Harpies are a humanoid race who primarily reside in the eponymous Harpy Hills of Bulwar, with various ethnic groups existing across Halann. They are most notable amongst the races of Halann for being the only race to be mono-gendered, with all harpies being female. Their most defining physical characteristic is their wings, which grants them the unique natural ability to fly. Other notable characteristics include having avian legs and wings, including feathers, as well as being described as possessing a terrifying, piercing, ear-splittingly loud screech that they often used as a tool of psychological warfare to reduce enemy morale and strike fear into their enemies hearts.
Origins[]
The first recorded instance of interactions with harpies was from a text dated to around 1159 BA, which warned travelers in the hills of Northern Bulwar of attacks by winged women. This was also the same year that Firanya, who according to some legends was the first harpy, proclaimed the creation of the Harpy Queendom. There is a lack of definitive evidence verifying their existence prior to 1159 BA, which had led to several theories regarding their origins.
Cannorian[]
According to Cannorian Mythology, the prevailing theory stated that Firanya was one of the Spawns of Agrados, and that she is the creator goddess of all harpies. This theory was notably used to classify harpies as a monstrous race to cannorians. Despite the contention, Firanya’s appearance as the first recorded harpy in existence led many to believe there is some basis to this theory. Similarly, Bulwari theories also share the belief that Firanya was the first harpy. According to Cannorian texts, in 817 BA Firanya was slain in battle by a Bulwari human huntress, who was considered to be the human avatar of the hunter-goddess Falah.
In the 1600s, famous genealogist Sendrian Bloodfollower proposed the theory that, due to harpies being able to breed with elves they share a common biological ancestor with both elves as well as humans. In his Thesis on the Alleged Monsters of the World published in 1696, he states that the harpy race is in fact a degenerative variant of the Avariel - and that the avariel race were the progenitors of not just elves, but also harpies. As part of his theory, he sought to disprove the celestial link between elves and angels through avariels, claiming that angels were not related to elvenkind in any way.
In 1833, Jonathan Hull, an Arannese scholar living in Brasan, combined both Bloodfollower’s theory and prevailing Bulwari scholarly theory at the time. He supported Bloodfollower’s thesis but proposed that the only way for harpies to suddenly appear in northern Bulwar would have been through experimentation with planar magic. According to him, Firanya was a God-King who accidentally opened a portal that summoned a group of harpies into her kingdom.
Bulwari[]
According to the Bulwari creation myth, the harpies are the daughters of Nilšranu, the goddess of the wind and his nephew Surakel, god of gardening and order. The oldest surviving version of the myth says that Nilšranu felt jealous of Surakel’s wives, so she used magic to trick Surakel to lay with her.
When Surakel became free of the spell, he pursued Nilšranu, who fled north, to a lake between the mountains. Fearing for his life and his future child, she pleaded with his father Šadru for protection from Surakel. The eldest of the gods, still holding a grudge against his grandson, raised the lands between Surakel’s garden and the lake, creating the Šad Našratu, the Harpy Hills. Safe from Surakel, Nilšranu gave birth to Firanya, the first of the harpies.
During the Early 18th century, a group of Bulwari literary scholars, who notably shared an interest in pre-Sun Cult Bulwari culture and beliefs, proposed a theory that Firanya was one of the ancient God-Kings of Bulwar, who ruled over a kingdom in the mountainous region north of the Suran and Buranun, today called the Harpy Hills. They theorized that she was a young queen who inherited an enormous amount of power, and uttered a poorly worded wish that punished her foolishness by transforming her into the first harpy. While the exact account has been highly dramatized, it had a massive impact on Bulwari scholars who maintained this as the leading theory regarding harpy origins for centuries, as well as a cultural impact on Bulwari writers and artists who would use Firanya’s foolishness as a subject to discuss tales of hubris, lust, and youthful foolishness.
Harpy Reproduction[]
Due to their unique physical nature, harpies require mates of other species, most commonly humans, in order to reproduce. Harpies will often take on physical characteristics of the race of their fathers. Repeated mating over several generations with a particular species will result in future harpies progressively resembling them, also inheriting their unique traits, a notable historic example being the Elayenna Harpies, who having repeatedly mated with the Desert Elves of the Jaddari Legion, were described as having elven features such as slim builds, longer ears, and beautiful faces, especially in comparison to their Siadunan counterparts at that time. This also slightly influences lifespan, as harpies typically live up to 60-80 years for those with human fathers, and up to 80-100 years for those with elven fathers.
Thoughts regarding the nature of Harpy Reproduction have been varied throughout centuries, with harpies notably being described and seen as rapacious, man-eating monsters, especially to Cannorian sources. Modern scholars have discredited this idea, owing to the numerous other factors that could affect historical interactions and views of harpies, alongside the testimony of hundreds of people of various races throughout history.
Harpies, like Kobolds and Lizardfolk, lay eggs. The term 'motherhood' only applies to when a Harpy is pregnant, as following egg laying, Harpy eggs and children are raised and taken care of communally by all Harpies within the flock. Harpies are often taken care of by both their biological mother, as well as every other adult harpy. This is culturally due to the fact that 30-40% of all harpies in a given traditional flock have children. Culturally the percentage of harpies that have children largely depends on the society they reside in, as the percentage of harpies who have children in non-harpy societies can vary dramatically.
In ancient times, mates were shared between all harpies in the flock, with the exception of the Matriarch's mates, and several prominent harpies within the flock, regardless of whether they laid eggs or not. In the modern day Polyamory is widely practiced in harpy society, however monoamory is also accepted,
Appearance and Physical Nature[]
Physically, Harpies are naturally slender and have a slimmer frame when compared to human women, however, they have a far greater muscle density when compared to humans, and as such are physically stronger. In regards to flight, several studies have concluded that the back muscles of harpies are naturally well developed due to decades of supporting their own weight, and numerous historical and contemporary examples have shown that harpies are capable of carrying fully grown humans for several miles.
A vast majority of harpies possess both arms present on all other species, as well as wings, which are separate biological appendages in their own right. A very small percentage of harpies are born with so called "wing-arms," also referred to as "bird-arms," due to the appearance of a replacement of the typical arm appendages either entirely or nearly entirely by wings. This is a rare occurrence among Harpies, with modern chroniclers estimating roughly 2.5 - 4% of all Harpies having them. Historical views on 'wing-arms' vary widely in Harpy culture, however it is largely not viewed as a birth defect or genetic abnormality, except by a few groups. While largely culturally ambiguous, physically wing-arms do present both advantages and disadvantages. Wing-arms allow harpies greater flight speed and acceleration, however they make wielding weapons such as spears, bows, and firearms much more difficult without significant assistance. Harpies with wing-arms also have the disadvantage of less maneuverability, however the ability to carry heavier loads of supplies or people have largely phased out the disadvantages in combat. Accommodations for harpies with wing-arms is present in most roosts, as well as large cities that host significant harpy populations.
Much like the variations regarding arms and "wing-arms," there is significant variation regarding harpy legs, with some harpies possessing legs largely similar to humans with the exception of their feet, and some possessing legs more characteristically birdlike in nature, regional and historical variation exists, however it has been observed that harpies born of elven (including ruinborn), half-elven, and orcish fathers, especially over the course of generations, tend to have on average a slightly higher proportion of humanlike legs. Culturally, much like arms, there is no unified view on legs, and as such every harpy society views them in differing ways, such as the Elaiénna harpies viewing them as distinctly advantageous.
Unique among the sapients of Halann, harpies lack traditional vocal cords. Instead having syrinx's similar to true avians. The syrinx sits at the base of the throat where the lungs fork. Usually protected by osseous or semi osseous trachial rings. Sounds are modulated by vibrations in the membraneous walls of the syrinx, which are controlled by various muscles including those in the sternum, allowing harpies to lateralize their singing. The ability to make two sounds at any given time greatly enhances their songmaking abilities and bardic magic, such as their native Ištarun magic and the Gerudian Skaldhyrric bardic magic.
Gender[]
Harpy societies do not have gender identity, as is known in the societies of other races. In general, their appearance and mannerisms are dictated instead by their place within their respective flock, with differences depending on profession, wealth, status, etc. Despite this, Harpies historically do understand the concept of gender due to a millennia of contact with humans and other gendered races. The gender roles and culture of non-harpies is usually ignored by the wider harpy society, with exceptions taking place in the event of particularly advantageous situations, with the common example of Elaiénna Harpies heavily adopting Sun-Elven, Bulwari, and Raheni standards and aspects of traditionally feminine beauty, clothing, and manners. While harpies on average do not refer to themselves as 'female,' exceptions do exist, such as the Harpies residing on Annail who almost exclusively refer to themselves as female.
The terms 'Matriarch' and 'Queendom' were exonyms given by the Bulwari to the Harpies early on, and was later adopted by Harpies both as a sign of prestige and as a title to signify role within society.
Degrees of Avianity[]
The concept of "Degrees of Avianity" is an outdated Cannorian determined by the amount of feathers a harpy had on their body, the shape of their face, and the prominence of their talons. Higher degrees of avianity were associated with having feathers covering close to or all of the arms and lower body, a more angular face, and prominent talons. Historically, the degree of avianity was the defining characteristic used by Cannorians to establish them as a monstrous race. Today, many harpies, especially those residing outside of Cannor, view this type of categorization as depersonalizing, archaic, and not suitable for the modern day.
Cultural Practices and Religion[]
Cultural practices vary widely depending on location, tradition, and local culture, with most adopting the local traditions and cultures of the regions they live in, however there retains some commonalities between the various groups of harpies around Halann. Originally manifesting under Firanya, The Hunt would develop as the dominant belief system among Harpykind, and continues to influence Harpy beliefs despite the adoption of traditional religions, such as the Righteous Path among P'ezarang Harpies, or the Skaldhyrric Faith for Gerudian Harpies, albeit these beliefs have been heavily morphed and changed over the course of centuries of contact and as such are heavily debated as to whether they should be considered related by modern scholars. There is also the common cultural practice of living within a Harpy Roost, often situated at the tops of mountains.
Within each harpy society the common practice of revering one's ancestors or matriarchs has survived in all Harpy societies, as well as the concept of a shared "notion of achievement," which manifests in each Flock and Matriarchy differently. For example, it is commonly agreed by Bulwari scholars that Firanyan Harpies all to some extent value aspects of strength, rulership, and tradition, with this manifesting as the emphasis on intellectual and creative strength for Hytiranyan Harpies, physical and martial strength for the Firanyan Harpies (of Firanyalen), and farseeing and magical strength for Nanšan Harpies.
The emphasis and reverence for one's matriarch in harpy societies manifests across Halann, from Kiohalen who revere and idolize Princess Ašuria for her innovative and egalitarian nature, to the P'ezarang Harpies of Semifírë who hold in high regard Matriarchy Caiqi for her diplomatic and traditional approach.
Harpy Societal Structures[]
Harpy Societies are broken down into three traditional fundamental units which, beginning from smallest to largest are: Flocks, Matriarchies, and Queendoms.
- A flock is the smallest of the three units which commonly comprise of anywhere from 50 to 100 families, living for extended periods of time in the same general area. During historical periods of migration, flocks will often fluctuate in size as some families choose to remain in an area as others continue, or as new Harpies and their families decide to join a new flock. Flocks are not based off of ethnic or geographic lines, and the primary means of being accepted into a flock typically only require a show of submission to a flock's Matriarch. Historical sources do not regard individual flocks as their own "nations," and Harpies do not typically regard flocks with the same rigidity as many often do with the concept of a nation. While new families can be included into a flock at anytime, generally families within a flock claim to all be descendants of the same matriarch.
- A Matriarchy is the second of the three units and comprises of a number of flocks that all adhere and accept a singular Matriarch. While flocks retain their own matriarch, a Matriarchy is unique in that a number of flock matriarchs accept the rule and lead of a single matriarch, oftentimes the descendant of a famous historical matriarch, and thus all flocks will be included and "absorbed" into a broader Matriarchy while still retaining their own nominal flock identity. A Matriarchy was historically the most commonly accepted form of hereditary monarchy that constituted a "nation" in diplomatic exchanges, both between Harpies and with other races.
- A Queendom is the third of the three units and comprises a number of Matriarchies that, similarly to the previous unit, adhere and accept the rule of a singular Matriarch. Throughout history there have been 4 historical Queendoms, also referred to as Harpy Queendoms or colloquially as just Harpylen. Just as with the previous units each individual flock and each matriarchy still retains their cultural identity, however in Queendoms the ruling Matriarchy will often restrict the power and influence of the other matriarchies in an attempt to consolidate power.[1]
Harpy society contains a class of 'nobility,' that is comprised of the matriarch and their heirs. The communal nature of traditional harpy society made the establishment of a traditional nobility class difficult, and as such harpy societies are often divided based on wealth as opposed to blood. The flock matriarchs are almost always wealthier than the other harpies in a flock, although this varies depending on society and culture.
Ethnic Groups[]
Bulwar[]
Bulwar is the birthplace of all harpy ethnic groups, with every group splitting off from the original harpies who today still reside in the Harpy Hills.
Firanyan[]
Firanyan Harpies are the oldest harpy ethnic group, often called the predecessors to all other harpy ethnic groups. They primarily reside in the Harpy Hills, and are notable for remaining mostly independent throughout recorded history. Firanyan Harpy is a Bulwari term to refer to all Harpies that reside within the Harpy Hills (which include Siadunan Harpies, owing to Siaduna originally being from the Harpy Hills.
Firanyan Harpies are divided in Harpylen among Matriarchal lines which, excluding Siadunan Harpies, are:
- Firanyan Harpies (of Firanyalen)
- Hytiranyan Harpies: Hytiranyan Harpies settled in West Bahar in 805 BA during the Western Harpy Migrations. They later fled to the Harpy Hills to escape the Castanorians during the Second Great Cleansing. Today they remain within the Harpylen Queendom, and are known for innovating the Odd Hunt.
- Ayaran Harpies
- Lisinyan Harpies
- Mišaran Harpies
- Nanšan Harpies: Nanšan Harpies inhabit the eastern slopes of the Harpy Hills, including the Invader's Pass. They have light bluish grey feathers, black hair and red irises. This last characteristic is used to identify direct descendants of Nanša the Farseer, as only her descendants possess it.
Siadunan[]
Siadunan Harpies are primarily influenced by Raheni culture and customs, with significant elven influence resulting from centuries of mating following the Elayenna consolidation of the Šad Siadan. They are the descendants of the flocks that fled east following the collapse of the First Queendom. Modern sources identify Siadunan Harpies as a seperate Harpy Ethnic Group, however in traditional Bulwari sources they are considered Firanyan Harpies.
Much like the Firanyan Harpies, Siadunan Harpies further divide themselves into three Matriarchal lines which are:
- Siadunan Harpies
- Muleni Harpies
- Elaiénni Harpies
In modern Bulwari and Cannorian literature, Siadunan, Muleni and Elayenna Harpies are all considered Siadunan Harpies when considering Ethnic groupings, and are considered culturally distinct from Firanyan Harpies due to their geographic distance and historical influences.
Haless[]
Feng/P’ezarang[]
- Feng, also known as P’ezarang Harpies were originally Siadunan harpies that flew further east following the collapse of the Siadanlen Queendom. They are primarily influenced by the Xia teachings and Szitu Yan culture and were viewed as skilled, dangerous, and respected martial artists across Haless. They resided in the southern hills of Xianjie, with the Xiaken of the same name having hosted the largest population until it's conquest by The Command, and in Semifírë in the eastern Phokhao Range.
Cannor[]
Following the Collapse of the Firanyalen Queendom, large flocks of Harpies fled towards Cannor during the Western Harpy Migrations.
Khenaki[]
- Khenaki Harpies settled in the Khenak Range in 790 BA. They would later migrate to Eborthil in order to escape the Castanorians during the Second Great Cleansing, then to Akasik following the Day of Ashen Skies.
Godshield[]
- Godshield Harpies settled in the Godshield Mountains in 769 BA. They were systematically hunted down and wiped out during the Second Great Cleansing.
Havoral[]
- Havoral Harpies settled in the Havoral Divide in 740 BA. They were systematically hunted down and wiped out during the Second Great Cleansing started by Castan Beastbane.
Dragonheight[]
- Dragonheight Harpies settled in the Dragon Coast in 650 BA. Following the Dragonwake, no reports of them have been recorded since, leading scholars to conclude they were wiped out. Following their disappearance, the Gnomes of the area have named the area where they used to live in Manyburrows as Olhaarpi, literally Old Harpy.
Moorish[]
- Moorish Harpies settled in the Moorlands in 640 BA. Following the Dragonwake, no further reports of them have been recorded since, leading scholars to conclude those that remained were wiped out, and the rest had migrated.
Jarnklo[]
- Jarnklo Harpies, also known as Valkyries, reside atop the Titan's Rest Mountains, and are descended from Moorish Harpies fleeing north. They are well known for their role as 'Battlemaidens'.
Sarhal[]
Naléni[]
- Nalénian Harpies inhabit the Eastern Gebahiri Coast and were originally Siadunan Harpies that migrated to escape the Phoenix Empire's advance into the Šad Siadan.
Nzeri[]
- Nzeri Harpies reside within West Sarhal and are heavily influence by Kheteratan culture and religion.
Aelantir[]
Kiohan[]
- Kiohan Harpies descend from Princess Ašuria and her followers, who fled to Aelantir following a failed assassination attempt on her mother, the matriarch. Following their exodus to Aelantir, they established the nation of Kiohalen.
- ↑ While the Queendoms have often been referred to by outside sources as "empires" the concept of a "harpy empire" has only once ever been "achieved" under Firanya, as both Firanyan and Siadunan Harpies consider an "empire" to mean the unification of either all Bulwari Harpies, or of Harpykind as a whole.