Harpies

Basic Information

Anatomy

Humanoid form, though the most striking divergence is the beautiful-feathered wings that grow along their arms (or in some cases on their backs). They also possess digigrade legs similar in appearance to most bird species. They even have talons on both their feet and their hands that can retract somewhat when needed.

Biological Traits

It needs to be said that all too often people mistaken harpies with the monsters in the wilds known as sirens. For clarification: harpies are sentient, intelligent beings, while sirens are monstrous creatures resembling women that take the form of both birds and fish like creatures. However, it is true that harpies share a unique voice just like the sirens, leading some to suspect a common ancestor of some kind. Regardless, harpies are a race of bird like beings that are renowned for their beauty and voices. While many believe that harpies are a mono-gendered species, this is actually an urban legend! Harpy males do exist, but they are typically far more timid and reserved, preferring to stay behind and take care of children and guard nests. The females on the other hand are known for their fierce beliefs in freedom and exploration, and because of this have spread to virtually every part of the world. Harpies typically have thin/lithe frames to help them in flying, as they have a hard time flying when wearing heavy equipment. There are 3 types of harpy subraces:

• Raptor: this subrace is perhaps the most intense and strong of the species. They possess talons that are better at crushing things and prey alike, and their wings typically are stronger and as thus can support higher weights and more stocky frames. They also possess keen eyesight, being known for their rather piercing gazes that are both intriguing and slightly off-putting.
• Songbird: Named so for their charming voice, while all harpies have beautiful voices, songbirds take it to a new level. They sport colorful plumage and tail feathers to be more eye catching, and many live in cities as bards or performers. Their voice is said to be laden with low amounts of magical charm magic, not enough to be the same as a charm spell, but enough to enrapture an audience easily. They are perhaps the most common and sociable of the species, and seem to revel in the company of others.
• Strix: Strix are named for their similarities to the owlfolk of the Strig. Strix are still harpy like, but have more owl like traits as opposed to more typical avian creatures. Less prone to indulging in wanderlust, they are perhaps the most sedentary of the species, but have been known to travel if it pleases them. They possess incredible low-light vision, and are naturally skilled in observation and analysis of their surroundings and movements. They also are semi-nocturnal, seeming to be more tired in the day than at night.

Genetics and Reproduction

Harpies reproduce sexually, after which they lay eggs a month after mating. The eggs take roughly 2–3 months later to hatch.

Additional Information

Facial characteristics

Most have beautiful human/elf like features, though many sports strikingly bright eyes and feathery wing like "ears" growing out the sides of their head. These "wings" are small and seem to provide no real benefit, but they tend to move depending on a harpies mood and emotional state.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Due to the specie's natural desire for travel, they have been seen all over the world. Mostly concentrating in costal or rocky cities and villages. Some also make their homes in the outskirts of villages in trees.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Most harpies have standard sensory capabilities, with only the "strix" subrace having dedicated low-light vision.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

With the variety of Harpies and the places they can be born, their names range far and wide as they sometimes take naming conventions from local cultures. Songbirds sometimes use names based on famous people or works of art. Raptors have been known to base their names off of places they view as strong, like mountains or rivers. Strixes usually base their names on the culture they are raised around.

Beauty Ideals

Harpies are said to be naturally beautiful, and even then they take great care in their apperance.

Gender Ideals

While males tend to be more reserved and sedentary as opposed to females, there is no real amount of sexism or discrimination for this, and as such harpies are a largely egalitarian people.

Courtship Ideals

Due to their penchant for travel and migration, not to mention the high standards of appearance harpies hold for themselves, harpies have been known to keep many partners and relationships. A common joke is harpies have a "lover in every port" while others simply know the right people to get what they want. However, some harpies can live more private lives with one individual rather than being polygamous, and it can be seen as a sign of deep compassion should a harpy wish to travel with someone.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Harpies speak Auran, which is curiously a tongue only found to have originated from the elemental plane of air.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Harpies are perhaps the very definiton of free spirited and curious. If a harpy sees something that catches their attention, most wont hesitate to part with their coin for the chance to have or experince it. This also makes them skilled traders, as they have a knack for finding valuable and shiny things that can fetch good prices in the markets of the world. Some have said it can sometimes be hard to converse with a harpy, as their attention can bounce easily from subject to subject, which some have taken as them being air-headed. However this is not entirely fair, as the truth of the matter is that harpy conversations are ussually just high paced most of the time.

History

None can say for certain just how this race came into being. Some believe that they are the result of gods copulating with birds, and others that they are a freak accident created by a mad wizard. There are, however, some hints that point to their origins lying in the elemental plane of air, with some believing that perhaps they were natives of that land or even sired by the air genies. Regardless, it is said that they longed to see land and talk to people of the land, and flew across the crashing chaos of the inter-void to arrive in the mortal realm, first appearing along archipelagos and rocky costal regions. While many mortals were afraid at first for their resemblance to sirens, they quickly realized that harpies are by no means a large threat to their lives, and as so the harpies were welcomed into the tribes and villages of mortals. Their love of travel and discovery made them into something of a romantic like ideal of exploration and personal freedom, and it is not uncommon to find harpies as wandering travelers and adventurers.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Due to their natural apperance and their abilities, harpies have become quite a common sight in the world, and most lands view harpies very favorably. They can at times be seen as annoying with how fast they tend to travel and how much they like to travel, with some joking that a harpy is always good friends with a town gate guard for how often they come in and out of the city. However, in truth harpies are simply just a curious and exploerative people, and many people find htat charming in its own right.

Lifespan

120 years

Average Height

Roughly 4-6ft tall

Average Physique

Typically most harpies are on the lithe/slender side to help them fly easier.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

While pigmentation for their human features is roughly the same as a base standard human, harpy feathers can take on an incredible diverse array of color, with any color and pattern imaginable being able to be seen in these feathers.