The Ayomar


The ayomar are one of the native species of Mendail. Although children of the god of death, the ayomar are the longest living intalli species. Gifted with near immortality and a second chance at life, ayomar are as mysterious as they are strange.

Biology

The ayomar come in many shapes and sizes but more often than not, they are large and round. They are covered in soft, fluffy feathers and have small paws. Their wings are strangely small in comparison to the rest of their body. Ayomar are typically not the most adept fliers and struggle with fast take-offs or landings.

Abilities

Resurrection

The ayomar are able to come back from the dead, but only once. Unlike other species, the pulsar of an ayomar will remain in their body after their first death. They remain in a coma-like state for an indeterminate amount of time and are fully unconscious. The more grievous an injury or illness, the longer this process takes. Once an ayomar rises from their grave, they will fully recover from the ailment which killed them, but will still keep any non-fatal injuries, diseases, or illnesses they may have had before death. Ayomar decompose slowly but still may enter a major state of decay before resurrecting. Ayomar which had begun to decay will often bear striking scars and markings reflecting their decomposition, but will not experience any physical/medical consequences.

When an ayomar dies for the second time, they will not resurrect again.

Ecology and Behavior

Reproduction and Life Cycle

Ayomar possess holder-giver-gilder reproduction with holders and gilders laying eggs. Ayomar can only reproduce every few decades, laying at most two eggs in one clutch. The majority of clutches are laid in the spring or summer.

  • Ayomar are highly monogamous, rarely ever straying from the first partner(s) they choose. It is very uncommon for ayomar to gain romantic or sexual interest in strangers, leading to most ayomar pairing with longtime friends.
  • Courtship is highly elaborate and can often last for several months at a time as both parties attempt to woo one another with complex dances and gifts. Courtship only ends when either participant grows disinterested or when both gift each other one of their wing feathers.
  • Mated pairs will reproduce rarely and most often will only lay one egg at a time. Eggs take nearly two months to hatch and hatchlings are born naked and helpless. If a clutch of two eggs are allowed to hatch together, the newborns will instinctively attack one another. Hatchling ayomar are highly aggressive towards their siblings and will kill them if given the opportunity. Most ayomar will either not incubate one of the eggs or separate them in order to avoid this, but more traditional individuals see this as a method of getting stronger offspring.
  • Hatchlings develop slowly and require near constant protection for the first year of their life. Most ayomar hatchlings are extremely shy of the world outside of their nest/home and require lots of encouragement to gain new skills.
  • An ayomar will shed its pale downy feathers around 10 to 12 years old before growing in their much brighter adult feathers. Most ayomar are taught to fly at 12 but are very poor fliers until adulthood.
  • Hatchlings may remain with their parents for several years after maturation, during which they will refrain from producing more clutches. Ayomar are extremely close with their parents and have traditionally stayed in territories very close to their home nest. While not as inclined towards homicide in adulthood, siblings will often remain very tense towards one another for the rest of their lives.
  • Ayomar are considered adults at 20 but reach physical maturity at 30. Life expectancy ranges between 400-600. The exact lifespan of the ayomar is unknown, with some theorizing that the species is functionally immortal. Among scholars, a maximum lifespan of 2000 years is generally accepted.

    • Social Structure

  • Ayomar are naturally solitary and usually prefer small familial groups over larger communities.
  • Ayomar are easily irritated by the presence of unrelated ayomar and are quick to fight one another over petty conflicts. Similarly, ayomar prefer interacting with smaller species and individuals than themselves.
  • Ayomar are one of the rarer intalli species and are largely scattered across Mendail. A sizeable population of ayomar live entirely by themselves or with their mate(s).
  • Some ayomar live entirely in the presence of optera. It's very common for large optera communities to have one notable ayomar member, especially around optera nurseries. They typically fill the role of an optera sujor, helping lead and protect their hives.

    • Diet

    Ayomar are carnivorous and will consume just about any small to medium sized prey they can catch. Most ayomar prefer to hunt opportunistically, with mice and other small rodents being preferred. Ayomar are typically put off by cooked meals and are unable to taste spice.

    Hybrids

    The ayomar rarely interbreed with other species except the optera. Optera-ayomar hybrids are exceptionally common in Mendail and are known to live even longer than most ayomar. These hybrids are typically very healthy and are able to reproduce with ease. While they will typically carry most of the traits and abilities of their optera parent, it's a gamble on whether or not they will be able to resurrect like ayomar.

    Hybrids with other species are rare but not unheard of. They are usually healthy and fertile, however most will have much shorter lifespans than their ayomar parent.

    Psychology and Culture

    Ideals and Instincts

  • Ayomar are naturally reserved and difficult to read. They are not a chatty species and prefer silence over much else. Displays of intense emotions and flamboyance are looked down upon as being both overwhelming and disgraceful.
  • Death is a rather peculiar thing to ayomar. Ayomar are largely split between the highly cautious and the highly reckless. Some are even more wary of danger than intalli with only one life to give up, taking extreme care to avoid putting themselves in harm's way. Others are more than willing to throw their life away over petty squabbles and stunts, reasoning that they are given a second chance for a reason. There is lots of arguing about this.
  • Ayomar find it very difficult to wrap their head around the concept of other species only having one life, especially given their much shorter lifespans. Ayomar are often cited as being incredibly condescending and ignorant of how death affects other intalli. It's all too common for an ayomar to think themselves better than other species, especially for older individuals.
  • Ayomar are highly defensive of their belongings and easily grow obsessed with specific items or people. Ayomar are additionally naturally territorial and are all too willing to resort to violence to defend their belongings.
  • When stressed out, ayomar will pluck their feathers. While rather common, this behavior is stigmatized and is typically seen as attention-seeking and disgraceful. Some ayomar will attempt to deter themselves from plucking by covering their feathers in foul tasting liquids. Some less fortunate individuals will pluck themselves so much that their feathers will simply not grow back.

    Customs and Traditions

  • Ayomar hatchlings are typically unnamed until their first birthday, after which they are named after a distinctive physical feature they have. Once an ayomar has reached adulthood, they will rename themselves.
  • Hatchlings are traditionally taught to fly through dangerous methods such as simply being flung off of tall heights. This practice has gone in and out of fashion over the centuries, but has been successful enough for it to still persist. An ayomar's first flight is considered a major event and is often celebrated for days afterward.
  • A common practice among newly flighted ayomar is to dye their flight feathers bright and flash colors in order to signify their new ability.
  • Traditionally, ayomar prefer to create nests rather than sleep in beds. Ayomar nests are typically rather sparse, often the bare minimum of branches and twigs to hold an ayomar while they sleep. This practice is less common in urban areas, however some ayomar will still create pseudo-nests from blankets and pillows.
  • When an ayomar dies, they are never buried. This stems from a fear of accidentally burying an ayomar that has yet to resurrect and permanently killing them. Instead, ayomar bodies are left alone for several weeks. It's a strong taboo to touch the body at this point due to a fear that this may disrupt the magical process of resurrection.
  • After a certain period of time, usually when it's nearly guaranteed that they are truly deceased, ayomar bodies are left in open fields or forests and covered in flower seeds. It's believed that the flowers will only begin to bloom if an ayomar is truly dead, ensuring one last level of assurance.

    • Trivia

  • When an ayomar takes off or lands, its wings will create a signature whistling sound. It's said that each ayomar has a unique wing whistle.
  • Ayomar have incredible eyesight and are capable of seeing ultraviolet light. In contrast, they have a very poor sense of smell.