Akyr

The Akyr a race of bird-like humanoids hailing from the planet of Aksyos. They live in the realm of Akyria and are often referred to as Akryians, but this term also denotes a couple of the other species that live within their kingdom as well. They hail from the dense forested Lapideus Highlands, but their bodies were born from a crystalline tree (the body of Mir) which formed them from the essences of several alternate, magical dimensions. Even though Akyr no longer awaken from this tree, their descendants have a deep affinity for magic.

Physiology


Akyr appear to bird-like humanoids in their true form, with small wings and furred bodies. They are highly diverse in markings and colors, coming in just about any combination that one can imagine. Akyr have highly varied heights, with your average adult standing anywhere between 5ft-9ft in height. They are generally around as strong as a human of the same height, if not slightly stronger.

Physically, the Akyr have very humanlike anatomy with five digits on their hands (although occasionally the artist will depict them with four) and feet, with the Akyr being a plantigrade creature rather than digitigrade. The exception to their humanlike features is their birdlike head and wings and their long, (usually) lionlike tails. The Akyr also possess long, catlike ears that can swivel around in almost any direction. They have exceptional hearing and sight - with the ability to see in the dark.

The Akyr have long, monkeylike tails that usually have a long tuft of fur at the end. This tail is used for grabbing branches and maneuvering through the air, as well as for keeping balance. Although rare, some Akyr possess shorter, fluffier tails, but as a tradeoff they are less dexterous. Though the benefit may be that the tail no longer is as likely to be cut or bitten off when hunting or in combat. Some Akyr as also larger and heavily muscled, almost resembling smaller, furrier Diatar. They are much heavier than the average Akyr, but generally have larger wings to compensate for the increased weight. Another rare mutation that occurs is the presence of horns and spines, as well as batlike wings.

The 'beak' on the Akyr's snout is actually a bony protrusion only located on the top of the snout. The nostrils are located quite close to the beak on either side and lay flat. The Akyr possess sharp teeth, and on some Akyr they can be seen protruding out of their mouth like small tusks. Akyr are omnivores and consume a wide variety of foods, with it primarily consisting of meats and sometimes various fruits and vegetables that grow around their homelands.

Akyr are warm-blooded mammals and bear live young, despite their birdlike features making them seem more like an avian species. A typical pregnancy lasts the same amount of time as a human - nine months, in which after the female bears usually one or two children. Akyr children are born somewhat smaller than human babies, although not enough to make an immediately noticeable difference and are already covered in a soft layer of fur. Their eyes usually open within a few days of birth and their teeth grow in within a month, in which they can begin to consume more solid foods.

Shapeshifting
The Akyr are natural-born shapeshifters, able to shift between a form that appears very human and their true form. The mechanism for this is unknown, but the transition from human-form to Akyr is fairly quick. In their human form, they stand around the same height and their faces change to that of one that is near indistinguishable from a human face. They possess much longer canines than humans. They are also covered soft downy fur that is generally thick around the neck, arms, legs, and chest, but thinner to almost near hairlessness around muscles and on the face (with the exception of beards, perhaps). Their ears and tail remain no matter how human they appear, making them immediately indentifiable as an Akyr.

Culture
Harmony with nature and magic are highly regarded, and Akyr hunters often pay respect to their prey in honor of the God of the Wilds. Akyrian society is highly developed in the arts, sciences, and magic, with magitech being highly common in Akyrian cities. (Although less common in the countrysides). Most Akyrian cities are technologically advanced with magical power grids, sewer systems, and public lighting, as well as transit options in the way of magically powered airships. Despite this, the Akyr are seen as savages and con-artists by the outside world and looked down upon, perhaps due to the fact that many of them rely on magic and their technology seems somewhat arcane to the outside world.

The Akyr prize victory in battle more than anything, as their culture was carved from the ferocity of the first-generation Akyr. The Akyr take great pride in trying to make their name into a legend, and a surname is earned by performing great feats. They have a natural bloodlust and inclination for aggression and because of this they  developed a fighting style based on berserking, in which they fight with the intensity of a enraged animal with little to no regard for their own safety. Despite this, however, the Akyr rarely venture far from their homelands and don't have an inclination to go to war with other countries. They mostly keep to themselves and are a somewhat rare sight outside of Akyria.

During the original iteration of Akyrian society under the rule of the Three Founders, it was considered a privilege for the strong to defend the weak, and through the peace brought on by their actions, the less combat inclined could focus on finding their true strengths outside of battle, such as education, agriculture, architecture, invention, and the arts. However, the death of the first Queen and the disappearance of the King saw a great change in the way the Akyr viewed those who could not fight. Following their departure, the weak were given the 'privilege' of breaking their backs as servants for those who sat on top of society - and only those who sat on top were allowed the benefits of education and the arts at the expense of others.

Extremely weak families or dishonorable Akyr and their families are considered low-born or pariahs, which are looked down upon by most Akyr society and considered the bottom rung. Low-born aren't usually allowed to own property, but instead live as peasants and servants or can only often can only possess the most hazardous or lackluster jobs in any profession they may be in. There isn't much of an opportunity for Low-born to get out of their position in society, a plight sought to be remedied by the current rule.

Government
Akyrians are ruled by a female-dominant monarchy. There is a council that balances out the Queen's responsibilities and makes many important decisions, however the Queen has the final say in the end. That being said, the Akyr have been shown to depose queens if they feel as if there's a stronger candidate available - usually one that does not conflict with their views and values.

The council is not appointed by the Queen, surprisingly. It consists of the many powerful Akyr 'nobility' that exists - which are generally the most magically attuned Akyr families. However, many of them have close connections to the royal family whether it be by relation or simply being an important figure.

The Queen also typically takes a consort. Typically, a male will not be given any special titles - the honor of being the Queen's mate and living the rest of their life in royal luxury is enough to keep most satisfied. Some Queens have been known to take more than one consort at a time, and others have quickly replaced dead or unfulfilling consorts with another viable partner. Consorts themselves are typically exceptional individuals, usually chosen for many reasons - attractiveness, social standing, power, and intelligence. Lowborn and commoners as consorts were outlawed by the council fairly early on to stop the royal bloodline from being 'polluted' by less-magical families.

The first King, Orion, was appointed by Artemis. After her death, he disappeared and the Akyr reserved the title until Artemis's case was resolved. Unfortunately, investigations were halted by the second queen, who felt it was unnecessary given the situation. The circumstances behind Artemis's death went unresolved and were mostly forgotten by the Akyr.

So far the last few Queens have all been the daughters of the previous Queen, with the exception of Minerva, who was the granddaughter of the previous Queen and succeeded her and the other potential heirs through a trial of combat, ending the Akyrian Rebellion. After Minerva seized the seat of power, she began to reform more archaic rules, although the political situation was very shaky. She appointed the lowborn, Cain, as a Grand Arbiter during this time. After a reform, she married him and he was later appointed as King - the second Akyr to ever hold the title. (The first being one of the original founders of the realm.)

Religion
The Akyr's religion mostly circulates around honoring a few gods that they consider their patron. One being Cernunnos, the Seven-Eyed Deer God of the Wilds, and the other being Diat, the Titan of the Forge. Cernunnos adopted the Akyr as his children after they put down the rampaging Titan that once inhabited their lands. Akyrian hunters conduct special hunts in his honor and the balance of nature is highly regarded by the Akyr. Akyr society does its best to honor the land. Cities often incorporate a large amount of forest and minimal amount of destruction and the Akyr try to keep their agriculture and animal husbandry less intrusive to nature. However, they are not exempt from the hostilities of the wild just by affiliating with its god.

Diat's worship also often accompanies celebrations and parties. The art of craftsmanship is highly valued and the Akyr revere Diat for giving them the tool to carve out their future - the Hammer of Creation. Hephaestus is seen as an extension of Diat's will and craftsman celebrations are held in his honor on Founder's Day. The Akyr's relationship with the larger clans of the Diatar are quite close and it is often that many great Diatar craftsman attend their Founder's Day festival to join in the celebration. Blacksmithing, metallurgy, and metalworking are all seen as very valuable trades to the Akyr.

History
The Akyr hail from the densely forested lands of Lapideus (the Eastern Continent). The firstborn Akyr [in 3A - 0] faced an immediate threat of the Dark Titan that roamed their lands and 'changed' their people to horrible, twisted versions of their former selves. Three heroes attempted to defeat one, but instead suffered heavy wounds. At this point, one of the Akyrian heroes, Hepheastus, brother-in-law to the first queen met a young Diatar priestess named Ankou. The two quickly became friends and as a gift of friendship between the two races, Ankou gave Diat's hammer to Hephaestus. At this moment, he was granted immense power and became known as the first Ascendant. With this newly claimed power the trio of Akyr were able to unify their people and stop the reign of the Titan. After that, Orion and Artemis ruled the kingdom for the next twenty years, until Artemis's untimely death. Orion disappeared and was never seen again. Their daughter then took the throne.

In 3A - 4960, the Akyr were embroiled in a quick, but brutal civil war where the Seventh Queen was deposed by her granddaughter, Minerva, daughter of Prince Zues. After the seventh queen's death Minerva began to reform the kingdom's more archaic rules.

In 3A - 4970, the Shur attempted to go to war and conquer the Akyr's empire. After eight years of war, no ground was made on the Akyrian kingdom [by the Shur]. The two empires have had less-than-lukewarm relations since, but neither is in open warfare with the other.

In 3A-4980, the Grand Archmage is found guilty of treason and regicide and sentenced to a fate worse than death. His wings were removed, however, while in transit to the prison where he would be sent to rot for the rest of eternity, he vanished, never to be seen again.

In 3A - 5000, Cain and Minerva have a son in secret, using a 'mysterious illness' to cover up Minerva's controversial pregnancy. Hepheastus takes over for six months as interim leader. Minerva, afraid her enemies would use her son against her, placed him in the care of an old friend. However, their son never made it to their connection and he was presumed dead.

In 3A - 5010, the council agrees to the union of Minerva and Cain.

Notable Akyr
Notable Akyr include:

Hephaestus - The Ascendant of Fire and Craftsmanship. The first known Ascendant, he is associated with craftsmen, forges, steel, and volcanoes, among other things. Akyrian legends state that he founded their kingdom and truly carved a place for them in the world. One of the three Founders of Akyria.

Artemis - The first queen who helped lead her people to victory during the battle against the Titan. A master of archery, hunting, and stealth. One of the three Founders of Akyria.

Orion - The first true King of Akyria and a well known 'blind' archer who possessed the power to 'see' magical auras. He helped lead the firstborn Akyr to victory against the Titan. One of the three Founders of Akyria. He disappeared after the death of his wife and hasn't been seen since. Presumed dead.

Queen Minerva - The current Queen of Akyria. She is the bastard daughter of Prince Zues and rose to power after the Akyrian Revolution. Well known for her ferocity and the ability to lead even during troubling times.

Grand Arbiter / King Cain - The second true King of Akyria. He was considered a Low-born commoner and possessed no magical talent of his own. Eventually, he earned the respect of the Queen. He is well-known for his level-headedness and pragmatism.

Abilities
The Akyr are a fairly agile and powerful race, possessing an innate knowledge of magic. Most are able to fly for short periods of time.

They have an affinity for magic in general, however they have a particularly strong attunement to Wind, Fire, and Dark magicks, although learning other schools is not uncommon.