Avian

Avians are a race of beastfolk who live in the region of Yvahlix in Indriania. They resemble various species' of birds, even having wings which they use to great effect when traversing their native mountainous terrain. Due to their unique culture they often do not unite into large nations or make much outside contact with other races.

Outward appearance
Avians have the outward appearance of a humanoid-like bird bearing a set of wings on their back. Although most Avians generally have the same body plan their actual appearance can vary wildly, with most resembling other birds in nature (such as peacocks, eagles, hawks, secretary birds, owls, etc.). It appears in most cases that this is due to differing adaption and evolution by various Avian tribes, which tend to stay isolated from one another; where one tribe that lives at a high altitude may look more akin to an eagle, another that lives at a lower altitude may resemble a swan or a raven.

Avians also bear a set wings upon their back, making their count of limbs 6 in total. They use these wings to fly and glide easily across the mountainous terrain of Yvahlix, allowing them unparalleled mobility and a natural advantage in the ability of non-magical flight. However, Avians choose how to present their wings differently. As an Avian grows from first hatching they will slowly develop these wings until about a young adult age, where they will then choose to either bind them to their arms (creating the appearance that they only have 4 limbs), allow them to continue growing out from their back as normal, or to cut them off entirely (leaving them with just arms and legs, although this is quite rare). These choices are mostly rooted in individual tribal culture, where each tribe has a set of values in the way show themselves.

In terms of height, when standing straight up an Avian will (on average) be somewhat taller than an average Human, although this often changes as an Avian ages.

Biology
Having the advantage of flight has cost Avians many other things biologically. Due to the fact that they are so well adapted to living high among the mountains of Yvahlix, their bodies have changed fundamentally to match this. Avians are naturally weaker than many of the other races, this is because their bone structure has evolved to become lighter and hollowed in order to accommodate natural flight successfully. Due to this Avians cannot wear heavy armor or wield heavy weapons (at least effectively), and do less damage when attacking overall. Generally, Avians will be seen fighting with spears due to their light weight and effectiveness, but prefer magic over anything else. In ranged combat, an Avian will prefer to use a crossbow or gun due to the strength required to use a bow to an effective extent.

Because an Avian's body is naturally weaker than most, they will also take more damage from most sources. If an Avian is hit with a particularly heavy blow, it will cause their body to crumple and become immobilized or stunned for a brief period. An advantage that Avians have over this is the ability to fall or jump from great heights, in which their light bodies will float slowly to the ground rather than taking substantial damage on impact.

The lifespan of an Avian can vary but will generally stay around the 60 or 70 year mark on average, making them one of the shorter lived races on Indriania. It is speculated that this is because they do not have any inherently strong magical or biological processes in terms of natural lifespan.

Abilities
The evolution of the Avians has given them one final advantage in terms of abilities, and that is the ability to leap a fairly high distance into the air. This is due to their naturally enhanced leg muscles, which are thought to have developed as a way to easily leave the ground to fly or escape dangerous situations.

History
Avian history is much unlike the other beastfolk of Indriania, in the fact they were on the continent in the Early Period rather than migrating later in history. Although Avian history did not truly start to be recorded until the early First Era, oral legends tell of them coming from a far away southern land called Jagdas. Although this migration is said to have been of legendary proportions, the other races of the time had apparently not noticed their entrance onto the continent for hundreds of years. After they migrated from Jagdas in the Early Period, various Avian groups established settlements and tribes in Yvahlix, where they have mostly remained since then.

Avian involvement in history may seem insignificant, however they have contributed heavily to the continent of Indriania. During the late Early Period they were allied with the early Elven civilization against the Humans of the continent, where they played a significant role in various agreements and treaties. After the Early period many Avian tribes moved northward into the region of Nacada (which had not been turned into a frozen wasteland by this point), where many of their written and oral records are all that are left of the once lush jungle environment (most notably by the Xavaql'ahlaqus'a tribe).

During the First Era the Avians played an integral role in repelling the invasion of the Kamal from Indriania (1E 314 - 1E 319), and is a rare example of one of the only times the various Avian tribes have successfully united together. During the Jezail Wars (1E 378 - 1E 394) the Avians were the first to defend against the invading Tsaesci armies, and would also play a great role in retaking Yvahlix from Tsaesci control.

These are simply a few examples of Avian history on Indriania, with many hundreds of more existing throughout time.

Culture
Culture in Avian society is much different from the other races of the continent. Avian culture is fundamentally made of a tribal structure, with many Avians only living among their own tribe for their whole life. It is not entirely understood why exactly Avians prefer to live in these tribal societies rather than creating large nations or groups, but many think it is because it is a biological or mental difference in how Avians perceive and live in the world; where living among small groups is something of a primal instinct for them.

Many Avian tribes maintain their own written and oral histories and records going back hundreds or sometimes thousands of years. These recorded histories are often taught by the elders of the tribe to the younger ones, and passed down among generations. This process of detailed recorded history allows knowledge of events surrounding a small area to be almost perfectly accurate, as well as being a form of life-long education to Avian tribe members. These records are so detailed that they can accurately depict what the sky looked like hundreds of years ago, or the amount of resources the tribe may have had on any given day. It is speculated that this culture of recording history started because of the short lifespan of Avians, where knowing specific information for certain periods of time became important to know as older members of their tribe may not have been around to recount it. This innate trait of Avian society makes them excellent historians and record keepers.

If an Avian decides to leave their tribe and live among the other races, they generally do well adapting to other cultures. However there are some aspects of Avian culture that do not translate well into others. One example of this is the fact that Avians do not inherently understand the concept of personal property. This is because among Avian tribes, everything in the community is shared, which means when Avians live among other races they have a tendency to 'steal' items without knowing what they're doing is wrong. After many years of practice, this trait can be overcome.

Another aspect of Avian culture that they do not adapt well with is the concept of enclosed structures. In Avian society it is customary for most structures to be open and easily accessible to the outside. This is because Avians have a primal biological fear of being trapped or not being able to fly or escape from a situation. Due to this many Avians prefer not to enter buildings or large structures, and also prefer to sleep outside rather than inside where other races may have no problem staying.

Language
Avian language is well known, but not easy to understand. Avians speak a language called {Auran}, which is almost incomprehensible to any other race. This is because Avians have a completely different vocal structure than other races, more attuned to creating chirping or cawing noises rather than commonly known speech patterns. Combined with the fact that {Auran} is also complex compared to languages such as {Common} or {Sindarin}, it makes it one of the least known and understood languages on the continent.


 * Some phrases in Auran

In all of Indriania, this is quite unexpected (a phrase often used to express surprise or discontent)

Persvek shio'dikayjd Ln'neta, nomeno'kopeuyi ui Lp'ryalzayka tyh'opji

My tribe comes from the east

Sia Lo'henrya confnicg de wer;haruhelk

Spear, bow, wand, any shall I wield with great strength

Ner, Vaex, N'and, tikil nishka si hjr'kmya mrith jennu dastudrpo

Religion
Religion, like many things, is unique among the Avians. Avians are one of the few races that show little religious practice among themselves, although this does not mean they have no religion at all. It is simply seen that gods, deities, and other forces are less important in daily life than for most, which causes a general lack in religious interest. Religion varies from tribe to tribe, with most having separate deities they venerate (although most revolve around the same concepts, simply with a different name). Due to this it is nearly impossible to catalog every single separate tribal religion or religious structure, however there can be a few overall generalizations. Usually, there is one tribe member (generally an older one) that is appointed to be the tribal shaman. This shaman will attend to a communal shrine and temple area where the other members of the tribe (usually privately) will pray and ask for blessings from whatever god(s) the group believes in.

The deities of the Avians are wide in scale and told throughout many differing accounts. Generally, they will revolve around a central spirit which is depicted as some sort of large bird or Avian-like bird god, of which is in control of the natural world around the Avians. Appeasing this spirit (or spirits) is believed to protect the Avians from adverse natural disasters (such as snowstorms or rockslides, keeping in mind the Avians usually live on/around mountains)