No, They DON’T Lay Eggs

Lizzie•She/her•18 a blog dedicated to an original wingy world called Avia! Ask as many questions as you please! Happy to answer them!

[yourdeepestfathoms]

!!!AVIAN WORLD UPDATES!!!

i know it’s been awhile since i really did anything with the avian world/wing au, but i’m starting on a book trilogy using it, so i have brought it back and a few changes have been made!

There are now three variants of Hydras: FlameBloods (firebreath), IceBloods (frostbreath), and StormBloods (lightningbreath)

Freezer Burn, the rare Hydra mutation where a Hydra burns or freezes anything they touch, is now just called Burn! it replaces the word “Blood” in the Hydra variant. so it’ll be: FlameBurn, IceBurn, and StormBurn.

Cimexes no longer have four arms. Mainly because I constantly forget to mention the other pair.

The world itself is called Avia!

[wing-culture]

Rules of Magi

What is Magi? Magi is an ancient type of enchantment magic that only a tiny percentage of avians can inherit. It came to be after the four goddesses turned the Angels into the different tribes and some of their power was retained by the avians. It isn’t passed down through bloodlines, however, rather inherited at random.

Be clear, precise, and exact when casting. Magi works on a series of enchantments. You must enchant an item or person for the magic to work, whether that be through speech or thought.

It is impossible to heal wounds, cure diseases, or solve problems like cancer, world hunger, or war. This is because those things were all created by Pylorus, so his power is stronger than Magi, which is just a small fraction of power his four children had.

Every spell as consequences. Smaller spells, like making items float or duplicate, don’t have many conservative. But bigger spells do.

Using a spell to take away someone else’s will or mind has major repercussions. The body of a Magician Knows. It can sense when these sorts of enchantments are made. And it will exact punishment for such.

Stay calm when casting. Magi works on the psychological mind of a Magician. It’s ancient goddess magic, so it needs great focus to work properly.

Don’t attempt a spell when worked up or panicking. There is a high chance of malfunction if a Magician is freaked out when casting, and the end result isn’t always very good.

Remember to eat after casting! Magi eats away at the body to get energy, as it’s being used by a mortal and not a goddess, who would usually have an infinite amount of power to consume. Don’t be alarmed if you somehow lose ten pounds after casting a big spell.

Don’t overuse your magic. Magi has a high price to pay if it’s used too much. Death is the most merciful punishment.

Don’t use your magic for bad. It knows. It always knows.

NEVER EVER RELEASE BEOWULF FROM HIS PRISON NO MATTER WHAT HE TELLS YOU.

[yourdeepestfathoms]

“Lore” as in the goddesses and tribe creation. I’m also really interested in the “Four” story 👀

Okay, okay, so it’s a long story so try and stay with me.

Before the creations of avians, there were these gods that ruled the earth. They were giant, monstrous like beings that were covered in feathers or fur or scales or chitin, hardly resembling people at all. All there was were these greater beings and animals, no people. 

Also, just to note, God does not exist in this world. Christianity and Catholicism and other religions do exist, but God itself is an entirely fake and made up by the Wingless.

So! The king of these gods was named Pylorus, who was nicknamed Pylorus the World Eater. Pylorus created the Wingless, which are basically just regular humans. He wanted to fill Earth with these creations purely because he thought they were entertaining.

However, the gods were very mean to the Wingless. They would destroy their crops, create natural disasters to see how they would deal with them, kill their animals with conjured beasts, and overall made their lives hell because they found it fun. This is how all the other religions were created. The stories were made up as a form of comfort because the Wingless believed the God and Christ and other deities they created would one day save them.

So, one day, a Wingless prophet went up to one of the shrines and was like, “Hey, you gotta stop messing with us.” and Pylorus was like “lol nope” so the prophet delivered a prophecy that Pylorus would be killed and overthrown by his children. Pylorus promptly killed the prophet, but was unable to stop thinking about the prophecy and was nervous around all of his children. So what does he do? He starts eating his kids!

With these gods, you can’t just kill them. You have to destroy their soul as well, which is even more difficult than slaying them. So when Pylorus eats his kids, he destroys both their body and their soul, meaning they won’t regenerate and come back. This action could also be why WingEaters are called what they are, as it is a reference to the actions of Pylorus.

So, Pylorus goes on a eating spree, messing with the Wingless in between each meal. The other gods were chill with this, they didn’t really care what he was doing, but his wife, Catheter, was wrapped in despair. She was distraught at the loss of her children and continued to have more to try and make up for the ones being killed, whether that be live birth, laying eggs, or creating them from clay or magic.

Pylorus was enraged when more children kept appearing, despite him telling his wife about the prophecy. When Catheter didn’t appear to care about his fate, he ate her. And from her spilled blood was born four children.

Intelligent and patient, Abiel; cunning and clever, Haniel; kind and empathetic, Cygiel; and quick-thinking and sneaky, Valtiel.

The four sisters hid away from their maniacal father, plotting what they would do before they, too, were slaughtered like the rest of their siblings. 

They soon came up with a plan. They went to the Wingless with an agreement: they would give them power if they agreed to help them not only take down their father, but the other gods, too. The Wingless agreed, and they were given wings. These wings were not scaly or feathery or furry, but made of their own skin. They were thin and smooth, but very powerful. With these wings and strength bestowed by the four goddesses, the Wingless went up to the god world and slayed the gods, while the sisters killed their father.

Peace was soon returned across the land. The Wingless enjoyed their new names, and had their names changed to Angels. They were given halo-like crowns that floated softly over their heads and black claws to defend themselves with from any threat. Their ears became pointy and they grew long, delicate tails.

For several years, the Angels lived in peace. But Abiel , being the strongest of the four, soon decided that she wanted to further stretch the power of wings. So she gathered a group of her own followers and made them sprout silky soft feathers from their wings and tail and head, grew their claws into wicked points, and sharpened their eyesight. They soon became known as the Avems.

The Avems bred with other Avems and Angels, expanding the tribe. The other sisters quickly took note of this and wanted to create their own creations, so they used Abiel’s species as their base.

Haniel adorned her followers in enchanted jewels, which caused their feathers to fall out and be replaced with shiny, tough scales. Their crests turned to curling horns and their tail feathers formed into long tails. Webbed frills sprouted out from their elbows and temples, and scales grew along their bodies in various places. They were gifted the powers of fire and ice and spur growth along their bodies.

Cygiel took her followers to a beautiful field, where the warmth of the shining sun transformed their bodies into gorgeous forms. Their wings split off into four pieces and either grew in size or narrowed. They grew an extra set of arms and lost their tail feathers and crest, but sprouted antennae instead. Chitin grew over their feathers, and they were granted the power of venom.

Valtiel flew her followers out into the night, and they shifted under the light of the full blue moon. Their wings became thin and light, losing their feathers. They grew big ears and either a bobtail or a rat-like tail. Their teeth sharpened into points. They were each given a special power, and said this gift would continue to pass down to their children depending on what moon they would be born under.

And thus, the four tribes were created. Angels were quickly bred out of the bloodlines quickly, either dying away or being transformed by one of the goddesses. The four tribes reigned supreme, only occasionally having mutants such as the Flightless or hybrids. And they soon discovered their WingEater forms, which caused a lot of chaos and fighting, but unity was soon achieved, and the tribes now live among each other. Though racial disputes do break out from time to time.

[wing-culture]

There’s two rare mutations for Hydras: Freezer Burn and Pyrogenesis.

Freezer Burn is where a Hydra is born with too much frost, causing them to freeze everything they touch. Their ice is black.

Pyrogenesis is where a Hydra is born with too much fire, causing them to burn everything they touch. Their flames are blue.

This mutation occurs when the baby is growing inside the mother’s womb and it absorbs the frost or fire the mother bears, causing it to be born with too much. The mother usually dies during birth, as the baby literally burns or freezes her from the inside out, and if she does happen to live, she will no longer have any breath weapon.

Freezer Burn and Pyrogenesis Hydras are immune to both frost and fire. They are also almost completely invulnerable; claws and weapons cannot touch them without freezing or melting. However, they can still be shot, as a bullet can penetrate their skin and organs faster than their skin can freeze/melt it. Arrows and crossbow bolts are the same way, but have a lower succession rate.

[wing-culture]

Vespers get their powers from the moon. Whatever moon they’re born under is the power they get, so there’s five different possibilities.

New moon- Precognition

Crescent moon- Empathy

Half moon- Clairvoyance

Gibbous moon- Telepathy

Full moon- Mind reading

This also applies to hybrids. Vesper powers are usually always inherited by Vesper hybrids because the abilities aren’t passed on by DNA.

[wing-culture]

Broody Hens

What is a broody hen? Well, in terms of the real world, a broody hen is “a chicken that has decided to sit on and incubate a clutch of eggs.” This applies to the avian world, except “a clutch of eggs” is replaced by a fledgling.

Broody hens appear solely in Avems and pop up mainly during nesting season. Nesting season is just another word for “the hormones are up, it’s time to adopt.” The title “nesting season” was actually created by other races as a joke for when female Avems go all “mom mode” and it has since stuck.

Broodiness does not happen to all hens. It isn’t something all hens go through, so it’s not like a nine year old fledgling will decide to want a kid. Broodiness is most common in pregnant hens, hens who want a child, hens who are trying for a child but still aren’t getting pregnant, hens who have lost a child, or hens that are usually very maternal. It’s a hormone and way of thinking sort of thing.

Speaking of hormones, broodiness makes them sky rocket. Broody hens tend to be more aggressive and protective, as well as more anxious at the same time. During the beginning of this mood change, they will find something to imprint on and then will never want that thing to leave their wings. Hopefully, it’s a fledge that is imprinted on and not a pillow or lamp, although objects are extremely common because there isn’t always an abundance of children running around for imprinting. Anyway, the separation of their marked chick (whether it be an actual fledgling or an item) will cause the hen to become extremely distressed, sometimes to the point where she can’t eat, drink, or sleep until they’re reunited. Broodiness causes that extreme sense of anxiety and worry for said chick. Alongside that, feathers are usually very ruffled and it isn’t uncommon for a hen to strike or claw when she feels her chick is being threatened. She also really does not like when other people get near her chosen chick in fear they (or it if it’s an item) will be taken away.

“Hooding” is a term that is commonly used with broody hens than have a chick. She will hood her wings over the chick protectively, which is the equivalent to a chicken sitting on a clutch of eggs.

[wing-culture]

Hydra Breath Abilities

So, Hydras are either born a firebreather or a frostbreather, and there’s a 50/50 chance for each when a Hydra is born. In rarer instances, some Hydras are born with both breath abilities.

A Hydra (or hybrid) that has both breath abilities, but regularly has frostbreath will have blue fire.

A Hydra (or hybrid) that has both breath abilities, but regularly has firebreath will have black frost.

Firebreath and frostbreath both come from the stomach and usually rely on body temperature to work. A Hydras stomach acid gives off fumes that will either burst into flames or burst into frost when in contact with oxygen. A Hydra will suck in these gases when they breathe in and then expel them from their mouths when they want to use their breath ability, hence why they usually have to hiss or take a deep breath before firing.

This gas is also only produced at a certain temperature- a higher body temperature will result in more flames, so a freezing firebreathing Hydra can’t produce fire, and a lower body temperature will result in more ice, so an overheated frostbreathing Hydra can’t produce ice.

This gas is really important to a Hydra’s biology. It literally regulates their body temperature and keeps them heated or cooled.

All Hydras have a protective lining of fire or frost-resistant tissue that covers their nasal passage, throat, and ear tubes, protecting them from any fire, frost, or smoke damage. They, can, however tear and the Hudra can be wounded by their own fire/frost/smoke/ash if that happened.

They are most susceptible to this if they were to tear a muscle in their throat or one of their vocal cords, which would give a direct passage into their skin, burning or freezing it when they breathe fire or frost.

Burst ear drums can cause smoke/mist damage in the ears ears.

Sinus infections counteract fire Hydras breathing smoke out of her nostrils, as the slimy layer of mucus cools the ash and traps it inside their nose, so they kinda just snort it back up and has a coughing fit because it burns.

There’s also the risk of completely charring the throat, which can cause permanent wounds.

Hydra hybrids are a lot more susceptible to all of this because their protective tissue is sometimes much thinner and weaker than it should be.

Alcohol and firebreath are a very strange mix. Since the gas in a firebreathing Hydra’s stomach is obviously flammable, ingesting alcohol will strengthen the fumes, therefore making the expelled fire even hotter. It also boosts the change of throat damage. And it causes fire hiccups!!

Hydras are not immune to their own fire and frost.

Chewing ice strengthens frostbreath. Eating snow does as well!

Fire Hudras can reheat cooling foods/drinks by breathing/blowing on them. Frost Hydras can do the same, but can freeze/cool things.

While firebreath leaves burns, frostbreath leaves blackened blisters similar to the ones created from frostbite.

The best way to treat an overheated frostbreather or a freezing firebreather is to apply an appropriate compress to their bellies. If it’s a frostbreather, then a cold towel or rag or ice pack, if it’s a firebreather then a hot towel or rag. This will help warm their stomachs and get the stomach acid to produce the gas, which will then either cool or heat their body to the correct temperature.

Dual wielding Hydras have black ice and blue fire.

[wing-culture]

Hemaemesis

Hemaemesis is the rejection of plasma through this mouth.

This occurs when the plasma in the cloaca becomes clotted, preventing the flow out of the body. Because plasma will make a Vesper sick if kept in their body for too long, the body will overflow the plasma back into the stomach, where the stomach will then rejects its acidic compounds and eject it through the throat and out of the mouth.

Like from the cloaca, plasma comes out black from the mouth. It’s said to be warm, coppery, and anemic.

Hemaemesis is not fatal or damaging, but very humiliating. Stomachaches and nausea will most likely follow due to any lingering plasma floating in the stomach.

[wing-culture]

Hydras now have tails!!!!

[wing-culture]

Most avian societies are matriarchal or ruled by non-binary folk. Males have to obey underneath them and fight for their dominance, though they rarely ever win.

Females also tend to be stronger and more colorful than their male counterparts.

[wing-culture]

Despite male birds being the most colorful, any gender of Avems can have vibrant colors. Hens can be the vibrant blue of a peacock with the lustrous tail to go with it, aves can be the popping red of a cardinal, and roosters can be the dull brown of a red-winged blackbird. In fact, hens tend to be more brightly colored than all genders, and this helps attract a partner since homosexuality is a big thing in the avian world.

[yourdeepestfathoms]

Wing AU- Plasma

Plasma, not to be confused with the blood plasma in blood cells, is a liquid component caused from the ingestion of a living creature’s blood. It can only be created by Vespertilios and any hybrid with Vespertilio DNA in them.

Vespertilios require an anticoagulant enzyme, a protein called “Draculin”, in their saliva to keep their host’s blood from clotting when they drink. Upon feeding, the unique gut microbes in their stomachs safely break down the harmful bacteria in the blood that other species wouldn’t be able to handle, keeping them from getting sick. The blood is then transported into the kidney, where it is filtered of any remaining bacteria and turned into a safe plasma. The plasma is excreted from the cloaca, which is located in the penis for males and in between the urethra and vaginal opening for females. Plasma appears a whitish-red liquid in the body, and turns black when it comes in contact with oxygen. 

Plasma also has the same density and thickness as blood, and smells similar to period blood, but with ammonia.

The process of plasma release is usually referred to as bleeding, but uncontrolled plasma release has been crudely called a “plasma spill.” Plasma usually comes out when urinating, but it can also come out like period blood, uncontrolled, for both females and males. Cramping in the left side where the kidney is sometimes happens when plasma is being made.

If the body does not have enough nutrients, plasma will not be created and the bacteria of the ingested blood will be absorbed into the body for later use. When the body does eventually have the nutrients it needs, the plasma will come out in a heavy, unstoppable flow depending on the amount drank.

If held in for too long, plasma will begin to coagulate inside the kidney, causing extreme pain. The cloaca will all shrivel up and close, sometimes because of leaking plasma that will essentially crystalize over the opening. Any leaking coagulate plasma will come out dark purple, which is not a normal color for plasma.

[yourdeepestfathoms]

Thought of any airborne sports for Avians?

Harpy Ball, which is like football but in the sky and primarily played by women. Who are usually shirtless because clothing causes wind resistance, slowing them down.

Ultimate Frisbee, but in the air.

Deadweight, which is like baseball in the air, but the ball is super heavy and falls really fast so there’s a lot of diving and swooping that goes on while playing.

Capture the Finch, which is a game where teams try and capture as many loosed finches before the other teams. Avems do not participate in this game because they find in very offensive.

Chicken, which involves plummeting from a great height and then swooping upwards right before you hit the ground. It’s called chicken because a lot of avians chicken out during the dive.

Echo Tag, a game played by Vespers. It’s a silent game of tag whee the avian who is it has to close their eyes and use their echolocation to find and tag the other players.

[yourdeepestfathoms]

Broody Hens In The Avian World

What is a broody hen? Well, in terms of the real world, a broody hen is “a chicken that has decided to sit on and incubate a clutch of eggs.” This applies to the avian world, except “a clutch of eggs” is replaced by a fledgling.

Broody hens appear solely in Avems and pop up mainly during nesting season. Nesting season is just another word for “the hormones are up, it’s time to adopt.” The title “nesting season” was actually created by other races as a joke for when female Avems go all “mom mode” and it has since stuck.

Broodiness does not happen to all hens. It isn’t something all hens go through, so it’s not like a nine year old fledgling will decide to want a kid. Broodiness is most common in pregnant hens, hens who want a child, hens who are trying for a child but still aren’t getting pregnant, hens who have lost a child, or hens that are usually very maternal. It’s a hormone and way of thinking sort of thing.

Speaking of hormones, broodiness makes them sky rocket. Broody hens tend to be more aggressive and protective, as well as more anxious at the same time. During the beginning of this mood change, they will find something to imprint on and then will never want that thing to leave their wings. Hopefully, it’s a fledge that is imprinted on and not a pillow or lamp, although objects are extremely common because there isn’t always an abundance of children running around for imprinting. Anyway, the separation of their marked chick (whether it be an actual fledgling or an item) will cause the hen to become extremely distressed, sometimes to the point where she can’t eat, drink, or sleep until they’re reunited. Broodiness causes that extreme sense of anxiety and worry for said chick. Alongside that, feathers are usually very ruffled and it isn’t uncommon for a hen to strike or claw when she feels her chick is being threatened. She also really does not like when other people get near her chosen chick in fear they (or it if it’s an item) will be taken away.

“Hooding” is a term that is commonly used with broody hens than have a chick. She will hood her wings over the chick protectively, which is the equivalent to a chicken sitting on a clutch of eggs.

TLDR: Phoenix!Aragon imprinted on a moth and now she wants to make the moth her baby

[yourdeepestfathoms]

Primal forms in the avian world are called WingEaters. The transformation usually happens under extreme stress or strain on instincts. Whether the avian actually goes feral varies from person to person. Sometimes they are savage monsters, other times they’re giant puppy dogs. It depends.

WingEaters tend look like this:

Avems- They sort of look like griffin but are all feather and have no lion parts.

Hydras- They’re just dragons.

Vespers- Gargoyles.

Cimexs- Mothman. But not always a moth. So a mantis will be like a monstrous mantis and sugar also fucking terrifying.

Hybrids- Varies.

It’s not always easy to get out of this form. Extreme pain can revert an avian back to their normal body, which was how avians used to fight back in the old times. Whoever would revert first would lose and usually be banished from the flock for weakness.

[yourdeepestfathoms]

Y'know how Avem and Hydra mothers hood their young with their wings? Do Vespers and Cimexes do anything like that, or are the other species not really as maternal?

Vesper mothers will swaddle their pups in their wings for comfort. Moth and butterfly Cimexs were tie their silk around their nymphs like leashes to keep them from wandering off, but they don’t do much like the other species. It’s not that they or other Cimexs aren’t maternal, it’s that their wings aren’t exactly able to bend or hood (unless you’re a moth or butterfly, then they can).

[yourdeepestfathoms]

Got any grooming HCs for Vespers/Hydras/Cimexes? We already know how Avems preen and keep their wings in order, but what about the other species?

Hydras usually preen by sloughing off dirty scales. Like some lizards, they can literally shed off their skin on command, leaving their wings slick, shiny, and slippery.

But they also wax their wings to keep them nice and shiny!

Rub downs with rags are else very nice. They always have the best oils.

Cimexs wings don’t really require grooming because of how fragile they are. However, moth and butterfly Cimexs may sometimes preen their wing fuzz.

Vespers groom themselves like cats. They literally will lick their wings clean. Because of their prehensile tongues, they’re able to cover a lot of areas without having to bend or reach.

This, of course, is seen as gross by the other tribes, especially since Vespers drink BLOOD. There’s probably still BLOOD RESIDUE in their mouths when they groom themselves. And it gets on their WINGS.

Because of this, most Vespers don’t groom themselves in public. It’s sort of a private thing and walking in on it happening is like walking in on someone naked to them.

And, before you ask, yes, they do occasionally cough up hair balls. But their stomach acid usually dissolves the small amount of fur they swallow.