Aethry (ˈaiθ.ry)
"And Ídhi lifted me on new-fledged wings."
The Aethry are a species of winged humanoids that closely resembe humans. Their ancestors were humans blessed by the god Ídhi, who gave them the power of flight. They are the youngest of the sapient species found in the Great Ring, and the least widespread with almost all of their population found on the island of Nisi in the Kaphtor Islands. Their culture is closely related to the Kaphtori they are descended from, and they usually call themselves the Kaphtori Aethry.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Aethry anatomy resembles the humans they are descended from, with a few alterations to support flight. The most obvious change is their large, feathered wings which extend from their shoulders. These wings most closely resmeble those of a seagull, with feathers that are white, gray, brown, or black, and will frequently have darker feathers on the tops of their wings and lighter ones underneath. They have broad shoulders and a powerful torso to support their wings, which can extend up to twelve feet across when spread for flight. Aethry are lighter than humans of the same size, and have hollow bones much like a bird. They have keen vision, but their sense of smell is less acute than a human's.
While Aethry wings are large, they are not sufficient in and of themselves to keep them in the air. Part of their ability to fly is magical in nature, for Ídhi has woven ethereal power directly into their bodies. However, this has produced an unusual side effect. Many scholars of magic have noted that iron interacts poorly with magic, and is used in many Folk Magic traditions to disrupt or dispel magical powers. In the Aethry, iron interferes with their ability to fly. When an Aethry attempts to carry iron aloft, it seems to weigh ten times as much as it should, rapidly becoming too heavy to lift. Because of this limitation, the Aethry tend to avoid the use of iron or steel in any personal items that they might need to carry while flying.
Growth Rate & Stages
Like humans, the Aethry bear live young, usually one at a time. Their lives follow the same pattern as humans, with all the same stages and a similar lifespan. They are not capable of flight at birth, and usually learn to fly between the ages of two and five years old.
Ecology and Habitats
Aethry can live in a number of habitats, but prefer to build their communities in high places where they can easily take to the air. They are most often found built on the tops of cliffs overlooking the sea.
Dietary Needs and Habits
When Ídhi created the Aethry, he also altered them to no longer be able to eat meat. All of their food is plant-based, and consuming most animal products will make them ill. Aethry children are able to consume milk, but the ability to digest this is lost in adulthood.
Related Articles
This article was originally written for Spooktober 2024. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
This article was originally written for Spooktober 2023. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
I love the thing about iron. That makes a fun restriction for you as a writer to play with.
Explore Etrea | March of 31 Tales
Thanks! I spent way too much time working out how large wings would need to be to actually support human-sized fliers, and eventually gave up trying to make the scale work (it's absurd - they would be dragging around these enormous wings that wouldn't let them walk), and wanted to indicate that they use magic to fly. An iron-based disruption worked for me.