Akoran
The Akorans are bird-like humanoids who inhabit jagged belts, distant mountain peaks, and islands influenced by elemental air magic. These avian folk were some of the first to mutate and adapt to their new homes in the Sky, gaining their wings after only a single generation. No one is exactly sure how this rapid evolution occurred, but few could argue that in the land of the Sky, the bird man is uniquely suited to survive.
Akorans are a proud people, viewing themselves as the true people of the Sky, as they are one of the few races capable of traversing between islands without the aid of Sky Ships. Doing so is a feat of extreme athleticism, as many islands are multiple days apart, if not weeks, but through a combination of endurance training and using smaller floating rock formations as rest stops, the Akoran were exploring the Skies long before even the Skyborn found their passion for flight.
As they were exploring the Skies a full century before even the first Sky Ships were invented, the Akorans settled wherever they liked and interacted with only a few societies before the advent of flying technology. Early interactions with the other races were fought with misunderstands and sometimes violence, as those locked to their islands only saw the bird-men as some new potential threat. It took generations for the rift caused by these early meetings to heal, but even then, some Akorans still nurse sentiments against ground dwellers, believing them savage and prone to bursts of aggression.
Among the Akorans are very rarely born "Great" akorans. Great akorans stand roughly 1.5 meters taller than the akoran average, and take an additional three years to reach full maturity. Great akorans are visibly more muscular than their peers, and their wing span is much larger. The life span of great akorans is also extended, as they live anywhere between 50 to 60 years. Great akorans are believed to be chosen for greatness by the The Air Titan, known to the akorans as the God-bird Koobalisnutu'cal.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Akorans resemble a humanoid harpy eagle, with thick neck plumage that they can control by flexing the musculature of their neck. Fully grown Akorans are covered in gray, white, and black feathers which form unique patters across their bodies. They have both a set of arms and a set of wings, enabling them to carry multiple objects while still maintaining flight. The flesh of both their forearms and past their caffs is yellow, and the digits of both their hands and feet are long, and naturally end in viciously sharp black talons.
Genetics and Reproduction
Akoran's do not give birth to live young, rather, the females of the species lay eggs which are fertilized by the males. The gestation process of an Akoran egg is roughly 5 months, a massive time investment to creatures with such a short natural life span.
Growth Rate & Stages
Akorans are a notably quick growing race, reaching full mental and physical maturity within three to four years. Adolescent Akorans have only white feathers, and only begin developing new colours just before they reach maturity. While adult Akorans are capable of reproduction as soon as they reach maturity, the bird-folk generally wait until they have reached their 10th year before they start having children.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Akorans subsist mainly on hunting, foraging, and trading with other races. The ability to fly gave akorans a massive advantage over the other people of the Sky, as they were able to easily hunt the various flying creatures who learned to avoid landing on inhabited islands. Whales are the akorans largest traditional prey, with a single kill being able to support a colony for weeks, if not months.
Biological Cycle
Akorans age at a far more rapid rate than the other races, with the eldest Akorans barely living past their 30s. This creates some difficulty in inter-special relations, as the akoran population is in a constant state of flux.
Additional Information
Facial characteristics
The face of the akoran resembles that of a large predatory bird, and as such, has a limited range of emotional expression. Instead, akorans use their neck plumage to express emotion, which they control via the muscles in their neck. Learning the subtleties of akoran emotional expression is difficult for non-akorans, but possible with enough time and effort. Likewise, akorans struggle to understand the facial expressions of non-akorans.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Akorans are naturally sharp eyed, leading them to favor ranged weaponry over melee arms. Their eyes can naturally perceive farther than the other races, allowing them to spot dangers in the distance more readily.
Civilization and Culture
Courtship Ideals
Akorans mate for life, a relationship so intimate that most of the other races view akoran love as a form of obsession. In its healthiest form, akoran love is a selfless thing, the joining of two beings in such a way that the two will never know true loneliness again. In its ugliest form, akoran love is jealously guarded, erratic, violently possessive, and incredibly erratic. Some akoran create a bond so strong that they can always find each other, no matter the distance between them.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Akorans speak Auran exclusively, very rarely learning common Primordial or any of the languages of the ground-bound races.
Common Dress Code
Akoran have no need for clothes, as they are already insulated from the cold by their protective coating of feathers. What clothing they do wear denotes their rank within society, generally in the form of scarves, or drapery than hangs from their neck of shoulders, or else is practical, leather armour made from the hide of flying serpents or whale and studded with bone.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Akorans do not write Auran, but rather, communicate using a photographic system of hieroglyphs to describe the world around them. Akorans use their naturally sharp claws to carve these glyphs into chunks of stone, pieces of wood, or any flat surface. As akorans have explored most, if not all of the known Skies, these glyphs can be found almost anywhere, usually denoting an interesting feature of terrain, an event that happened nearby, or simply that an akoran was there at some point.
The lack of the written word means that akorans rely on verbal storytelling and memorization in order to communicate culture from one generation to the next. Storytellers themselves are valued members of akoran communities, elevated to almost shamen-like positions within the community. Often times, storytellers are literal druids, the secrets of elemental magic being passed on to them with the stories that they keep.
Additionally, one of the akorans most sacred traditions is wind chime making. Wind chimes play an important part of akoran spiritual life, as it is believed that only by passing through wind chimes can a spirit be free to rest. Settlements of the bird-folk are full of such wind chimes, the crafting of which is a frequent hobby of many akoran. Akoran wind chimes are generally made out of whalebone or wood, and are carved over time using their razor sharp talons.
Common Myths and Legends
Akorans believe that their species was created by the God-bird Koobalisnutu'cal, lord of the winds and the dead (also known as The Air Titan). Specifics on the myth vary from storyteller to storyteller, but it is generally agreed that at some point the Koobalisnutu'cal appeared before the proto-akorans and infused them with elemental air, causing them to rapidly mutate into the beings they are today. Some describe Koobalisnutu'cal as a giant bird, others as a massive akoran, while others still describe something far more ethereal, a being made of pure wind.
Koobalisnutu'cal is said to guide souls to peace so that they may return to the air. To akorans, the "breath" of life is all too literal, as the soul is believed to literally be air. Gasses leaving the body after death is seen as the soul escaping the body, returning to the air from which it was pulled. Wind chimes play an important role in akoran spiritual tradition, as it is believed that lost souls can find peace by finding their way through wind chimes, symbolically releasing one last utterance before returning to the either. It is said that storytellers can hear the voices of the dead in wind chimes.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Due to their lack of facial expressions, many assume the bird-folk are naturally emotionless and dispassionate. This is far from the truth, as anyone who understands akoran emotional expression can attest, yet the stigma still remains. This stereotype is not helped by the fact most people in the Sky will not interact with an akoran during their life time, and that some akorans still believe themselves to be superior to those who dwell on the land below.
Lifespan
30 years.
Average Height
Akorans stand between 1.6 meters to 1.8 tall.
Average Weight
Akorans are generally anywhere between 36 kilograms to 45 kilograms in weight. The larger of the species, the greater akorans, are anywhere between 20 to 30 kilograms heavier than their smaller counterparts.
Related Ethnicities
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