Mìsii ([mi:si:])

What are the Mìsii?

Mìsii is a "parent" species that refers to small, intelligent birds that are capable of carrying messages or relaying orders between other people and other races. The dominant two sub-species are the Aszilmìsii (Bluebirds) and the Blàmìsii (Snowbirds).

Singular and Plural Forms

• Singular (gender-neutral, see below): Mìs, Aszilmìs, Blàmìs (sometimes Blàmì depending on which words follow)
• Plural: As above, (Aszil)(Blà)mìsii, no variants.
• Racial: if referring to a "bird who is of the Mìsii" then, Mìsi

Non-Gender Neutral Singular Forms

As with other aspects of Foyiitùn, optional endings exist if a blue/snow bird's ownee uses gender specific terms:

• Female: (Aszil)(Blà)mìsà
• Male: (Aszil)(Blà)mìsé

Though it should be noted that this is rare.

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Shared Traits

Appearance

The Mìsii are small, lightly-feathered birds with pointed, fingerless wings. While their names are derived from their dominant colour, all subspecies have obvious flecks or stripes of a contrasting colour. In the case of the Aszilmìsii, their brilliant blue is highlighted with a sun- or wheat- yellow, while the Blàmìsii feature dark-grey, or sometimes mid-blue. The Aunwii, being the darkest-coloured of all three, had orange or red stripes on their tails, and highlights around their eyes.

Purpose

Beyond the natural drives for food, partnering and reproduction, the Mìsii were capable of transmitting messages (or in the case of military application, orders) between other sentient species. While they themselves only "spoke" in their own high trills and melodic twitters, what they communicated was understood by those capable of doing so. This led to it being called Sky-Speech.
It is believed that this was granted by Aevyen, the Element of Air (from which Aevyten - wind, or literally living air - is derived), without which no creature could fly. And though not Myst Sensitive in themselves, it appears their song carried a thread of magicks.

Remaining Hidden

What did appear to be some sort of arcane ability was that all Mìsii were capable of silently flying and remaining hidden when they chose to. That is not to say they could not be detected, for no mystical power is infallible, but the importance of their missions placed a necessity for a said missive to actually be delivered.
That said, the Mìsii and the Aunwii ("Ravens" in Common Tongue) usually worked either against each other, or for people on opposite sides of an argument or conflict. It is thought by the Foyii the Aunwii may be able to detect the Mìsii - and vice versa, but this cannot be objectively proven and no winged messenger of any race appears willing to divulge that information.

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Aszilmìsii

While all Mìsii had the ability to remain hidden, when that was not needed, the Bluebirds would happily spread their colour anywhere joy was needed. "Golden Blue" is how the flash was often described, despite being an oxymoron, at least in Qal'ath. Their songs reflected the tone of the message and their emotions were usually very clear, even to one who could not interpret their messages.
The Aszilmìsii were active in the Spring and Summer. Most hibernated, but some more inquisitive ones found different shelters in Autumn and Winter. Hibernating or not appeared to be a matter of preference rather than survival.

Aunwii

While here is not the place for a full explanation of the Aunwii, it makes sense here to clarify that they too act like, and share traits with the Mìsii. Were they to have a more explicit name, Aumìsii (or Aunìsii) would be appropriate.
However, they are not in the same biological family, which is probably the reason they were given a different descriptor after their colour.

Blàmisii

Hailing from Frostplain, the Blàmisii used physical camouflage to protect them from local predators. Therefore similar to the Deenfeiss Leen Kyadii, they were mostly white with light grey or blue flecks. Unlike their Bluebird counterparts, the Blàmìsii were hard to "read" by one who could not understand them. All their songs sounded melancholic whether the message was positive or negative. That said, away from the snowy plains and heights, they too enjoyed bringing a smile to people's faces when they rushed past, a bright white against the green of the trees or blue of the lake.
The Blàmìsii did not hibernate. Instead, if they had been working away from Frostplain, they would return to it for a time and later return to where they were needed. It was this behaviour that gave rise to the idea of "free travel weeks" trumpeted by the various workers' rights movements between 300-375AFD, which ended with three of these being granted to every paid worker per Ana.

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Who Owned Who?

It is (or was depending on whether this is still in existence to the one reading this Archive entry) common to see a Mìs coupled with a bipedal sentient - or rarely, a quadrupedal one. However this is not the mark of ownership, despite no Mìs having ever abandoned its ally for being described as "My Snowbird". After all, life partners belong to each other but do not own each other. A child belongs to a parent (or similar) but they are not property.
If "ownership" were rightly described it would be the Mìsii who own their other sentient, not vice versa. This is more clearly observed when one of them, having been seen performing normal "natural" activities alights on the shoulder of one who can understand them for the first time. This is called the "claiming" - the two are bound together for as long as it is needed, but the choice is ever the bird's.

Not Exclusive

While a person was the only one to be claimed by a Mìs, they would not be the only one able to request their aid and be granted it. However, a messenger will not act against the interests of their ally.

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Known Allies of the Mìsii

One does not use Aevyen's gift of the Mìsii. One requests aid from them.

Ki-E-Vwa

The message carriers are not tools to be wielded at will, nor weapons to be strategically employed. Though they can change (and have changed) the tide of battle, in the same manner as they are not "owned" they cannot be constrained or pressured into using their skills. Instead, one allies with them. The same is true of the Aunwii mentioned above.
People-groups known to have some able to converse with the Mìsii:

• The Crystal Circle: specifically Jakarrn and Claris.
• The Foyii/Woodsmen
• Various individuals across the Byantē Alliance were recorded as having worked with them, though this was more about their background than the Alliance per se, which was not in the habit of trusting messages to interpreters.

HIstorical Note/Disputed/Unconfirmed

It is thought, though not proven, that the sorcerers of Zykyrn Pilkarrz, and the original Qalathii - those we called the Auskàlii - made use of creatures to convey messages of utmost secrecy. Whether these were birds as the Mìsii of today, or the dumb Mìshòndii Qal'ath sends into battle, is not clear however.

Theories on Cross-Race and Cross-Language Communications
Frehghan, c 509 AFD

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Elemental Mìsii Familiars

A final aspect of this relates to so-called Elemental Mìsii - temporary familiars created for a purpose. These could be created by nature (or the Elements, depending on your worldview), or by a Mage skilled at weaving elemental "wisps" together into a tangible form. The messages they carried were whispered to the recipient in the Mage's own voice and words, rather than having a song of their own.

Natural Elemental Mìsii

These could appear and represent any one of the six Elements, but never more than one. It was also obvious (in most cases at least) which Element they drew on. In the Common Tongue these were

• "Firebirds"
• "Sunswan" (Light)
• "Flowfeather" (Water)
• "Greycrest" (Sky)
• Kalànerd (which retained its Foyiitùn name, meaning "rock of the ground")

The only Elemental Mìsii that was hard to spot was the Aevyàwii (Windwing) which were so translucent as to be pratically invisible, especially during the daytime.
Why Did Nature Make Them? While one cannot converse with Nature itself, nor the Orb of Savàni for that matter, the reasons can be easily derived by the messages being delivered. Examples of the purposes disclosed after the fact are:

• To warn of an Elementally-damaging imbalance.
• To warn of a risk to life as a result of a natural event (for example, an impending groundquake)
• To encourage someone, or some people, that the Elements were with them.
• To temporarily imbue weapons with their element in the pursuit of balance, but never destruction (including the killing of another being).

Created Elemental Mìsii

Not just any Mage could create one, for it was a concentrated form of a pure Element. If they wished to retain it even for a few days, other ways must be found to replenish that Element within nature. To retain one permanently, the Mage would be aware that it was bound to a covenant with that Element, meaning any action against it may cause the created Mìs to attack the Mage before dissipating back into its natural Element.
Unlike other creations, one could not command an Elemental Mìs to fight for you - even in your defence. If that Mage were fighting a threat to their Element then it was reasonable to presume the Mìs would assist in that matter.

What Forms Did They Take?

Whatever form was in the Mage's mind during the invocation. While they were often winged creatures, it did not need to be so. All except the Element of Erdé could be formed into flying Mìsii, whether winged or not. Erdé-Mìsii were grounded, wheather winged or not.

So Why Were They Created?

• Message Carrying in Birdsong: if the Mage in question could already converse with natural Mìsii, then messages granted to the created Mìs would resonate with it such that the link to the natural Mìs' passed into the created one. This enabled an "unclaimed" person to commuicate with the Mìs of a "claimed" person in birdsong.
• Company: often the life of a Mage was a lonely one, and it was not unheard-of that a Mage would create a creature to accompany them. In such cases, they were glad to be indebted to the Elements and more than happy to replenish the cost. Such creatures formed bonds with their creators, so long as Nature itself was honoured.
• Visual Impact: to those who do not know how these Mìsii are formed, they can be imposing, blinding or threatening. On the other hand, Mages past have formed Sunswans to demonstrate they come in peace and to bring hope. Even though they cannot fight for you in most cases, having one alongside can help (or potentially hinder) the cause you stand for.

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Basic Information

Dietary Needs and Habits

Blàmisii ate mostly grubs or small worms that could be found under layers of snow, or in sheltered cracks of mountains. The Aszìlmìsii ate similarly "out in the wild" but would also partake in their "ownee's" (non-meat) foods; bread, cakes, fruit etc.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

The Aszìlmìsii are native to the Forest of Doon, and the Blàmìsii to Frostplain. This is where you would find them except in only two other cases:

1. If flying between regions on a mission
2. Where the person they had "claimed" lived outside of their birthplace.

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Lifespan

20-25 Ana

Conservation Status

All Mìsii are deemed either "protected" (in the case of Qal'ath and Byantē) or "sacred" (in the case of the Foyii).

Geographic Distribution

• Byantē Alliance Territory
• Everspring
• Frostplain

Common Names

Bluebird, Snowbird

Elemental Alignment

Aevyen

Elemental Sensitivities

Aevyen, Ousii, Erdé

Languages Spoken

Sky-Speech, Song

Languages Understood

Common Tongue, Foyiitùn

Languages Not Understood

Rarshk, Ancient Shevezzi

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Special Abilities

Wind-Cut, Far-Song, Aevykyl

Chronicler's Note:
While the Mìsii are known to be capable of these three spells (though whether one could classify them as incantations, is up for debate), the only one they employ with frequency is so-called "Wind-Cut". Also known as "Wing-Cut", it enabled their travel at great distances much quicker than normal flight. As with normal spellcraft, however, they needed time to rest and take food between uses.
Those who send an Aszilmìs or Blàmis must be aware that multiple urgent messages should be requested from multiple birds. Sadly, I do note a few documented occasions of Messenger Birds dying as a result of Elemental Essence Degradation caused by over-exertion.

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Ki-E-Vwa smiled, “Yes, I believe your Bluebird has delivered that message. They are at the Forest’s edge following a sign.”
“I do not have a Bluebird,” Jakarrn frowned.
“No you do not.” the Chief replied, his eyes twinkling with amusement, “Rightly, the Bluebird has you.”

Dag Drei
Wrenched (draft)
FJ Brodie