Harpy

Harpy Species Summary. WIP.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Harpies have a largely Cytan (humanlike) torso anatomy, with typical head, trunk, hips, and upper legs. However, they differ in two obvious morphological respects - first, their upper legs are wings instead of arms. Starting just beyond the shoulder, feathers extend downwards from the limb, which contains an 'upper arm', 'elbow' and 'forearm' of approximately 120% human proportion - with a claw like hand at the end, complete with opposable thumb. However, it does not end there, with a third arm bone (somewhat similar to a vastly magnified finger) proceeding from the hand, which is as long as than the upper two arm bones combined, altogether adding to a wing length of approximately 2.5m. In flight, the elbow joint can remain loose to allow for extra mobility, or lock for soaring without stressing the muscles unduly. When not in flight, the upper half of the arm can be used for grasping, although precision work is difficult due to the structure of the hand. The feathers fold inwards towards the wing when relaxed, but stretch outwards when the wing is extended. Pinions have an average length of 80cm. In order to maintain balance and control, Harpies have a feathered tail - the actual structure itself is very short, but it contains feather similar length to the flight feathers, and can be manipulated to maneuver. The second obvious morphological difference - or third, if you count the tail - is that harpies have talons at the end of their legs, rather than feet or hooves. These four-toed talons (three forward, one opposing) are coated in protective scales and serve both as a weapon for seizing prey, and a means to allow them to easily grasp a wide variety of precarious surfaces that a typical foot could not - either to rest on them or to carry them. Though normally invisible under the feathers, the wings also bear similar scales, as do the hand claws.

Biological Traits

<WIP>

Snow Harpies have more fat and muscle than average, while also being smaller in height.

Genetics and Reproduction

Almost all harpies are female, and males may be rarely seen by outsiders - in some cases, this has led to rather nasty speculation among the less educated or charitable, with many believing Harpies to be mutated humans or that they bred with males of other races. The truth, however, is that Harpies are in fact sequential hermaphrodites. All harpies are born female, and the endocrinal systems of female harpies constantly produce a key pheromone (Anagen, from an ancient Bruminarian phrase meaning 'Nesting Spirit') , which is absorbed into the skin and concentrates in the body. When the concentration becomes high enough, that Harpy ceases to produce Anagen and instead absorbs it, initiating their metamorphosis into a male, a process which takes approximately 6-8 weeks, in which the reproductive system essentially 'inverts' itself. This male is known as a 'patriarch', (though whether they have any actual authority is variable), and there is typically one male for every 10-50 harpies. This process is also reversible, if the Anagen concentration drops below a certain level, but this rarely occurs due to the Patriarch's pheromonal absorption tendency. After that, things are... relatively conventional. Approximately 25 weeks after mating, the female lays a single egg, which is incubated for another ~twenty weeks (a process more likely to involve blankets and fireplaces and/or central heating than body heat). Upon hatching, the infant is slightly larger than a human infant, but still helpless, certainly flightless and perhaps best described as 'fluffy'. Lactation is induced by pheromones within the egg cavity and sustained by nursing. The infant develops fairly typically, with walking and speech at around 1 year. Neither the necessary coordination nor proper flight feathers develop until anywhere from 5-6 years of age, with physiological maturity achieved at ~12 years of age. Eggs are often tended and children raised community, some societies even attach no particular importance to the precise identity of an individual's mother.

Ecology and Habitats

Like most sapients Harpies can live almost anywhere - however, they do exhibit a greater than normal adaptation to specific environments, with various subspecies favoring different climes. Most harpies cannot really thrive in colder environments, due to the competing demands of warmth and flight.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Harpies are omnivorous, but, in primitive conditions, the majority of their diet is made up of meat, derived from small animals that they hunt by swooping down from above. Unusually for sapients Harpies are generally solitary hunters, though occasionally groups will work together to tackle larger prey. Fruit is a distant second as a food source. Early in history, many clans of Harpies learned to gather food animals and pen them in using terrain - for instance, taking them atop a high butte they cannot get down from, or a small pond in the case of fish, and then feed them with hard plant materials they themselves cannot eat. Planting orchards of fruit trees was also increasingly practiced, shifting the diet to a more balanced level. Intensive agriculture is still rarely practiced among harpies (though they may be members of wider societies that do).

Additional Information

Facial characteristics

A Harpy's hair color often matches that of their feathers and ranges through the whole visible spectrum. It grows relatively slowly, but many still have long hair due to the hassle of cutting it. Combing is a bit easier, but some groups prefer to simply wear dreadlocs.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Omnipresent (Sapient)

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Harpies' visual acuity is somewhat higher than that of most other Cytan species, and they are exceptionally good at spotting movement at a great distance. Their other senses are generally typical, save that the scaled areas of their skin are less sensitive.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Harpies frequently use patronymics, which serve both to identify which particular part of a larger clan an individual hails from, as well as their approximate age. Many societies do not assign names until some years after hatching. It is also somewhat common for an entire clutch to be given its own name (which may be combined with the patronymic).

Beauty Ideals

Harpy ideals of beauty tend to have a lot to do with grooming. Long, smooth hair is generally preferred, along with a generally unblemished body, and long, bright feathers. A toned physique is considered ideal, as well as tanned skin.

Gender Ideals

Since Harpies are a race with extreme sex imbalance, and the possibility than an individual will change sex one or more times in their life, their concept of sex and its role is... complicated. They do not really have a seperate concept of gender - or rather, their concept of gender is embedded in their concept of age and class; and females essentially only regard themselves as female in reference to other species - it isn't considered an identity so much as the absence of being a patriarch. Females perform almost all the work in a harpy clan - unsurprisingly, as they are almost all of the clan. The patriarch's sole role, therefore, is to perpetuate the clan, and they are not expected (or really permitted) to do much of anything else - though this may be more flexible in either primitive societies that have not developed division of labor or more advanced societies. However, due to its rarity, the role of patriarch is also seen as one of considerable prestige, and one many would actively vie for. Unfortunately, biology does not always choose conveniently.

Courtship Ideals

Harpies do not experience sexual attraction in precisely the same way as most Cytan races (with some exceptions). Though they desire and enjoy sex it is not linked to pair bonding, and they do not practice any form of courtship. Indeed, in most clans, there is only a single patriarch and therefore a single partner for all of the clan's females. While they might prefer not to have sex with the patriarch of the time for any number of reasons, including that they just don't like him, 'desire for another' is almost never one of them. The Patriarch, by contrast, therefore has a wide selection of any or all of them, and may choose based on friendship, aesthetics, practicality, or any other means, but it is not based on a persistent desire for a specific person. Females are generally expected to comply if propositioned by the clan's patriarch - what are considered valid ground for refusal, and whether 'expected' means 'forbidden to refuse', 'socially enforced', or 'really someone needs to do it' varies, depending on the clan and its power centers at the time. This expectation can lead to Serious Issues with other species (and in the extreme cases, within. Which is why they occur rarely). Perhaps interestingly, female/female sex is not uncommon. This is not precisely homosexuality as it does not feature a romantic relationship, but rather occurs among (typically) close friends.

Common Dress Code

Clothes are, generally speaking, burdensome. Harpies need to be relatively light and a good deal of freedom in order to fly, and as such generally wear either no clothes or very light clothes, designed for maximum mobility. Moreover these clothes must be easy to put on or take off with a harpy's limited manual dexterity. Materials tend to be as sheer as possible, such as silk, lace, or similar synthetics. At the hips, there is a bit more leeway, so long as the tail is unobstructed. Jewelry is highly popular, ranging from the simple to incredibly complex - and mostly hovering around complex. This jewelry is typically made of materials such as shells, glass, tin, aluminum, bone, or even eggshell - gold, and other such metals, especially in large quantities, is disdained for its weight. Headbands, hair ornaments, and the like are also highly popular. As well as looking good, these serve to keep hair from getting in the way during flight. 'High fashion' often involves hanging strips of fabric or jewelry. So long as it isn't too obtrusive, this creates a neat trailing effect that is only a *little* annoying. Clothes may also be decorated with inlays of beads or lightweight substances. Among those societies which feature great amounts of social stratification (which are relatively rare for Harpies), these trends may actually be reversed for the aristocracy, making a point of wearing more or less cumbersome clothes to demonstrate their lack of need to actually do work.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Cytan

Origin/Ancestry

Marsh, Island, Mountain, Cliff, Plains, Snow

Lifespan

65 years

Average Height

155-175cm

Average Weight

25-40 kg (35 median)

Average Length

500-600 cm wingspan

Average Physique

Harpies tend to be small and thin, but well-muscled. Even with their basic physiology this is helpful for optimal flight capability.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Harpies' feathers come in many different shades, from grey to purple and many more. Most exhibit some form of patterning, even if only a simple gradient of dark-to-light. A dark green, fading to grey, seems to be the most common.