Warata

## Overview

The Warata are a proud, avian species that live in the sub-zero Naeen Mountains in the country of Aeleyl. Their thick feathers insulate them against the cold temperatures and thus have become a prized commodity for cold resistant clothes and bedding. They swear fealty to King Angra, but are an independent race in and of themselves, governed by their Chiefess, Lady Iyalis.

## History

The Warata have only lived within the Naeen Mountain for the last five thousand years in Oraixinian time, having once lived within the D’n and Sce’yath regions until fierce competition from the Ura along with the Hidden People intentionally sabotaging nests due not liking the damage they caused to their forests forced them to migrate elsewhere. Pressure from the Ko’narivki-i kept them from any wooded areas and the grasslands hindered their ability to grab prey without becoming entangled in the grasses, so the Chieftess Islaro led her people to find a new land to settle down in.

Eventually, they would come to the cold region of the Naeen Mountains, and though she faced opposition, the Warata could not deny that the empty mountains would allow them to live in peace and they held faith that their thick feathers were adequate protection from the cold temperatures.

However, upon discovering the Oryix Caves and settling within them, they found themselves tested by the Mountains for years to come. The icy breath of the mountain would claim many a Waratas life, along with the raging blizzards and struggles to catch enough meat to feed themselves, let alone the young they struggled to raise.

Despite these hardships, the Warata endured, and the chicks that had developed thicker than normal feathers began to thrive in their clutches, thus providing the genetics needed for them to begin to adapt to Aeleyl.

Their feathers tripled in thickness, growing out in tufts to cover their feat and act as snowshoes, black feathers grew around their eyes to prevent snow blindness, their eyesight sharpened and developed a specialized third eyelid in order to combat the near blindness once faced in the raging snowstorms, and they doubled in size, becoming the giant avians they are now.

## Biology

Warata are powerful, lethal, avian hunters with thick, insulating feathers that negate the sheer cold temperatures of Aeleyl’s frozen Naeen Mountains. Their beaks are sharp, able to effortlessly pick apart their prey and strong enough to peck through frozen flesh with relative ease.

Their feet are covered in insulated feathers as well and are widely set to act as snowshoes, allowing them to ‘wade’ through thick snow without sinking in. Their eyes are keen, allowing them to spot prey from miles away and have black feathers lining their eyelids; a trait that keeps the harsh light reflecting off the snowy plains from blinding them. They also have a specialized third eyelid which sweeps across the eye during snowstorms to keep the diamond dust from damaging their eyes and allows them to see through the swirling snow.

## Lifestyle

Warata are a tribal race, headed by an elected Chief or Chiefess which rules over the flock and makes every important decision. They live within the Oryix Caves within the Naeen Mountains, carving out plainly decorated rock nooks in which hold several designated areas; one for sleeping that holds a nest made up of moss, shed feathers and fur, one for bathing which is simply a recess cut into the floor where water is brought in, a storage area where hides/fur are kept, as well as religious herbs, as well as a smee hole to give access to the skies.

These dwellings are meticulously kept clean, any dirty or soiled nesting material is promptly flown out and away from the caves to designated burning grounds within a separate cave system.

Any lighting is natural or from fires, though Warata do not use fire for anything other than as needed lighting. They do not cook with fire, nor warm themselves with it.

## Religion

Warata do not worship the Oraixinian Pantheon, but they do practice Animism, believing everything has a spirit; particularly that of the Naenn Mountain itself. They routinely pray to the Mountain before a hunt, asking for good luck and when a kill is made, the heart of an animal is often buried where the animal was slain as a way for the heart to become the foundation of the Mountain.

To the Warata, disrespecting the Naeen Mountain is the highest form of insult and the fastest way to make an enemy of them. Examples typically include harming or desecrating the mountain in any way, such as mining or otherwise damaging the Mountain’s structure. Refusing to give thanks to the Mountain for meals or other resources harvested here is considered an offense, though this one the Warata will sometimes overlook after giving a sharp correction.

## Beliefs/Superstitions

Because the Warats believe that the Naeen Mountains are alive and are so in tune with it, they tend to be a more superstitious race than average. Anything remotely out of place with the Mountain’s appearance is a significant cause for alarm.

Rock falls where there typically aren’t any is said to be the Mountain becoming angry, a light fall being a warning and a severe one being outright fury. The same goes for any unusual weather patterns.

On the flip side, finding a boon of herbs or prey is said to be a blessing from the Mountains, which the Warata reciprocate with festivities and a feast dedicated to Naeen.

## Gender Roles

Warata both hold equal positions of both power and responsibility to one another; a male can just as often be found caring for eggs and chicks or tending to the nesting area just as a female can become a warrior and fight to defend their home. As long as a Warata is able to perform a task, they do so.

## Gender Differences

Males tend to be larger than the females, built more for power than for speed, but the difference is subtle unless you know what to look for. A more surefire sign is to look at their crests, for males will typically weave bones or other bits of their kills into their feathers, while females will typically stick to more plain braided feathers or gems.

## Language

Warata have their own language, which is a harsh, grating sounding language accented by clicks of their beaks. They do understand English and Oraixinian, but they have a poor grasp on the former, leading to broken English or poor approximations of Waratian words they don’t know how to translate. They also tend to incorporate more avian sounds into their speech as well, such as soft rasping chirps, clicks of their beaks, even loud, shrieking calls if they’re angered enough.

Warata also have a unique way of communicating intentions through very specific movements of their feathers and crests, often showing their current state of emotion through the way these feathers lay.

A neutral Warata’s feathers will lay flat against their body, their crests held in a loose, lowered position and their pupils will be rounded and soft. Those showing excitement will flare their undereathers up to make them softer and rounder, their pupils rounding and enlarging as well, and vocalizations will be soft, cooing noises or trills.

An angry or a Warata with the intent to harm will also have flared feathers and crest, but they will be the top layer of feathers which gives them a sharper appearance. The crest is pressed against their head tightly and the pupils will have shrunken down to pinpricks, and vocalizations will be harsh, grating caws or hisses.

## Additional Notes

Warata people are fiercely loyal to those that have earned their respect. If a person is granted a Warata’s clan token, they can expect to have the aid of that Warata and their entire family lineage for their entire lives and even their descendants lives.
Warata are typically friendly towards other species, or at the very least amicable, but have a tendency to become slightly stand-offish to a degree when they’ve become comfortable with a person. This should be taken as a compliment if a Warata suddenly begins to tease or rib them, though many a person has taken a Warata’s sudden cold shoulder as a hint to get lost.

## Known Warata

* Chieftess Iyalis

* Chieftess Islaro