Fethren

The Fethren are pacifistic, mountainous avian humanoids with flight abilities and heightened senses compared to humans.

## Physical Anatomy & Description

The Fethreni scientific name, *Dwu-Oxed Thoni*, Can be easily picked apart and understood. *Dwu* is the prefix used for Enderian species such as Endermen, and *Oxed* for Overworld species. *Thoni* is an abbreviation of the Kjafig word for "bird", in reference to the Fethreni being an avian species. The name *Dwu-Oxed Thoni,* when put together, tells of an avian species of Enderian and Overworld descent.

### Anatomy

Fethren anatomy varies from person to person, but consistently, all Fethreni have wings of some kind and birdlike legs. They can have other birdlike features such as tails, feathers in extra places, even a sort of beaklike structure in some (beaks are very rare, however). The ratio of bird-to-human is never more than 3-2.

Wing size and shape can vary wildly, but majority of Fethreni are capable of flight. Wing “forms” typically take one of two types: Wings connected to the shoulders where arms would be on a human, and wings on the back that are disconnected from a pair of humanlike arms.

Their legs typically become birdlike at or above the knee, but can start as far up as the lower hips. The number and placement of toes/talons can vary, but almost always have two or three in front and one in the back. For Fethren iwith larger wings, claws are typically longer and more hooked, like that of common birds of prey (Ex. Eagles, Hawks, Vultures, etc).

Any and all additional features are hereditary. Features such as feathered tails and wing-shaped ears are common, but not consistent. Extra feathers in places like the arms and torso/back areas are somewhat common, but are not as often seen as tails and winged ears. Beaks are incredibly rare and don't have a consistent shape.

Feather colours and patterns have a nearly unlimited range, being anything from earthy colours to some of the brightest in the Overworld. Patterns are typically limited to spots or stripes, but some wing patterns have some very unique layering effects with multiple colours (take, for instance, the Scarlet Macaw or the Golden Pheasant).

There are no by-definition subspecies of Fethren. Rather, all Fethreni are based on an individual species of real birds. This species affects the colour of the Fethren’s feathers and, sometimes, their skin or parts of it. They are also referred to as the Fethren's "aspect", or reflection of who they are. In many cases, Fethreni study their aspect and aspire to honor the aspect's lifestyle.

### Abilities

Roughly 90% of all Fethreni have wings that are capable of flight. There are cases of Fethreni with naturally smaller wings or wings that were not properly developed when younger, but such cases are incredibly rare without the instance of an injury to the Fethren at a young age. In general, wing shapes are built for different types of flight depending on the world they adapt to. For the most part, however, most Fethreni are capable of:

- Soaring

- Diving

- Moderate Agility

- Moderate Speed

These attributes shift depending on the individual and their natural skills, but each skill can be built up with practice.

## History

### Species Development

The Fethreni evolved from the dragonlike Enderian creatures known as the Dracyni. They were first born from the hybrids of Dracyni and visiting species from the Overworld. Around twelve thousand years ago, these Dracyn hybrids were forcibly removed from their homeland alongside all the humans, and the hybrids ended up settling in the mountains because they were nearly as cold as their homeland. Over time, their bodies adapted to the cold with feathers instead of dragon wings, and they lost the magic that naturally came to the Dracyni. The Fethreni bodies became more humanlike and sensitive to temperatures, but the feathers they grew helped them stay warm in the cold mountains they chose to use as their new homes.

### Language Development

Kjafig first began developing when the Dracyn hybrids were exiled from their homeland and were forced to resettle in the mountains of the world. When their populations consisted of only a few thousand, they began learning the different languages of the Overworld.

These eventually combined into Proto-Tixemkjaf, the first documented version of modern-day Kjafig. Proto-Tixemkjaf had 33 letters, which all had roots in various languages used around the world. As the Fethreni speech evolved, so did their language (as we’ve seen across generations in the English language, for example).

Proto-Tixemkjaf eventually became Cofkjafigu, which had only 28 letters. It pulled from less Overworld languages, and had begun developing the earliest forms of the double vowel system found in modern Kjafig. Cofkjafigu also introduced clicking and popping sounds into its language, derivative of the clicking in languages like Khoisan. The clicks and pops eventually drifted from the language, but there are still many populations  that continue to use them.

## Culture

Fethren culture, to those who study it, often call it scattershot and "copying the world around them." While in some cases this may be true, it is merely because Fethren culture surrounds adaptability and pacifism, and values knowledge over strength. This presents itself in many aspects of Fethren culture that doesn't pull from any specific non-Fethren culture. A quote that has remained with the Fethreni since their exile from the Enderian homeland, in fact, reads as follows:

*"EoxEn fosh sho nikj, thonush sho ufmezshafalm." (Translates in Kjafig to "Seek not to kill, but to understand.")*

### Architecture

Fethreni architecture is often compared to the villages of the vikings, but many buildings may be as simple as a series of interconnected tents. Comparisons tend to shift depending on the area, but for the most part Fethren architecture focuses on using as few materials as possible so as to not disturb the environment. Fethreni also tend to make homes out of shallow caves, though this is uncommon as most Fethreni are very cramped in cave systems.

Many Fethreni take inspiration from surrounding non-Fethren communities. Having existed in the Overworld for nearly twelve thousand years, they also tend to pull inspiration from the foreign cultures' older traditions. For example, in one mountain range surrounded by a human country, the two villages nearby took inspiration from the country’s tall, highly detailed, almost castle-like buildings of the country’s Mediaeval period.

### Traditions & Religion

Due to the Fethreni being often cut off from other Fethren villages, pretty much every village has their own traditions that are often derivative of the cultures that surround them. It is important to note, however, that the Fethreni moved to the Overworld long before modern-day humans scoured the earth, so the villages that picked up on human traditions tend to stick to very old cultures. For example, if a Fethren village lived near a country of non-Fethreni who worshipped a specific pantheon, the village may do the same.

Additonally, Fethreni don’t have any standard religion. Considering the fact that they are found all over the mountains of the world, their religious beliefs vary just as much. Most Fethreni in or around Interra Gloria follow the Prismatic Guard and the Pantheons, though of course this doesn’t apply to everyone. In a general sense, majority of Fethren follow the religion of Geyan, a belief system almost exclusive to the Overworld's "hermit races".

### Social Expectations

Fethreni are expected to keep their feathers clean and symmetrical. Softer feathers are better, but rougher feathers are expected of fighters. Height is a sign of beauty as well, with taller Fethreni being seen as stronger and more attractive. Beauty expectations are applied to most Fethreni, and are not gendered. The only exceptions to most beauty standards and elders and young children; elders because their knowledge makes any outward appearance null and void, and children because they are young and pure.

Fethreni function in 30-40-person communities, called villages, in the mountain ranges of the world. Their community focuses on helping out the weakest and youngest members first, and having the stronger protect all the others. When a village needs to make a big decision about something (i.e. leaving their land, a potential threat endangering the village, etc), all the adults who are able to join in will meet in a council in the centre of the village. The council won’t end until a decision is made unanimously, which can lead to meetings lasting almost all day.

### Language

While many Fethreni learn the languages that surround their village, nearly every Fethren knows their species-specific language of Kjafig (Pronouns KYAH-fig). Originally, it was a combination of a wide variety of languages across the Overworld, but it has evolved into two specific dialects, each with unique sounds.

The two dialects used in Kjafig are known as Foxtix and Eoxotix

- Foztix, the northern dialect, takes primary derivatives from European languages like German and Swedish, and some in Greek and Russian. This is the “main” dialect, and can be found across the northern half of the world.

- Eoxotix is the southern dialect, and takes derivatives from various African and south Asian languages. Eoxotix uses the pops and clicks found in Cofkjafigu, which have roots in a southern language known as Khoisan. It is also often known as the more melodic dialect, due to its roots in the pronunciation system used in Eastern Overworld languages.

Due to the differences in dialects, many populations foreign to Kjafig may consider them different languages entirely. This is of course untrue; both dialects evolved from Proto-Tixemkjaf and the many smaller editions that came after it, and only split off in the past hundred years with Neo-Cofkjafigu. Modern Kjafig has 26 letters that are easily translatable to the English language- which was partially intentional- and is spoken and written by Fethreni all over the world.

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The Fethreni and Kjafig language were created by VinDiagram, AKA Vincent.
Kjafig is a fully-formed language that is translatable from English and can be learned. If you wish to learn it, DM Vincent about it and he'll send you the original document.

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