The Aryvol

General Info

Aryvol are small creatures, unique to the jungles around East Hall as opposed to the lizardlike Yandori found elsewhere in Shai. The plural form of their name is 'Aryvole.' These creatures are about the length of a woman's arm from elbow to fingertip when fully grown and sitting upright. They resemble Terran squirrels in base structure, but with a more slender, feathered tail, and are feathered rather than furred. They have birdlike wings which are about the size of their body, individually, and these allow them to glide from tree to tree, and can only fly when launching from a high object. They are more 'gliders' than 'flyers' and are herbivores, eating plants and nuts like their Earth counterparts. They can catch updrafts and glide for long spans of time. Not only can they fly, but all Aryvole are extremely nimble climbers, managing to scale trees and great heights with ease. Their feathers come in many different shades, and they seem to have some sort of hierarchy based on their colours--those with the brightest coloured feathers are easiest to spot in the forests and are most likely to be caught by predators and so the lowest ranking. The higher females know their value as clutchers and hence have the protection of all the males, and so have beautifully hued feathers.

They can be called 'cute' but are very intelligent for their size. Aryvole can communicate mind-to-mind with their blood-Bonded, but can also emit bird-like noises and chatter like typical squirrels. Slim and energetic, they have no natural magic but are very swift and devoted. They bond in a similar way to dragons though not with such an intense connection.
They have long lifespans, and an Aryvole female will usually have only one mate in her lifetime. There is no 'mating chase,' since the Aryvol female will choose her preferred male when the time comes. They usually lay about one Clutch a year, and these will hatch within 2 weeks of being laid. Like dragons, their eggs take time to harden. Aryvole make great pets and are envied by many young Trainees for their usefulness and general appeal. They cannot be found anywhere in the world except East Hall and its surrounding environs. Even here, they are not common due to the difficulty of finding their nests up in the trees. Fully grown ones in the wild cannot be tamed, so you have to find the clutch before it hatches, or while it is hatching. Aryvole find that canines and felines make convenient perches for these creatures who are easily amused and enjoy taunting things.

Finding and Bonding

Aryvol are native to the jungles in the East of Shai. They live in the trees, and make nests on the branches, of twisted twigs and leaves. They are not very common, and at the slightest sound they will retreat into the thick forest. When they don't want to be found, it is impossible to find them. However, occasionally a nest will be found by a Dragonwarrior or villager, and in it will be the babies. The mothers will not be frightened off when they have eggs to protect, so this is the best time to locate them. To Impress an Aryvol, all you have to do is be present at the time that it is hatching. They choose through some inborn sense the person who is 'right' for caring for them, and even at birth these tiny things can tell. They will nip the finger of their bonded, and a blood-bond will be formed. Aryvole cannot fly for a week after they hatch, and even then they cannot master gliding until a month of age. They will be old enough to reproduce at 6 months, and lay clutches of anywhere from 5 to over 20 eggs in their tree-nests.

The colors of Aryvole are:
Ivory
Cobalt
Silver
Moss
Carmine
Ochre
Turquoise
Coral

Colors

Color: Ivory
Description: Ivories are typically a base beige, with a sort of polished look to their feathers. They are not quite as large as Cobalts in size, but their quick and mocking tempers make up for the fact. They are commanding and some look as if their feathers were actually carved. Their body feathers are actually quite plain, but their wings make up for this, by being shades of all the other Aryvol distributed through these softer feathers.
Gender: Female
Rank: Highest Female
Variations: There is a variation on the typical Ivory queen which is called 'Marbled Ivory' meaning that the metallic beige of her feathers has a rainbow sheen.
Clutch: 10-20

Color: Cobalt
Description: Cobalts are the largest of the Aryvole, and their feathers range from a dark blue-black to a far paler shade, though never nearing white. They are sturdy and placid, meaning they don't anger easily, but they are slightly arrogant.
Gender: Male
Rank: Highest Male

Color: Silver
Description: The shiniest out of all Aryvole, and more showy than the Ivories, Silvers are a bit vain, and love preening their gorgeous feathers. Soft and glossy, they know that they are extremely beautiful. Some can even be larger than Ivories, but not often. Delicate and pretty.
Gender: Female
Rank: Middle Female, below Ivory
Clutch: 5-15

Color: Moss
Description: Mosses are the shyest of the Aryvole, and blend in extremely well with their environment. They hate being in the front, and have feathers of soft green, sometimes mixed with brown or even gray. They are fairly small, more so than Silvers, and have good camoflauge.
Gender: Male
Rank: Middle male, below Cobalt

Color: Carmine
Description: Carmines are very bright, and stand out almost anywhere. They are outgoing and cheerful, and often very intelligent. Their feathers are astounding shades of brilliant reds, sometimes dark and brownish or even blazing crimsons.
Gender: Male or Female
Rank: Moderate aryvol
Clutch (female): 0-5

Color: Ochre
Description: Basically, Ochres are brown and lean in build, some nearing the size of Cobalts. Their feathers can be golden-brown, sometimes even gold, though are more often ruddier shades that blend them in with treetrunks. They are matter of fact and keen.
Gender: Male
Rank: Moderate Male

Color: Turquoise
Description: Withdrawn and empathetic to others besides their Bondeds, Turquoises are good at sensing feelings. They are the smallest of the females, and very fragile. They are the worst at flying but excellent climbers. Their feathers are always shades of green-blue, or turquoise. Some are more muted than others.
Gender: Female
Rank: Low female
Clutch: 0-1

Color: Coral
Description: Perhaps the strangest, and often smaller even than Turquoises, Corals are curious and lively, tending to be the most hyper. They have the unique ability to 'bounce' and danger doesn't scare them. Their feathers are shades ranging from orangey-pink to dim orange-brown.
Gender: Male or Female
Rank: Lowest Aryvol