Guardians of the Sun - Avisaille

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“You haven't seen a tree until you've seen its shadow from the sky.” ~ Amelia Earhart


The Guardians of the Sun were probably the most spiritual of the Guardians, both by Guardian and human standards. Not that the humans knew of them any more than they knew of any of the other Guardian’s, but there was something to be said for winged humans.

The Avisaille race was gentle by nature, strong willed and fair. They were, for the most part, honest beings who would sooner beat around the bush than tell a straight lie. They often had calm dispositions, and a pure way about them. Many might even say they were angelic, especially considering the wings on their backs. Of course, as with all species, there are the few that do not fit the mold, but the Avisaille had their own way of dealing with the unruly of their kind. They were a strict race and took their job of guarding the tree seriously as their nightly counterparts did; the Guardians of the Dusk.

The Avisaille did not age like most humans, or some of the other Guardians. They grew twice as slow as the normal human being, and because of this most young are homeschooled and birthed in their homes. For this reason, most Avisaille seem extremely intelligent for their age, but that is due largely to the fact that the average fifty year old looks to be no older than a twenty five year old. Unlike the other Guardians, the Avisaille are often encouraged to travel before they take ownership of their Guarding duties. Many leave at the age of 26 and return by 36, keen on the world they live in and ready to bring knowledge back to their people and whoever else cared to hear and learn it.

Coming through The Tree of Enlightenment was no easier for this race than any other, but they adjusted well considering the difference from their home land to their new one. Augustacia was a utopia compared to the world they currently lived in, but the days and nights were similar, so it was natural for them to be up in the day and sleep at night, for that was what their bodies were naturally designed to do. Scriptor Bay, however, was not the sort of land they were used to. Many Scandinavian countries had land closer resembling Augustacia, but the tree they protected was in Scriptor Bay, so that was where the race would remain. There was one place in the city, or rather directly outside of it, that resembled their home; Megsy Isle. Many Avisaille took to the Isle on a regular basis. In fact, at night, many would fly over the cool crisp ocean when the locals and tourists had long since left the beautiful scenery.

Though social by nature, the Avisaille rarely socialized outside of their own race due to the slow aging process. It was difficult to explain to someone why, after sixteen years you only aged eight, but it wasn’t extremely uncommon to have acquaintances. They were also nomadic for this reason, changing the places they lived every decade or so.

The most difficult part about being an Avisaille, though, was tucking their wings away from the public view. Many wore harnesses to keep their bulky wings folded small and tight to their bodies, and tight fitted clothing wasn’t something they could really pull off. Fortunately, the wings could fold small, but it took a harness to make them almost undetectable.

At fifteen most Avisaille learn to fly. For one week every winter the roads leading to Megsy Isle are shut down. The young are trained in their history in greater detail, and for the entire week they are allowed to have their harnesses removed. They sleep in tents, huddled tight together to keep warm against the cool air, and go through rigorous team building and self strengthening trials through the day. By the end of the week they are often mentally prepared for the task that had been honored to them, but it would be nearly two decades until they took up posts at the tree. The time leading up to their ten year leave would be filled with knowledge; learning anything and everything they could about the world they were sent to protect.

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Special Abilities:

Flying – Avisaille are, technically, bird people. They are born with small wings attached to their shoulder blades, a splash of down feathers covering the weak skin. It takes ten years for the wings to truly develop and another four until they are strong enough to carry the weight of the Avisaille they are attached to, which is why they do not learn to fly until they are fifteen.

Intelligence – This race has the ability to soak up information like a sponge for about the first thirty years of life, at which point they begin to learn things at a slower pace like the average adult human. This is why education and travel is so important to them at a young age. They spend the first fifteen years learning basic information that typical human children would learn through high school, then they spend the next eleven years learning more complex theories having to do with science and math. By twenty-six they begin to travel the world, learning other languages and cultures and theories that may not be taught in Scriptor Bay. It is not uncommon for Avisaille to be fluent in more than six languages by the time they return at thirty-six.

Speed – Due to their ability to fly, their bones and body are designed to be lighter and leaner. This edge makes them able to run faster than most humans, but not so alarmingly fast that it would draw attention to the race. They are also very agile.

Height/Weight – By nature the Avisaille are shorter beings. No Avisaille has ever grown taller than 6’1”. Due to their lightweight bones, this race also tends to weigh less than they appear to be. A man appearing to weight 160lbs may in fact only weigh 115lbs.

Other FACTS:

Appearance/Personality – Avisaille look like normal human beings aside from the wings. Each Avisaille takes on the appearance of a different bird, and sometimes the characteristics of that bird. Eagle Avisailles, for instance, might have pale skin, but dark brown and black wings. They would slightly taller, more elegant and wiser by nature and more confident than say a seagull Avisaille who would have gray wings and a more immature and obnoxious disposition.

Bone Structure – As stated, the Avisaille have lighter, hollow bones like a bird. They are more susceptible to breaks, but due t their agility, they rarely get them. When this does happen, they seek medical assistance from family and friends.

Feeding Habits – Feeding habits are similar to most humans, though many find poultry repulsive. Fish is the protein most often chosen.

Sexual Activity – No different than any other human.

Weaknesses – Physically they’re more frail than humans and other races. Also, due to their intelligence they can at times come off as arrogant, and may even have a difficult time relating to those outside of their own race.

Procreation – Avisaille, if they procreate at all, rarely have more than two children.

Family/Personal Life - Avisaille prefer to have jobs that will allow them plenty of outdoor time and that will be mentally stimulating to them. They stay close to their family, both blood and race related. Most Avisaille are aware of who other Avisaille are, having grown up with them and gone through educations with them. They are a social race, and enjoy spending quality time with each other.

Human/Avisaille Child? – Avisaille don’t typically mate with humans, and the results are disastrous when they do. Hybrid children often have deformed wings that never grow to their potential and can’t hold the increased weight of the denser bones. Physically, they might look normal, but they are not really either species. They grow slower than humans but faster than Avisaille and are generally sickly. (You can create hybrid characters).

Where do they live? – They live mostly in tall apartment or condominium complexes. They prefer heights and living spaces with large windows they can leave open. They often opt for homes that have rooftop sitting or balconies.

How do the Avisaille Age? – As stated, they grow half as quickly as most humans. I you want your character to look thirty, they are truly sixty.