Corvidan (KOR-vih-dun)

Feathered yet flightless, these characteristically curious bipedal folk are native to Melior.

Corvidans are flightless bipedal folk native to Melior and are well known for their characteristic curiosity. Their ancestors originally hailed from the Arklendian continent and scholars theorise that they were once able to migrate across the world by long distance flights. Today, corvidans are too heavy and don't have a broad enough wingspan to support flight but some smaller ones (especially children) are light enough to enjoy gliding for short distances.
Corvidan folk have only learnt magic in the last 50 years - as it was introduced to Melior during The Rupture that opened rifts across the world to mysterious planes.

Corvidan by TJ Trewin

Physical Features

In addition to the long plumage found along their arms and legs, corvidans also have a long tail ending in a fan of wide feathers. It is believed that this helped their ancestors balance better in flight and also in running as they became less dependant on their wings and more agile on the ground as runners.
Corvidans have four digits on each hand and foot, each ending in a sharp black talon. Depending on the culture they were raised in, some folk decide to adorn them with paint and polish whilst others file them or clip them down completely (either for fashion, or practicality).

Ancient Corvidans

Historical depictions of ancient corvidans in bas relief sculptures across Arklend show that their ancestors used both sets of talons for effective hunting and also to climb the highest trees to glide from once the species relied less upon flight.

Markings & Colourations

Corvidans have little in the way of sexual dimorphism, and many folks find it hard to distinguish sex based on anatomy alone. Instead, corvidans have adapted different social constructs alongside other folk to distinguish cultural representations of their sex and gender expressions (such as jewelery types, colours, types of fabric, and garment shape).
Colouration and markings are different based on their continental ancestors - so whilst Arklendian corvidans typically have a uniformly dark plumage, other corvidans may have stripes or splotches of white, areas of grey, brown or even have bright blue patterns in their flight feathers.

Diet

Corvidans as a species are omnivorous and enjoy a rich, diverse diet of food in the cultures they hail from, and they thrive on this diversity of food groups to be healthy and strong.
It's common for many corvidans to have a mild to moderate intolerance to dairy products, so they tend to avoid excessive consumption of milk and cheese.
Customs of cuisine vary from culture to culture, but most corvidan folk enjoy having their food in small, swallowable portions for easier consumption and to avoid getting their beaks dirty.

Speech

Corvidans can produce an impressive range and volume of sounds and use this as their primary means of communication. Their vocal talents make them well suited for professions in trading, sailing, military, and music.
They don't have any teeth or lips, so are unable to make labial or dental sounds such as p, b, m, f, v, th, and t.
Despite this, they can speak the language(s) of their nation just fine, and substitute these sounds for close matches or imitation sounds used with other parts of their tongue and beak.

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Lifespan & Reproduction

Both male and female corvidans have a cloaca which serves as the opening for their intestinal, urinary, and genital tracts, with the males having a large penis that protrudes from this opening during sexual intercourse.
Due to this anatomy, horrible infections and sexually transmitted diseases can become problematic - especially in settlements with poor hygiene practises. To reduce the risk of infections, many folk intimately bathe each other as a romantic ritual before engaging in sexual activity. With the new discovery of fine rubber, physical contraceptives are helping the promotion of "clean, safe sex".

Corvidan eggs by TJ Trewin

Courtship and traditions of sexual intimacy vary wildly in different cultures and regions, and there are no biological traditions of monogamy, polygamy, or other relationship dynamics tied to the species as a whole. Corvidans of Arklendian heritage may have come from polyamorous families and have several parents, whilst corvidans of some Jolundrian countries may only have a father figure and no particular mother.
Corvidans are egg-laying folk - after successful copulation, the female typically lays 5-7 eggs in the expectation that two may never hatch, and few will survive their early years due to malnourishment or disease (such as corvidan flu, pox, or pneumonia).
These large eggs vary slightly in shape and colour, though most are speckled and can be seen in pale hues of tan, green, and blue. It takes an incubation period of 32 weeks (8 months) for the eggs to hatch, and during this time they need to be kept at body temperature. Corvidans carefully wrap the eggs and bundle them in a sling over their chest, often including binding their non-dominant arm to cover them further with their wing feathers.
Young corvidans biologically reach adolescence at 16 years of age and are widely considered as mature adults at the age of 32 - though cultures vary wildly across the world on how a 'legal adult' is defined in accorance to local laws.
Sadly many uneducated gutterborn lose their lives in dangerous activities like roof-running and never make it past the age of 14. Age related diseases can cause problems with fragile bones breaking easily in their older years but despite this many healthy corvidans live to a ripe old age of 80 years old, some even exceed that!

Corvidan parent and child by TJ Trewin

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Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Folks

Origin/Ancestry

Arklendian

Lifespan

80 years

Average Height

5' 6" ft

Average Weight

65kg

False Stereotypes!

"Ware of these false stereotypes of fine corvidan folk! Seed not these misbeliefs in your children, for they are unjust and untrue.
Firstly, they can speak just fine! And the only time they're going to mimic someone is if you make stupid remarks about them!
Second! Yes they do like shiny things, but no more than any faun, human or other folks in this world! And just because everyone likes trinkets does NOT mean they're going to steal from you! Some of the most respectable scholars in the The Jolundrian Empire are corvidan folk - the only thing they'd steal is a moment of your time for a drink and a chat about their latest discoveries in magic!
Third!!! They're not pure carnivores, and no they don't feast on carrion and rotten things! That's disgusting!! And disrespectful too!! Corvidans enjoy some of the finest cuisine the world can offer, and I can guarantee they enjoy FOOD more than the shiny things in your pocket!
Last of all. Don't touch the damn feathers. Especially the taaaail. Look I know some of you are curious about how they feel or maybe even want to keep a feather - but do you not see how CREEPY that is, imagine if someone kept brushing up against you and then snipped a lock of YOUR hair to caress just because it looked cool? Gross. Try that and you'll feel them all right. Betcha never had a back handed wing-slap to the face before have you? Don't go there."

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(Heard from an overbearing guide educating foreign tourists.)

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Myths & Religion

Whilst it's completely unknown what the common ancestor between all folks looked like, some corvidans believe that they are the children of Akkra - the god whose form is an astral-winged being that watches from the night sky as he soars around the world.
Akkra is depicted in ancient myths and artworks as being a large humanoid corvid with broad black wings speckled with tiny flecks of white and he is often shown as a fatherly figure, cradling an armful of eggs in a loving embrace. Some say he is the one who guided his children across the oceans to give them space to grow and flourish.
A small percentage of corvidans worldwide still worship Akkra, and identify themselves of the Akkranite faith. Their practise of worship revolves around family values, parenting, and condemns the trimming, plucking, dyeing, or covering of their flight feathers - as to hide them away is to be ashamed that one is a child of Akkra.

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Corvidan Clothing

Due to their longer flight feathers on their arms and legs, corvidans feel comfier wearing loose fitting clothing as part of their cultural traditions.
Their clothes often have very short sleeves (or none at all), and many folk wear tunics and robes - some of which have a vertical cut with fastenings to allow for greater tail comfort and range of motion.
Unless they live in much colder climates, corvidans don't strictly need clothes to be thick or warm (thanks to their feathers providing natural insulation), but they wear them for cultural identity and personal expression.
Footwear depends on local culture and terrain, but the majority of corvidans wear simple leather sandals fastened with either leather laces or coloured cords.

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Poor Swimmers

The majority of corvidans are fast and agile on land, they are well suited to jumping, climbing, and running but are very poorly equipped for swimming.
Their feathers are not waterproof, and when soaked become very heavy. Their longer flight feathers make it challenging and uncomfortable to move through water, so few folks see any advantage in learning to swim unless their profession requires it.
Corvidan children are taught early on to splay their arms out in water and then float on their backs so that the spread feathers create more surface area for bouyancy.
Some corvidans take this natural disadvantage as a challenge and use swimming activities as a form of sportsmanship and physical prowess.

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