"The unique Anatomical and Behavioural properties of Homo Sapiens Angelus, commonly known as Aasimar" - Documented by Briar Strauss
Okay listen up, in dnd 5e rules Aasimar cant fly all the time and usually dont have wings, but thats like, really really boring SO heres a several hundred word analysis and two pages of illustrations for how Aasimar could hypothetically work with scientific reasonings, well as scientific as we can get while keeping things reasonable for your average campaign. Feel free to use it if you want to!
This will gonna be broken up into four sections for ease of use;
1. Anatomy/Biology (what makes them physically non-human?)
2. Behaviour (do they act differently to most humanoids?)
3. Abilities (Do they have any unique abilities? why?)
4. Miscellaneous (stuff like interaction, villages, culture and more)
The beings that spawn Aasimar are rarely gods, but rather are usually Celestials, such as a Deva. Due to this, Aasimar typically end up becoming more Avian with time, with first generation Aasimar being barely avian (literally just a guy with wings). It's the second generation thats starts to alter and evolve rapidly, the result of Celestial magic mixing with Humanoid evolution
* Specialised Leg Musculature: To manage taking off and landing, Aasimar would need to develop stronger leg muscles. With time they would even develop talons on their feet to increase grip and to hold onto things better
* Digitigrades: Birds in the real world walk on their digits to increase leverage, (its the same reason athletes assume that pose before sprinting) Aasimar are the same.
* Tails: It can be assumed that, since Deva can fly, Celestial magic assists in balance during flight. When this magic is weakened, Aasimar would develop some sort of tail in order to maintain balance, a bird-like tail is simply the most effective (many artists tend to give their harpies and Aasimar long lion-like tails, this is perfectly fine but wouldn't work very well to keep balance in flight)
* Sexual Dimorphism: In humans, we typically see this with the males being larger and the females being smaller, this is the same in most birds, so it would likely be the same in most Aasimar. But! in birds of prey (such as hawks) this is swapped, with males being smaller and females being up to 30% larger! In addition, male Aasimar would have far more colourful and flashy wings and plumage, in nature birds do this to attract a mate (being so colourful means you're fit and healthy), this is likely the same in Aasimar
* Wings: The most stark part of any Aasimar, the wings are incredibly powerful, in the real world, we'd need a wingspan of 6-10 metres (20-33ft), but to stick with dnd size rules, Aasimar have a 3 metre total wingspan, and of course, the muscles in these wings are INCREDIBLY powerful! Considering that these wings need to not only carry, but propel an Aasimar through the air with ease, they are without a doubt the strongest muscles in their bodies
* Syrinx: The Larynx is essentially our voice box, but in birds they mainly use it to breathe better, but birds also have a secondary organ called a Syrinx. When air flows through the syrinx, what we call "birdsong" is made, Aasimar also possess this (located at the base of the trachea) as well as the typical humanoid Larynx.
* Hollow Bones: You've likely heard that birds have hollow bones, this is true, rather than bone marrow bird bones have a criss-crossing structure to maintain durability and reduce weight, Aasimar have the same for the same reasons
* Plumage: Birds have all sorts of feathers, the one that covers most of the body is the Plumage, small fluffy feathers that typically have a pattern. They are there for both aerodynamics and for temperature regulation, and are molted (replaced) twice per year, Aasimar have this too. The plumage on Aasimar behaves similarly to body hair (although Aasimar still possess body hair, its not all feathers unless you want it to be), not growing in the joint folds, and being most prevalent in certain areas (legs, forearms, back).
* Opticollic reflex: If you've never done so, look up a video of a chicken having its body moved, their heads will stay still while their entire body moves, this is because of the Opticollic reflex. This reflex allows birds and Aasimar to fly with better balance (and helps avoiding whiplash)
* Eyes: In birds, their eyes are placed into the socket with bones, its perfect for birds but would be awful for humans, Aasimar get the medium end of the stick, they get the movement of human eyes but the weird depth perception of bird eyes, which causes Aasimar to tilt their heads alot when looking at things, it looks silly but its so they can essentially get a better look at things.
* Aging: Celestials are immortal, when mixed with a mortal, first generation Aasimar can end up aging incredibly slowly, although that entirely depends on the type of Celestial, the lowest the average Aasimar lifespan can get is 120-100 years
* Enhanced Flexibility: Birds in the real world are very flexible, especially in the wings and neck. Aasimar are the same, many of them are able to lick their elbows!
* Nests: Birds typically make nests for housing eggs and or their young, but they also make nests for defense against predators and security, Aasimar who are staying in one place for awhile may make a nest for security, or just for comfort.
* Preening: Preening is essentially upkeep for the feathers on a bird/Aasimar, its like trimming your nails or brushing your hair but with more feathers.
* Body Language: Wings are literally massive limbs, so most emotions shown through body language get shown in the wings too.
* Staring: If you've ever interacted with a pet bird you're well aware they tend to just...stare at you, this is basically them assessing their surroundings, Aasimar do this too, but its alot more unsettling when a fully grown person does it compared to a little birdie.
* Birdsong: Birds sing to communicate, some of this communication is danger, some is to attract mates, and some is just to show their energy (in nature thats a rather big flex), in Aasimar this ends up being the equivalent to your one friend that constantly hums and whistles, but as a bird.
* Light spells and Healing spells: Aasimar are descendant of Celestials, due to that, they've got some minor healing abilities and spellcasting capabilities
* Celestial Revelation: Aasimar, being descendant of Celestials, can basically explode in a burst of Celestial energy for a short time, Celestial Aasimar's revelations are less detrimental to them then Feral Aasimar, who typically are affected more heavily by the revelation, both physically and behaviourally
* Companion Preening: Aasimar tend to preen themselves, especially thanks to their enhanced flexibility allowing them to get all the feathers. If an Aasimar asks or allows you to help them preen, thats either a major sign of trust or a sign they're injured
* Clothing: Many Aasimar prefer to wear at least a bit of flowing clothing, be it a full size coat, a bit of loose sachet, or even a cape
* Villages: Aasimar in general are rare, so Aasimar villages rarely happen, but when they do, typically houses are kept high up in elevation, stairs mainly being used by flightless individuals or the disabled
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