They appear in the Arabian Nights as the original master Aladdin's genie and as an assailant of Sinbad's ship.
This creature is the means of escape from the Assassin's fortress for the title character and his friends in Umberto Eco's Baudilino. These are described in Book 3, Chapter 33 of Marco Polo's Travels and are said to land only on Mount Qaf, the center of the world. They appear in the Arabian Nights as the original master Aladdin's genie and as an assailant of Sinbad's ship. Perhaps originating from stories of the Aepyornis maximus, the elephant bird of Madagascar, for ten points, what is this large mythical avian known to carry away elephants?
This creature is the means of escape from the Assassin's fortress for the title character and his friends in Umberto Eco's Baudilino.
{Roc} or {Rukh}