Cloudward Wings
Hello, I am once again giving people bird wings! Yet another concept I'm probably never going to write :D
So the rough premise of this would be that only Gath has winged people, but the Queen's Smog limits safe breathing altitude, discouraging flight. Plus the crowded population centres and regular exercise needed for the strength and skill to fly, most kids stop flying as teenagers and then can't as adults. Slow trait loss (and gene input from biangle-displaced Zoodians) means some people don't have wing at all.
Socially, flying requires physical effort and therefore is not respectable. The upperclass do not want to sweat when they can throw around money to get a cushioned seat on a locomotive instead. Therefore no one else should want to fly either.
There's a strong push in Eisengeist/the CIR for mechanical wing supports to do the work instead of muscles... a soft launch for full mechanical wing replacement initiative- running off widow's breath of course.
(Revington has a secret Flight Club that opperates at night, in addition to the Fight Club underground fighting pits for gentleman fisting. There is a surprising overlap between people wanting to tackle each other on mats and tackle each other out of the sky. For the mutually agreed adrenaline rush, of course. Combat hugs are just grapple training.)
Zephyr Crew & Associates
Comfrey: woodpecker finch, renowned for tool use. Wings got damaged on one adventure or another, so can now barely glide. Not paticularly strong to begin with, always yearned to fly higher than they could take her.
Daisuke: peregrine falcon, speed hunter with phenomenal eyesight.
Monty: greater honeyguide. Gives Guidance *flute music*.
Van: none
Marya: crow, highly intelligent and urban adaptive, plots navigation route as the crow flies.
Olethra: kea, the only alpine parrot, renowned mischief maker.
Ludmilla: eurasian magpie, highly intelligent and social, lover of tools and shinies.
Bert: ringed plover, small coastal wading bird, highly effective forager.
Dawderdale: bat hawk, always looks worried.
Torse: inspired by Polish winged hussar armour, not actually flight capable, but can extend out to glide slightly. Bladed feathers can slot together to form stronger daggers like chainsaw teeth.
Assorted Gotch Flock
Cadswitch: great horned owl, with dramatic ear tufts and a grip strength 3-5 times stronger than human.
Longspot: acorn woodpecker, renowned for greed in gathering an endless acorn lader in home trees.
Samwell: eurasian jay, a species practicing cooperative breeding- where a grown chick helps raise their parent's next clutch instead of breeding themselves. A nest helper. Has a rebellious blue flash.
Blane/Brycewell: bullfinch, shy and stocky birds with pink-red breasts, partial to fruit bud delicacies.
Roywell: pheasant, an absolute fool.
Hatwell: shoebill stork, ugly as sin with the thickest beak alive but not skull. Presumably vulnerable to piercing damage.
Wealwell: secretary bird, the sexiest stander in the bird world. Stomps snakes to death. The only bird that hunts on foot, despite being able to fly.
Johnwell: wood pigeon, another fool. Largest UK pigeon, feathers may outweight skeleton. Flight is described as a clatter. Will run into all windows at speed at all times.
Maxwell: eagle owl, visually similar to great horned owl but larger, with dramatic ear tufts and grip strength 10 times greater than human.