Birdfolk

From Incador's Book of Beasts

First came the feather floating in the wind that landed on the mountain heather of brilliant purple tinge. Gathered by our maker, the husband of the mare, he made us each of feathers and into us breathed air. He gave us claws to hunt the hare and beaks to sing our prayer. He gave us wings both wide and strong to fly and frolic betwixt the peaks and o'er the clouds until the sun goes down. Away we go, away we go, above the clouds so high. Until at last we lay to rest to eyries we come to nest.

— Lay of the Wind

The birdfolk are masters of flight who take the skies to join Ateus, The Wind Singer. They resemble a cross between humans and birds with six limbs including a large pair of feathery wings on their backs. They live in tribes called eyries in the mountains that dominate Akea. The birdfolk are elusive guardians of their mountain homes and live apart from most other species. They are keen hunters who rely on their own beaks and claws over weapons. For those lucky enough to meet one, the birdfolk are also among the fiercest fighters and loyal to their own.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The most notable feature about birdfolk are their wings. They have large feathered wings that allow them to fly. Their legs and feet are scaled with talons at the end of each foot. And they have beaks for mouths. The exact shape of the beak varies between individuals. Females tend to be slightly larger than males, but the males often have much more striking plumage with bright iridescent colors. They most commonly resemble birds of prey, and their entire bodies are covered in feathers.

Life Stages

Hatchling

Birdfolk hatch from eggs and are born blind and naked. Their first feathers start to grow in when they're a few days old. As a hatchling, they're entirely dependent on their parents for food and protection until their eyes open after the first month. Their first feathers are called "chick down" and are often some shade of white or grey.

Nestling

After their eyes open, they remain unable to fly but start to move around the nest more freely. They still depend on their parents for food and at this stage, begin learning language and adult vocalizations. They remain nestlings for three months while they grow rapidly in size. They also start to undergo their first molt which is a momentous period for any young birdfolk as the flight feathers grow in over the chick down.

Fledgling

Fledglings cover the span from the chicks first being able to start branching to being able to take short flights and eventually leaving the nest. They begin to learn to hunt from their parents and interact for the first time with other young birds. It's the most dangerous time of a chick's life due to the risks of falling out of the sky or nest from trying to fly too soon.

Juvenile

Juvenile birdfolk have a dull coloration compared to their adult counterparts. They live independently from their parents and are expected to hunt for themselves. Some stay near the eyrie for protection, others set off on their own adventures. They are in this stage for the first five years of life until they become sexually mature. It's also common for juveniles to join other families and assist with raising their chicks while they continue to improve their hunting skills and prepare for adulthood.

Adulthood

Adults take on much brighter plumage following a second molt when they lose their juvenile coloring. At this age, they are able to find and compete for mates. Most birdfolk don't begin seriously competing for mates until they're six years old. Outside of breeding capabilities, adult birdfolk are able to fully participate in their society. For males in particular, they are at their most attractive to poachers due to the bright plumage. They continue to be regarded as adults for the rest of their lives regardless of old age, and the desire to nest becomes less intense.

Habitat

The vast majority of birdfolk live in and around the mountains of Akea and Evirs. They aren't native to Kos, and only a few appear on the shores as traders. They also never live in cities needing wide open spaces to be able to fly and roam. Except to those who travel to distant shores, the birdfolk are often only mythical creatures that dominate the skies where dragons once roamed.

Dietary Needs

It goes without saying that birdfolk are predators and hunters. They place great pride in their hunting abilities particularly with their own talons. Some groups have taken a liking to fish and have become adept at snatching fish out of streams and lakes. A few groups have since split off and become more adapted to eating grains, fruits, and vegetables. All birdfolk are capable of digesting plant matter, but it's often seen as a supplement to a meat rich diet rather than the preference.

Behavior

Birdfolk are very tribalistic in nature with eyries being comprised of small groups who share hunting grounds and protect one another. They are extremely wary of strangers despite being carefree in the air. One curious aspect that's demonstrated across eyries is the tradition of swapping eggs between mated pairs. Breeding pairs only mate until the chicks are fledged, and they separate to find other mates the next season. The birdfolk place unusually high importance on the chicks an individual was raised with over the bonds of blood. They use the term "nest sibling" to describe that relationship, and some chicks will refuse to see their biological siblings as related if they were raised in different nests. Also, the males are responsible for building the nest and win females based on the quality and decoration of the nest. The birdfolk have communal roosts for non-mated individuals, and nests are specifically for rearing young. The nest is destroyed after its no longer needed. The highest place of honor and status for the birdfolk lies in the ability to hunt and provide for oneself and family. Both males and females are expected to be able to hunt with females tending to be the better hunters due to their size and strength.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

The birdfolk originate from the Windsong Mountains that dominate most of Akea. They build their nests high in the rocky peaks and hunt the creatures that live below. In the valleys and foothills of the mountains, some birdfolk have taken up a more agrarian life. There is also another population on Evirs in the Redaska Mountains. It's unclear how they got there or if they were placed there by Ateus, and the culture and physiology is similar to the birdfolk found in Akea. There is also a notable subspecies of Shore Birdfolk who live in the Fenveikuria Archipelago.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

The birdfolk are known for having keen eyesight and being able to spot small moving prey from far away whether among the rocks or in the sky. Those with more dished faces similar to owls also have keen hearing, though their ability to triangulate isn't nearly as refined as ordinary owl species. They are most at home in the sky, and they are the only current sapient species gifted with flight. They are also excellent at mimicry and use that ability to mimic the sounds of their prey or to be able to learn other languages. Their language is notoriously difficult for non-birdfolk to learn, yet they are able to pick up on the sounds of other species' languages easily.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Beastfolk

The birdfolk are commonly seen as being very aloof and difficult to get along with. They live far away in their eyries and rarely interact with other species. However, the few interactions that they have with centaurs are amicable, and this is often suspected to be because of the close relationship between Ateus and Menaan.

Humanoids

Humans and birdfolk often have a tense relationship with humans seeing them as being extremely animalistic and uncivilized. The dwarves exist peacefully with the birdfolk, and they live in the same areas but in different regions. At times, the dwarves will ask the birdfolk to keep watch over the entrances to their mountain halls.

Draconids

There is a long history between draconids and birdfolk stemming back to the first soul bonded dragons. The dragonfolk enter the mountains and often encroach on the eyries in search of dragons. They are also drawn to the bright feathers, and desperate young dragonfolk have been known to hunt the birdfolk for food and decoration.

Goblinoid

Goblinoids and birdfolk have only recently come into contact with each other. They only have history now in Evirs where mixed pirate crews with goblins, orcs, and Shore Birdfolk exist. The goblins wisely stay out of the mountains and avoid threatening the eyries. Due to the lack of history, get along reasonably well and only display good will and curiosity towards one another.

Typical male birdfolk

Typical female birdfolk

Lifespan

50 years

Average Height

Male: 5'-5'6"
Female: 4'8" - 5'4"

Geographic Distribution

• Akea
• Evirs

Wingspan

Male: 10'-14'
Female: 9'6"-12'

The Wind Singer drifted on the winds playing his tune, but it was a sad melody with no one to hear him or join in. From the wind, he crafted the birds to join him in the skies and made them as light as feathers. They sang alongside him, but he wished for a choir. From the snow and floating leaves, he crafted a strange bird that could play an instrument with him and understand the melody as he did. He created the birdfolk and gave them a life of frolicking in the wind. He taught them to hunt like the mighty eagle and hawk, and he gave them language to sing beside him. But the birdfolk enjoyed their freedom greatly and ignored the Wind Singer even when he flew among them. Distraught at his creation's blindness to his presence, he sought out Fate in search of an answer to his woes.

— Mysteries of the Void