Drahavne (dra-hav-nay)
Basics:
- Hybrid of birds of prey, horses, and dragons.
- Fully sapient and sentient, intelligence on the same level as humans.
- Quadrupeds with wings and long, muscular tails.
- Social creatures with complex social dynamics.
- Capable of psychic and magical abilities.
- Very populous across the planet.
- Average lifespan of 400 years in ideal conditions, 100 years in average conditions.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Physical Characteristics:
- Scales along the belly, underside of chest, throat, and underside of tail.
- Feathers on the wings, and along the sides of the tail.
- Wings anchor to the shoulder blades in a ball-socket joint.
- Fur on main body.
- No notable sexual dimorphism - drahavne stallions have a prepuce (like a horse stallion), and that is the only way to tell the sexes apart on visual inspection. Males and females are same size, same weight, and the gonads are internal in both sexes.
- Individual variations in size, weight, body composition, proportions, dimensions, and other aspects exist, but these occur independently of sex.
- Strong jumpers, endurance runners, endurance flyers.
- Peak physical condition and performance is achieved at a body condition score of 4.5, and this is the average score for rèvdaziñó in general due to their active lifestyles and refined metabolisms.
- Capable of maintaining a gallop speed of 45 mph for prolonged periods, and sprints of 60 mph for very short periods.
- Capable of aerial dives of 250 mph in ideal weather conditions.
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Biology:
- Cells have robust DNA repair (inherited from the dragon side of their ancestry), resulting in a higher resistance to damage from radiation. This is also the cause of drahavne longevity, and causes a lower susceptibility to cancers of all kinds.
- An organ called the pneumacotheca is responsible for elemental breath generation (exact methods dependent on type) and elemental resistances (produces hormonal cues for innate magic).
- The pneumacotheca, in drahavne with fire breath, produces a pyrophoric oil from hypergolic chemicals synthesized within the organ and fat derived from the body's stores. This mixture almost instantly ignites upon expulsion.
- In drahavne with frost breath, the pneumacotheca pulls nitrogen from inhaled air and pulls whatever nitrogen the digestive system was able to absorb. It then condenses this gas into a liquid, which gets expelled on exhale when the breath attack is used.
- When a rèvdaziñó inherits acid breath, the pneumacotheca's role is to secret and store an exceptionally corrosive and reactive acid, which reacts with most organic and inorganic substances. The drahavne's body also produces the neutralizing agent necessary to protect itself. The acid is turned from a liquid into an aerosol on expulsion.
- Sometimes a drahavne with acid breath will also produce various toxins within its pneumacotheca, these may range from neurotoxins, to hemotoxins, to necrotoxins. Such toxins get expelled with the acid breath, causing additional damage to living targets.
- With drahavne who have lightning breath, the pneumacotheca collects electric charge from the electric organs (which only develop in drahavne with an electricity-specialized pneumacotheca), and functions as a mix of battery, lightning rod, and electric arc generator - through this, they can control the electricity to an extent and create electric bolts as strong as natural lightning.
- In drahavne with an electricity-specialized pneumacotheca, there is the development of three electric organs made from modified muscle (similar to those of electric eels, but far more powerful). Each organ generates a different range of voltages - Low Voltage, Medium Voltage, and High Voltage. The low-voltage organ is used for electrolocation and to augment communication. The medium and high voltage organs are used in tandem with the pneumacotheca to create lightning breath of varying voltages (voltage suited to the desired output).
- When electric organs are present, the drahavne develops electroreceptors, allowing it to sense electromagnetic fields and nearby electric impulses.
- Other forms of elemental breath than those mentioned can be produced by the pneumacotheca of an appropriate drahavne, but the precise mechanisms are often more esoteric or poorly understood.
- Bones possess the same honeycomb structure that avian bones do (inherited from avian ancestry).
- Bones are approximately 35% more dense than mammalian bones (inherited from avian and draconic ancestry).
- Unlike horses, a drahavne's digestive system is typically quite robust, and sudden changes in diet usually do not cause upset.
- Apocrine glands allow for sweating through fur follicles (inherited from equine ancestry).
- Lungs are unidirectional and use air sacks to manage airflow (inherited from avian ancestry).
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Metric Data No One Needs:Dimensions:
(Assuming Peak Physical Condition, Average Size & Proportions)
- Average Height: 6 ft at withers.
- Average Total Weight at 1G (peak condition, all factors considered, includes feathers, assumes average dimensions): 2,640 lbs.
- Average Total Weight at 1.5G: 3,960 lbs.
- Body Length (from base of neck to rump): 6 ft
- Neck Length (from base of skull to base of neck): 3 ft 6 in
- Tail Length (from base of tail to tip, discounting feathers): 12 ft
- Skull Length (including beak): 1 ft 6 in
- Total Length (stretched out): 23 ft
- Wingspan (tip to tip, includes both wings): 50.17 ft
- Wing Length (individual wing, base to tip, includes feathers): 24 ft 6 in
- Space between wing joints: 0.67 ft
- Wing Arm (without feathers) Volume: 42,624 cubic inches.
- Wing Arm Thickness (without feathers): 4 in
- Wing Arm Weight (without feathers): 131.5 lbs.
- Wing Arm Bone to Flesh Ratio (without feathers): 17:83
- Body Composition (discounting wings): 12.5% bone, 15% fat, 72.5% muscle and organs (mostly muscle).
- Tail Thickness: 1 ft at base
- Tail Shape: Long, tapering cone
- Tail Weight (without feathers): 286 lbs.
- Flight Feather Weight: 1.5 lbs. each
- Average Weight of Feathers (mean average between all feather types): 25 grams
- Average Number of Visible Feathers (per wing): 400
- Average Number of Down Feathers (per wing): Approx. 5,000
- Average Total Weight of Wing Feathers: 30 lbs.
- Total Wing Weight (wing arm plus wing feathers): 161.5 lbs.
- Total Tail Feather Weight: 11 lbs.
- Width of Wing (including feathers): 6 ft 6 in
- Wing Area: 317.25ft^2
- Wing Aspect Ratio: High Aspect Ratio
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Metrics:
- Approximate Wing Loading at 1G: 8.322lbs/ft^2
- Approximate Wing Loading at 1.5G: 12.49lbs/ft^2
- Force Generated on Vertical Takeoff (exerted by a single flap of wings): 5,940 lbs. (26,422.44N)
- Lift Force Soaring at 30 mph: 781.82N
- Lift Force Soaring at 100 mph: 1,648.36N
- Average Soaring Height: 15,000 ft to 20,000 ft
- Flight Ceiling: 52,000 ft (9.8 miles)
- Maximum Rate of Climb: 120 mph
Biological Traits
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Alkos Abilities:
- Innate ñóvité, which is magic interwoven with the fabric of their being, is controlled subconsciously.
- This ñóvité plays numerous roles in their biology, and is influenced by hormonal and biochemical cues.
- They possess weaponized elemental breath.
- Elemental resistances based on breath type (fire, cold/ice, acid/poison, and electricity are common, death energy is rare, other elemental types unmentioned also exist).
- Other innate ñóvité is almost entirely defensive in nature, and has extremely limited use offensively or in utility.
- Injury resistance.
- Limited telepathy: Communication, transmission of sight, smell, emotions, and other senses. Short- to mid-range. Capable of invading minds, but cultural emphasis on consent makes this rarely used.
- Able to visit dreams and invite others to dreams.
- Astral sight.
- Empathy: Able to sense the emotions of others.
Genetics and Reproduction
Reproduction:
- Usually at least 2 fertile eggs in a clutch, may have up to 6.
- Fertile eggs are fairly large, and have a leathery shell.
- Infertile eggs are smaller than fertile eggs and squishy.
- Females go into estrus once a year, heat cycle suspends after conception and does not resume until offspring are independent.
- Heat cycle also suspends in times of scarcity, even if the female has reasonable body condition.
- Heat cycle will resume early in instances where all offspring of the previous clutch die.
- The female carries the eggs internally for 3 months, then lays them. The eggs incubate for another 7 months before hatching.
- The timing of estrus within the year depends on local environmental factors - it occurs 3 months before the dry season in more tropical regions, and at the start of autumn in more temperate regions.
- Both parents take equal part in incubation of eggs and raising of offspring.
- Parents are devout nurturers and fierce protectors of their young, despite the lack of love in the typical union.
- Both sexes become sterile at 60 years of age (similar to human menopause).
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Genetics:
- Bioluminescence: uncommon atavistic trait, may appear as patterns on fur, feathers, and scales.
- Pneumacotheca Bifurcation: very rare atavistic trait that is responsible for dual-element breath. The pneumacotheca branches during development, and each branch dedicates to a different element. The trigger is when more than one element is phenotypic.
- Elemental phenotype is determined through polygenetic mechanism, as such most rèvdaziñó are carriers for most elements in addition to their phenotypic one. In very rare instances, the polygenetics will line up to cause two elements to be phenotypic. Three or more phenotypic elements is not compatible with life.
- Polysaccharide Storage Disorder (aka Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy / PSSD / PSSM) - Type 2 - exists within the species' gene pool in a variety of forms, with the exact genetic mechanisms being unknown (believed polygenetic). This was inherited from the equine side of their ancestry, and is extremely rare. Type 1 has been bred out of the population. It is a disorder where the body has unusual glycogen storage in muscle tissues.
- The grey gene (represented as G in genotypes) works similarly to the grey gene in horses. However, the draconic ancestry of the rèvdaziñó stabilizes this gene's influence, resulting in most with the gene being born a specific degree of grey and staying that way.
- Some rèvdaziñó show a reverse of the typical late-stage greying process, resulting in the rear being grey and the body staying the base colouration.
- Fur colour, feather colour, and scale colour are each determined by different genetics. Skin colour and keratin colour is influenced by fur colour.
- Sphynx - Loss-of-function caused by an altered splice site in the gene for keratin production. Prevents the formation of feathers, fur, and scales. Causes weakness in talons and beak, may cause malformities. Considered disabling due to the loss of feathers resulting in the inability to fly. Autosomal dominant with variable penetrance, homozygous is lethal during the embryonic stage.
- The beak and talons of a rèvdaziñó have polygenetic encoding in the DNA, which explains the variability of well-formed and malformed beaks and talons in revdazino with sphynx.
- All cases of beak malformation - with or without sphynx present - are considered disabling, as they adversely affect a rèvdaziñó's ability to eat. Beak malformations may also adversely affect respiration as well. Many with malformed beaks do not survive to adulthood.
- Polydactyly - An autosomal dominant missense mutation resulting in extra digits on the feet and/or wings. Highly variable penetrance, number of additional digits - in feet and wings - difficult to predict. Homozygous is lethal during the embryonic stage.
- Pennaformia - An autosomal recessive condition caused by an insertion-deletion mutation. It causes the body to be covered in feathers rather than fur, and reduces the function of the apocrine glands - as the phenotypic changes are almost entirely cosmetic, and the reduction in apocrine gland function is not severe, it is considered harmless.
- Plumunofollicular Disorder - An autosomal recessive condition caused by an insertion-deletion mutation - the inverse of the mutation that causes Pennaformia, in fact. This disorder causes all feathered areas of the body to produce fur instead of feathers, rendering the wing area too small to enable flight. Due to the loss of flight capability, it is considered disabling. It can also result in overactivity of the apocrine glands.
Growth Rate & Stages
Life Cycle:
- Young reach full physical, sexual, mental, and emotional maturity at 10 years of age, and become independent the same year.
- A newly hatched drahavne will weigh 10% of its mother's weight, the father's weight has minimal influence. A female's first clutch may produce hatchlings that are slightly smaller than this average figure.
- Newly hatched drahavne are precocial, and able to run within an hour of hatching, though unable to fly.
- A drahavne will not begin to eat until one week of age, until then they continue to live off of absorbed yolk while their digestive system finishes development. They do not naturally drink milk, nor do the adults possess the ability to produce any.
- Rèvdaziñó do not begin to fledge their juvenile plumage until their second year of life, and begin to learn to fly (if gracelessly) at 2 years of age.
- By 3 years of age, a drahavne will have reached 50% of adult weight and size.
- At 5 years of age, a drahavne starts to exhibit the aerial grace and agility the species is known for, learning complex aerial maneuvers from their parents.
- By 8 years of age, a drahavne will have reached 90% of adult weight and size.
- It takes until their tenth year of life to fledge to their adult plumage.
- By adulthood, a drahavne is capable of performing intricate, elaborate aerial displays even within the midst of an F5 hurricane.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Diet:
- Omnivorous. Powerful, active predators (not apex, but still high on the food chain) and opportunistic scavengers.
- Primary Food Sources - Varied, including leaves, grass, trout, deer, large felines, bears, salmon, bass, apricots, wild vegetables, pheasants, grouse, boar, gourds, large pythons, apples, peaches, wild berries, rabbits, tuna, elk.
- Seasonal variations based on migration and environmental conditions.
- BMR and nutrient profile - Need recalculation, previous calculations appear to have been based on an outdated BMR model. I will concern myself with this later.
- Nutrition needs are currently determined using a hybrid profile of horses and birds of prey (dragons do not have an established nutrient profile, and so cannot be pulled from as a data source in this area).
- Proportions of food groups - 45% meat, poultry, fish; 30% forage and vegetables; 15% fruit; 5% wild eggs; 5% non-native food sources (such as, but not limited to, grain and dairy).
- Water intake: 2 litres per day at rest, variable when active (dependent on metabolic needs of various activities, including flight).
- Most individuals are not picky eaters.
- Able to synthesize Vitamin C and Vitamin D.
- Stomach acid strong enough to dissolve bone, allows for the absorption of bone calcium and digestion of bone marrow.
- Intestinal flora microbiome capable of digesting grass and cellulose (specifically, they are hindgut fermenters).
Additional Information
Social Structure
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Social Structures & Culture:
- Group together in herds, ranging from 200 to 500 individuals in a herd (10-15 in a sub-herd). This is adult numbers - immature young may add up to another 30% to herd populations.
- Lone individuals may approach and integrate into biped civilizations (including human civilization). They may willingly serve as mounts or take on other roles, such as mail service, beasts of burden, or aerial militia.
- Cultural separation of love and reproduction. Individuals who become significant others might never reproduce with each other, while individuals who barely know each other may reproduce and raise offspring together.
- Physical fitness and genetic health are major factors in drahavne reproductive decision-making.
- Disabled individuals rarely get the chance to reproduce, but are treated with kindness and understanding. They often assist parents in raising young, or serve other non-reproductive roles in the herd.
- Names are all considered unisex, and are generally compound words rooted in either poetic concepts, based upon traits observed by the parents, or come from the hopes of the parents for the offspring's future.
- Names from other cultures are sometimes used, in locations where the drahavne have more contact with other sapient species.
- Accepting of identity differences to the extent that drahavne see variations such as transgender or homosexuality to be complete nonevents - while it can influence reproductive and pairing choices, it does so only to the degree that other logical factors play (for instance, a male would not attempt to court a female known to be homosexual, out of respect).
- The choice to reproduce or not is seen as a mix of communal responsibility and personal choice - whether or not one reproduces at all is personal choice, but selection of an appropriate reproduction partner is communal responsibility.
- Both males and females compete in dazzling dance displays, both aerial and terrestrial, to demonstrate their fitness and agility. Other matters, such as family history, are taken into account by the community.
- Individuals deemed the most optimal in all factors are approved by the herd communally for reproductive appropriateness, and such approved individuals choose their reproductive partners from among each other.
- If an individual chooses to not reproduce, it is seen as a choice beyond reproach by the herd. No matter how healthy and attractive the individual may be.
- Their culture overall places heavy emphasis on consent.
- Parents focus on teaching lifeskills to their offspring over other forms of education.
- Despite how commonplace the drahavne are in most civilized areas, their cultural attitudes are not broadly known to the rest of the world - they prefer to keep quiet on such matters unless asked.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
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Environment:
- Preference towards subtropical grasslands and rainforests, but can be found in any non-aquatic biome, including polar regions in the case of some individuals.
- Subtropical herds will migrate to temperate regions for six months every few years.
- Other herds have other migratory patterns, variable depending on the herd.
- Their home planet is Alluani, and they are native to almost every location and biome on the planet.
- The ecological niche they fulfil is that of population control on other species - their broad diets and capacity for intelligent decision-making allows them to decide to leave smaller populations alone, and target species that are overpopulating.
- Herds also have excellent collective memories of plants and animal species native to their territory, and will preferentially consume invasive species over native species.
- Their planet is very warm, with an average planetary surface temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
- The planet is sapent, sentient, and technophobic, and only magical technology works - mechanical and electronic technology does not.
- The planet has a thicker ozone layer, resulting in lower rates of skin cancers and reduced frequency of sunburn in susceptible individuals.
- Atmospheric oxygen concentration is 23% instead of Earth's 21%. (Atmospheric carbon dioxide is 0.02% and atmospheric nitrogen is 77.02%)
Civilization and Culture
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Communication:
- Eerie, haunting calls (of both low- and high-pitch, often transitioning octaves) - reminiscent of a mix between loon (the bird) calls and whalesong - are used for long-distance communication. These can be heard for miles, and are used for territorial purposes, locating other members, reassurances, and danger warnings.
- Low-pitched, rumbling, breathy growls - used as warnings of aggression or defensively, short-distance.
- Guttural, low-pitched pulses of sound - called a nicker, it roughly means "come to me", and is used in many contexts (sexual advances, beckoning young, or fondness of an individual).
- Harsh expulsion of air, with no elemental breath - called a snort, it often indicates amusement, exasperation, derision, or scorn, depending on length and if it is repeated a second time (repeats indicate negative emotion, single burst indicates positive emotion).
- Their larynxes are not quite capable of reproducing human sounds, but they can get close.
- Telepathy allows for communication with species that have more word-based languages, and allows for communication of abstract and complex subjects amongst herd members.
