When this spell is cast, the wizard creates a quasi-real, birdlike creature. It may appear as a small hawk/falcon or as a large dove, and may be any shade of grey from nearly white to nearly black. Alternately, with the addition of a drop of fresh blood to the casting, the Messenger may be colored blood red; it will always appear as a hawk in this case. Its eyes are milky-colored. It does not fight, but all normal animals shun it and only monstrous ones will attack. The messenger has an Armor Class of 2 and 2 hit points, plus 1 per level of the caster. If it loses all of its hit points, the Messenger disappears. The Messenger flies at a movement rate of 6 per level of the spellcaster, to a maximum movement rate of 60. It can bear up to one ounce per five full levels of the caster (one ounce up to level 9, two ounces up to level 14, etc.) When created, the Messenger must be given a specific destination, which can be any location on the same plane to which the caster has been at least once (even if he or she was lost at the time). After the caster attaches any message or small item(s) to the legs of the bird, he or she releases it, and it flies without error to the specified location. The caster may additionally visualize a specific person, whom the Messenger will seek out near the target location. Note that this does not allow location of a person; the Messenger will fly around the target area looking for the target creature. The Messenger will travel at it's maximum movement from the caster to the target location. Distance is no object; the Messenger will continue indefinitely until the target area is reached. If a target creature was specified, the Messenger will then fly around up to one day per level of the caster looking, until the target creature is found; otherwise the Messenger will immediately land in the target area. After it lands the Messenger will wait patiently for the message or item(s) to be removed, and then disappear in a faint puff of smoke. If the item(s) or message are not removed immediately the Messenger will disappear anyway after waiting one round per level of the caster, dropping the items on the spot; this will also happen if a target creature is specified and cannot be found (the Messenger will land first before this happens so as not to drop any carried objects a great distance). The material component required for this spell is a falcon, hawk, dove, or pigeon feather; the type of feather determines the type of bird created but the color is chosen from the allowed range by the caster. Note that a falcon or hawk feather must be used when the blood-red form of the Messenger is created.