The harpies of Sornieth were once composed of hundreds of isolated flocks that regarded their fellows as strangers. This has changed over the past millennia; harpies now consider themselves one flock. Though they may live in different locales, harpies freely travel between clans and are regarded as part of the same flock no matter which clan they nest in.
Physical Attributes[]
Harpies are a bipedal species of bird-folk. They possess sleek, feathered wings with a modified claw, and powerful taloned legs. Harpies have a soft feather down that covers their bodies. They have a mane of hair on the top of their heads that is frequently styled and adorned. The tail and wings of a harpy have large feathers which may be in a variety of colors, textures, and patterns. Harpy clutches are typically 2-4 eggs in size and predominantly hatch female.
Diet[]
Though they are capable of consuming meat raw, harpies enjoy baking and roasting their kills. They possess several techniques to bring out the best flavors of each cut of meat. Harpy chefs will have spirited debates over what cooking style should be used; roasting with an open flame, baking in ambient heat, baking sealed beneath clay, or baking with soaked leaves. Though harpies are obligate carnivores, they are known to adorn their dishes with brightly colored vegetables, blanched to bring out their most vibrant hues; these garnishes are strictly food for the eye, and it is considered bad manners for visitors of other species to consume them with their mouths.
Trade[]
Fine pigments are the harpy’s primary export and pride. Many minerals, plants, and insects are harvested and processed directly from their cliffside aeries into a rainbow of rich powders. Harpies trade for the raw materials needed for colors they cannot locally produce, and so fine is their processing that they can often sell the pigments back to their original local at twice the price—harpy-made pigment is considered the highest grade of pigment across Sornieth.
Not only do harpies produce pigment for trade and commerce, they also use it to paint everything. Harpies paint their buildings, their possessions, and even their trees in a variety of vibrant pigments, relishing the colors and changing canvas of their cities. Harpy make-up is worn by the majority of adult harpies and is bright, elaborate, and immaculate.
Harpies do not have herd animals or plants suitable to produce cloth. They import most of their cloth pre-woven in undyed bolts from Longneck and Centaur clans. Harpies will dye and fashion the cloth as suits their personal taste, with a particular eye for color. When trading with outsiders, most trades are facilitated through direct barter, though prehnite may be used as an intermediary form of currency when a direct trade is not possible.
Clan Structure:[]
Though harpies consider themselves one great flock, individual clans may vary greatly in size. Some are made up of a scant dozen families, while others may consist of thousands of individuals. Each family within a clan has a matriarch, and each clan a senator. Each season the clans send their representatives to the Senate, presided over by the Grand Roc; this generation’s Roc is known as Talona.
Harpy families are traditionally matriarchal. The position of Matriarch is given to the wisest and most experienced member of the family, which is usually the eldest. Families live in generational households, and many harpies choose never to leave their parents, raising their own children in the same house they grew up in. Others may choose to join the households of their partner, or found their own family.
Male fledglings are a rare and treasured birth. Due to their scarcity, these harpies do not usually leave the protection of the flock in order to ensure the continuation of harpykind. While they rarely join individual family units, who they choose to mate with is solely their decision and that decision is respected. Male harpies are highly educated and often serve as recordkeepers who preserve information through paintings and iconography. Not every harpy will fit within these roles, and the last three centuries have welcomed greater social mobility within the flock.
Cities & Architecture:[]
A proper harpy city is built into a cliffside. The height and inaccessibility of these cities offers protection from many predators, and easy access to the air. These may be carved from the cliffside or built up from baked brick. From the outside they are simplistic, cubic affairs in structure—a blank canvas on which to paint. But what a canvas it is! Families can raise their status with a well-painted dwelling, and different palettes and motifs are favored by each matriarch. Trade districts and promenades are interconnected by bridges and removable ladders as a courtesy to flightless visitors, the unfledged, and the elderly. Family dwellings are stand-alone buildings, accessible only by flight, and only by invitation.
Combat:[]
Harpies trained for combat are skilled warriors who work in highly coordinated wings. Each wing consists of 15 harpies. All warriors are trained to be proficient in talon, spear, and sword. Once a trainee has passed the required trials of skill, they are moved to a wing and considered a warrior.
Warriors carve a mask to finish their transition from trainee to accomplished combatant. These masks are worn only during battle or patrol, and symbolize that the harpy wearing it is no longer a civilian, but is acting in their capacity as a warrior.
Harpies possess some of the most highly trained and coordinated soldiers in Sornieth. Though they rarely engage in actual warfare, harpies keep their skills honed against mighty avian predators and Shade incursion.
Alliances & Feuds:[]
The Great Harpy Flock has an ongoing trade partnership with the longnecks of the Southern Icefield. This relationship has been mutually beneficial for centuries, and longneck caravans are often fluent in both harpy language and culture. Wool and pigments are not the only items exchanged in these trade visits; medicinal herbs and equipment, seed, and even precious scrolls containing the latest scholarly pursuits of both beastclans may be part of the deal. The longneck caravans make their journeys to each of the harpy cities in spring, and most return to their homeland by the end of summer.
Harpies have both the strongest alliance and the greatest tension with dragonkind in the Windswept Plateau. The Great Flock has a mutual aid pact with the majority of the clans ensconced within the Zephyr Steppes. Magic is treasured among many of the beastclans, and harpies are no exception. Items enchanted by dragonkind are highly prized and put to immediate use, particularly if the enchanter specialized in wind magic. These items can never be gained through trade, and are exclusively gifted. In kind, lustrous harpy paintings are bequeathed only to dragons with whom the harpy artist has a longstanding friendship.
While the alliance in the Zephyr Steppes has been regarded as strong and mutually beneficial, there have been reports of harpy wings who patrol outside their cities being harried by enormous, winged shapes in the night. Thus far neither the harpies nor the allied dragons of the Zephyr Steppes have been able to identify a culprit.
Known Harpy Territory[]
The following areas are known to be populated by the Harpy Beastclan:
Harpy Familiars[]
Trivia[]
- Harpies are about the size of humans.[1]
- Harpies' masks are carved from bone.
- Harpies often use Prehnite as a form of currency when trading or bartering amongst themselves.
- Due to their resemblance, harpies treat Veiled Visions as natural allies.
- Ancient harpy flocks kept Pet Rocs.
Pre-Retcon Lore[]
The harpies' were once made up of many fragmented clans. In the last century the species has come together to form a single, united flock. Though individual families of this flock may live hundreds or thousands of miles away from the rest of their sisterhood, the overall leadership and management of the flock is a coordinated effort. A council made up of the matriarchs of each clan convenes each season, presided over by the great matriarch, Talona. By combining their forces and maintaining a vast network of alliances and communications, the harpy beastclan has managed to retain the bulk of its recently acquired territory.
Once a culture focused on the arts, the harpy flock has become increasingly adept at war since the threatening draconic incursion. Young that would have been trained in music and lore are now trained to scout and skirmish. After a harpy has been tested in the battlefield, the new warrior will carve an intricate mask to wear into future battles. These beautiful masks are one of the last vestiges of their artistic practices. They are worn to prevent identification of the individual harpy and its clan in battle. This serves to prevent favoritism in the battlefield, and to protect each harpy and their loved ones from the vengeance of their opponents.
Harpy clutches are typically 2-4 eggs in size, and are predominantly female. A male child is a rare and treasured birth. Male harpies live a sequestered life, pampered by the flock and fiercely protected by the clan matriarchs. Due to their rarity and importance to the flock, male harpies are prohibited from participating in the war against dragonkind or handling the mask of a warrior. Male harpies are frequently tasked to preserve the traditions and history of the flock, as the females who would have once assisted in that role have been conscripted for the flock's defense. Because males never leave the safety of the harpy territory, many dragons believe that all harpies are female.
Recently, harpies have been noted to carry packages between the clans. Its become a common practice for other beastclans to have a permanent harpy ambassador ensconced within their ranks. What this means for dragonkind remains to be seen.