Avians - Strix

Known as Astarii in their own language, Avians are reclusive avian humanoids devoted to their homelands and their tribes. They defend their precious communities with broad wingspans and razor talons.

Avians value ferocity, vengeance, and devotion above all else. Their dark, formidable wingspans and long history of taking revenge for their fallen family members have painted them as winged devils in the eyes of neighboring human populations. In contradiction to their misunderstood nature, Avians boast a spiritual, artistic, and compassionate culture that is rarely seen outside of their roosts.

As Avian populations begin to resurge and spread beyond the mountainous region known as the Devil's Perch, their tribes now speckle the landscape and surrounding nations. Soaring over mountains, forests, and beaches, Avians are always brought home by the deep connections they share with their kinfolk.

SUB-ETHNICITIES
Nightglider
Predator
Scavenger
Shoreline
Songbird

Avians are avian-influenced humanoids with intimidating talons and feathered wings sprouting from their backs. With an average height of 6 feet, Avians are taller than most humans but are very light for their size. Avians are considered mature at 14 years of age and have an average lifespan of 140 years. They have pointed ears and large eyes that are typically black from sclera to pupil, but occasionally appear as a piercing golden color. Avians lack the ability to move their eyes independently of their head, resulting in distinctive jerky movements as their gaze snaps between targets. Their bodies are usually taut with defined musculature—a result of the strength necessary to flex their wings.

Avians are rare and reclusive people who cling to their ancestral territories. They live in modest-sized tribes, but some reside in smaller bands of tight-knit individuals. The largest settlements of Avians reside on their native Perch, but a small number of their ilk have traveled far across Termina. Avians feel an intense empathy and attachment to their family and other community members. They prioritize the needs of their community over their individual desires, and their bands and tribes benefit from an easy yet expertly organized division of labor. Avians tribes are led by a female tribal leader.

A long history of conflict with nearby nations has bred into most Avians a deep fear and suspicion of humans—who they call Hyketh. Avians have struggled to keep hold of their territories and maintain their numbers in the face of constant conflict with these enemies who, in addition to trying to destroy what they believe to be winged devils, vastly outnumber them. Due to their strongly bonded groups, the loss of a single tribe member is devastating.

Due to their deep respect for the rules of a functioning society, Avians are rarely chaotic, but some may be flexible on adopting the rules of outside societies. Avians are typically nonreligious and instead use stories from an epic to tell them of their origins and give them direction on their current place in the world. They have a deep investment in the lives of their fellows and experience intense grief at their passing.

Avian settlements, called roosts, are lofty dwellings at the highest point of the local landscape. Mountains are a particular favorite, especially if they provide tall spires that make foot traffic impossible. Avians living in forests build their communities around the largest trees available, and seaside dwellers prefer to nestle their dwellings along perilous cliffs.

Avians utilize storytelling to convey a verbal history of their people and perform poetic tales that sound like songs when sung in their native tongue. Nestling Avians grow up hearing their histories sung to them as lullabies and serenades of daily life. Powerful moments are punctuated with screeches, and mournful recounts float in the air like soft cooing. One common story tells of a vengeful Avian whose wings turned gloriously red, but who hid his face with a mask, ashamed of the actions that led to his glory. Another crooned to nestlings warns of a mysterious parasite that hides in filthy feathers.