Aerone

Basic Information

Anatomy

Massive, feathered wings in the place of normal arms. These wings can be "put away" at will to exchange for arms, as a blessing from the Harper to her children. A long, feathered tail is always present. Feathers cover the back and trail up the back of the neck. Legs are long, thin, and bird-like. The feet have three forward-facing toes and one backward-facing toe, all tipped with talons. Males tend to be stronger fliers, although females are more agile in the air.

Biological Traits

Flight, high-altitude adaptation, incredibly sharp long-distant eyesight, lack of ability to feel motion sickness. Their voices tend to carry very well and sound very lovely on average. Their feathers do molt about once every other year.

Ecology and Habitats

Aerones are the original inhabitants of the central Empire. Most hail from the high-altitude mountains and pine forests of Thoan, but can generally be found anywhere with plenty of clean air and enough open space to stretch their wings.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

All over the continent of Thoan.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Aerones follow no naming patterns outside of the family unit. While any family can choose any name they think is best, once the names of the firstborn son and daughter are chosen, all successive children are named based on those two initial choices. Commonly, only the first letter is changed, although more creative variations exist.
For example, once a firstborn son has been named Radant and the firstborn daughter named Ceer, another son might be named Padant, and another Ladant, and if another daughter is born she would be named something like Ceen or Teer.

Courtship Ideals

The courting process between Aerones is a romantic and chivalrous one. If someone (A) likes another (B) (and gender is not a restriction between Aerones), A will pluck one of their own feathers and present it to B as a sign of their affection and loyalty. If the courting plume is accepted, it is a sign that A is now allowed to woo the recipient of their affections.
If the feelings are ever mutual, B will give a feather of their own to A in return, thus signifying that the two are "an item." More open pairs will wear their partner's mate plume in their hair or as a necklace or charm, to show that they are proudly taken. If one wishes to end the relationship, they simply return the feather. Losing a gifted feather is considered EXTREMELY TERRIBLE LUCK, and is also very offensive to whoever it used to belong to. If, that is, they find out. They usually do. Nastier breakups end with a public return of the featuer, OR, if there are really hard feelings involved, destroying it in front of the other person. Burning is the most common.
Sometimes, best friends will also exchange feathers as a sign of their close relationship. More common in young children than teenagers (who tend to shun displays of platonic affection), but returns as a symbol of strong and powerful significance in adults.

Common Etiquette Rules

Aerones give each other a lot of personal space, as their wings are large, and while it's courtesy to keep them close to your body while on the ground, it's still polite to allow others room to make gestures.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

Aerone Pair Bathing

Aerones are socially open and not shy, which is reflected in their bathing habits. Whether at a public bathhouse or a personal bath, Aerones almost always bath in pairs.
Pair bathing has strong practical use. Aerone wings are large and make it cumbersome for one to clean their own back, so having an extra person in the bath makes it easy. Aerones will clean between each other's wings, and will sometimes go further and take turns washing each other's whole bodies. Once out of the bath, they will preen each others wings back into order.
In more recent years, this tradition has expanded to include non-Aero as cross-race relationships become more and more common.

Lifespan

70 years for most species, but some Aerones can reach upwards of 150, and the noble Macao family has an average lifespan of 400 years.

Average Height

6'6"

Average Physique

Tall, thin, and light-boned.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Wings can be any size, shape, or coloration that exists in nature.