets will appreciate the immediate power in the early stages—beyond that point, they are generally unremarkable.

Origin

Parrots (Psittaciformes), also known as "psittacines", are birds with a strong curved beak, an upright stance and clawed feet—. They are classified in four families that contain roughly 410 species in 101 genera, found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions: Psittaculidae (Old World parrots), Psittacidae (African and New World parrots), Cacatuidae (cockatoos), and Strigopidae (New Zealand parrots). Parrots have a generally pantropical distribution, with several species inhabiting temperate regions as well; the greatest diversity of parrots is in South America and Australasia.

Parrots are among the most intelligent birds alongside others such as ravens, crows, jays, and magpies, and the ability of some parrot species to learn and imitate human speech enhances their popularity as pets. They form the most variably-sized bird order in terms of length, and many are vividly coloured with some also being multi-colored. Most parrots' diets are composed primarily of seeds, nuts, fruit, buds, and other plant material; lories and lorikeets are specialised for feeding on floral nectar and soft fruits, while more than a few species of parrots sometimes eat grubs, insects, carrion, or even other birds. Almost all parrots nest in tree hollows (or nest boxes in captivity), and lay white eggs that hatch into helpless young. Parrots are the only creatures to display true tripedalism, walking with a rolling gait and using their necks and beaks as limbs when climbing.

Due to trapping, hunting, habitat loss, and competition from invasive species, one-third of all parrot species are threatened by extinction, with a higher aggregate extinction risk than any other comparable bird group. As of 2021, about 50 million parrots (half of all parrots) live in captivity, with the vast majority of these living as pets in people's homes—measures taken to conserve the habitats of some high-profile charismatic species have also protected many of the less charismatic species living in the same ecosystems.

Fictional depictions of pirates in media frequently depict captains and other higher-ranking pirates with pet parrots that often loudly repeat things they've overhead, or else talk of their own accord. One likely basis for this trope is the 1883 novel Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, which features "Captain Flint" as the talking parrot companion of Long John Silver: she is named for a notorious deceased pirate captain, and her habitual refrain is "Pieces of eight! Pieces of eight!"

Messages

<The parrot> squaarks louldly!

<The parrot> says 'Polly want a lembas wafer!'

<The parrot> says 'Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!'

<The parrot> says 'Who's a good boy, then?'

<The parrot> says 'Show us yer knickers!'

<The parrot> says 'You'll never make it!'

<The parrot> whistles suggestively!

<The parrot> says 'What sort of a sword do you call that!'

You chatted to a parrot—the first message listed is reproduced as printed.