Avian

Description

The origin of the Tykonian Avians is more enigmatic than any other race, with virtually nothing being known of their history before they arrived in the mountains. Greatly resembling birds*, their bodies are adorned in feathers, sporting beaks which protrude from their faces and sharp talons** upon their digits. Tails are a universal trait amongst the Avians, although they vary significantly in both size and length. But perhaps the most unique feature among the race is an ability to fly for up to one (1) hour at a time, provided by a set of wings located upon their arms—although it comes at a heavy cost. To facilitate flight, the Avians have much lighter bodies and weaker bones than most other races—leaving them significantly more vulnerable in combat, except when wearing plate armor****.

*Specifically species of the class Aves.

**Both their beaks and talons have puncturing strength equivalent to iron daggers; durability is the same as keratin.

***Entering flight (max speed: 20 mph) takes three (3) turns: they can fly up to 100 feet above their starting position. They will slowly descend to 100 feet if jumping off from a higher position. They cannot use tools or weapons during flight, nor can they cast any forms of magic.

****The wearing of plate armor prevents flight entirely.

Personality 

Once living amongst the Tykonian steppe and then atop the mountains, the Avians are an extremely hardy people. Traditionally living in small villages, they raise their young communally and teach them to be self-sufficient from an early age. Strong bonds between every individual in a community are common, as is the expectation that they will care for and defend one another to the death. An appreciation for the arts also exists amongst the Avians, although in a much different way than in their cousins. Rather than using writing only for clerical purposes, they write long epics and ballads—meant in equal parts to be read and sung. Their calligraphy is so ornate as to be almost illegible to the untrained eye, and their songs so long that they bore most others. It is through that medium that they have passed down their own founding legend, which is interestingly quite similar to the one of the Lizardkin.

Beyond a common system of childcare and an appreciation for the arts, Avian communities share little in common. Customs and traditions are rarely shared between groups—and when they are, they are usually so radically different from one another as to be almost unrecognisable. Their tolerance for these differences and their tendency to integrate the traditions of other groups after prolonged contact are chiefly what define the Avians as a culture in opposition to their cousins.

Such an open-minded worldview has caused many a conflict with the Lizardkin, but because of their close history, these conflicts are never serious. The Avians thus continue to enjoy strong relations with the Lizardkin in general.