The Morning Bird
From Mizahar Lore
| "Do you want to know what's more graceful and majestic than a moon eagle? A woman who has tamed one." - A Travelling Scholar |
 The Morning Bird Symbol |
From a time before the Myrians as a race, the Morning Bird have carved themselves an impressive niche in Falyndar society with their cultural ethics, their traditions, and the brutality of their methods when they did encounter an outsider upon their lands. Even now, they have clung to their pasts and resist those who try to force their own traditions upon them.
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Psychology
Scouts. Trackers. Spies. The people of the Morning Bird are capable of many stealthy endeavors, but they take pride and joy out of their birds most of all.
They are a fiercely independent clan bound to Myri by blood and promises, serving in the war against Dhani and invaders by training messenger birds to carry missives as well as tracking elusive quarry through the foliage.
Paired with their independence is a thick streak of pride. The Morning Bird are proud of what they are, what they have become, and what they once were in the past. They are therefore very defensive of their practices and very unwilling to explain to those who mock them why they are what they are.
They believe that tradition is all they have left from their founding days before the Myrians came about. They are protective. Defensive. Bold. Prone to befriend those that do not look down on them or challenge them. They can be very friendly, if one minds themselves in the Morning Bird territory.
Traditions
The Morning Bird are a very devout and traditional people, clinging to their past with a ferocity and savagery unmatched by most and very are unwilling to change. Therefore, they still practice the traditions of their tribal years and bestow titles upon their members that give the distinct impression of lacking the civility that Myri brought to her people.
The most apparent is the strict hierarchy they hold and the titles granted to individual ranks within the pyramid structure of the hierarchy. They have formal garb, used only for specific occasions and festivals, that corresponds with their title as well as a strong sense of pride in themselves for what they have.
There are few unique festivals amongst the Morning Bird that other Myrians do not celebrate, however they do have a particular few including Eywaat, Caiyha, Dira, and Leth. Although they know Leth to have fathered the Ta'rukahl, they credit the other three as having a hand in their birth. It seems only fitting, then, to give special thanks to these deities.
Religion
The Morning Bird worship the same god and goddesses as the rest of their Myrian kin, however they include Eywaat in their worship, even alongside Navre. The Moon Eagle is treated with particular reverence in their traditions, earning itself a position of respect amidst the immortal figures presented by the Myrian pantheon.
History
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| "When Myri brought war to us, we were hesitant to join her when offered the choice or death. She gave us moments to think, and our leader still refused to decide. A woman made it for him when she took one of our precious birds and offered it to Myri, an old gesture of peace from time memorial. Our leader was put to death. The woman took his place. Since then, men have never been trusted to make decisions." - Mitilatl, Storyteller of the Morning Bird. |
Stories of the Origins of the Morning Bird clan are mixed at best, downright controversial between clan mates (as well as other Myrians) at worst. The story told to children is that the foolish male leader of the clan was precisely that, and nearly squandered their chance to join her great rank and file, a female stepping in with a bird, speaking for the rest of the clan on her be-half and saving the lives of many score individuals.
That is where any agreement on the story stops. The type of bird is different on every telling, how long it took those individuals to decide also differs, and many Myrians outside of the Morning Bird Clan claim that Myri at first rejected the gift and the Morning Bird Clan had to prove to her another way their devotion to her cause. The Matriarch of the morning Bird is always tight lipped on the subject, but most think she knows the truth, regardless.
Clan Lands
The Morning Bird are a clan that makes its home firmly within Taloba. Their members are therefore often found within its walls, usually with a bird on their arm, or feeding and caring for their avian companions. There is a small aerie not too far from The Blackened Claws Zoo where birds of all ages are cared for and trained, somewhat outside of the set of long houses that marks Morning Birds' territory within the city limits.
Heirarchy
As with all Myrians, women are given particular positions of power, and men have a very hard time proving themselves worthy of the same honours their female counterparts will earn. The ranks are very rigid and do not allow for much variation, and the Morning Bird are very fond of titles as flamboyant as their most colourful birds.
Note: These are clan distinctions only. They do not matter beyond the Morning Bird and are referenced only during festivals and feasts within the Morning Bird themselves. Amongst all other Myrians, they are equal unless they've merited respect for their own deeds.
- Nikar Ta'rukahl (Moon Eagle Mistress) - The leader of the clan and identified by garb decorated by the plumage of the bird she takes her name from. In formal wear, she dons white robes and a red headdress. She is usually a master of many skills and has proven herself time and time again in combat. Only women have held this position in the past.
- Mora Natatl (Black Falcon Mother) - One of four advisors to the clan matriarch, these women are tacticians and intelligence gatherers for their clan and the Myrian army as a whole. They are potential successors to the title of Moon Eagle Lady should the current one meet tragedy. Only women have held this position in the past.
- Kalra Tiktikmil (Red Hawk Sister) - These are the grandmothers, the mothers, the matriarchs of individual bloodlines within the Morning Bird. They are leaders and wise women, respected and feared by their daughters. Becoming a Red Hawk Sister is more difficult than becoming a Grey Sparrow Woman as one needs to achieve more than bearing a daughter. Men have been known to reach this level within the clan, although the title does not change to reflect their sex and accommodate them. Women do not change for men.
- Tiri Katruh'la (Grey Sparrow Woman) - The mothers of the smallest denomination, the Grey Sparrow Women are those females who have given birth to daughters and therefore strengthened their clan. Men have been known to reach this level within the clan, although the title does not change to reflect their sex and accommodate them. Women do not change for men.
- Tiri Matruh'la (Brown Sparrow Woman) - The children and men are generally kept at this level. This is considered the lowest of the hierarchy and a position all are born within. To advance beyond, one must birth a daughter or prove himself worthy of "better" titles.
Outsiders
The Morning Bird are considered a little more extreme and eccentric than others tend to enjoy, and so they keep a relatively distant relationship with most other clans. Other falconer clans are considered rivals and those who mock them for their traditional garb and outdated traditions are regarded only slightly more positively than savages from beyond the jungle.
| Placeholder for future clan PCs |
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Out of character note: This article was written by Ssafiractlali |