From the introduction: More than 150 years ago, Ornovael was a magic-user who gained great power exploring the furthest bounds of human knowledge. His particular area of expertise was anatomy and the way that physical bodies are put together; his passion was birds in general and owls in particular. Ornovael believed that owls were the perfect life-form: graceful, intelligent, adaptable, and strong. The magic-user felt that all other life forms could be improved if some of the positive attributes of owls could be folded into their composition.