Hadozee

Winged Folk, Gliders, Pinnacle Pilgrims
Hadozees’ progenitors were mammals no bigger than housecats. Hunted by larger natural predators, they took to the trees and evolved wing-like flaps that enabled them to glide from branch to branch. Today, hadozees are sapient, bipedal beings eager to leave behind the fearsome predators of their homeworld and explore other worlds.
In addition to being natural climbers, hadozees have feet that are as dexterous as their hands, even to the extent of having opposable thumbs. Membranes of skin hang loosely from their arms and legs. When stretched taut, these membranes enable hadozees to glide. Hadozees wrap these wings around themselves to keep warm.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Hadozee are bipedal mammals with dexterous hands and feet, each possessing opposable thumbs. Skin membranes, or patagia, stretch from their wrists to their ankles, enabling them to glide. Their elongated limbs and lightweight skeletal structure enhance their agility and climbing ability. Thick, coarse fur covers their bodies, providing insulation against high-altitude cold.

Genetics and Reproduction

Hadozee reproduce similarly to other mammals, with a gestation period of approximately eight months. Offspring are born live, and family units are tight-knit, with young staying close to their parents for years. Gliding ability develops as the young grow, often encouraged through playful training.

Ecology and Habitats

The Hadozee thrive in high-altitude environments, particularly mountainous regions. Skyhaven, atop the Gargantuan Pinnacle, is their ideal home, where strong winds and sheer cliffs provide both a challenge and protection. Their harmonious interaction with their environment is evident in their architecture, farming practices, and spiritual connection to the winds.

Behaviour

Hadozee are deeply communal and value freedom, exploration, and harmony. They are naturally optimistic, viewing challenges as opportunities for growth. Independence and adaptability are prized traits, though they exhibit strong loyalty to their communities.

Additional Information

Average Intelligence

Comparable to humans, with an average IQ of 100–120. Their intelligence often leans towards creativity and problem-solving.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Hadozee have sharp eyesight, adapted for spotting threats and landmarks from great distances. Their inner ear structure grants excellent balance, vital for aerial maneuvering. Sensitive to wind currents, they can anticipate weather changes or navigate airways.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Names are lyrical and often include references to wind, flight, or nature. Examples:

• Male: Kaelion, Zhoran, Anveris.
• Female: Syraela, Lynith, Voraen.
• Neutral: Arven, Lyric, Skoar.

Beauty Ideals

Symmetry in facial markings, well-groomed fur, and graceful movement are key markers of beauty. A Hadozee's ability to glide elegantly is seen as a measure of their physical appeal.

Gender Ideals

Gender roles are fluid, with equal emphasis placed on individual skill and contribution to the community. Leadership, artistry, and physical prowess are valued regardless of gender.

Courtship Ideals

Courtship involves playful displays of gliding skill or creating small, wind-powered ornaments as gifts. A mutual love for exploration often cements bonds between couples.

Relationship Ideals

Relationships are partnerships built on trust and shared values. Couples often embark on journeys together, symbolizing their commitment to mutual growth and freedom.

Common Etiquette Rules

• Offering food or drink is a universal sign of hospitality.
• A bow accompanied by a flick of the wrist, mimicking the movement of wind, shows respect.
• Interrupting or obstructing someone’s gliding path is considered a serious offense.

Common Dress Code

Clothing is lightweight and flowing, designed to catch the wind and minimize restriction. Skyhaven artisans craft garments from high-altitude plants and feathers, often dyed in vibrant colors symbolizing the skies.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

The Day of the Ascendant Winds Date: 8th of Verdantia
Purpose: To celebrate the Hadozee's connection to the skies, honor the spirits of wind and air, and seek blessings of freedom, wisdom, and good fortune from the deities of the sky.
The Windsong Procession At dawn, the entire city gathers at the Windspire plaza, where the celebration begins with the Windsong Procession. Hadozee musicians play wind instruments crafted from skyroot, whose haunting melodies resonate in the thin mountain air. Citizens, dressed in flowing garments that catch the breeze, march through the city, releasing colorful streamers and flags that flutter behind them like wings. It’s a symbol of the Hadozee’s symbiosis with the wind and their ability to harness it for guidance and freedom.
The Sky Leap Ceremony At noon, the winds are strongest, and the highlight of the celebration takes place—the Sky Leap Ceremony. The bravest Hadozee glide from the highest points of the city, leaping from platforms and bridges to soar through the air, competing to see who can ride the winds the longest and most gracefully. This event, more than a test of skill, is seen as an act of communion with the spirits of the wind. Elders say that during the Sky Leap, those who soar with grace are receiving blessings from the sky gods.
Spectators from all over Astrium gather to witness this spectacle, with many hoping to receive a divine sign or omen in the wind patterns.
The Festival of Aether As the sun begins to descend, Skyhaven’s plazas transform into bustling marketplaces for the Festival of Aether. Local artisans display wind-powered crafts, airship pilots offer rides to visitors, and merchants sell rare herbs and minerals gathered from the mountain. Wind-dancers, performers who glide across platforms in the air, put on stunning shows that reflect the lightness and freedom the Hadozee treasure.
Skyhaven’s famous wind-catchers are also showcased—giant, ornate devices that spin in the wind, believed to capture not only the breeze but also the spirit of the winds themselves, ensuring the city's prosperity for the year to come.
The Skyfire Ritual The festival culminates with the Skyfire Ritual at dusk. Pilgrims and Hadozee elders gather at the highest temples, carrying glowing lanterns. These lanterns, shaped like birds and stars, are released into the night sky, symbolizing the souls of the Hadozee ascending into the heavens. The elders offer prayers to the sky deities, asking for protection and favorable winds in the coming year.
As the lanterns drift higher, the festival concludes with a spectacular display of fireworks—Skyfire—which light up the night and reflect off the vast expanse below, creating the illusion that both the heavens and the earth are ablaze with celestial energy.
The Day of the Ascendant Winds is a time of unity, spiritual reflection, and celebration, embodying the Hadozee’s bond with the winds and their constant desire to soar higher, both physically and spiritually.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

The Hadozee cherish their gliding heritage, viewing it as a metaphor for overcoming challenges. Their culture blends martial discipline, spiritual introspection, and a love for innovation, particularly in airship design and wind energy.

• The Glide of Remembrance: A ritual where individuals glide in silence to honor the departed.
• Skybirth Festival: Celebrating the winds that carry new opportunities, this involves music, dancing, and synchronized gliding displays.
• The Pinnacle Challenge: A rite of passage requiring individuals to climb and glide from the highest points of Skyhaven.

Common Taboos

• Damaging another’s gliding membranes intentionally is seen as unforgivable.
• Abandoning a fellow Hadozee in peril is considered a severe betrayal.
• Desecrating the Windspire or its surrounding temples is a grave offense.

History

The Hadozee people came to Astrium as planar tears opened up and "exotic" races began entering Astrium. The Hadozee spent a long time wandering the material plane searching for a place that felt as free as they were while riding the winds of the Astral Sea. While establishing the land atop the gargantuan pinnacle, the Hadozee built a monastary atop the plataeu and began working on finding harmony with the winds to find ther freedom once more in the world of Astrium. It was here that a number of martial artists climbed their way up the tallest mountain as a test of their strength and inner peace, with a number of monks staying behind to pass on their own way of harnessing ki.
Today a large number of Hadozee are masters of the very forms brought to the pinnacle atop astrium. The Hadozee have not been trifling in the affairs of the Astrium, however with the destruction of the monastary during the 2nd Pandora War the Hadozee have are vying for a spot within the Astrium Council by providing a settlement known as Skyhaven for their consideration as a potential embassy.

Common Myths and Legends

The Hadozze were members of the skybound court - a mythical court in the sky that controlled and shaped the weather The Cloudshapers The Hadozee, agile and adept gliders, were known as the Cloudshapers of the Skybound Court. They were responsible for the formation and dispersal of clouds, rain, and storms. Living on the highest peaks and floating islands, they used their expertise to guide the cloud patterns and control the weather’s intensity. With their natural affinity for the air, the Hadozee ensured that rainfall nourished the lands below while keeping devastating storms in check.
Role: Architects of the skies, they controlled the formation of clouds, rains, and storms, and guided them as needed. Symbol: A swirling cloud formation, signifying their ability to shape the sky’s moisture.

• The First Glide: A tale of Valos Windrider discovering the Gargantuan Pinnacle, guided by divine winds to a land of safety.
• The Feathered Guardian: A legend of a colossal bird spirit that watches over Skyhaven, granting aid to the deserving in their darkest hour.
• The Eternal Gale: A story of an unending wind said to blow at the summit of the Pinnacle, carrying messages from the gods to those brave enough to listen.

Scientific Name

Homo Volucris - mammalian, arboreal humanoid species

Lifespan

70 - 90 years

Average Height

5'4" - 6'0"

Average Weight

80-100 pounds

Average Physique

Slim and wiry, built for agility rather than raw strength. Their muscles are highly efficient, optimized for climbing and gliding.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Fur ranges from tawny browns and sandy grays to snowy whites, reflecting their mountain habitat. Darker fur along the back and lighter underbellies are common. Unique facial patterns or streaks in their fur are considered distinguishing features.

Related Organizations

• Windweavers