Harpies

Harpies are a nomadic race that have existed long before humans and mer alike, even dating back to when arborea openly walked Estaerith. They live in small groups called flocks, more often than not in jungle and swamp environments. They are somewhat magically and technologically capable, but their survival is largely attributed to either fear of them or understanding of how little a threat they pose on their own. They are generally peaceful, although they can become extremely protective of egg clutches and fellow harpies. Unlike most other races, they lack a permanent 'capital' as such, preferring to stay in small groups and travelling throughout Estaerith, with only seasonal congregations of flocks. This helps ensure they do not deplete the resources of an area by overstaying. The harpies' claim to fame lies mainly with their domestication of dragons, huge fire-breathing sauropods commonly used for protection, companionship and as beasts of burden.

Anatomy & Appearance
Harpies are large birds with a vague resemblance to parrots in both shape, and with males, colors. They have extremely thick, strong hooked beaks, which coupled with their extremely dexterous and powerful talons turn them into quite a threat at close quarters. Harpies are also extremely well-balanced, which comes about from their constant one-legged stance, with one talon used to manipulate objects. They also possess fireproof feathers, made even more effective in their jungle habitats. A harpy usually reaches full size by about the age of ten, with sexual maturity following shortly after.

A female harpy is called a roc, and in most instances stands at about seven or eight feet covered in thick, drab plumage. Among these dull feathers are smatterings of green to aid in camouflage. They are extremely muscular, well built birds which serves them well when defending eggs, flocks, and in uprooting plants to eat. Although they have more than the ability to defend themselves, their thirteen foot wingspan is usually enough to deter any being thinking of threatening a flock, especially when combined with the roc's bellowing war-cry, her viciously strong, black beak and the occasional fireball. Despite this wingspan however, rocs are incapable of flight aside from gliding, preferring to use these wings for balance and fall protection.

A male harpy is called a phoenix, and stands at about three feet, decorated with bright, vivid plumage. This plumage is accompanied by long tail feathers and a small crest on the back of their heads, its aims to encourage rocs to mate with them and to aid recognition by other harpies. These feathers are not only vivid, but come in a vast variety of colours and patterns. A phoenix's small form also gives way to extreme dexterity and a sleek body, not only allowing them to fly unlike their female counterparts, but also to make them extremely adept at it too. This does come with the downside of attracting predators, along with their smaller forms making them easier to kill than rocs, yet by aiding flight makes them much harder to catch in the first place. Although they may be small in size, they are not wholly incapable of defense; a phoenix is capable of igniting the air around them to distract and intimidate any nearby predators, using the moment of lost focus to make their escape. This ability to light fires is also occasionally used to light fires atop nests and keep them warm. Such acts when first witnessed by other races gave way to the myth of phoenixes burning and rising from the ashes, although this is wholly untrue, for a phoenix - or any harpy - is nigh on impossible to burn as a result of their fire resistant feathers. Naturally, this magical defense mechanism is not available for anarcanic harpies. The wingspan of a phoenix is usually in the region of six or seven feet, most commonly resting between them at six and a half feet. Phoenixes' beaks are coloured a yellow-orange gradient with a white cere, making them somewhat precious to other races for their beauty.

Harpy Society
Harpies as a whole are extremely spiritual, particularly when it comes to nature. As a result they hold a deep respect for it, tending to and nurturing it wherever possible and for that reason, as a race, they are extremely beneficial to Estaerith. In charge of each flock is usually a dominant pair, normally the biggest, most productive members of the flock and more often than not having or had some sexual relations with one another. Like partners however, these leaders are changed periodically in time with the growth of their chicks into fledglings. As with any society or group, there are those who suffer and harpies are no exception. Those in the flock who are too much of a burden by eating more than they salvage are often hassled for food and territory, as well as being somewhat cast aside and disallowed from any leadership roles. They are however still protected from harm by their flock, but in some rare cases may become so discontent as to leave, although this usually ends badly with the death of said harpy. Of course it is only natural that they are treated this way, as by taking up more than they produce they are having an overall detrimental effect on the flock. From time to time one of these lone harpies may stumble across a flock of similarly mistreated kin, there is such a flock located in Almas. Occasionally, those who are simply disliked by the majority of the flock are also expelled or harrassed.

Harpies have no means of currency, preferring to trade things between flocks and races. Goods are not the only things traded when flocks congregate: members, information and philosophies are all shared with one another, although such congregations are usually only seasonal.

Spirituality
Harpies believe in a mystical balance to the world, of balancing nature, good and evil simultaneously. Their most common belief is that there is far too much evil in the world, and that it is their job to purge it by 'banishing demons' and to restore good by tending to those parts of the world damaged.

When a harpy passes away, rather than believing in any sort of afterlife, they believe that their energies are somewhat recycled back into the world. This in actual fact is somewhat true, as when a being dies their essence. having been in the underworld for long enough, may be converted into magic, an underlying force throughout Estaerith. Harpies also believe in a basic form of reincarnation, where one's karma is molded into another being, but the consciousness is lost.

Sexual Relations
Being akin to a majority of bird species, the way in which harpies mate is relatively similar. During mating, a roc is more often than not mounted by a phoenix, and from there sperm flows from his cloaca into hers. Whilst not necessarily doing this for recreational purposes, there is usually some degree of desire to do this for reproductive purposes. Harpies usually switch partners once all of their chicks have grown into fledglings and returned to the main outpost to form flocks, although occasionally this isn't the case. When two harpy flocks meet there is usually some degree of 'member trading' between the two, so as to decrease the chances of inbreeding between harpies.

Diet
Harpies are a largely herbivorous species, feeding mainly on roots, large leafy plants, and just about any fruit they could find. Many harpies are quite fond of coconuts, and it's not uncommon for flocks to take a detour to the seaside to obtain them.

Interracial Relations
Humans - For harpies, humans are often thought of as demons, a view springing from their their first encounters which are somewhat horrific for them to look back on. Humans initially did not realize that the large birds were in fact a sapient species, hunting phoenixes for their both beautiful and fireproof feathers and beaks, and rocs for their meat and equally fireproof feathers. The majority of this behavior ceased after it became common knowledge that they were sapient, although rare incidents of poaching still take place. For this reason, most harpies see humans as demons that need to be purged from Estaerith. Humanity's elven ancestors also hunted harpies prior to their extinction, and over time the stories have slowly molded this into being humans responsible.