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Caharil are a species of bipedal birds native to the southern jungles of Koldenwelt

Physiology[]

Caharili are generally slim build with highly sinewous muscles. These muscles have evolved to have a high stress tolerance and, combined with the sharp claws on their hands and feet, can grip to surfaces such as trees or cliff foaces for a long period of time. They are also capable of locking these muscles to provide even greater strength. Their large torsos consist of large pectoral and upper back muscles which not only provide improved grip but also added raw strength. They are highly adaptable as shown by their legs which are designed for long distance running. Like many avians caharil posess dual-chambered air sacs which constantly keeps oxygen flowing through their body. Although they have lost the flight use of wings, the air sacs remain and boost both long-distance running and low-density atmospheric tolerance. The skeleton is lighter than most ground-based animals of a similar size due to the transition from flying to swinging, the bones are thickest in the limbs (which can rivel the density of a human limb bone) and thinnest in the skull. The amount of soft cartilage in the joints is greater than in humans, making the caharil naturally double-jointed.

Their body is covered in soft feathers that cover the body. In males the chest feathers feature prominently and are a bold colour compared to the rest of the body. Males also bear a crest of feathers behind the neck. Both males and females have elongated feathers along the arms - a sign the species at some evolutionary point had wings. The caharil anatomy posesses an advanced syrinx and is capable of mimicing a wide variety of animals with surprising precision (possibly a defence mechanism to ward off potential predators). They are naturally herbivorous; preferring fruits and berries for sustenance. The digestive tract extracts as much of the material as possible, storing resources for further use which maximises the amount of useful material they can hold from a single meal allowing them to survive for days without food.

Caharil lay between one to four eggs every eight months, these eggs are normally 23cm at their broadest point and come in a bluish oval shape. The female chooses which male is allowed to mate with her before she lays the fertilised eggs and rests on them for seven months. When the chick hatches it uses a tiny horn on it's beak (which fades as they age) to break the eggshell. Typically they have a high, somewhat ethereal voice. Due to complete control over the syrinx they are capable of mimicing a wide variety of animalistic sounds from birdsong to the growls of a tiger. The typical voice occurs only when the muscles are 'at rest' and the user is not trying to mimic something.

Psychology[]

A typical caharil thinks on a group level and often cares just as much about those around them as they do themselves, sometimes moreso. They prefer staying in close family groups known as flights. While the female takes care of the eggs, the male will gather food to provide for the mother until the chicks hatch. Once hatched the parents will alternate in turns to care for the nest until the chicks are old enough to fend for themselves.

Caharil spend their lives with their spouse and, unlike in certain mammal groups, they will bond for life; not leave their partner until one of them passes on. When one of them passes on the other will seek a new mate and the bond begins again. Males will often impress the females with a bold display of their feather crests, arm feathers, and vocal ability - the more impressive the better.

The Heartsong[]

A peculiar phenomenon in the makeup of a caharil brain: All caharili posess what they call a 'heartsong'(Chirridi: Pael'Thifani); a psycic echo present in all members of the species. This noise is said to take the form of an angelic choir and releases serotonin in the brain to the hearer. An interesting aspect is that all caharil emit their own heartsong which others can hear and this has a direct effect on the population; the more caharili in the vicinity the greater levels of serotonin released. It has been documented that those who seek solitary confinement end up going insane due to an absence of this psycic echo.

This echo also serves as a locator beacon. When an individual wishes to find a particular member of the species they will focus on that particular echo. This helps family groups stay together and when trained they can send messages via base-level telepathy to anyone in particular. A Chaharil can permit non-caharil to hear the heartsong through direct contact, however this requires intense training and the recipient recieves only the melody; unable to benefit from the other aspects unless they themselves posess some psycic ability and familiarity with the heartsong.

Society[]

Culture[]

Music is a core aspect of their society. From romantic epics to playful melodies many of them enjoy harmonious tunes with most music focused on sound rather than on lyrics. Many performances, such as Ala'Thifani's Echos of a Distant Memory, have been known to focus on orchestral pieces rather than on the story itself. Some say that the music - due to the fact that differing levels of rhythm, tempo, volume and pitch create entirely different moods - is the story with the audience undergoing a wide range of emotions. Caharil music is rated by how much the audience reacts rather than if they like it or not.

They also take pride in study, meditation and the general pursuit of knowledge. Unlike many other races their studies focus on how many aspects of life react and the very behaviour of the universe itself rather than reducing the universe's properties and wonder down to numbers.

Military[]

Although Caharil religion objects to the act of killing another - stating that it is better for life to finish on its own than to force it - their military focus on ambushes and guerella warfare. This is because their fragile frames can easily be fractured outside of the legs and arms so they focus on striking both at range and with a speed to make it difficult to strike back. Tactics generally make full-use of their agility and lightweight bodies making them highly nimble and fast. Often members are trained to use their syrinx to mimic noises to lower their opponent's guard or to strike fear into them, readying them for a type of attack they didn't expect. The military is made up entirely of voulenteers rather than any form of drafting or formal military service.

Vehicles also abide by this doctorine, favouring speed and flexibility over raw durability, their vehicles are often light, agile and designed to strike in any direction.

Religion[]

Caharil religion is known as Athac'Illa'Pathar. Like many aspects of their lives it revolves around the transmission of energy and the interconnected nature of the world around them. They believe that the universe echoes with an incomprehenseble melody known as Kikh'Thahleed: An incredibly powerful sound that created and shaped the universe itself. Ancient texts state that particular oscillations of melody cause different aspects of nature to occur from star formation to the exact point a seed hatches and the direction of the wind. Their religion does not manifest as the worship of a single diety or a pantheon but instead involves the pursuit of achieving spiritual balance through meditation and channeling the heartsong.

It is possible this belief stems from the curiosity that is the heartsong. But it is the prevalence of this belief system dominates their culture and is the root of their obsession with music. Caharil refer to each life as a single song; when someone is born they refer to their song beginning and when someone dies it is stated their song has finished. The more devout believe that immortality and eternity are either impossible or things to be abhored since all songs must have a beginning and an end (even Kikh'Thahleed is said to have started the universe at it's beginning and will one day stop, however followers generally do not wish to study exactly how it started).

The faith does posess a leadership. The unifying authority is the high priestess who, as the name suggests, is always female. The belief states she has gained enlightenment and has trained her mind to be able to both hear and even manipulate Kikh'Thahleed to an extent.Due to herr power and for symbolic reasons she is often isolated from the rest of society, kept company by a following of attendants. Priests train themselves in meditation, honing their vocal chords and training their use of heartsong. The result is that even if they look normal for their species, they are incredibly useful in everyday life. The faith teaches not to retrict oneself when gaining enlightenment; many priests retain regular jobs and all - even the high priestess - are allowed a partner (Due to her symbolic power the high priestess' consort, who could act as a high priest, is considered equally disciplined).

Extra[]

Quotes from other empires[]

Feel Free to add your ownPerhaps we could be allies one day.

- Sruka, leader of the Varshokans

Trivia[]

  • The Caharil are inspired by mix of Vulcans and Eldar
  • Their belief system is based on oriental Taoism
Monet47's associated fiction
DI Emblam V4d
An ancient empire
Old as seasons beyond count
What secrets lie within its boundries?
Shall we find out?
Other Fictions
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