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The Heiratha, commonly known to humans as "harpies", are bipedal, humanoid birds. They live high in the peaks of the Iridian mountains, placing their nests and communities in places nearly unreachable by those without the gift of flight. They live mostly as scavengers and hunters, with no agriculture to speak of. Their location has very limited vegetation, forcing them to travel fairly far down the mountain to hunt. There they also gather resources for tools and house building. Their houses are little more than cliffside shacks but still protect well form wind and rain. As weapons, they typically make do with rocks, which they hurl onto their enemies or prey from on high, but they so also use spears and bows, but the materials to make them are hard to come by, the craft of making them time-consuming, and for most situations, a rock dropped from sufficient height is enough, so for hunting they simply don't bother.
Before the war, the Heiratha got most of their clothes, and all their knives and other metal tools by stealing from the nearby human settlements, and from travellers on the roads. As such, these items were very valuable to them, as acquiring them was dangerous and could risk causing the humans sending punitive forces to try to clear out the mountains. When food was short, they also stole livestock and other food from the humans, as the risk of retaliation means little when the alternative is starvation.
Despite all this, the Heiratha are not a stupid, or even uncultured race. They have their own written language, their own traditions and arts. But when survival is the main concern, it is hard to advance. In fact, before the humans expanded into their area, they had agriculture, and even metallurgy, but they were no match for the humans, and within two generations, they were forced to abandon all arable land, and all their mines. This happened centuries ago, before even the three-way war, according to the Heiratha legends, and since then, they have lived their current lives, hiding away in the mountains.
Their location lets them lead relatively safe lives, despite the food shortage. But also isolates them somewhat from the other races. As such, it took several years for the news of the end of the war to reach them. In fact, the event that made them aware of the fact, was when a joint force showed up at their mountains, after one of their raids on one of the human villages where taken as a violation of the Ending pact. Luckily, only a few lives were lost before the confusion was resolved. Once it became clear that the Heiratha had not yet signed the Ending Pact, and that they had only risked raiding the village because of a lack of food, the council decided to cancel the joint attack, and instead provide aid to the Heiratha.
For the first time in time immemorial, the Heiratha were able to leave their mountain homes freely, and without fear for their lives. Despite this, most of them stayed put, centuries of fearing the humans binding them. Agrha'ha'leigough Decreerhaachiii Crchacket, one of the few Heiratha who spoke the common tounge, and one of their most respected elders, was selected as their representative, and along with a few trusted warriors, left to join the council, and represent the Heiratha. For most of them, however, life remained largely unchanged, though with food being much less scarce, more time could be given to learning, and thus, many of the young of the Heiratha learned to speak the common tongue, some even learning how to read and write in it. But even amongst these young ones, fear of the humans is deeply ingrained, and it will probably be many years until they are fully integrated.
Before the war, the Heiratha got most of their clothes, and all their knives and other metal tools by stealing from the nearby human settlements, and from travellers on the roads. As such, these items were very valuable to them, as acquiring them was dangerous and could risk causing the humans sending punitive forces to try to clear out the mountains. When food was short, they also stole livestock and other food from the humans, as the risk of retaliation means little when the alternative is starvation.
Despite all this, the Heiratha are not a stupid, or even uncultured race. They have their own written language, their own traditions and arts. But when survival is the main concern, it is hard to advance. In fact, before the humans expanded into their area, they had agriculture, and even metallurgy, but they were no match for the humans, and within two generations, they were forced to abandon all arable land, and all their mines. This happened centuries ago, before even the three-way war, according to the Heiratha legends, and since then, they have lived their current lives, hiding away in the mountains.
Their location lets them lead relatively safe lives, despite the food shortage. But also isolates them somewhat from the other races. As such, it took several years for the news of the end of the war to reach them. In fact, the event that made them aware of the fact, was when a joint force showed up at their mountains, after one of their raids on one of the human villages where taken as a violation of the Ending pact. Luckily, only a few lives were lost before the confusion was resolved. Once it became clear that the Heiratha had not yet signed the Ending Pact, and that they had only risked raiding the village because of a lack of food, the council decided to cancel the joint attack, and instead provide aid to the Heiratha.
For the first time in time immemorial, the Heiratha were able to leave their mountain homes freely, and without fear for their lives. Despite this, most of them stayed put, centuries of fearing the humans binding them. Agrha'ha'leigough Decreerhaachiii Crchacket, one of the few Heiratha who spoke the common tounge, and one of their most respected elders, was selected as their representative, and along with a few trusted warriors, left to join the council, and represent the Heiratha. For most of them, however, life remained largely unchanged, though with food being much less scarce, more time could be given to learning, and thus, many of the young of the Heiratha learned to speak the common tongue, some even learning how to read and write in it. But even amongst these young ones, fear of the humans is deeply ingrained, and it will probably be many years until they are fully integrated.
Full Name: Ir'na-lehigha Crchacket
"Human" name: Leihra (pronounced roughly "lay Ra")
Age: 17
Date of Birth: Early spring or late summer, depending on your definition.
Gender: Female
Place of Birth: Iriden Mountains
Race/Ethnicity/Species: Heiratha
Height: 5'5" when standing normally/crouched (also roughly how tall she would be with normal legs), 6'7" when stretching/standing straight.
Weight: 125 (her bones are lighter than human ones, though this only cuts off ~10-15 pounds, so she is still very light for her height, considering her wings)
Hair Color: Black
Hair Length: Reaches 1/3 of the back.
Hairstyle: Normally kept in a bun at the back of the head
Eye Color: Yellow
General Body Description: Hands and feet, from elbows and knees, are birdlike, and a pair of long wings extend from the back, just above the hip, but otherwise looks like a normal, if somewhat skinny, human girl.
Typical clothing style: Used to wear whatever clothes were available, but now that she has options, she likes large, soft clothes, like oversized cotton jackets and pants, preferably ones easily removed. Underneath, she normally wears tight-fitting shorts and a sports bra (or binds her chest, if those are not available in the setting), as her other, bulky clothes are a bit impractical when flying, she often removed them and puts them in her bag when she goes flying.
Birthmarks:
Tattoos:
Scars:
Picture (link if available): tinyurl.com/y4glst5z (found on google)
Personality: Eager to learn, but scared of the others,
Quirks: A bit skittish, especially around humans. Often sits like in the picture.
Strengths: Can fly. Quite clever.
Weaknesses: A bit physically fragile, has not received any proper education before. Doesn't speaks or write the language fully fluently.
Domicile: Princeps
Aspirations: Wants to prove to herself and the world that the Heiratha are just as capable as the other races, and hopefully one day lead her people.
Backstory: She's the grand-daughter of the Heiratha ambassador, both otherwise, she's much like any other Heirathian, and has lived a fairly secluded life, only very occasionally interacting with the other races. This won't be the first time she speaks to a human, but it won't be far of either.
Extra Info: She is the first and so far only Heiratha to attend the academy or any other propper school, for that matter.
"Human" name: Leihra (pronounced roughly "lay Ra")
Age: 17
Date of Birth: Early spring or late summer, depending on your definition.
Gender: Female
Place of Birth: Iriden Mountains
Race/Ethnicity/Species: Heiratha
Height: 5'5" when standing normally/crouched (also roughly how tall she would be with normal legs), 6'7" when stretching/standing straight.
Weight: 125 (her bones are lighter than human ones, though this only cuts off ~10-15 pounds, so she is still very light for her height, considering her wings)
Hair Color: Black
Hair Length: Reaches 1/3 of the back.
Hairstyle: Normally kept in a bun at the back of the head
Eye Color: Yellow
General Body Description: Hands and feet, from elbows and knees, are birdlike, and a pair of long wings extend from the back, just above the hip, but otherwise looks like a normal, if somewhat skinny, human girl.
Typical clothing style: Used to wear whatever clothes were available, but now that she has options, she likes large, soft clothes, like oversized cotton jackets and pants, preferably ones easily removed. Underneath, she normally wears tight-fitting shorts and a sports bra (or binds her chest, if those are not available in the setting), as her other, bulky clothes are a bit impractical when flying, she often removed them and puts them in her bag when she goes flying.
Birthmarks:
Tattoos:
Scars:
Picture (link if available): tinyurl.com/y4glst5z (found on google)
Personality: Eager to learn, but scared of the others,
Quirks: A bit skittish, especially around humans. Often sits like in the picture.
Strengths: Can fly. Quite clever.
Weaknesses: A bit physically fragile, has not received any proper education before. Doesn't speaks or write the language fully fluently.
Domicile: Princeps
Aspirations: Wants to prove to herself and the world that the Heiratha are just as capable as the other races, and hopefully one day lead her people.
Backstory: She's the grand-daughter of the Heiratha ambassador, both otherwise, she's much like any other Heirathian, and has lived a fairly secluded life, only very occasionally interacting with the other races. This won't be the first time she speaks to a human, but it won't be far of either.
Extra Info: She is the first and so far only Heiratha to attend the academy or any other propper school, for that matter.