Faenare
by RobinThis is all my compilation stuff on Faenare. Hope you find it usable
As far as I have found Illustrations, they seem to have their hands where a bat has its thumbs, so extra fingers work for the wing part(an extra elonged pinky as wingbone), while the 5 fingered (including thumb) function as we do (though the ring/pink seem very short like our thumb, though the index finger is even somewhat longer than ours)
Normal Faenare (Sylphii aves Faenaerum)
The Faenare are a race of elf-like bird people. They are an old race, kin to both the elves and the Faedorne of the Shining Isles (some Secretive Floating Group of islands, or tiny Planes or Dimensions floating as bubbles in the air of Mystara). Although they are seclusive and insular, they possess a gift for singing and telling tales. They lead a peaceful and unburdened life amongst their nests and clans.
Physical Description:
Faenare are tall (most are 6ft to 6½ ft tall) humanoids, with winged arms and crests of feathers on their heads, backs, abdomens, and calves. Their eyes are large (3-5”Ø) and bird-like, set in a facial structure otherwise like that of elves. Pointed ears nestle below head feathers. They have tawny feathers streaked with amber or gold, although older bird folk have many streaks of white and grey in their plumage. A Faenare’s hands, a part of their wing-like arms, cannot be used in flight other than to grip small light items (i.e. no weapon in flight, nor anything larger than 5” or heavier than 15+1cn/con adjustment).). In compensation, their strong flexible legs and claw like feet can fight, use weapons, and even fire bows in flight. Other than simple harnesses for carrying tools and belongings, Faenare have no need of clothing and do not wear it (nor understand it). They can wear armor, but it is detrimental to their flying abilities.
Personality: Faenare are a seclusive race, shunning and mistrusting outsiders. Most are content with this existence, still bearing the scars of the shadow elf treachery long ago. As a result, many outsiders believe the race is long dead, and those that do encounter them believe them to be aloof, arrogant, or rude. Faenare are rarely violent with outsiders unless they are being attacked- even then they will usually flee rather than fight.
However, there is a side that outsiders do not see. It is the side that enjoys the sight of their young at play in the wind currents, teasing the elders and flying with giant eagles. The Faenare love to sing stories and weave tales over their stoneberry wine (a delicious light, sweet and bubbly beverage. AVC 2/ glass). Their tales are captivating, singing of joys and follies, pranks and jests, misunderstandings and confusions. Should an outsider be able to join them, he might think he had stumbled into a tavern in the Five Shires.
They are swift and silent, keepers of secrets and singers of songs. They fly fast (they think even faster than Dragons), for their souls are made from the very stuff of the air, and they can bear loads in flight without being slowed.
The Faenare are best described by the words of Alexene Cloudmantle "We are a people of song and air, little burdened by material things... Our life is in song, a breath of life handed down from one generation to the next. With this, we are more than happy."
Combat
The Faenare are reclusive and protective of their nests. They tend to be non-violent and prefer magic or flight to fighting. Even so, they will attack if provoked. Faenare can use their claws in combat when flying. Those claws are also capable of using weapons. On the ground, Faenare wield weapons with their hands. Faenare are proficient with slings, short swords, long swords, daggers, knives, bolas, short bows and longbows. They avoid big weapons (pikes, lances, great swords, etc...) and coarse, vulgar weapons (axe, hammers, picks, etc...).
Faenare find armor a hindrance and are only not proficient with it, they suffer penalties for wearing it. While they can fly with fairly heavy loads, they find armor irksome and binding and will not wear it. If insisting upon wearing any armor, their movement rate is reduced by 25%+10%/AV, and their Dexterity is reduced by –1 /AV (MF drops to 5 B), since the armor interferes with the character’s natural Dexterity and litheness. However, Faenare will readily use Shields with one handed weapons only) and magical protection like rings, but not cloaks or robes as these hinder likewise.
Flying requires no more exertion than walking or running for a Faenare. A Faenare with flight can make a dive attack. A dive attack works like a charge, but the Faenare must move a minimum of 30 feet and descend at least 10 feet. A Faenare can make a dive attack only when using its claws; if the attack hits, it deals double damage.
Faenare are seclusive, and hard to surprise (1 on 1d12 only). They are immune to the charm effects of the Harpy song. Birds will not attack the Faenare under any circumstances (even if magically controlled, brought into being by a Create Animal spell, etc.). Faenare can also converse with birds as per speak with animals spell at will. Faenare are permanently protected from natural lightning (as the druid spell) and save at +4 against all air-based attacks and spells (e.g. the whirlwind created by an Air elemental, etc.). They can be attacked by Normal lightning bolts and electricity, but summoning lightning from a cloud is as natural lightning.
Bless
Once per day, a group of five or more Faenare can cast a Bless spell upon themselves by one round of harmonic singing. This spell has the normal duration of a bless spell, but it is cancelled if any member of the group moves more than 100 feet away from any other.
Faenare morale is 9 if alone, 10 in a group, and 11 if with the clan and 12 in the nest.
Advancement
They’re natural born Spellcasters. As they mature, all Faenare become Shamans, Clerical/Druidic-like Spell casters (using the druid spell list). Through normal level advancement, they may work up to 12th level of spellcasting ability if their prime requisite allows it. No extra experience is needed for entering the Shamanistic career, and the young Faenare Shaman begins a career as a 1st level (1HD) Shaman, without being able to cast spells at this stage.
Most Faenare do not advance beyond normal monster level. A Faenare must have a Wisdom of 13 or higher to advance further. Unless a Faenare is a windsinger, he or she cannot advance beyond 12th level.
All Faenare are shamans, Clerical/Druidical spellcasters of levels 1 to 12. A few, very rare specimens are Windsingers, spellcasters with wider spell selection and additional special abilities.
The progression follows as per table. They may become Higher Spellcaster (than NM) only if their Wisdom is 13+. Higher level Shamans are highly respected and appreciated by Faenare society and have important roles in these communities. They frequently up the task of learning the old songs and music, memorizing them, and teaching them in turn to the young. This is not the sort of stuff of which brave adventurers are made and unless a party is all Faenare, powerful Shamans are not likely to leave their community.
Summon Birds;
This ability is calling (summon) 2d4 ordinary or 1d4 Giant eagles once a day from 1 mile distance by 1 round of song (if available, they fly with 120’-40’ to 240’/80’ for birds, and 240’/80’ to 360’/120’ for Giant Eagles, to the Faenare calling), which will help the Faenare (not suicidal), but they expect some reward (food), afterwards. If this is not done the number is lowered by –1 cumulative for each time no reward is given (0 or lower adjusted numbers result in no animals coming even when in range of the effect).
Relations:
Faenare believe they are distantly related to the elves and the Faedorne. Although they have rare dealings with the elves, they are friendly to those they encounter. They believe the shadow elves betrayed and murdered many of the Faenare mastersingers, and have not forgotten that treachery. Faenare are very mistrustful of humans and humanoids in general and avoid them if possible. They maintain strong relations with avian creatures such as giant eagles and rocs.
Habitat/Society
Alignment: Faenare tend to be Lawful, Neutral, or Good. Chaotic Faenare are tolerated, but evil Faenare are viewed as a threat to nest and clan. The race's seclusion means each individual's actions can have profound repercussions, so Chaotic and/or Evil Faenare are viewed with much suspicion.
Faenare Lands:
The Faenare inhabit wild and desolate mountainous regions, scattered across the Known World. world (Wyrmsteeth Mountains-Norwold, Black Mountains-Hule / Sind Desert, Silver Sierras-Glantri, Monsterland Mountains-Alphatia, Denagoth Wall-Denagoth / Wendar / Heldann, Broken Lands-Kurish Massif). The Broken Lands with their settlements in the Valley of Khyr are home to the highest number, but even there, their number is low. They favor areas that are unreachable by surface-dwellers. The highest mountain around the Valley of Khyr in the Broken Lands (Mount Uruparda-11.244’ high) has a 15’ tall bronze statue of a Faenare on top of it. It is looked upon by the surrounding mountains where the Faenare live. The flying city of Serraine probably has the greatest number of them concentrated in one place outside of the Broken Lands.
Ecology
They live in small clans, occupying great nests hidden far inside secluded cave complexes in remote mountains where surface dwellers normally can’t reach. They’re all Shaman, priests of their nameless Immortal Mother. They gather much of their food—Plants, Berries, Seeds, where they can find it. They do have secret places, small cultivated valleys, where they grow such foods. They aren’t vegetarian, but their diet is primarily based upon this vegetable food, stuffed up with unfertilized bird eggs, insects, and the rare mountain vermin-lemming-like rodents. Their clans are close knit (and actually are no more than branches of the same single clan) and tightly bonded. Clan folk come to the aid of their brethren and sisters without a second thought. It’s nearly unthinkable for a Faenare to live apart from the clan.
Names:
Faenare names tend to be melodic. Surnames evoke imagery of the sky or other serene and melodic concepts.
Male Names: Mercurio, Roland, Sirius, Arthurius.
Female Names: Alexene, Flora, Rosario, Thimbelle.
Surnames: Cloudwalker, Rainsinger, Windsailor, Stormbreaker.
Age Baby=0-5, Youngster=6-10, Teenager=11=13, Young Adult=14+1d6, Adult=21-23, Mature=24-44, Elder=45+, Death=85+2d12
Adventurers:
Faenare adventurers often seek to know and understand the greater world around them. Some chaff under their race's seclusion. Some want to better understand the other inhabitants of Mystara, both to help protect their clans and to broaden their horizons.
The Faenare refer to those that leave to adventure as "wind-haunted", believing they hear a song in their minds at night that drives them to find its source. Faenare adults encourage these wind-haunted souls to seek the song in order to be at peace. It also is believed that these wind-haunted are part of the Mother's plan by helping their insular race better understand the world around them. Faenare adventurers must often come to a spiritual place where they can balance the violence that often follows adventurers with their race's inherent non-aggressiveness.
Player Faenare Adventurers:
Faenare adventurers often seek to know and understand the greater world around them. Some chaff under their race's seclusion. Some want to better understand the other inhabitants of Mystara, both to help protect their clans and to broaden their horizons. The Faenare refer to those that leave to adventure as "wind-haunted", believing they hear a song in their minds at night that drives them to find its source. Faenare adults encourage these wind-haunted souls to seek the song in order to be at peace. It also is believed that these wind-haunted are part of the Mother's plan by helping their insular race better understand the world around them. Faenare adventurers must often come to a spiritual place where they can balance the violence that often follows adventurers with their race's inherent non-aggressiveness.
Windsingers
The Windsingers are leaders, mystics, and visionaries among the reclusive Faenare - individuals who have demonstrated both a strong devotion to the natural world and divine calling, and also a broad aptitude for the song and music that are at the core of the Faenare culture.
Windsingers are often mercurial, unpredictable, and more than a bit wild. A sense of isolation and wanderlust is common to all, and while many Faenare adopt the path of the windsinger do so in order to help protect and guide their clans, they invariably take time away from the clan to travel abroad and see new things. Other Windsingers choose to wander alone or with a few friends, seeking enlightenment and new experiences away from the home ranges. As a result, Windsingers are incredibly rare, but have the potential to be found anywhere.
Higher level shamans are highly respected and appreciated by Faenare society and have important roles in these communities. They frequently up the task of learning the old songs and music, memorizing them, and teaching them in turn to the young. This is not the sort of stuff of which brave adventurers are made, and unless a party is all Faenare, powerful Shamans are not likely to leave their community.
The player who seeks a Faenare may wish to play a windsinger, a druidic shaman who also gains additional powers—especially the ability to learn and sing powerful songs of magic and enchantment. Windsinger songs can only be learned and sung by characters with a wisdom of 15+ who take two skill slots in singing.
Most PC Faenare are unusual in that they are setting forth into the outside world. Such characters will be motivated by intense curiosity (as with Windsingers), the desire for revenge (as with one from a decimated clan), or similar powerful urge. Other reasons might be a mission as courier, a need to locate some rare herbs or plants or some icon, etc.
Songs are equivalent to spells and are treated as such for the purpose of gaining new songs and memorizing them for later use. Songs of 6th level and below are learned automatically by a Windsinger when the appropriate Spellcaster level is gained, since minions of the guiding Immortals help the Windsinger reveal what is in his own mind (where all the songs are buried, awaiting their relearning from ancient racial memory). Songs of 7th level or higher can only be learned from sacred sources locations, which are detailed below.
Windsinger songs are detailed by level because each is memorized and sung in the same way as a spell, and a memorized song is considered equal to a spell of the same level. Thus, if a 12th level Windsinger memorizes a 6th level song, this takes the place of the single 6th level spell the Windsinger could normally memorize. Songs are not forgotten when sung. Instead the magical energies which leave when the Windsinger sings a song produces the same loss of energy and force which spellcasting at the same level does. That song can’t be sung again rememorized (really re-energized). The process is similar to, but not the same as forgetting spells when they are cast.
The most commonly known windsongs follow (The DM only, as the Immortal can give the character other songs, these often resemble spells in some way, are never based upon matter, Energy or Entropy, but may use Time-Water or Thought-Air based magic.). Each takes two rounds to sing, regardless of level. If the Windsinger is disturbed while singing and prevented from completing the song (e.g., by a Silence spell or an injury) then the song’s effects are lost. Song effects commence when the song is complete. Muteness, Deafness or being silenced are very bothersome for Faenare, and those unable to be cured, within a few month at most, will often commit suicide. Deaf creatures allied to the character will not be affected by the songs, but offensive songs will affect deaf (like a zombie/skeleton) targets.
Song of the Wake 1st level
This song affects all Undead creatures with six or fewer HD, within 30 feet of the Windsinger. Affected Undead must make a saving throw vs. spells. If this fails, they will hang back from the Windsinger (and his party) for 1d4+1 rounds. After this time they may attack as normal.
Harmonic Song 2nd level
This has the same effect and duration as the 2nd level magic user spell Mirror Image, save that 1d4+1 images are created, and the blurring of the Windsinger is such that all attack upon him are made at –2.
Song of Will and Iron 3rd level
Upon completion, all creatures in a 20 feet radius of the Windsinger (including the Windsinger himself) are affected as follows. The Windsinger and his allies gain bonuses of +1 to morale, hit and damage rolls. The Windsinger’s enemies suffer a -1 penalty to morale, hit and damage rolls. Save against mental attacks (Fear, Feeblemind, Illusions, Magic Jar, ESP, etc.) are made with a +2 bonus by those friendly to the Windsinger. The effects have a duration of one round per level of the Windsinger. This is a prized battle song.
Song of Dispelling 4th level
This song has the effects of a Dispel Magic spell in a 20 feet radius around the Windsinger, but with certain advantages over the usual form of the spell. Potions and like items are not affected by the spell, and those friendly to the Windsinger receive saving throws against spell cancellation in the case of spell effects which are advantageous to them (such as Bless, Haste, Song of Will and Iron, Striking, etc.). This song has much greater value in a massed melee than a simple spell.
Song of the Snowstorm 4th or 5th level
This powerful spell has a lower-register and a soprano/tenor version (5th level). This variant duplicates exactly the effects of an Ice Storm spell. The 5th level version creates a cone of freezing snowflakes which radiate out from the fingertips of the Windsinger. The cone is 5 feet wide at the base and 20 feet wide at the far end, which is 60 feet distant. Damage caused to all creatures within the cone is 1d6 points per level of the Windsinger. A saving throw vs. spells halves the damage.
Song of the Whirlwind 5th level
This song summons a 16HD Air Elemental, and is equivalent to the 7th level spell Summon Elemental, rather than the 5th level Conjure Elemental spell of the Magic User. The Elemental obeys the Windsinger’s commands completely, and if it sees the Windsinger being attacked when it arrives it doesn’t need to be told to attack the Windsinger enemies! (Air Elementals are automatically friends of the Faenare, and will normally not attack any of them. It will never attack the Windsinger who summoned it, and the Windsinger doesn’t need to maintain concentration to control it. The Elemental appears at any spot within 360 yards from the Windsinger and materializes in the form of a Whirlwind, inflicting 3d8 points of damage on everything within 10 feet of it. The Elemental departs whenever the Windsinger wishes it gone, or if successful dispelled.
Song of the Rainbow 6th level
This song calls into being a beautiful, shimmering rainbow. The Windsinger and up to six creatures can step on the rainbow and walk along it, travelling at a rate of up to two miles per round up to a maximum distance of 5 miles per level of the Windsinger. The Windsinger and his party can step off the rainbow and on to solid ground at any point up to the maximum range of the rainbow, assuming solid ground is present! There is no danger of falling off the rainbow, unless someone actually wants to. Enemies of the Windsinger, or creatures NOT accompanying the Windsinger, simply can’t see the created rainbow, nor can they step on to it. The rainbow persists for one turn per level of the Windsinger, although the Windsinger can wish it out of existence when he has travelled as far a she wants. The rainbow disappears if all colours are plucked from it. Bands of color may be plucked from the rainbow by the Windsinger. These bands can either affect the Windsinger if he so wishes, or someone to whom he hands the band. When plucked, the color band completely disappears from the rainbow, reducing by one the maximum number of people who can travel along it.
The Effects are Red=as potion of Fire Resistance, Orange= Cure Light wounds spell, Yellow=haste spell, Green=Neutralize Poison Spell, Bleu=Resist Cold Spell, Indigo=Remove Paralysis spell, Violet=Wisdom+1 until next sunrise (biological limits mostly 18 do apply)
Song of Life 6th Level
This very potent song is a great bane to Undead. Upon completion, the Windsinger affects all Undead within 30 feet. Undead of 4 or fewer Hit Dice are simply destroyed, turned to dust or ethereal Goo (they are instantly returned to the Plane of Limbo). Undead of 4+ to 7 Hit Dice suffer 6d6 points of damage; half damage if they save, and they must make a further saving throw vs. spells at -4 or flee in utter terror of the Windsinger for 1d6 Turns. Undead of 8-12 Hit Dice suffer the same damage and must make the same saving throw, but without the penalty modifier. Undead of 13+ Hit Dice make two saving throws, the first to negate the damage altogether, the second to avoid being forced to flee though they only flee for 1d6 rounds). The Windsinger may need to make a saving throw vs. Death ray to negate any energy drains he suffers in the next turn, and his blows (but not spells!!!) cause double damage to any Undead creature during this time.
Song of Triumph 7th level
This powerful but draining song rallies the singer’s friends and confers great fighting abilities upon them. After the song is sung for two rounds, all Faenare within 100’ of the singer will gain what’s in the table. For each additional round that the Windsinger continues to sing, the next effects cumulate. All Faenare, Druids, or nature-following Immortals within the area of effect can (if willing), regain one spell-level (i.e. all level 1 spells for example), so that cast spells memorized that morning become available once more and can be re-used. All Faenare become enveloped in shimmering aura’s conferring the following; AC-1/round (max-4). The Windsinger must make a Constitution check each round as per table, until the check is finally failed. Each round of use reduces ALL a Windsinger’s attributes by 1. If an attribute is 0 or less, the character becomes unconscious. After 6 hours of rest the character has regained 50% of this loss, and awakes finally, the remaining loss is recovered at the rate of 1 each day for ALL abilities. This song is a 7th level song and as thus can only be learned by a 17th level Windsinger or higher. These have progressed beyond the normal experience limit.
Rituals from 13th level
The interest and favor of the Immortals allows Windsinger Faenare to progress beyond 12th level. Upon reaching 12th level, the Windsinger must undertake special rituals. An Immortal will visit the dream singer in his dreams, or as an avatar, or send a message; he thus awakens the Windsinger’s mind to songs and music, which embody his basic being and intense racial memories of the Faenare. This will have two effects.
First, the Windsinger will only fail rituals undertaken to progress each level beyond 12th on a Wisdom check of 20. However failure here is final, then no more progression will be possible.
Second, the Windsinger is now awakened to the sound of the music within himself, causing him to become, at times, melancholic and introvert. He desperately seeks the external source, which enhances the fragments of melody, and harmony he hears within himself.
This craving to find greater and truer music’s is a source of quests for Windsingers. Such songs can be magical, like the Song of Triumph. They might be transcendent forms, the equivalent of artifacts to the Windsingers. Finding such music is the first footstep on the path to Immortality. These songs can never be learned from other Windsingers—their truths are different to each singer.
A Windsinger who gains the 17th level of spellcasting ability gains the permanent favor of his Immortal patron and no further Wisdom checks will be required to gain further levels of experience. Such a character is now a master Windsinger, or master singer, and now has a charisma of 18 to other Faenare. At each stage after 12th level, the Windsinger gains additional spell use as given in the table. The spells he can choose from are very limited though; Holy Word, Survival, Travel.
The 15’ tall Statue of “the Nameless Mother” On Mount Uruparda Khyr-11.244’ high
Faenare don’t possess any relics, like Elves do.
Religion:
Faenare revere an Elven Immortal known to them only as the Mother. Most believe that at some point, all of the Faenare Windsingers will spin their music together, and the Mother will arrive to take them to the Shining Isles. Faenare adventurers are often also drawn to some of the natural Immortals such as Terra and Ordana.
What is unknown to the Faenare is their true history and thus their immortal mother.
Cochere (Nameless Mother)
Patroness of Gyerian and Faenare
Level, Alignment, Sphere: 12th (Temporal), CG, Thought
Symbol: The silhouette of a rooster’s head
Portfolio: Gyerian, Faenare, survival, liberty, family, song and music
Worshipped in: Arm of the Immortals, Known World (Broken Lands), Serraine, Skothar (Jen), Midlands
Appearance: A Gyerian or a Faenare (based on the disciples to which she manifests) of gigantic dimensions with white plumage, golden crest, bronze bill and claws. Or as a male Faenare. (See picture statue).
History: PROBABLE THEORY:
Cochere was one of the first Gyerians (a race of humanoid birds) living on Mystara during the Blackmoorian age. Cochere was the first to acquire a flicker of intelligence among the members of her race, and succeeded to guide her tribe towards the more fertile pastures, defending them from predators and assuring the continuation of the species. After epic adventures in the continent of Skothar to search for an Artifact of Thought that also allowed her kind to develop superior intelligence, Cochere saved numerous Gyerian during the events of the Great Rain of Fire making them migrate to Brun. In the tremendous winter that followed, for allowing the survival of her people realized the Egg of Wonder, a magic item able to create from nothing anything its owner wishes, after he has accurately brooded it for a whole year.
With this invention Cochere was noticed by Korotiku, who guided her to complete the path of the Epic Hero in 2920 BC. From the moment of her ascension, Cochere has always kept vigil over the Gyerians and protected their existence, favouring their migration across the continents and forming the Gyerian culture based on nomads, in a way of allowing her kind to more easily escape the predators and of procuring here the more abundant resources. The Gyerians today survive in the plains of central Brun and Skothar thanks to her intercession.
Later, Cochere was also responsible for the creation of the Faenare race, born from her desire of bringing to the Gyerian those improvements that instead her descendents didn’t acquire. It was so that makes the Faenare more graceful and harmonic and especially the creation of wings able to fly, permitting them to seek refuge from the predators on the highest summits (making their survival easier in respect to that of the Gyerians and favoured the creation of a very sedentary society). Cochere has never revealed her name to the Faenare (and for this is worshipped as the Nameless Mother), and the address towards a chick of life about to the solidarity among broods and to the love for harmony and music.
Cochere once wandered, appearing as a male Faenare under her created kin. A Windsinger found, however, through song the vibrations to detect her true identity. Cochere decided to disappear, proud of the Faenare’s accomplishment at detecting her even in this immortal identity. Since then the single statue is placed on the Mount Uruparda-11.244’ high in the Broken Lands Valley of Khyr, depicting an image of a male Faenare as being “The Nameless Mother”.
Personality: Cochere is a shy Immortal for how benevolent she is in the struggles of her protégées, haughty and extremely unpredictable, and perfectly embodies all the characteristics of the modern Gyerians and Faenare. She has no allies, also because few are interested in the species under her care, and because of her marginal role in the history of the Multiverse and of the low profile kept by her breed,
She doesn’t even have any stable enemies.
Patron: unknown [presumed: Korotiku]
Allies: none
Enemies: none
Alignment of followers: any
Favourite weapon: natural weapons (only allowed one handed piercing weapons)
Clerics’ skills and powers: free singing and survival (plains or mountains) general skills.
Allowed weapon: dagger
Language:
Faenare can speak Cloud Giant, Elven, Fairy, Harpy, and can communicate with Rocs, Giant Eagles and birds. Speak with birds at will in birdsong. This conversation is in birdsong, and wholly unintelligible to any other race. Bear in mind that the average bird is not over-endowed with brains and can only rely simple information on simple matters, or perform very simple services. They only know terms like day, night, summer, winter, Autumn, Spring, food, water, prey, Sun, Moon, Day Night, North (not other directions), home, nest, safe, Hunter (Predator often a special name for each different one), Grazer (any grazing animal), Dragon, Stick, Branch, Tree, Mountain, Hill, Sea, Lake, River, City, Village, Road, Swamp, Names of the different birds as they know—often named after a dominant sound it makes—eggs, young, mate, territory, fields, sunrise/sunset/noon, fire, death, sitting, sleeping, eating, drinking, egg-warming, resting, digesting, pooping, preying, guarding, looking, go, stay, and come, nest-making, man-house, big, small. Some birds know routines other birds don’t like swimming, floating, groundling (Ducks), diving, fishing (Seagulls), harvesting, picking (grass birds), glittering (Magpie), Colours (most colourful birds). Some rare bird species can count to 3 to 8 maximum. They don’t know terms like door, glass, solid, look through, or other technical denominations of any kind.
A Faenare in the hand is tastier than two in the… (Last words of the Evil Cloud Giant Cumulo Nimbits)
A word of Alexene from Serraine
I speak of my own people. Few have seen us, and fewer still know us, so I shall dispel your ignorance. We are a very old race. Some believe that we no longer exist. We believe ourselves as kin to the elves, and to those far-distant dwellers on the Shining Isles, The Faedorne. Our windsongs speak of an (Elven?) immortal from the Sphere of Thought who created us where the stars sink into the horizon she held our souls in her hands, and blew them forth into the world, collecting form from the air as they rode on the winds, over mountains and to the secret places we now live. When the entire world’s master Windsingers spun their music together, we believe the true name of out mother will be revealed to us and she will come to take us to the Shining Isles to rest there forever. But, perhaps this is only a tale after all, though it saddens my heart to think this s so.
My people are swift and silent, keepers of secrets and singers of songs. We fly faster than even the great dragons, for our souls are made of the stuff of Air, and we can bear loads in flight and not be slowed. We keep away from humans and their kin, and almost all creatures save those from the skies. We speak with the great eagles, and even the mighty roc, but we have few other dealings. Though we hold them as kin, we shun even elves. Our songs speak of treachery among the elves; of Shadowelves in Alfheim who betrayed us long ago; of Mastersingers slain in the night by cowards with poisons. We do NOT forget these things.
We Faenare live in small clans, occupying great nests hidden far away inside secluded cave complexes in remote mountains which surface dwellers cannot reach. We are all shamans, priests of our nameless mother. We gather much of our food—plants, berries and seeds, where we find it. We do have secret places, cultivated valleys, where we grow such foods. Our clans are close knit and tightly bonded. Clanfolk come to the aid of brothers and sisters without a second thought. It is nearly unthinkable for a Faenare to live apart from the clan.
Yet there are exceptions. Some few of our young are wind-haunted, as you would say in your tongue. The young one hears songs within its mind, especially at night, giving him neither rest nor peace. He is driven to find its source. We recognize this haunting, and our adults drive the haunted one from the nest, to seek his enchantment and fulfilment in the world. This is the path of the windsinger, who seeks part of our creator’s eternal music in the great world beyond. The song in his mind often produces an unfaenarelike curiosity about all things in the world. Perhaps this, too, speaks of something of our creator’s purpose. It is one of the few ways in which our insular people gain any new learning of what lies in the wider world.
The Windsinger’s path is lonely and dangerous. Many do not return. But others find the music within their heads, and know an indescribably joy of recognizing at last the harmony within themselves and their creator, only a few return to us. They become our master Windsingers, or simply mastersingers. Mastersingers are the great teachers. Their songs renew our sense of history and reveal the meaning of our lives.
If I have painted a picture of the solemn Faenare, it is not so. To see our young at play in the wind currents, teasing our elders and riding the great eagles or to drink our Stoneberry wine (AP 7 / glass), all bubbles and light sweetness and good feeling is to know we are people of all variety, like yours! We too sing of joy and follies, pranks and jests, misunderstandings and confusions. We have our wits, scallywags and even malcontents just as you do.
We are people of song and air, little burdened by material things. The great smithing and mining of the stolid dwarves, their honeycombed homes, we cannot equal. We have nothing to compare with the crystals, arts and beauties crafted by the elves. We do not even create things such as the gems and jewels of the gnomish folk, our life is in song, a breath of life handed down from one generation to the next. With this, we are more than happy.