Birds of Prey

Appearance:
When in their animal forms, Efferii of the Bird Kingdom are composed of lighter bone structures than those of the Beast Kingdom; perhaps it is this trait that enables them to manage their beast form with more ease. Birds of Prey are divided in two kinds, the Wings of Day and the Wings of Night. Within the Wings of Day hawks, eagles, harriers, and falcons may be found while the Wing of Night consists mostly of Owls and Ravens. Most Birds reach a man’s height when they stand on their two legs; as they get old they grow even larger until they reach 50 years of age. All of them have claws as sharp as scimitars.

When in their humanoid forms, the average Bird is slightly smaller than the average human, and all of them are of petite, slender frames. Their most distinguishable trait is that sometimes bangs of hair weave themselves together at the points to form a silky feather. In addition, their hair sometimes faithfully adopts the colour of their Essence’s feathers.

Abilities:
All Birds of Prey have large hooked beaks for tearing flesh, strong muscular legs, powerful talons, and very sharp claws. As all Efferii they have very keen senses, but their eyesight excels above all others, not even an Elf can see as far as the Birds of the Wings of Day. The Wings of Night on the other hand have stealthy plumage that enables them to fly almost invisibly during the night, and their keen eyes penetrate the secrets of the dark. In addition, Bird Efferii are known to excel in the transfiguration ability, being able to change in different manners such as having their arms become wings, or making the wings grow on their back while in humanoid form. Transfiguration comes with such ease to them that they seem to consume energy only when they change features and not for keeping them ever present. For that reason, it is normal to see most Bird Efferii with wings on their back while in their humanoid forms.

Diet:
The Birds of Prey have diets that vary more than the rest of the Efferii. They mostly eat fish, but meat, insects, and all kinds of fruits and vegetables are just as popular. As a matter of fact, their cuisine is renowned throughout the world for being exquisite, fresh, well seasoned, and pleasant to look at. It is to be expected from a race that has a privileged access to a myriad of ingredients, many of which are still unknown even in the metropolises.

Behavioural Traits:
Always vigilant of their territory and keen of finding their next prey, Birds of Prey are not to be trifled with. They are witty, and they are infamous for being a rogue society. Savvy travelers shield their pockets around them, and armed convoys are always looking to the sky when crossing wild lands because the birds organize assaults to rob them of their weapons. “Finders keepers!” is a very popular phrase amongst them. Nevertheless, the Birds of Prey are humble, friendly, talkative, and eager to help people who are truly in need as long as it is not troublesome. They are also bold and quite rough around the edges with their sailor talk. Owls are an exception in that they are typically more calm, silent, and tight-knit than other Birds of Prey.

Habitat & Architecture:
The great majority of the Wings of Day live by the cliffs near the sea in Caliwind. On the other hand, the Wings of Night prefer to go a bit further into the land, between mountains and on high terrains. There are two main cities, Lux of the Wings of Day and Nox of the Wings of Night.

Industry:
Besides gathering ingredients for their masterful cooking, Birds of Prey like to trade with other groups and societies. They love to collect unique trinkets from different parts of the world, especially when they serve as reminder of the places they have visited. Of all the Efferii, they are the ones who use human technology the most, especially weapons.

Social Structure:
Birds of Prey have two rulers, one for the Wings of Day and one for the Wings of Night known as Sun King and Moon Queen respectively. They are two sides of the same coin and thus compliment each other. Rulers are chosen for their wisdom, leadership, and skill of their Essence form through a series of public trials. Traditionally a female Raven is chosen as Moon Queen and a male Hawk is chosen as Sun King, however, it is not always so. Sometimes there is a Moon King and a Sun Queen, and for very short periods of times there has been two Queens or two Kings. However, that is not very common because it is considered as a challenge from one Wing against the ruler of the other. For that reason, periods of two Queens or two Kings are times of civic unrest because it is clear that one Wing is displeased with how the other Wing is being managed. It is not normal for there to be any sexual or romantic relationship between the rulers; their mates are usually chosen amongst the royal guards of their respective Wings.

Family Life:
Birds of Prey have families composed of mother, father and siblings. Nevertheless, a very interesting dynamics takes place. Adoption is very common because as soon as children express their desire to follow a certain path such as warrior, leader, traveling merchant, hunter, gatherer, they are encouraged to be taken under the wing of another Efferus who holds such a position and might serve as a mentor. It is important to know that the bonds made with this new adoptive parent and his/her family is greatly valued, and it is not rare to find adoptive parents who consider their blood children a disappointment and love their adopted son/daughter the most. This is the way that the Birds of Prey society ensures that the potential of its children is maximized. Bloodline is not as important as who you are and who you relate with.

Education:
As stated above, nurturing and education go hand by hand in the Birds of Prey society. Adoption can happen in one of three ways, the parent arranges it according to his/her child’s talents or wishes, the child requests it of his/her future mentor, or the mentor asks permission from parents to adopt the child. Adoption is considered to bring honor to both families. Guard of the King or Queen is the role most highly regarded and only the best are chosen.

Culture & Arts:
After cooking, music is the Birds of Prey’s main hobby. They have gathered and copied instruments from all over the world and are very much into singing by the fire at night. In addition, Birds tend to be literate as they also have books from different places and ages. Most of them speak at least two languages, but some even more. Generally speaking, it can be said Birds of Prey are quite open minded, tolerant of diversity, and often quite educated.

History
At times neutral and at others active, the Birds of Prey have had diverse roles in world politics. They have helped the Wild Cats of Harrowoods at times and at others isolated themselves from the outside wars. They have helped Caelin fight the Undead, and they have also used guns and bombs against that very same metropolis. No King or Queen has the authority of making an alliance that extends longer than his/her rule, and thus with the change of ruler there often comes a change of politics. Birds of Prey are therefore known for always acting in their best interest in bold and notorious ways.

-- Royal Seal 03:08, July 18, 2013 (UTC)