[✗] [Creature] The Hemelytra

[Wolf Druid Ouity 1461]

 

 

 

 

 

The Easternmost peak had always provided the best view of the sea, and its flat, light rocks were quickly warmed by the light of dawn. Thanks to these two features, it was a frequented favorite by Hemelytra forging parties, women and children tagging along to enjoy the new day. When the first sail was spotted, there was curiosity. By the dozenth, attentive mothers had corralled their young from the rockface, and the men who had come to forage for food swooped to and fro, taking different angles in an attempt to ascertain the nature of the mysterious shapes. Unseen to them, the lead ships were signalling back to their fellows, letting it be known that land had been sighted.

 

The fleet of the Descendents loomed over the horizon, scores of vessels all bearing standards, sigils, and colored sails that denoted their allegiances. The wave of haggard seacraft showed their miles in the barnacles that clung to their salt-stained hulls, and the uneven patching in the sails where the banners of lesser lords and houses had been used to mend the rough, heavy cloth.

Soon it became clear that these were indeed a means of transportation. Men were seen swarming the decks, pulling ropes and pointing eagerly towards their home. The Hemelytra finally departed the cliffside in full, understandably wary of the entire nation’s worth of boats that were now running themselves aground.

 

A new age has arrived.

 

 

 

The Hemelytra

People of the Skies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Origin

 

---

 

His talons scraped across the cold granite beneath his feet, wind whispering against his useless, feeble wings. Everything in his body felt weak, his limbs heavy. As his limbs pulsed with soreness, Alkyo’s eyes rose listlessly to survey his new home. Mountain upon mountain surrounded him, the crags and bluffs tipped with ice and snow. As a bitter cold wind bit through him, he began to take stock. Where was he? How did he get here? The last thing he remembered was strafing through a warm forest, bow in hand, his ears perked for the sound of the bandits he’d been…

 

Aeriel, what was he? Alkyo stared down in horror, his forearms mattered in feathers. They were tired, sad things, replacing what had once been olive skin. His wings splayed in shock, and all at once a new level of confusion swept over him. How had this happened? What could have done this to him? As Alkyo slowly dragged his eyes from his mutilated body, he found that he was surrounded by a multitude of others, all sharing in his horror.

 

---

 

 

As the descendants clamored in an effort to unify their races and form stable nations, fresh from the tyranny of Iblees, many an Aengul and Daemon surveyed the realm, deliberating on the prospective servants who would patron their cause. The Druidic Order formed through the Aspects’ careful preening, and Clerics from Tahariae’s desire to purge the darkness. One such Daemon, Valaen brooded at great lengths over the choice. His domain being Freedom, he felt that anything without the ability to grace the skies with their wings were unfitting to serve him, and as he watched civilization take root, he grew to hate the laws and policies of the few who control many. He set to work, warping the various creatures of the land in an attempt to attain his perfect servant-- one who could carry out his bidding even over the most imposing wall. Valaen would often take races and subraces at random, testing to see which could be adapted to best suit his needs. He was no novice to this line of work, boasting craftsmanship of such species as the Gryphons that soared through the skies freely in those early times. Though the Gryphons were as majestic as they were powerful, their lack of intellect and independent nature made them poor candidates to represent their deity.

 

Although the Daemon worked meticulously at first, the quantity of failed experiments grew, and Valaen became increasingly frustrated at his lack of sucess. Oftentimes in his carelessness, he would cast out his experiments before their full potential was truly realized, and the Hemelytra were not spared of Valaen’s bad habits. In their early days, their wings could bear them through no sky, and though their minds were sharp, their bodies were frail. Valaen cast them down in a fit of anger upon Tahn, an island immeasurably far from the lands of Aegis. It would be a great irony for the feeble results of his failures to die in the craggy kingdom he had designed them to excel in.

 

Meek but unafraid, the few scattered Hemelytra found themselves in a fight for survival. Predators roamed the land, and food was scarce. A few dimly remembered their past lives, and gradually they began to farm what little they could from the harsh terrain, stone homes being wrought into the mountain. Though their effort was a great one,  the Hemelytra could not overcome the broken state of their design, and one by one they succumbed to their intended doom. Although the Hemelytra were weak and incomplete, they put up a vicious fight in their struggle to survive, braving immeasurable odds as they strove to live on. In what could have been their last moments, a handful of survivors surrounded by hungry wolves and the corpses of their fellows, the few left standing earned their place on the mortal plain-- at least in the eyes of one.

The cloudy, cold skies seemed to split in two, Malchediael’s presence spilling over the frozen mountaintop in a glorious clap of thunder that shook the very mountain to its core. What truly happened that day remains clouded in mystery. Some legends claim that Malchediael blessed his chosen few with great strength, while others say that he descended himself, smiting the rabid creatures of the mountainous isles. Whatever the Aengul’s actions to save the fledgling creatures, the Hemelytra came away a changed peoples. Their feathers shone with luster, their wings, once frail and useless were given new strength. No more were the failed experiments of a careless Daemon. Now stood a proud, illustrious peoples who were filled with pride and strength. Thanks to the intervention of the Aengul of Courage, the Hemelytra would enjoy dominance over their prison turned domain, the Isles of Axios.

 

Appearance

 

---

 

“Woi, heh’s nae tallah’n meh!”

-Drolan Stronghearth

 

---

 

 

The Hemelytra are slim, lithe, and altogether compact creatures. They frequent heights of 4’2” - 4’10”, and are never seen standing above 5’0”. The bones of their upper bodies are hollow, and laden with air cavities. Because of this, Hemelytra are exceptionally light, averaging a weight of 55 lbs. Unlike other avian creatures, the Hemelytra have the ability the ability to walk long distances thanks to muscular legs, designed to take the impact of their weight upon landing. It is because of their heavy legs that Hemelytra cannot sustain fight. Were they hollow like the rest of the creature, they would simply break upon landing. Their hands are unique amongst other creatures, featuring four fingers rather than five. The skin upon their hands is as rough as dry leather, their fingers ending in sharp points of flesh where nails protrude. The talons of the Hemelytra hand are often kept short as a matter of habit and convenience. Their feet are true talons. Feathers trail to their ankles and no further as their rough, yellowed skin begins, long black claws jutting from their feet to dig into the dirt as they walk. These are the most frequented and ancient of weapons a Hemelytra has access to

.

Due to their experimental, hodgepodge nature, the amount of feathers from Hemelytra to Hemelytra varies, but generally they are found across the entire form. The maintenance and upkeep of a Hemelytra’s feathers is a matter of great pride within their culture, though with the great spread of Hemelytra across the peaks, it is also subject to immense variation. Feathers crown the top of most Hemelytra heads, though some, often disgraced, may be born with the inability to grow feathers upon their head. With great care, feathers are preened and styled to impress friends, family, and potential mates. Feathers are not found on heads alone, but also across their arms, legs, and anywhere else hair might grow upon a person. Feathers vary in color across different Hemelytra, though it is quite rare to find a Hemelytra bolstering more than two or three colors upon their body at once.

 

The wings of a Hemelytra are the token of their pride, allowing them to take to the skies for however long they are able to maintain their glide. Perhaps the most drastically varying feature bestowed upon the Hemelytra, the wings are the magical remnant of the work of Valaen, improved upon by Mercediael. Unfathomably light in spite of their frame of cartilage and feathers, yet deceptively resilient. Their wings grow as the Hemelytra age, lengthening across one’s entire life with no clear point of stopping. The most ancient of Hemelytra meet a wingspan of a recorded eight meters. Although they cannot meet the demands of sustained flight, the older a Hemelytra becomes, the more capable they become at gliding farther and longer.

 

When not in use, Hemelytra fold their wings along their back. Even the longest of wings are capable of being tucked away with impeccable compactness, the tips of their wings never trailing upon the ground as they walk, regardless of wingspan.

 

The face of a Hemelytra hints at its heritage amongst the descendants, though the numerous alterations shine through the visages of those who once were men. Their faces are usually laden with small feathers, their lack of a nose is immediately obvious to any that lay eyes upon the creature. In its place, nostrils mark the center of the Hemelytra’s face, inferior in capability to most other creatures. While ear are also absent or fused uselessly to the avians’ heads, they maintain the ability to hear with the same clarity and range as any other creature may.

 

Physiology

 

A young Hemelytra is born live, and follows roughly the same growth cycle as any Descendent child. The main differentiator between an adolescent and an adult is, of course, their wingspan. When a baby is born, it has almost no wings to speak of, little more than nubs. As it grows older, they become slightly more prominent, but are little more than a suggestion on their backs. It is not until puberty that a Hemelytra’s wings will truly begin to flourish. This is the only time in their lifespan that the wings will truly grow at a measurable rate. Once puberty passes, the wings will continue to grow extremely slowly.

 

The physiology of the Hemelytra is a truly peculiar study for one accustomed to the mundane biology of the Descendants. Hemelytra display traits of both avians and the Races, warped in a crude amalgamation by a Daemon’s hand, awarding them traits of both.

Some Hemelytra find themselves a different transfiguration from the norm, though this is exceedingly

rare.

 

The skeletal system of the Hemelytra is one unique to all other forms of known life, an amalgamation between sapient and avian skeletons, the Hemelytra’s bones feature air cavities in place of marrow in all bones above their waist, allowing their frames to be light enough to glide across the skies, though in the aim for a duality between the ability to both walk and fly, the Hemelytra possess bone marrow within the bones of their legs. The strength this marrow warrants their legs allowed them to walk long distances without tiring just as the descendents do, but gave them too much deadweight to achieve sustained flight. Furthermore, the air cavities throughout the bones on the Hemelytra’s upper body cause its frame to be inherently more fragile, bones susceptible to breaking under much less force than a human’s might.

 

The wings of the Hemelytra are the dawning, most notable aspect of their physical makeup, awarding them, the ability to glide through the skies and sustain higher jumps through the lift they allow. These wings, such as the wings of birds, are connected to the thick muscles of the back via a network of bones and cartilage, the wings themselves composed of cartilage and feathers of impeccable, unprecedented natural craftsmanship. Made with such care, these wings may survive blows and endure force that would snap the lesser bones of even ground dwellers. Beyond the aforementioned, Hemelytran anatomy is nearly identical to the other descendants as far as organs and other interior structures are concerned.

 

The lifespan of a Hemelytra is unknown, even to those of the species. Because of their prideful, independent nature, Hemelytra will often fly off on their own when they believe their time is coming to avoid the embarrassment of a public demise. It is said by some that these ancient pariahs never actually die, but instead roam the skies waiting for an end that never comes. Eventually, their wings become so immense that not only can they fly, but indeed they never land.

 

It’s more likely that they simply drown at sea.

 

 

---

 

Aemor took one last, longing look at the place he had called home. The ledge was no more than a suggestion against the mountainside. It jutted out just enough from the mouth of the cave beyond for it to be distinguishable from a distance, barely greater than five feet in length. It was safe, well hidden, and there was no better view in the Isles.. At least, in his mind.

 

As a gust of wind swept across the crag, he contemplated his time spent here. It had been a good run, but those who came to contest him for his tiny piece of home seemed to grow fitter and younger by the day, and his feathers didn’t grow back in quite how they used to. He knew what it meant. The time had come.

 

With a sigh of relief, he allowed his wings to unfurl; and what wings they were! Red and brown clashed in brilliant patterns along their length, and from tip to tip they were easily almost ten meters across. He had met no other in the last century with wings so magnificent as his, one of the first symptoms of his impending age. He stood there for another moment, even the most gentle of breezes threatening his footing as his massive wings ballooned with each gust. Then, simple as that, he was gone. The Elder soared into the air, striking out for the horizon.

 

---

 

Voidal magic is a taboo in the avian society, not on any religious or moral grounds, but because connection to the void severely deteriorates the already frail people of the sky. The voidal atrophy of the muscles that follows after the initial connection and furthered practice of the void would weaken the already meager muscles the Hemelytra carry above their waist, clinging to their avian bones. These muscles would deteriorate past the point of any movement whatsoever, rendering a Hemelytra paralyzed from the waist up.

 

 

 

Culture

The Hemelytra are nomadic peoples by nature, though they maintain a spiritual home in the mountain ranges of Tahn. Their beliefs are centered in reverence for Malchediael, the Aengul of Courage, and the being who rescued them from their plight. Oftentimes Hemelytra will show their gratitude to the patron courage on the winter solstice, the darkest day of the year in remembrance of the dark days of their ancestors.

 

 

---

 

Against a sheer cliff face, a mother and a child looked out from a roughly hewn doorway into the sky, watching the day’s light die. Cold had already begun to seep into the abode, relentless even against their small fire’s attempts to warm the hard walls.

 

As the mother finished her story, the fledgeling looked to her, eyes bright. “And he fixed us all?” He inquired in a tiny voice, awestruck. The power to transform an entire species, to bless them with the strength to survive was unimaginable, especially for a mind so young. In truth, at the time of the transformation, there were so few it was hardly any trouble.

 

His mother nodded, smiling contentedly as she returned her attention to the setting sun. There, as the dying heat soaked into her wings, she felt that perhaps it was also the Aengul’s courage warming her feathers. On this, their most holy day, her people’s perseverance brought forth proud tears to her eyes. Though what little warmth the sun had provided during the day was fading fast, she knew that tonight she would sleep in comfort, for Malchediael watched over her.

And what a long night it would be.

 

---

 

 

While they partake in hunting to augment their diet, Hemelytra often find most of their food through farming, a holdover from the days when they were too weak to consider anything else. Important to note too is the considerable lack of game in high altitudes, making farming far more efficient in terms of output. Greatly knowledgeable and experienced, Hemelytra farmers are said to be able to grow a feast from a slab of rock, so great is their skill.

 

The young of the Hemelytra are considered adult as soon as they learn to glide and expected to make their own way in the world. Hemelytra children are often mischievous and carefree, eager to learn and master their newfound powers of flight. Impatient to learn and eager to excel, Hemelytra fledgelings are jokingly said to halve their mother’s lives thanks to emboldened leaps from the nest, early morning wanderings, and boisterous personas.

 

 

Personality

While not particularly outgoing, the Hemelytra are a reasonable, energetic people. Carefree and airy, they are usually just as content to socialize or remain aloof from those who tread the ground. While they are territorial creatures, they are often unconcerned by proximity to ground dwellers. Those without wings are not instinctually seen as competition to the Hemelytra, and therefore they are more than comfortable taking up residence in a place with high population in order to take advantage of large, artificial structures. If a city is large enough, anywhere from three to five Hemelytra may live happily in different quadrants of the settlement.

 

Rare is it for a Hemelytra to allow anybody into the private sanctums in which they craft their nests. While otherwise a sociable, peaceful folk, Hemelytra guard their nests jealously as the throne from which they control their kingdom, and nests are often the center of conflict when one Hemelytra seeks to obtain territory from another.

 

Society

 

The Hemelytra are a mostly nomadic people, jumping from territory to territory as it is stolen and acquired. While they do hold a mountainside citadel, it is a mostly spiritual and ceremonial home-- the place where their peoples were first deposited by Valaen, and the place they believe that Malchediael graced their creaturedom with his blessing. In life, they will often choose to live apart from each other, leaving the Mountain of Origin mostly abandoned.

 

Initially, the Descendents will interact with them individually or in pairs. Given that the Hemelytra are so scattered, there will not be a grand meeting of delegates, nor fierce skirmishes as has been in the past. The Hemelytra will simply slowly integrate into the society of the Descendents.  After the initial meeting, the Hemelytra are likely to wind up in steeples of churches, watchtowers, or any other buildings with easy access to the skies. Their desire to house in such optimum locations will often put them in contact with the builders-- for better or worse.

 

 

---

 

“Another one?” The sergeant groaned, glaring up at the lone observation tower as if he might bring the avian down with a look.

 

“Aye, we ‘unno when he got up there, but he doesn’t seem t’ wanna leave.”

 

“Well, at least they’ve been taking care of our rat problems.”

 

---

 

 

The Hemelytra do not truly have a cohesive nation or society, though many will converge in Tahn for the Winter Solstice to observe the turn of the darkest day, gracing the peaks of the craggy isle with a multitude of brilliant wings.

 

Conflict

 

As a general statement, the Hemelytra are a peaceful people. Violence inside of the species is generally mild and motivated by territory or competition to prove themselves as capable mates or leaders. More inquisitive than they are violent, a Hemelytra will more often than not seek to resolve a dispute peacefully or by fleeing, taking advantage of their easy escape mechanism.

 

That is not to say they never fight. The Hemelytra often follow a predictable pattern when aggressed. They’ll spread their wings, feathers ruffling to show their full size in an attempt to ward off an attacker. Should this fail, many Hemelytra will choose to fight, regardless of the stature of their enemy, and usually with the knowledge that they will perish combating a ground dweller. Given that most if not all follow Malchediael, they feel it proper to show courage in order to honor the gifts he bestowed upon their people.

 

Permanent Mechanical Effects:

 

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Elytra Soulbound: Chest Slot (possesses wings)

 

Jump Boost: 2 (due to a boost lent from their wings, combined with their lightweight physique, may jump higher than other races)

 

Weakness: 1 (weaker muscles) (Note: Considered weakness 2, but this would mean literally no damage punching. Considered slightly too extreme. Player input welcome.)

 

Free Profession: Farmer (+30%)

 

Profession Bonuses: Alchemy (+30%) (unique plants on mountainside), Chef (+20%) (with what little food is available, intelligence in its preparation is essential), Stonemason (+30%) (homes built into mountainside)

 

Profession Drawbacks: Woodworking (-30%), Lumberjack (-20%), Blacksmithing (-20%) (Hands less dexterous than others.)

 

Valaen

Daemon of Freedom Alignment: True Neutral

 

 

---

 

“True freedom is not righteous. It simply is.”

-Valaen

 

---

 

 

Though many of the Descendants would often characterize freedom as a knight in shining white armor, or perhaps a valiant king, Valaen is just about anything but. Incarnate of the principal of total liberty, Valaen is known to be vain, selfish, carefree, and totally at odds with the ideas of generations of philosophers and scholars, who would usually mistake the domain as being more in line with an Aengul’s duties. Though he is not evil, his domain provides him almost no moral compass to speak of, and this utter disregard leads him to make rash, spur of the moment choices that often put him at odds with his more reserved, reflective divine counterparts. “Because” is often his primary motivator.

 

Although he holds no true entitlement, Valaen claims the sky as his holding, citing the freedom of the sphere of flight-- the ability to go in any direction one pleases. Indeed, he holds a special fascination with the idea of flying creatures, looking with pity upon the races forced to live their lives in only two true dimensions. Below, petty races build their walls, scribe their laws, and extort gold from their citizens. Valaen looks upon all such surface dwellers with discontent-- the structure and regiment of the world below saps away at the freedom of the people who live there, and Valaen would like nothing more to see it all crumble. With a lack of civilization, the world would know true and utter freedom. His chosen and final race of servants, the Harpies, have been known to carry out attacks aimed at high profile figures of authority, and if it could be said that the Daemon has a grand plan, it would be to grant mortals true freedom, Anarchy.

 

Development Log: TL;DR

Ever since 2.0, LOTC has followed a very consistent pattern regarding new races and creatures. Given the state of especially the Mori and Kha (extinct and underplayed respectively), it’s understandable that a lot of people have a set idea about how something like this goes-- brief activity followed by years of borderline no play.

 

The premise in creating this creature is simple: Create a fun, interesting group with a unique ability and a non-hostile nature to facilitate the playerbase’s growth and interactions between themselves and others. Making them distance themselves from each other gives them a chance to seek out roleplay instead of waiting for it to come to their city, and select what kind of roleplayers they want to be around. This eliminates the need for activity in order to draw people to play the creature, because oftentimes the number of existing Hemelytra won’t matter in any real capacity, and the race’s design allows for a more hands-off approach from us, the creators.

 

Other races LOTC has introduced or that have been suggested have too many fundamental challenges to overcome. How do you go and visit a race of amphibians? Why create a fledgling race with a tiny playerbase who have a desire to remain apart from the general population? These are built-in challenges that many people do not consider or do not want to consider when structuring a race, and it is my belief that to most successfully put something like the Hemelytra on the table, it should be in a manner that allows every individual roleplayer to have their own take or spin on it, to go wherever they want, and do whatever they like instead of opting for cooler, themactic lore that doesn’t translate well into the game.

 

We have had the opportunity to learn from the past, and it’s clear that when we create races that hide away 5,000 blocks away and kill any newcomers, they are doomed to fizzle out over the course of a few months. After all, having a playerbase that doesn’t roleplay with 80% of the server is simply unsustainable. Hemelytra will often find themselves settling in places like guard towers and church steeples, supplying different towns and nations across Axios with roleplay of a different speed than what they might otherwise be accustomed to. Creating “event creatures” is also a wasted endeavour. If you want a group to have an impact, only busting out your character when you feel like it dooms them to never do what they were intended.

 

Hemelytra are, as of now, vaguely inclined to follow the lead of older characters in certain social settings, specifically when there is an important decision to be made. By vesting some measure of authority and hierarchy in the culture, we leave the door open to any roleplay that might happen regarding a more organized race, given the opportunity someday arises. For now, it’s more than likely that never occurs.

 

The Daemon introduced in this lore is intended to be used in future events, and give new depth to some otherwise flatlining creatures. Gryphons now have a bit more backstory, and Harpies now have a purpose, giving their events more meaning. The lore also ties in Malchediael, an Aengul people don’t hear anything of, despite his heroic status in the origin lore. Involving him in the story of this new race allows us to tie in a classic LOTC figure and give him new relevance to both the Hemelytra and anybody who interacts with their species. When I ran the event team, bringing lore from the wiki to our server was one of the things that really drove me, and I hope to continue doing so.

 

 

Please leave your thoughts, and thank you very much for reading.

 

Created by charlietheguy

Ouity

[Wolf Druid Ouity 1461]

Changes, if any, will be logged here:

 

 

-Clarification: This race is intended for play by normal players who fill out an additional application to play them.

[manicfairy 178]

NICE! +1

[Neri 3587]

I was going to make lore like this but you beat me to it.

 

Sure. I'd love to play one so +1.

[Eranikus 348]

I for one would love to see one of these hanging around in casual roleplay. Not just for an event that gets done once and forgotten. I'd absolutely play one.

 

+1

[Mephistophelian 972]

Wait, is this a new race or a creature some people could RP?

[Wolf Druid Ouity 1461]

Just now, Mephistophelian said:

Wait, is this a new race or a creature some people could RP?

Probably with the stipulation of an extra application, yes.

[JuniperSelkie 241]

30/10. +40.

I would play the hell out of this. I love birds.

[iris1612 1173]

This is one of the most well-written and beautifully done works of lore I've seen. I am blown away by how fantastic this is, I would love to see it implemented in the server.

[Elvrohir Aureon 210]

+1

 

Threw a little too much shade at other proposed races tho, this thread is to propose your own idea, not judge the merits of others to make yours seem more suitable.

[GDPR 014 23]

I love you for using Malchediael, my love. I really like this lore: It's a neat idea, and it makes a lot of sense for Malchediael to give them strength (Since he likes to destroy the dark of doubt with the light of courage). I really hope this gets accepted. +1 On my end.

[Wolf Druid Ouity 1461]

10 minutes ago, Elvrohir Aureon said:

+1

 

Threw a little too much shade at other proposed races tho, this thread is to propose your own idea, not judge the merits of others to make yours seem more suitable.

 

I don't think I mentioned any other proposed races at all. The only one I'm aware of is the aquatic race that was proposed a little while ago, and I only say in the OP that having an underwater city would create some obvious issues in terms of attracting roleplay. No harm meant, I was just trying to make a point about what I feel sets a group up for success, and I'm pretty sure that point was on the doc before that lore was even published. That's really the only thing I can imagine you're talking about. I was quite clear when I drew comparisons to everything else.

 

Thank you for the support.

[wolfdwg 1497]

Yes.

[drfate786 1639]

Yes, +1

[Toastersaurus 412]

Ever since I was a child I have wanted to fly, first I started from the top bunk bed to the floor. But this wasn't nearly enough, so I took to the big boys diving board at the pool. Still not enough... And I finally got onto a plane and was thoroughly disappointed. Man was not meant to fly in a metal pod! We should soar like the very birds in the sky with their smug wings, always mocking us from above! Then there it was... Minecraft 1.9 and with its glory came wings. Will we refuse this bountiful race because wings are "Op" or will we step into the light and be prepared finally To achieve the greatness this server truly deserves? 

 

The sky's the limit my friends. And I will open my arms wide for our new feathery friends.