The Awi ([A-vi])

Entry: October 31, 2291

The Awi is an Inhuman species that lived in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Fertile Crescent areas of the Middle East. At some point after 5200 BCE they've separated into two groups that eventually developed into Seyt'Awi and Yah'Awi. It is assumed that they eventually became prototypes for demons and angels in mythology of Abrahamic religions. Nonetheless, the aforementioned assumption might be wrong due to a reverent status of Seyt'Awi in Islamic empires.
Apart from mentions in various lost manuscripts and references in some obscure writings, the only instance The Awi were ever witnessed by modern people in an "as is" condition is very recent. A memory transferred to the Thracian Foundation via a spell by our mysterious source The Witch Doctor has a clear picture of a specimen of this race.
There is just enough information to describe The Awi without delving into details and to make some conclusion regarding their history, which will be the focus of this report.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Anatomy of The Awi can only be described and deduced with the information that we have. The species appears to combine external elements of their descendants: "angelic" wings that allow them to fly and "demonic" horns that provides them with an ability to better attune to magic. The Awi we can witness in the Witch Doctor's memory are slim, even slender in some cases, and their faces are usually more or less triangle-shaped.
It is imperative to note that unlike their Seyt'Awi and Yah'Awi descendants, The Awi look eerily more human. Removing horns and wings, one world end up with an image of a very proportionate, regally looking - but still human.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Most of the written sources we have access to place The Awi somewhere in the Middle East, most likely on the territories of modern Israel, specifically the area of Judea. It is definitely known that the ancient city of Jericho was inhabited by The Awi, and it was confirmed by the Witch Doctor's accounts. Apart from that, we can assume that with time, The Awi dispersed throughout the Eastern Mediterranean and the Arabian Peninsula, where they've started evolving differently.

Civilization and Culture

Average Technological Level

From what we know from myths and legends, The Awi achieved a high level of magical development. They had the ability to heal and resurrect, and were generally associated with life. It appears they didn't have command over elements or desctructive magic, nor they did master protective spells. They might've used spells that helped with construction and provisions, since only magic like that - or mind control and a host of human workers - would help them build something like Jericho.

History

History of The Awi, as well as history of the Inhumans in general, is obscured by a shroud of mystery, and when it concerns the former Fringe knowledge, it's a technical term. We're aware that The Awi, like all Inhumans in general and all Anthrope Inhumans specifically, are of a Terrestrial origin. We can assume there were way more of them in years preceding VIth millennium BCE but like most Inhuman species, they've dwindled in numbers and started compensating by assuming power over Humans by creating Gods or practicing magic.
Building on mythology, we can extrapolate the focal point of The Awi's downfall: a story of the fall of Jericho, in which they were mentioned. This narrative is mostly known to us from the Bible: after the Exodus and 40 years in the desert, Moses' successor Joshua laid siege to a walled town in Judea. Using magical trumpets, the Jews brought down the walls of the Canaanite city and conquered it. While this story is well known among Abrahamic scholars, it is imperative to understand that even with Fringe knowledge, some myths possess only elements of truth.
We can make an educated assumption that the elements like "magical trumpets bringing down the walls of Jericho" are potentially correct, but we cannot place these events in the times of Exodus, coinciding with Bronze Age Collapse: The Awi couldn't have possibly existed this late en masse. Thus, there is a possibility that this narrative survived in oral tradition for several thousands years before it was written down in the Bible. Alternatively, it's highly probable that "the fall of Jericho" complete with the destruction of the city's walls was a recurring event.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Witnessing Witch Doctor's memory, the Foundation came to a conclusion that the Awi had a lot of relations with the ancestors of Fey: elves were present when the Sentinels of Ekha came to Jericho to ask for help against the Bestia. It is possible that they were allies or even a part of a common institution.

EXTINCT

Origin/Ancestry

Inhuman, Mediterranean

Lifespan

Unknown

Average Height

Estimated median height of 230 centimeters

Chronicler:

The Thracian Foundation

by Teyvill via Midjourney

The Thracian Foundation is a group of dedicated specialists from the XXIII century that research the Prehistoric Era with the use of technomagic. Their only two sources of information are archaeological findings, and the recordings left by a mysterious entity known as The Witch Doctor. The Foundation's articles are written in a style of report, mainly based on observations and conclusions, with a healthy dose of speculation.

City of Etho-Jero by Teyvill via Midjourney

by Teyvill via Midjourney