Avians are one of the smallest races in Arcardia and one of the few non-shapeshifting races. To outsiders they often seem skittish and slow to trust others, they generally just have a very quiet nature about them and tend to prefer the company of their own kind. Though being one of the smallest races in Arcardia probably plays a role in the reason for this sort of behaviour. Many Avians are also skilled hunters, however.
They are a rather uncommon sighting though; sometimes seen in cities, however not commonly known to actually reside there. Most Avians live in the outlands, in their own tightly knit communities. Very few locations are known, and the Avians like to keep it that way.
Avians are a bird-like humanoid race with a light-weight build. They are generally rather flexible and are known to be very agile and light on their feet. All Avians have feathered wings, tail feathers, and it may not be immediately obvious, but Avians do not possess any hair. Their 'hair' are actually just feathers. These feathers always appear on the head, as normal hair would on a human. Feathers also commonly appear down the spine, their elbows, shoulders, legs, and they can sometimes have light feathering on their faces. Depending on the breed, some avians can also have heavy feathering on their legs or necks. The rest of the Avians body is a semi-scaley kind of skin.
Avians wings vary in size and shape, though usually their wings are built for agility and short bursts of speed. They are not particularly known to be the greatest soarers compared to other flying species. Avians also have a single claw on each wing. They can't use it to pick objects up, instead it's often used to climb or hang onto things. This claw is always visible and they cannot hide it under their feathers.
In addition to their wings, Avians also have a sort of dual tail fan. At the base of the tail is a tail fan like any bird would have, and on the end of the tail is a secondary tail fan. Their tails can vary in length, but usually is about the same length as their body. It is also highly flexible and surprisingly quite strong.
Avians’ feathers tend to sport more dulled and natural colours. Browns, greys and dull blues are very common. Some avians may also have some more vibrant colouring used very sparingly, though it is rare. Like every other race of Arcardia, avians normal skin are all natural skin tones, but in some cases they may appear more greyed than usual.
There are a few different subspecies of avians, each specialised for a certain biome. Tropical Avians, Desert, Coastal, Mountain, and Northern. Mix breeds are rather common however, and there is still a lot of variety in each group.
Tropical Avians ▸ are the smallest avian subgroup, coming to about 4" - 4'4"ft on average. They often reside in dense forests and jungles, and excel in their agility and speed - these guys are excellent active fliers, they can zip in between trees and dense foliage with ease. Tropical Avians also have rather long tails which they use as an extra appendage when traversing the trees - it is quite strong despite its thin appearance. Their wing claws are also much longer and hooked, which aids them in climbing, and they often have one larger claw on their foot, their inner most claw. What these guys have in speed and agility though, they lack in stamina, as their style of flight takes a lot of energy, they cannot stay airborne for too long. Tropical Avians can have the most flashy colours of all the groups, they are the ones most likely to sport some spots of more vibrant colouring. Their diet mostly consists of fruits, insects, nuts, and occasionally meat.
Desert Avians ▸ , despite the name, reside in biomes far more varied than just arid deserts; biomes including the plains, sparse forests, moderately dense forests, and some mountainous areas or valleys. They are also the most common of all the types, and they're probably best described as a jack of all trades and master of none. They are decent soarers, can pick up some good speeds, and deal well with agility, and though they are the second smallest of all the avians, they often carry some more bulk. They come to about 4'2" - 4'5"ft on average. Desert Avians are opportunist hunters. Depending on their location they will eat fish, meat, or fruits. They aren’t fussy, but generally their diet mostly consists of meat.
Coastal Avians ▸ are experts of the sea. They have webbed feet and dense waterproof feathering, allowing them to dive and glide through the water with ease. They are the second most rare out of the groups, and also the most naked feathering wise. They usually come to about 4'4" - 4'7"ft on average and they have the longest wingspans. Their wings are narrow, long, and built for soaring and occasionally swimming. They are however heavily reliant on wind currents to fly, but have surprisingly good maneuverability, though they struggle with powered flight. Coastal avians typically have narrow ears and medium length tails. Their feathers usually sport heavily contrasting colours, like dark greys or browns and white. Their diet mostly consists of fish and some fruits.
Mountain Avians ▸ are the second largest of the groups. They reside in high altitude mountainous areas, temperate forests, and sometimes deserts. They excel in passive flight, spending a majority of their time soaring, and can reach some incredible speeds when diving. They are also able to switch to active flight rather easily, though their agility and maneuverability is rather lacking compared to other avians. Mountain avians generally come to about 4'7" - 4'10"ft. They have medium length tails and ears. Mountain avians usually feed on a diet of meat, bones, and very occasionally, fruit. Due to this, and their size, they are often viewed as the most dangerous of the avian subgroups - mostly by other avians.
Northern Avians ▸ are the largest of the subgroups, and the most rare. They typically reside in… well, the north. They come to about 4'10" - 5"ft on average. They’re built for colder weather and snow, sporting the most feathering of all avians. Their wings are large, broad, and are built to stay airborne for longer periods and have good maneuverability - they are also very quiet in flight, making them exceptional hunters - though all of this comes at the cost of very slow flight speeds. Their ears and tails are the shortest of all avians and their feathers are usually lighter colours; white, light browns, and greys. Northern Avians mainly feed on a diet of meat, with fruits coming in occasionally.
A KEEN EYE ▸ Avians are known to have exceptional eyesight, able to see rather well in the dark. They also have peculiar eyes. Their iris tends to be quite large, sometimes obscuring the sclera greatly, and their pupil is round. This appearance can make them look like little idiot guys tbh. Dumb stupid ass. Looking. 👁👁
SLIPPERY ▸ Hard to catch. These guys are very prey coded and so... they have some crazy reflexes. Be careful not to startle one or you'll either get kicked or watch a bird person turn into a living pogo stick.
Avians live in groups generally ranging from 30 - 200 individuals, usually found across the outlands. They're most commonly found residing in areas with lots of trees or mountains, generally places with coverage and higher altitudes. In saying all this, these settlements are usually hidden, and barely any locations are actually known - unless you're living in the outlands, Avians are almost unheard of.
In terms of how these settlements function...There isn't really a set in stone rule, as it isn't just one place. There are many avian settlements scattered across Arcardia, and each one will inevitably function slightly differently from one another, though there is a common pattern in them. These settlements, being outside of the mainlands and self-relying, do not live under any law apart from their own. As such, they also function very differently from most other places. As one might guess however, being detached from the rest of society, the way they live is, one could say ‘survivalist’ - they live off the grid. They often use electricity and modern instruments, though their houses and structures are mostly huts. Their villages look like what you might expect from a bunch of humanoid birds; often made of wood, rope - built up into trees and hard to reach areas by any flightless race. They usually have many wooden bridges connecting to their shelters and other platforms. The resources they use are almost all made by themselves, though there are some avians that sometimes visit nearby towns or cities for trade.
Also being an omni race, they are quite resourceful, and very commonly practise magic. Most Avians practising this tend to use passive abilities like healing - they are not so much into using magic in a destructive or flaunting way… especially since that’s a trait they associate with races that they don’t like.
As stated previously, Avians... usually keep themselves hidden rather well, and if their settlements are found, they're kind of difficult to get to for anyone who can't fly. They do this on purpose, and for good reason.
Avians always had a somewhat skittish nature about them, but it's become very obvious now more so than ever. Unfortunately Avians face poaching from other races - they are quite valuable in the outlands, sold for their wings, their feathers... There is a reason you don't see Avians around very often. Though Avians usually make their settlements hard to get to and find, there have been many times that these settlements of theirs are raided by vandals- the outcome is never pretty.
Due to all of this, avians do not let anyone in their settlements other than their own kind, with very rare exceptions - they often won't even let other Avians in from other settlements they don't know- sometimes even acting in hostility to anyone who wanders too close… and despite what many believe, avians are very capable in combat, especially in groups. They're quick, cunning, and won't hesitate to end those who threaten them or their kin.