#berd info

[askospreyalfred]

It happened a few months back-  My feet hurt for like a week straight and I thought I sprained something but no, at the end of the week I woke up with actual osprey feet! It was... very strange having to get used to them.  For one, I’m taller because of them and the talons are so curved that walking on a flat surface is a challenge. 

And yeah, for two solid weeks I could hardly walk.  I still trip over things because I forget that they aren’t human feet anymore and the talons catch on things.  I had to use the bear to get around places for a few days, it’s lucky that she’s pretty calm about everything. 

They do have their perks!  I can catch fish more easily and it’s better to stand on a branch when you can actually grip the thing.  I’m not the only berd like this, and it’s because I’m a ‘wild-type’ berd.  I’m more bird like than human than the others, but it shouldn’t cause anymore problems. I mean, we already walk on our toes, so this is just the next step in things~

[askospreyalfred]

What did Raze do to the bear thing?

He simply turned the wolfbear into a tree.  All of our phoenixes are heavily tied to nature and if we die, they die at the same time.  He was protecting both himself and me by using his abilities to cause an overgrowth in the bear. 

They only reveal their true forms in dire situations.  I can only name a handful of times that I've seen a phoenix step in like he did back there.  It takes a lot out of them to do it but it's better than waiting for our souls to return.

[askospreyalfred]

what's it like training as a warrior? Who is it that teaches you how to fight?

It has it's ups and downs, but it's essential.  It's a vital part of the tribe after all, since the warriors protect both Endesar and Lugaid tribes. 

Right now it's just errand work and mastering spear fighting.  I know how to hunt with a spear, bows and knives so I can help provide the tribes with food.  There's more options out there if I wanted to learn how to fight with a sword or axe or something, but I like spears best.  There's also a lesson I have to do about using our phoenixes in defense and offense. It's a lot of busywork most of the time and having to listen to lectures.

We try to be peaceful but we just can't be too careful... so we need to be able to defend ourselves. 

As for who teaches me, there's an older woman here in the tribe that specialized in spears, bows, hunting and making said weapons.  She teaches me and a few others and she's one of the few that Raze will listen to, surprisingly. 

[askospreyalfred]

So does your village only have a single leader?

Technically, yes.  We've got the village elder but also a council that helps out with directing different things.  They get switched out every few years or so, but the Elder is the only one who's phoenix is our namesake bird. They're the ones in charge of everything in general.  It's how it's been for a good long while now.

[askospreyalfred]

I just wanted to ask are there any others tribes then just the ospreys and kingfishers

There are, actually.  There's asksnowygilberd, who is from a northern tribe, askbowerbirdantonio is from a more tropical, southern tribe and then there's askpeacockvargas.  There's berds all over the world here, the ospreys and kingfishers are just the only two in this forest. 

[askospreyalfred]

Hey, do tattoos hole any sort of significance inf your tribe? Or are they just for decoration?

Mhmm.  It's sort of a mix of both, there are certain ones that signify events or accomplishments or ranks.  Once we get off the island we'll be getting one to show that we succeeded. 

But most of the ones on my arm is purely for decoration.

[askospreyalfred]

Are there any legends among your tribes?

Well basically the oldest legend we have is one about our Mother Phoenix.  She went dormant a very, very long time ago and is the reason we're here in the first place.  No one has seen her but we have a lot of proof I mean, every berd from the two tribes has their own phoenix companion and, while we can't get there ourselves, the floating rocks and part of the island is the lifted excess.. things of a labyrinth she created for her protection.  It lies deep beneath the lake so it's impossible to reach.  

The floating island, the illusion around the tribes... it's all proof that she's there.  There's also a legend about reincarnation, that our phoenixes are the ones our past life had and they were given back to us.  They're tied to our souls after all. 

[askospreyalfred]

So can you understand only your own pheonix, or all of them?

Just mine.  To everyone else Raze is either silent or making… heron noises.  I can’t understand Ophelia at all or even my family’s, though there have been times where I could almost understand Mattie’s goose.

There’s a chance that when a berd is super-extra close or is meant to be with another berd, they can hear each other’s phoenix perfectly as if it was their own.  But for everyone else it’s just their own bird.