Ideas...

The Bird Woman: Aethrali

Hello, everybody! Thanks for coming.

I am The Bird Woman. I speak at my ease. And I'd like to say a few words, if you please. Regarding the notes that you're about to see, I'll haunt you if you steal my ideas, take it from me. But there's more to the story than what's in this section. So let's dive in, look around, while I write the action. 

I know, I know. It doesn't exactly rhyme. But I did think on it a lot, I took my time. 

These notes are just some ideas I've had and have been building on for some time. Let's dive in, shall we?

Now, the first chapter is going to be about a new species. Wow, right? I created them myself.

Single term- Aethra. Plural term: Aethrali.

They can sprout feathers on the upper half, but the lower half doesn't sprout feathers.

They sprout wings and feathers, but they retain their human form.

You must remove your shirt to shift fully into winged form.

You have to shift into your winged form for at least ½ hour every day, otherwise you get painful shoulder cramps until you shift.

Pros of shifting: Heightened senses, excellent balance, danger radar, hiding skills, stronger and more flexible, able to talk to and understand birds.

Cons of shifting: painful to shift back into human form, if in bird form for too long you start to lose your sense of humanity, hard to keep it a secret, constantly targeted by Felidae (see notes on common enemies), the wings sprout out between your shoulder blades.

Shifting ability sometimes skips generations.

NOT an alien race, Aethrali have been around as long as humans, but they were usually in hiding or being burned for being "witches" for centuries. They are scattered around the world in clans or mixed camps.

The Elders- one Elder for each clan- are the only Phoenixes in the entire world of Aethrali.

If an Aethrali births a Phoenix, it is instantly taken from the parents and brought to the Elders Roost, where the Elders' maids take care of it.

You can tell from birth if the child is a Phoenix. They usually have a bright red or blue glow for the first few minutes, depending on the gender.

You can shift fully into a bird for no more than one hour; if you try to push the limit, you will pass out inside of five to ten minutes. It also drains you of your energy a lot faster than being in human or winged form.

You can first shift at age fourteen. When you're younger you're usually normal.

The average lifespan of an Aethra is 200 years, but the Elders have been known to live to be 250.

Each Aethra is a bird of prey; but if two Eagle Aethrali or two Falcon Aethrali married it wouldn't be like marrying a brother or sister unless you were from the same parents.

Each Aethra has a soulmate. Your soulmate's eyes glow faintly or strongly, depending on how strong the soulmate bond is. Once united, you become a more powerful Aethra than when you were single.

The term "mixed camp" refers to three or more Aethrali that are not from the same clan, or race, and have decided to band together and create a new safe haven for all Aethrali, like a rest stop on the side of the road for an Aethra on a mission, or a new home for outcasts.

The term "clan" simply means a village or place with twenty or more birds of the same race, like Eagles, Ravens, Vultures or Falcons. It doesn't matter what kind of Eagle you are, you're always welcome in your clan.

The Vulture clan is the most despised and the lowest down clan of all Aethrali. Their nesting home is usually littered and messy, their children ugly, and their feathers unkempt. They prey upon the weaker ones and they eat rotten meat with relish. The only respectable Vulture in history is the one called Vikram, and all he did was brush his teeth, bathe and comb his feathers occasionally and keep his nest somewhat neat.

The Aethrali have been known to keep mystical pets, such as small Curlton Dragons and Orls (see mystical pets).

They don't lay eggs. They give birth like an ordinary human.

Aethrali don't show their winged form in public, though they can fly around as a bird or go out fully human.

In their winged form, they have bird's feet and they can sprout talons from their fingers as well.

The Aethrali clans are: Falcons, Buzzards, Harriers, Osprey, Owls, Eagles, Kites, Kestrels, Vultures and Merlin. I assure you, Merlin are NOT fish, they are actual birds.

This isn't all I have, but I wanted to put the other stuff in separate chapters. Ciao!