Stormhawks

Best know for their advanced knowledge in architecture and medicine, the Stormhawks make up the biggest group of Shadowkeepers in current day. Peacefully alongside and even together with humans, the build their cities along the coasts of central Esterya. As big, magnificent birds, they fly with the winds from the sea and are the only ones who ever setteled on the great island south of Esterya's main continent.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Just like all subspecies of Shadowkeepers they have mostly humanoid bodies, with just a few features distinguishing them from humans. The most obvious difference are the huge, bird-like wings on their backs that can span up to 4 meters and due to the additional muscles needed to support their wings, they generally have broad shoulders and more prominent chest muscles.
Additionally, though much less noticeable, their ears are much smaller than that of other species, while still having a human shape.
When they turn into their animalistic form, they resemble a giant hawk-like bird. Noticable are their two or three long tail feathers, ending in a shape fairly similar to that of a birch leaf. The number of these feathers depends on the sex of the individual. While femals have three, males only have two of these elongated tail feathers.

Biological Traits

While Stormhawks are on average much taller than humans, males and females are on average the same height, though the wings of females tend to be a bit longer.
In their animalistic, hawk-like form females have 3 long, thin tail-feathers, while males only have 2.

Genetics and Reproduction

They can mate with humans and other Shadowkeepers. Pregnancy is much like that of humans, just that it lasts around 14 months. Just as in any relationship between a human and a shadowkeeper that is supposed to result in a child, specifically a halfbreed, when a Stormhawk wants to have a child with a human, it is important that the future mother is human and the father is a Stormhawk, because otherwise the shadow within the mother would tear apart the childs vulnerable soul.

Growth Rate & Stages

Infants' wings are feather-less for the first few months and in childhood their wings are just covered in fluffy feathers (much like the wings of ducklings) and can't just yet be used to fly. Their proper wings and feathers develop around the age of 70-80 years (Equivalent to 9-11 years in human age) at which they learn to fly with them. As they reach puberty (around 110 years of age (equivalent to 14 years human age)) they develop their ability to change into their animalistic, bird-like form, and also learn how to control wind.

Ecology and Habitats

They live near the cliffs along the northern and western shores of Central Esterya. This is in part due to the strong winds from the sea, which they use to fly. It also gives them a defensive advantage, as they are the only ones, aside from maybe the Dragons, able to reach the structures build into the cliffs.

Dietary Needs and Habits

They cultivate the grasslands surrounding their settlements, growing crops like grain, fruits and vegetables. They live on a strict vegetarian diet and only heard animals like sheep and goats for their wool or milk.
They built their storage systems deep within the cliffs along the sea. This keeps it safe from attackers, as these caves can only be reached through flight or through long, heavily guarded tunnels.

Biological Cycle

The feathers on their wings get thicker and more dense in the colder periods of the year, starting around the middle of autumn, and when springtime comes, they start thining out again.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Aside from Humans, Storm hawks are probably the most widespread humanoid species in all of Esterya, and among the Shadowkeepers the one with the highest population. While their biggest settlements lie along the northern and southern coastline of Central Esterya, there are also tribes living all over the continent, preferably close to the sea.
They are also the main inhabitants of a big island far away from the eastern shore of the main continent.

Average Intelligence

The Stormhawks are often considered by others to be very intelligent. They put a lot of effort into eductation ofntheir young; almost all of them being able to read and write; and their knowledge about the bodies of humans and Shadowkeepers, is uncontested.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

They posses enhanced vision, enabling them to see clearly even over great distances.

God-given Abilities

Aside from their ability to turn into giant birds, they also possess the power to cerate and control the wind to their advantage. This makes it easier and less straining for them to fly both in their humanoid and animalistic form.

Civilization and Culture

Courtship Ideals

Interest in each other is usually expressed verbaly, but there are also non-verbal signals. These include for example the light spreading of ones wings, when seeing or talking to the person one is interested in, though this is usually more of an unconscious behavior.
When two of them mutually decide to stay together as mates, the tips of their wings and a strand of their hair are dyed in the primary colour of their mate's feathers/wings, signaling their bond.

Relationship Ideals

Basically all of their relationships are strictly monogamous. If two Stormhawks decide to become mates and stay with each other, this bond will last their whole life. Even if one of them dies, the other does not choose a new mate, as their bond is thought to even withstand death. This does often have negative consequences, especially mentally, for the widowed partner, many of them falling into a state of depression, at least temporarily, which is often accompanied by them loosing many of their feathers.

Average Technological Level

Their society is the one with the by far most advanced knowledge and skill in architecture. Their cities are known for their fascinating structures that sometimes seem to defy even gravity.

History

Among the gods that had been created by Lycilia to help her manage the weather and climate in Esterya, Ekara, the one ruling over the sky and wind, was the first one to agree to giving some of the humans part of her device power, making them Shadowkeepers. This made the Stormhawks the first species of Shadowkeepers in all of Esterya.
During the great war, which took place mainly in the Duskvalley the Stormhawks living on the southern coast kept themselves mostly uninvolved in it, especially in the first years. Only when the humans started overpowing the other Shadowkeepers and Shojorin they supported them with resources and medical assistance. They never got involced in any actual battles, as they wanted to keep their peaceful relationship with the humans living in Sunsreach intakt.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

They have many peaceful relationships with humans, especially those living in Sunsreach have a close relationship with the Stormhawks living alonthe southern coast. Trading between them happens on a regular basis, and they even helped construct some of the human cities close to the sea.
Before the Dragons of the West were thought to be extinct, the Stormhawks had a very close relationship with them, ever since they had first arrived in central Esterya after leaving the deserts in the West. They had given the Dragons shelter while they adjusted to their new environment and helped them search for a suited place to settle. With time their relationship had become weaker but still remained positive.
The Stormhawks are also one of the only societies that don't despise Halfbreeds. They actually have a rather large number of them living among them, especially in their city at the southern shore of Esterya, close to Sunsreach.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Humans
• Shadowkeepers

Origin/Ancestry

Developed from humans

Lifespan

up to 720 years

Average Height

1.7m - 2.1m