Avarials

Avarials
'NOT restricted -- but may become restricted if too many are played. Avarials are rare.'

Avarials (also called winged humans, flying fae, or sky elves) are winged humanoids. They are invariably willowy, thin, and frail-looking with sharp and angular features. Avarials are said to be the original race of Cipher, where they lived in complete isolation until the Coven Dragons arrived. There are very few avarials left in the world today.

Traits
Avarials are built for flight, not strength. They are tremendously agile even on the ground and can use their wings for balance, lift, and cushioning while in combat. Although avarial wings are large their owners display great proprioception, rarely getting snagged or caught on anything. Avarians can soar to tremendous heights without getting cold or short of breath.

They have an organ called a syrinx which allows them to sing as a bird would: hundreds of different crisp, clear notes in the space of seconds. They speak a complex language based around these notes. Avarials are born with an understanding of their own language -- it just "makes sense" -- but must learn to speak other tongues, including Common, through formal instruction. They are excellent imitators.

Avarians' lifespans are similar to elves': they mature at a human pace until the end of their teenage years, then slow drastically. It's not uncommon to find 300-year-olds who look in their mid-30s. Players can approximate age and appearance by subtracting a zero: 500-year-olds should look 50; 700-year-olds should look 70. At around 900 most avarians pass away.

Appearance
Avarials can have skin of any colour. Their wings are most often the same colour as their skin. In the past many avarials had wings full of multiple brilliant colours, but these were mostly destroyed following the Coven Dragons' foray into Cipher. It's said a few of these still survive as living artifacts within the dragons' hoards. Avarial eyes can be any bright colour.

Angels vs. celestials vs. avarials
The most commonly-used term for winged humanoids is avarial. Rarely an avarial paladin might be called a celestial, meaning one who serves a deity. There used to be quite a few celestials in the service of the Crowned Deities, but over the years they've been killed in the line of duty and not replaced. The few who remain are considered extremely honourable.

The term angel is extremely rare. It refers to a small now-extinct set of avarial paladins who were cast out of Sihiri for studying the forbidden. The term makes most avarians uncomfortable.