The Seleventi Flocks
Back to Cloosidian | Seleventi (Main)
Anatinae
Bird: Duck
Characteristics: Slightly compact in form, the females of the Anatinae tend to be drab brown. The males, however, boast iridescent green plumage on the head and neck, and a similarly iridescent blue speculum on the wings.
General Demeanor: A very calm and simple people, the Anatinae tend to spend much of their time on or near the water, and are vegetarians by nature. Their groupings tend to be smaller as compared to some of the other Seleventi.
Aquilians
Bird: Eagle
Characteristics: Aquilians tend to be black-brown in color, with a pale golden crown and nape. Their wings are long, parallel-edged, and their legs and feet are quite strong and capable. Their long, curved talons. Their eyes are slightly larger than most Seleventi; their sight is keen, allowing them to spot figures from high in the air. Graced with a high stamina, Aquilians are able to fly for hours without needing rest.
General Demeanor: For the most part, Aquilians are solitary, quiet beings. There is no set tribe-rule; individuals are free to come and go as they please. This breed of Seleventi tends to mate for life.
Calypte
Bird: Hummingbird
Characteristics: Calypte are diminutive Seleventi with brightly colored plumage on the males, less so on the females (although they are still colorful in their own right). They have a single, tubular beak which makes them somewhat difficult to understand when they speak, unless the listener is familiar with Calypte dialect.
General Demeanor: The Calypte are usually very proud of their (few) accomplishments either as individuals or as a clan, and may become insulted if they are slighted. Generally, though, they do not hold grudges. This is due to the speed with which they do everything. The speak very quickly, eat quickly and often, and even their thought-processes are sped up. Because of this energy and speed, they are often employed as couriers or scouts (their ability to hover is well developed and offers them airborne maneuverability that other Seleventi envy). In addition, due to their quick thinking, they make good commanders for crisis situations, and although their solutions are sometimes less than well thought-out, they are rarely ever indecisive.
Cormorantians
Bird: Herons
Characteristics: The males standing on average at about six feet tall, the females five and a half, this breed of Seleventi has a large, spearlike beak, extended, thick necks, and long legs. They are usually black or brown with patches of white on the sides, their plumage smooth and well-tended. Their wings are powerful, adapted for both swimming and flying.
General Demeanor: Cormorantians are, by nature, stoic and thoughtful. Extremely patient, they are often tolerant of others' shortcomings. This is, of course, not a rule, and was probably adapted from their patience while fishing in the pools beneath the Aerie and because their general aloofness when around non-Seleventi.
Corvidians
Bird: Rook
Characteristics: A sociable, easygoing tribe despite their somber and often-intimidating appearance, the Rooks, as they are often called possess firm, powerful builds and feathers that are glossy black. They are sometimes mistaken for the Ravenians, although there are some subtle differences. For one, the Rooks are shorter than the Ravenians (male Rooks tend to be seven feet tall, while females tend to be five and a half to six feet tall). For another, the Rooks lack the short, stiff feathers that shield their nostrils, as the Ravenians have. Also, the Rooks' black plumage has a subtle, purplish sheen to it.
General Demeanor: As already mentioned, these Seleventi are sociable and easygoing. Many of them seem to gravitate towards a bard's way of life, if not the outright profession. Ironically, a "rook" is someone who is fond of games and suchlike. Friendly and affable, the Rooks are one of the more frequently seen tribes in the human settlements.
Craneans
Bird: Crane
Characteristics: Mostly white except for black primary feathers on wings (visible when wings are outstretched), Craneans have red plumage on the top and sides of their heads, beneath their eyes. Males and females share similar plumage. Their necks tend to be long, as are their legs. They are omniverous.
General Demeanor: Acting more towards a chaotic clan-life, the strongest social units of Craneans are pairs and families that combine into large, socially unstable clans. Craneans mate for life, and share in the upraising of young, and Cranean youths grow rapidly. Their calls trumpet loudly.
Cygnain
Bird: Swan
Characteristics: Cygnains are graceful creatures with white plumage and dark beaks. Elegant both in form and movement, Cygnains are well-aware of their beauty.
General Demeanor: Cygnains tend to travel in small groups, when at all. Sedentary by nature, they tend to be fiercely defensive of what they consider their home or territory.
Falconians
Bird: Falcon
Characteristics: Falconian males tend to have chestnut plumage, spotted with blue-greys, their bellies ranging in colors from a creamy pink to soft brown. The undersides of their long, pointed wings tend to be white, usually with a black tip and dark barring. Falconian females tend towards more muted colors, plain brown bodies with paler bellies, streaked with brown.
General Demeanor: Generally gregarious, Falconians are usually found in loose -- but large -- flocks. They are carnivorous and are skilled hunters.
Gavete
Bird: Loon
Characteristics: Extremely bird-like in appearance, the Gavete are characterized by long and pointed bills, reddish-brown to yellow eyes, and a double layer of feathers. The outer layer is comprised of long, stiff feathers that fit together in a water-tight layer an otter would envy. Coloration is primarily black and/or grey, with distinct white stripes and speck patterns across the wings and back. A white ring, solid or in stripes, circles the neck. The under layer, or down, is incredibly soft and fluffy, colored white.
General Demeanor: Willowy and graceful, the Gavete are a small clan with a tightly knit family structure. They are calm and reposed in nature, and their own particular dialect is very haunting. It is left to the Gavete to perform mourning and mystic ceremonies, as no other Seleventi clan's voice can quite match the humbling, frightening, and magical sound of a Gavete's song echoing off of the cliffs at the Aerie. The Gavete are immaculate in appearance, and if a fluff of down happens to be poking out from the contour feathers above, a Gavete might hide his/her face in embarrassment. It is a joke amongst the other clans to say someone is "As shy as a Gavete with her down showing.."
Hawkans
Bird: Hawk
Characteristics: Medium in size for a Seleventi, Hawkan males average six feet, while females average five to five-and-a-half. Plumage tends to be dark on their short, rounded wings, either a rich brown or a dark grey, while their bodies tend towards lighter hues, being cream-colored to light grey. Dark-speckled feathers are not uncommon. They are well-recognized for their extraordinary eyesight.
General Demeanor: Generally aggressive, the Hawkans are quick to defend their home territory. They've been known to travel and hunt in small groups of three or more Seleventi. Their eyesight, many times greater than that of a human, makes them valuable allies to any scouting mission.
Killer Shrikes
Bird: Shrike/Vulture mix
Characteristics: Shrikes are generally 7-9 feet tall, with females closer to the 6 or 7 foot mark. They are black skinned with wings and feathers all over the body and head ranging in color from deep gray, to silverish, to midnight, to rust red and they are the only beakless Seleventi. This makes their appearance seem extremely close to humans (they also do not have feathers on their faces. Characteristically, the race is varied with some members bearing more resemblance to Hawkans, some to Aquilians, and others to the more ferocious looking Vulturians. They posess long, dark feathers for the head (Like humans have long hair on their heads) and shorter feathers over their body (like humans have shorter hair over their bodies). Their hands and feet are taloned. Shrikes are NOT MEANT to resemble vultures.
General Demeanor: The Killer Shrikes are birds of prey and their personalities reflect this. They are defensive, skilled in martial art tactics, aeromantic magic, and have a tendency to be bloodthirsty.
Kites
Bird: Kites
Characteristics: Female Kites are very slightly smaller than the males, both in terms of length and weight. Males are traditionally grey-plumed with brown on the upper wing, while females tend towards brown plumage that bears white streaks on the face, chest, and throat. Both male and female have red eyes and a slender, curved hookbill.
General Demeanor: Due to the build of the Kites, their flight is a lot less graceful than other birds. Despite this detriment, the attitude of the Kites is more easygoing. They are often social creatures that travel in groups.
Larinath
Bird: Gulls
Characteristics: Mostly white, a Larin's shoulders are a pale bluish-gray. The thin wings are tipped in black, while the rest of the bird is whitish. A black ring surrounds the Larin's bill.
General Demeanor: Perhaps one of the more disliked of the Seleventi races due to their nature, the Larinath are raucous, mobbing, and selfish. Ironically, among their own, they are highly social, and are not above playing tricks or other "games" on the flightless humans. Boisterously disorderly, they are often seen as disagreeably harsh to those not of their own ilk.
Mimusi
Bird: Mockingbird
Characteristics: Mimusi plumage is dark gray on the wings and back, and gray-white on the being's belly. Conspicuous white patches dot the wings.
General Demeanor: Well known for their ability to imitate voices and songs, Mimusi have an uncanny ability to manipulate their voices. While defensive of their home territory, at the same time Mimusi are not above intrusion and theft to get what they wish.
Owlusians
Bird: Owl
Characteristics: In general, upper parts of the typical Owlusian's body are sooty brown with gray-brown mottling, and its dark underparts make its white throat stand out. Dark brown feathers are not unheard of, nor are mottled or snowy plumage, depending on ancestry.
General Demeanor: Owlusians are great hunters, and indeed, much of their time is often spent hunting. An Owlusian's vision is fair enough during the day, but their sight is sharper at nighttime, and their flights are near-silent, due to its loose, soft feathers. Solitary creatures, prone to settling in quiet places, Owlusians seem to enjoy the closeness of dense woodlands, or the security of cliffs and rocky canyons.
Parrotivian
Bird: Parrot
Characteristics: Perhaps the most varied in colors, Parrotivians have been seen with any number of bright colors gracing their feathers. Some have been called "stocky", though this is not a species-wide trait. Omnivorous, Parrotivians seem just as content to munch on fruits as dig into a meal of meat.
General Demeanor: Found in pairs or small flocks, Parrotivians tend towards loquaciousness. Territorial, it isn't uncommon to see skirmishes break out due to someone stepping too close to another's space. There is no set behavior for any of them, despite many similarities; it seems that their behavior varies as much as their plumage does. Some tend to prefer to save their strength and walk, rather than fly; as such, there are rumors of laziness that are sometimes associated with the Parrotivians.
Pavoans
Bird: Peafowl
Characteristics: Blessed among the Seleventi with extraordinary plumage, the female Pavoans have brown, bronze, and green-metallic coloration as well as a fine crest on their heads. Males sport a gorgeous, iridescent blue and green color. Pavoans, along with their thick wings, have long, graceful feathers at their tail-bones that splay behind them like a train of a gown (they're not actually tail-feathers; they're more of a cover to the bird's smaller, drab tail feathers).
General Demeanor: Quarrelsome, Pavoans are often misjudged as purely peaceful creatures due to their intense beauty. Strong and more than able to hold their own in a fight, Pavoans can be territoral and quick to fight. While quite able to fly, they don't prefer to for extended periods. They do not get along particularly well with other Seleventi; whether this is due to their quarrelsome nature or due to some sort of vanity, one cannot be sure.
Picons
Bird: Woodpecker
Characteristics: On the whole, "Pics" (as they are called) are dark-feathered, standing around five and a half to six feet for the males, and about five feet for the females. Most have very defined, well-muscled upper torsos. A shock of red feathers crowns the Picons' heads. Their beaks are pronounced and pointed; the contrast of crest-feathers to the dark of the rest of the plumage, as well as the sharpness of their beaks, often lends to a somewhat simpler look about them; it lends to the "savage" appearance they have.
General Demeanor: Generally, Pics are good-natured and easygoing, though their lack of technology marks them as on the edge of "savage" or "barbarian". Picons live in families that almost resemble packs, and only use crude technology; their society has yet to pass into the bronze age. The striking facet of Pic society is their oral tradition; their song-stories are shared with great vocal skill. It allows them to perform these stories, legends, myths, and fables in several different tongues -- many humans are particularly fond of the way it sounds in the common tongue.
Poeci
Bird:Chickadee
Characteristics: Poeci have short, plump bodies with dark plumage. Generally, their heads and throats are black, while their backs and wings tend to vary from dark greenish-gray to gray. White cheeks and eyebrows tend to soften this species' appearance. Poeci are well adapted for a cold environment, as the soft down next to their skin provides insulation, and their outer feathers are tight and waterproof.
General Demeanor: Perhaps one of the most approachable varieties of Seleventi, the Poeci are social and very cheerful in nature. Fun-loving, they are acrobatic, tree-loving creatures with fantastic agility.
Raggians
Bird: Raggiana Bird of Paradise
Characteristics: More colorful than even the Parrotivians, the Raggians are an exotic tribe with long, brightly colored plumage, bright outlooks on life, and bright personalities. It is not uncommon to see trailing orange plumes, a green-feathered breast, and a yellow crown and nape.
General Demeanor: The Raggians are probably the least combative of the Seleventi tribes, preferring instead to entertain the rest of the Seleventi with their high quality performance skills. Though not as elegant or serene as the Gavete, Raggians have their own unique voices and they use them often. (Think of the Gavete as opera singers and the Raggians as calypso, jazz, or folk). The community of Raggians is somewhat dispersed as they tend to be solitary creatures, rather than social. However, they tend to band together when necessary and also to hone their vocal skills.
Ravenians
Bird: Raven
Characteristics: Large and black, Ravenians sometimes are mistaken for Corvidians (the Rooks), for they both share similar body frames and dark plumage. They are larger than the Rooks, though, by a foot - the males stand an average of seven-and-a-half to eight feet tall. The female is slightly smaller than the male, though not by much. The long wings of the Ravenians help to differentiate themselves from the Rooks, as does the small, stiff feathers that shield their nostrils -- plumage that the Corvidians do not have. Their voices, also, are more rough than the Rooks' voices; Ravenians on the whole have hoarse-sounding voices.
General Demeanor: On the whole, Ravenians are territorial, resourceful, and crafty. Quick to learn, they are wary and may seem shy to those who don't know better. Ravenians are not a flocking breed, though it's not uncommon to see them in pairs. Skilled fliers, they frequently glide through the air and have great aero-acrobatic skills. They tend to prefer to have their homes in the mountains or around cliffs.
Rubrians
Bird: Flamingo
Characteristics: Tall and spindly, the average Rubrian stands eight to nine feet tall. They possess sweeping necks and arge, scooped bills. The plumage of a Rubrian vary from white to grey. Occasionally, even pink feathers can be found, although this last color is extremely rare. No Rubrian is born with pink feathers; it is a myth that, when born to pink-plumed parents and raised with other pink-plumed children, the offspring will develop pink feathers as well. (In truth, this is a result of a unique diet among the Rubrians of shellfish that gives the feathers their rare hue.) Rubrians have good hearing; vocalizations frequently allow slightly distant members to locate each other. Their vision is also strong, as during mating season, fine displays of the male's plumage tends to be done in groups. Their night-vision, though, is poor for a Seleventi's, yet slightly better than a human's. Rubrians seem to make up for their excellent hearing and vision by poorly developed senses of taste and smell.
General Demeanor: Rubrians are very social Seleventi; tribes of only a few individuals are rare. Being social by nature, these Seleventi do not hesitate to "mingle" where appropriate.
Sturns
Bird: Starling
Characteristics: Both male and female Sturns have iridescent green-glossed feathers that cover the back, neck, and breast. Their wings, black, occasionally have a veneer of green and purple. Their eyes tend towards the darker browns, and bill colors range from yellow to black.
General Demeanor: Gregarious by nature, Sturns may at times still show aggression towards strangers. For the most part, though, they are amenable to all company. Sturns are frequently in the company of other Sturns.
Vulturians
Bird: Vulture
Characteristics: Much like the birds themselves, Vulturian heads and necks are reddish in color and lack a feather covering, save for a thin layer of down. Vulturians have very large wings that form into a wide, shallow "V" when spread. A Vulturian's plumage is mostly black, though the wings are patterned with a silvery lining. Vulturians tend also to have frail beaks, though this is not a species-wide happenstance.
General Demeanor: Vulturians tend towards mystery, being quiet and secretive. When confronted, though, it's well known that Vulturians can be vicious. Despite their mystery, they seem to enjoy the company of their own; it's rare to see a Vulturian alone.
Zenaidi
Bird: Dove
Characteristics: Zenaidi plumage varies widely, from white to deep grey, and the presence of iridescent feathers is not uncommon.
General Demeanor: A peace-loving, yet fairly self-righteous group, the Zenaidi are dedicated to the well-being of their families, and loyal. They are also prone to study in Vivomancy, and make dedicated students.
For more information on the Seleventi, contact:
Back to Cloosidian | Seleventi (Main)
