The Strigine Parliament
11-02-2016, 10:13 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-14-2017, 10:50 PM by Tealah.)
On another continent far from Ardent, a clan formed. The bonds were not of blood, nor even of species, but that of wing and feather, talon and beak. Most (though not all) of the clan was birthed of the order Strigiformes - owls. From diminutive elf and pygmy owls to the towering Great Gray and Eagle Owls, they joined together as a single diverse family. This union allowed them a unique opportunity to pool their talents and their resources in a way that increased their chances of survival exponentially. They used their numbers and their skills to carve out a democratic kingdom in a world that was in many ways ruled by the larger mammals such as wolves, bear, and cougars. It was their numbers that forced respect - their skills earned it. They eventually came to trade with the mammals, who could do many things they could not.
In many ways the owls acted as mercenaries, tradesmen, and teachers. They acted as night-guards or scouts for mammal traders carrying goods, as weatherwatches and guards for packs and enclaves, as teachers and guides. Many were those who crafted goods of their own, though they were limited by their size and their talons in what they could create. They prospered through these many types of trades.
But as the generations passed the Strigiformes grew too numerous to continue to support their numbers. Rather than risk either starvation or the bloodshed of seeking to expand their borders, it was decided to send a mixed group to establish an independent colony elsewhere.
That is where Ardent comes in. The distant continent was chosen for the new colony in large part because it showed a strong lack of organization and leadership among the feathered species that inhabit the shores of both Auster and Boreas and the colony would probably not face strong resistance to their attempts to establish themselves here. There was fierce competition among many of the young owls to decide who would be sent. Those chosen for the advance party were typically talented in more than one area to allow them to double up on duties. More specialized skillsets and a variety of species would eventually all be sent to settle the new colony once it was safely established. They bring with them customs and beliefs from the old kingdom which were in turn distilled from over a hundred species of owls, but more importantly they have a chance to create new customs of their own as they build their own settlement.
The colony is set up as a democratic republic. It is centered around a capital "city" called the Eyrie. The old system was a representative democracy simply because it had quickly become too large and spread out for a direct democracy. Decisions are made by voting in the Parliament - which in the old settlement meant the chosen representatives from each region, but in the new smaller colony will consist of all members of the expedition. A single leader will be voted on and chosen to make snap decisions that cannot be voted on and to make a judgment in the event that the parliament cannot come to a decision. It will be this leader, called the Wisdom, who will be presented as a "ruler" to outsiders.
Though in many ways a very practical people, long association with such birds as ravens and mapgies has fostered a love of pretty things in the clan. Though most of the raptorial species still restrain their decorative endeavors to practical things like battle or hunting gear, others bedeck themselves flagrantly in shiny or brightly colored jewelry and other lightweight items. Some even get carried away enough that they can't fly properly within their decorative garb and either don't leave their eyrie or waddle along the ground in the safety of the clan lands, though most fall between the two extremes. Within all species, there is a tradition of marking the primaries and rectrices (the first flight feathers in the wings, and the flight feathers in the tail) with dyes or paints to show their rank within the clan. Again, some will get carried away with the feather-decorating and proceed to dye coverts and body feathers in a dazzling array of colors and patterns, and some families choose to have their own distinctive patterns on the secondary feathers, but the rank-feathers are reserved for that purpose alone.
------
What is available to adopt?
A wide variety of species and skills could have been chosen to accompany this first wave of colonists.
Species
One custom of the clan is that they are only as fast as the slowest members of the group. No matter the species’ size and strength, if they accompany a smaller, slower species it is their duty to match their speed to their companions’ so that no one falls behind and is lost without the protection of their brethren. So even small species of owls would have been able to accompany the group. There are two families of owls, the Tytonidae which includes the genus Tyto and Phodilus (barn and bay owl species) and Strigidae, which contains all “true owl” species. Most species are nocturnal (active at night) or crepuscular (active at twilight) but there are three species of diurnal (active in daylight) owls - the northern hawk owl, the northern pygmy owl, and the snowy owl. Note: although most members of the clan are owls, any bird is accepted. Keep in mind however that flightless birds such as ostriches wouldn’t have been chosen for the new colony as they could not have made the journey.
Skills/Roles
There are many different skills that are useful in a newly forming colony, from the warriors and hunters that rule the skies, to the chirurgeons who heal the sick and wounded, to the craftsmen and traders who create the tools and obtain the goods the colony needs to survive, to the scholars who hold the knowledge of their history and bloodlines, to the weatherwatches who watch for and can accurately predict the signs of dangerous or unpleasant weather, to the guides and scouts who know the lands and the winds like no other creatures can. The initial wave of settlers would have been chosen based in part of being able to fill more than one role, for example a warrior who was also a weatherwatch, or a chirurgeon who was also a craftsman. Owls who were primarily warriors, hunters, and chirurgeons with good secondary skills would have had first priority to ensure the health of the colony, but few skills were considered too unimportant to be considered as long as they had a solid background in more than one. Ranks are based upon the colonist's primary duty and go from Private at the beginner's rank to Corporal, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, and finally to Colonel at master rank. The elected leader of the colony is the Marshal, and that rank marking is added to their previous duty-rank.
Age
Age-wise, the chosen colonists would have been young, just above sexual maturity for their species (1 year old for most species) but not yet mated, to allow for many years of raising young in the new colony. No immature, first year owls would have been chosen, simply because it would be too harsh a journey for bodies that were still developing and they could not afford to cripple the future of the settlement by overtaxing the bodies of those establishing it. They also would not have sent adults who have already nested and raised young in the old kingdom, although a mated pair who had not yet raised young might be chosen if both mates qualified as colonists. Many species mate for life, so out of a sense of equality it would not be considered appropriate to separate mated pairs of any species.
Personalities
Generally speaking, to qualify for the new settlement an owl would have to be capable of getting along well with the other colonists. The journey was too long and arduous to risk the expedition by sending someone who was too antisocial, cruel, or bad-tempered to work together with the companions. Likewise no one who was too timid or easily-frightened would be chosen, and all members of the expedition would be expected to be fully committed to the undertaking. Within those boundaries lies a wide spectrum of available personalities, even for grumpy or uncertain owls who are capable of setting aside their differences to work together.
OOC Information
All of these characters will need an other species pass, but whether they need a small species or a large species pass depends on the species. Small species (400 gems) covers all species with a wingspan 42” and under. Some examples are the pygmy owls, tawny owl, elf owl, burrowing owls, screech owls, and the northern hawk owl, though there are many others as well. Large species (800 gems) allows any wingspan 43” and up. Some examples are the eagle-owls, barn owls, snowy owl, great-horned owls, great gray owls, and barred owls, among others.
Example:
The Strigine Parliament
Name: Odyssey
Species: Eurasian Eagle-owl (Bubo Bubo) - Eagle-owls are one of the three largest species of owl in the world. They have ear-tufts and distinctive orange eyes. Wingspans can range from 51 to 74 inches, with some up to 79 inches, with weights from around 2.7lbs for smaller males up to around 10lbs for the largest females. The relatively shallow facial disc means that they generally hunt more by sight than they do sound. They most often prefer mountains, pine forests, and steppes, and usually nest on cliff ledges, in gullies, rocks, or other inaccessible spots. They can live up to 20 years in the wild.
Age: 1 year
Physical description: Odyssey is a female of the eastern Siberian subspecies, Bubo bubo yenisseensis. With a wingspan of 79" she is on the very largest end of her species. She's very pale in coloration, with the soft feathers of her belly being a pure white streaked with dark browns. Her back is darker in coloration, with a lot more tan feathers mixed in among the white and dark brown. Her face with its shallow disc shape is a pale cream lightly streaked with light tans and soft grays. Dark gray-brown feathers make up her long "ear" tufts, and she displays the large, intensely orange eyes common to her species.
Personality: From the time she was hatched Odyssey has been very serious, growing from a solemn little wet-feathered hatchling straight to equally solemn adulthood. she has a soft spot for younglings of any species - well, less of a soft spot and more of an open pit of ooey gooey marshmallowy weakness for them. If there's anything capable of drawing out any semblance of silly or frivolous behavior, it would be a young creature in need of cheering up. They tend to draw out a fiercely protective side of her.
Roles: primarily a warrior and craftsman of battle-related items, also a strong hunter
Other?:
If you have any questions about the customs of the clan, ideas, concerns, or questions about owl species, behavior, or owls in general, drop me a line in a pm or on skype @ tsiegwart and we will discuss it since I don't have the culture down quite yet. I'm not going to be particularly picky about who gets a character, I just want to make sure that everyone who does adopt puts some thought into getting to know the species. :)
In many ways the owls acted as mercenaries, tradesmen, and teachers. They acted as night-guards or scouts for mammal traders carrying goods, as weatherwatches and guards for packs and enclaves, as teachers and guides. Many were those who crafted goods of their own, though they were limited by their size and their talons in what they could create. They prospered through these many types of trades.
But as the generations passed the Strigiformes grew too numerous to continue to support their numbers. Rather than risk either starvation or the bloodshed of seeking to expand their borders, it was decided to send a mixed group to establish an independent colony elsewhere.
That is where Ardent comes in. The distant continent was chosen for the new colony in large part because it showed a strong lack of organization and leadership among the feathered species that inhabit the shores of both Auster and Boreas and the colony would probably not face strong resistance to their attempts to establish themselves here. There was fierce competition among many of the young owls to decide who would be sent. Those chosen for the advance party were typically talented in more than one area to allow them to double up on duties. More specialized skillsets and a variety of species would eventually all be sent to settle the new colony once it was safely established. They bring with them customs and beliefs from the old kingdom which were in turn distilled from over a hundred species of owls, but more importantly they have a chance to create new customs of their own as they build their own settlement.
The colony is set up as a democratic republic. It is centered around a capital "city" called the Eyrie. The old system was a representative democracy simply because it had quickly become too large and spread out for a direct democracy. Decisions are made by voting in the Parliament - which in the old settlement meant the chosen representatives from each region, but in the new smaller colony will consist of all members of the expedition. A single leader will be voted on and chosen to make snap decisions that cannot be voted on and to make a judgment in the event that the parliament cannot come to a decision. It will be this leader, called the Wisdom, who will be presented as a "ruler" to outsiders.
Though in many ways a very practical people, long association with such birds as ravens and mapgies has fostered a love of pretty things in the clan. Though most of the raptorial species still restrain their decorative endeavors to practical things like battle or hunting gear, others bedeck themselves flagrantly in shiny or brightly colored jewelry and other lightweight items. Some even get carried away enough that they can't fly properly within their decorative garb and either don't leave their eyrie or waddle along the ground in the safety of the clan lands, though most fall between the two extremes. Within all species, there is a tradition of marking the primaries and rectrices (the first flight feathers in the wings, and the flight feathers in the tail) with dyes or paints to show their rank within the clan. Again, some will get carried away with the feather-decorating and proceed to dye coverts and body feathers in a dazzling array of colors and patterns, and some families choose to have their own distinctive patterns on the secondary feathers, but the rank-feathers are reserved for that purpose alone.
------
What is available to adopt?
A wide variety of species and skills could have been chosen to accompany this first wave of colonists.
Species
One custom of the clan is that they are only as fast as the slowest members of the group. No matter the species’ size and strength, if they accompany a smaller, slower species it is their duty to match their speed to their companions’ so that no one falls behind and is lost without the protection of their brethren. So even small species of owls would have been able to accompany the group. There are two families of owls, the Tytonidae which includes the genus Tyto and Phodilus (barn and bay owl species) and Strigidae, which contains all “true owl” species. Most species are nocturnal (active at night) or crepuscular (active at twilight) but there are three species of diurnal (active in daylight) owls - the northern hawk owl, the northern pygmy owl, and the snowy owl. Note: although most members of the clan are owls, any bird is accepted. Keep in mind however that flightless birds such as ostriches wouldn’t have been chosen for the new colony as they could not have made the journey.
Skills/Roles
There are many different skills that are useful in a newly forming colony, from the warriors and hunters that rule the skies, to the chirurgeons who heal the sick and wounded, to the craftsmen and traders who create the tools and obtain the goods the colony needs to survive, to the scholars who hold the knowledge of their history and bloodlines, to the weatherwatches who watch for and can accurately predict the signs of dangerous or unpleasant weather, to the guides and scouts who know the lands and the winds like no other creatures can. The initial wave of settlers would have been chosen based in part of being able to fill more than one role, for example a warrior who was also a weatherwatch, or a chirurgeon who was also a craftsman. Owls who were primarily warriors, hunters, and chirurgeons with good secondary skills would have had first priority to ensure the health of the colony, but few skills were considered too unimportant to be considered as long as they had a solid background in more than one. Ranks are based upon the colonist's primary duty and go from Private at the beginner's rank to Corporal, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, and finally to Colonel at master rank. The elected leader of the colony is the Marshal, and that rank marking is added to their previous duty-rank.
Age
Age-wise, the chosen colonists would have been young, just above sexual maturity for their species (1 year old for most species) but not yet mated, to allow for many years of raising young in the new colony. No immature, first year owls would have been chosen, simply because it would be too harsh a journey for bodies that were still developing and they could not afford to cripple the future of the settlement by overtaxing the bodies of those establishing it. They also would not have sent adults who have already nested and raised young in the old kingdom, although a mated pair who had not yet raised young might be chosen if both mates qualified as colonists. Many species mate for life, so out of a sense of equality it would not be considered appropriate to separate mated pairs of any species.
Personalities
Generally speaking, to qualify for the new settlement an owl would have to be capable of getting along well with the other colonists. The journey was too long and arduous to risk the expedition by sending someone who was too antisocial, cruel, or bad-tempered to work together with the companions. Likewise no one who was too timid or easily-frightened would be chosen, and all members of the expedition would be expected to be fully committed to the undertaking. Within those boundaries lies a wide spectrum of available personalities, even for grumpy or uncertain owls who are capable of setting aside their differences to work together.
All of these characters will need an other species pass, but whether they need a small species or a large species pass depends on the species. Small species (400 gems) covers all species with a wingspan 42” and under. Some examples are the pygmy owls, tawny owl, elf owl, burrowing owls, screech owls, and the northern hawk owl, though there are many others as well. Large species (800 gems) allows any wingspan 43” and up. Some examples are the eagle-owls, barn owls, snowy owl, great-horned owls, great gray owls, and barred owls, among others.
Example:
The Strigine Parliament
Name: Odyssey
Species: Eurasian Eagle-owl (Bubo Bubo) - Eagle-owls are one of the three largest species of owl in the world. They have ear-tufts and distinctive orange eyes. Wingspans can range from 51 to 74 inches, with some up to 79 inches, with weights from around 2.7lbs for smaller males up to around 10lbs for the largest females. The relatively shallow facial disc means that they generally hunt more by sight than they do sound. They most often prefer mountains, pine forests, and steppes, and usually nest on cliff ledges, in gullies, rocks, or other inaccessible spots. They can live up to 20 years in the wild.
Age: 1 year
Physical description: Odyssey is a female of the eastern Siberian subspecies, Bubo bubo yenisseensis. With a wingspan of 79" she is on the very largest end of her species. She's very pale in coloration, with the soft feathers of her belly being a pure white streaked with dark browns. Her back is darker in coloration, with a lot more tan feathers mixed in among the white and dark brown. Her face with its shallow disc shape is a pale cream lightly streaked with light tans and soft grays. Dark gray-brown feathers make up her long "ear" tufts, and she displays the large, intensely orange eyes common to her species.
Personality: From the time she was hatched Odyssey has been very serious, growing from a solemn little wet-feathered hatchling straight to equally solemn adulthood. she has a soft spot for younglings of any species - well, less of a soft spot and more of an open pit of ooey gooey marshmallowy weakness for them. If there's anything capable of drawing out any semblance of silly or frivolous behavior, it would be a young creature in need of cheering up. They tend to draw out a fiercely protective side of her.
Roles: primarily a warrior and craftsman of battle-related items, also a strong hunter
Other?:
Code:
<b>The Strigine Parliament</b>
<b>Name:</b> (since there is no one species there is no particular culture the name needs to be taken from)
<b>Species:</b> (common and scientific name and a brief description of the species’ general characteristics to show you did a little bit of research)
<b>Age:</b> (should be between 1-5 years depending on species)
<b>Physical description:</b> (site minimum)
<b>Personality:</b> (site minimum)
<b>Roles:</b> (skills, abilities)
<b>Other?:</b>If you have any questions about the customs of the clan, ideas, concerns, or questions about owl species, behavior, or owls in general, drop me a line in a pm or on skype @ tsiegwart and we will discuss it since I don't have the culture down quite yet. I'm not going to be particularly picky about who gets a character, I just want to make sure that everyone who does adopt puts some thought into getting to know the species. :)