Bird (NPC)

Birthday
The day your character became official
Name origin
A warm-blooded, egg laying vertebrate, typically feathered
Sexuality
Pansexual
Gender
Demihen
Sex
AMAB
Plot Death
Yes absolutely!
Alternate Death
King-hit by a suddenly opened door while eavesdropping

Purchased traits
Isabella dilute (black nerfed, red remains, a kind of leucism), unprecedented occurance (spent majority of life in allied kingdom spying for their own), dromaeus upgrade (free with royal guard slot)
Items/Scars
Simple shell necklace, small twin scars on left forearm
Weapons/Armour
Decked out bc royal guard
Size class
Medium (3 ft at shoulder)
Weight class
Bulky
Appearance
Bird is a stocky, long-bodied avus. For the most part, they are unusually pale, but splashes of bright ginger light their face, wings and tail. Their spotted fur is for the most part soft and dense, but grows long and coarse on their rump. This patch can bristle and raise quite dramatically in fear or anger. Their eyes are a cold, pale blue, and are always taking in their surroundings with the utmost scrutiny, no matter what their mouth or body is doing. Their skin is loose, particularly around the belly where they are fatter, but strong, lean muscle lays beneath. Their raw strength and sickle claws on all feet make them an even match with even larger avus.

Nestling-Fledgeling
0-1 year

Bird’s first memories were of warm down and soft words, followed by a cool breeze. Autumn had just begun to creep over the land, and while it was pleasant for now, snow and ice would soon come. Their father, Snowy, was a nursery worker and surrogate in Preyma. He had a lot of children, and cared for a lot of children, but Bird was the first that was his own. When he finished his work at the nursery, he got to take her home with him. He couldn’t have been happier. She even had his snowy feathers, mostly.

Bird spent the majority of their first year in the nursery, being doted on by their father. There, they met a pawful of avus that looked a bit like them or their dad- it was especially easy to spot the ones that shared their pale colours- but were not family. They couldn’t tell you when Snowy had explained it to her, but from a very young age it had just been a simple fact. They were related to a lot of avus by blood, but they were not family. These avus were not Bird’s siblings, or Snowy’s children, and it would be terribly rude to suggest otherwise, or even bring it up. Indeed, Bird quickly took to explaining as much, in the matter-of-fact way children do, to anyone that were to mention it. The worst crime was to be perceived as rude, their dad had implied, and they wouldn’t want others falling into it. Snowy and Bird were family, and that was all. That was enough. Even if Bird did wish they had a twin to share everything with, like the pair of not their siblings a few months older than them.

Bird was as slow to start school as winter was to end. Her dad was a bit of an anxious fellow, and wasn’t eager to send her out to more ‘intensive’ schooling until Preyma had thawed. All her peers left the nursery months before she did, leaving her the eldest by a long shot. She adapted and made new friends quickly enough, of course, but she was the odd one out from then on. This would become a trend in her life.

Sub-Adult
1-2 years

It was on her last day in the nursery- when the snow was finally thawing- that Bird first met Queen Zinnia. They had seen her from afar before, in the streets and the markets, but never up close. Never talking to their dad. She was inquiring about adoption and surrogates. Bird probably could have figured that one out without eavesdropping. Snowy was always happy to help the monarchy, and of course agreed. It was an honour to aid their kingdom.

While that was all very exciting, Bird was much more excited to finally attend proper school. Almost effortlessly, she squeezed herself back in with her old peer group. It took a bit of smiling and nodding about things she didn’t actually know, but soon enough she fit right in, as if they’d never spent any time apart. And the lessons were so much more exciting! Behind as she was, she soaked everything in like a sponge- even questioning those ahead of her about the lessons she missed- and quickly began to catch up. She didn’t want to be left behind again when it came time for them to graduate. She did start befriending the avus a few months behind them just in case, though. Having to build a friend group from the ground up again would be annoying.

And then, mere months into their schooling, Rose joined the family. Bird just arrived home from school one day to a pudgy, fluffy nestling and a joyful “surprise!” from their dad. And they were! They were overjoyed to finally have a real sister of their own. They were also observant enough to point out- in the confidence of their own home- that they hadn’t seen him nesting her egg. Apparently there had been some kind of complication with whoever was supposed to be her parents. Snowy didn’t need to tell them that was another matter that would be exceedingly rude to bring up to others, least of all Rose, when she was old enough to understand things like words and abandonment. So, without any further outward pondering of the matter, Bird took her baby sister under her wing.
   Rose didn’t share Bird or their father’s pale feathers, but as she grew, it became clear she shared their face. She was also not nearly as exciting as Bird had hoped, at least for the first few months. She grew a lot though, so that made up for it. She might not have been old enough to provide the near-psychic connection Bird had dreamed of, but she was big enough to safely roughhouse within a matter of months. Their sister wasn’t what they’d expected, but they loved her just as much.

Adult
2-14 years

The remainder of Bird’s schooling passed in a whirlwind, and with flying colours. And yet they were being left behind once again. While Bird was unsure what profession they wanted to go into, all of their friends were already set. They were going to war. And Bird would once again stay behind and… what? They wanted to do something useful and exciting- they wanted to help their kingdom like their dad- but most jobs sounded rather dull to them.

So, not to be left behind again, they joined the war.

Snowy fretted terribly, and Bird themself was pained to leave Rose just when she was starting to enter the interesting age of forming proper opinions and what not, but that couldn’t stop them. Their kingdom needed help, and they would find a way to give it. At the very least, they would see what war was about. So, just as snow began to fall on the peaks of Preyma again, Bird fell upon the valleys. She was stationed to the east of the kingdom, fighting with her fellows to get their claws deeper into hippus land. It was ripe for farming, and the hills would hopefully contain useful ore to be mined. Not to mention the pathway it gave them into plunderable towns.

War was a bloody business, was what they’d learned. Within their first month, one of their childhood friends had been killed, and one had been sent home with severe injuries. Bird remained, though. They had always been quick of eye and quick of mind, and this aided them greatly on the battlefield. Even as a novice, they were always one step ahead of their opponent. Always reading their weight and inferring their next move. Sometimes, she would take it one step further, and join the small scouting parties that were sent to anticipate enemy movements. Other times, she would simply listen to what others said of their fights around the campfire as they licked their wounds. That one with the red and green wings? Tuna had got a good scratch on her leg and hoped it hurt for at least a month. If Bird were to bump into her next, she could utilise the sudden weakness. It quickly became her habit to stay up until the last soldier turned in, learning all she could about the battle that had passed. It turned out to be one of the best decisions of her life.

One night, as the last soldier kicked dirt over the fire and stumbled towards his tent, Bird overheard something new. Quiet, and whispered with a strain that was uncommon after the exhaustion of battle. It was Tuna, speaking to an avus they didn’t recognize. Not someone from their squad. They mentioned a time and location. The valleys. Late. If the mists weren’t heavy, don’t come.
   Bird had lived a relatively sheltered life up until this point, but she still knew shady business when she saw it. She waited until Tuna had returned to his tent, then took it right to their captain. As suspected, this was definitely not anything authorised. Suspicions of treason and sabotage were mentioned. For catching the exchange in the first place, Bird was tasked with keeping a subtle eye on Tuna to see if the time and place of whatever meeting he was going to changed. It did not. For her skills on scouting patrols- and dedication to the whole ordeal- she was added to the small party that tailed him when the date rolled around.

Just like Tuna and whoever his fellows had hoped, the mists were thick when he finally crept from camp one night. He carried a pack that clinked lightly, despite the cloth and moss he had stuffed around its contents. Bronze weapons, Bird knew. They had seen them smuggle a few off to somewhere, and by the size of his pack, he had been at it for a while. They were now almost certain this was some black market bronze sale, and as they slunk closer and closer to the Plains border, their suspicions were only confirmed. As Tuna arrived at his destination, a pawful of other dromaeus from neighbouring squadrons awaited, all carrying similarly full packs. It was looking to be an easy bust of an illegal trade ring. And then the hippus arrived. They had anticipated some enemy contact, but not nearly this much, and certainly not as heavily armed. They were nearly outnumbered. Bird would have called the retreat then. They knew who the betrayers were, and perhaps if they kept an eye on them they would lead them to even more. But her captain was a righteous hen, and before Bird could even think about voicing as much, the cry to attack sounded. The hippus were, mercifully, quick to retreat, but the traitors were fighting for their very lives. Who knew, perhaps they were. If it was up to Bird, they would certainly be executed. The kingdom had no use for the disloyal. As it was, five lay dead when the dust settled. Three traitors, and two of their own. Bird had some nasty gouges on her arm, but the criminals had been apprehended.
   
Bird never did find out what happened to them. Queen Zinnia had arrived the next day, stopping first to debrief the captain, then to speak to Bird themself. They weren’t quite sure whether the captain had put in a good word for them, or if Zinnia had put two and two together from what they had said. This was their first encounter with her now they were out of their down feathers, and almost immediately they noted that the Queen had eyes as sharp as theirs. Zinnia thought Bird would make a good spy, and Queen Inula had requested more dromaeus soldiers to back up war efforts in the North. Zinnia wanted to know if Inula really needed the all the aid and bronze she was requesting, and- in her words- “anything else of interest.” Bird gathered this was somewhat of test, to see if they were up for real spy work. They were loath to abandon their social life again, but they supposed their social life couldn’t leave them if they left it first. Besides, this was the opportunity of a lifetime. The Queen herself had specifically requested Bird take on a role to aid their kingdom. This was their chance to do some real good. And it was always an honour to help the monarchy.

Her extended time in the nursery had left her shockingly prepared for her move to the North. There were a few dromaeus that went with her, and a few already there, of course, but being suddenly surrounded by gryphus was nevertheless a big change. But Bird was used to being the odd one out, and used to slotting herself into new friend groups. Indeed, this time it was her entire job to worm her way in with their gryphus allies.
   Perhaps the biggest shock was the way the gryphus fought and strategized. She had been warned beforehand that they weren’t as cautious as the Mountainers, but to see it firsthand was… appalling. Her first mission quickly became ‘find the flight that’s least likely to get you killed and hang on’. She was quick to hunt down one that was trustworthy enough to already have dromaeus in it on a regular basis. Dianthus and Quinine were their names, though it was led by a little gryphus called Aedes. The sergeant’s flight had an enviable survival rate compared to her fellows, and Bird liked her and her brother well enough. Quinine was their favourite, though. Bird had always been adept at spotting eyes as keen as theirs, and Quinine had a mind for gossip and putting things together, too. At first, Bird had suspected they might have been another spy for the Queen, but no. They just did this for fun, which was admirable in and of itself. The two were partners for a time, though a kick from a horse brought it to an abrupt end. They had all thought Quinine had died, so it was certainly shock enough to send them home. Bird missed their company, but was glad to see them out of harm's way.

Evidently, Bird made a good spy. They weren’t busting illegal trades and averting battles or anything, but the tidbits they did manage to learn kept the Queen happy enough to keep them in their position for many years. Sergeant Aedes kept close ties with her flight, and that suited Bird just fine. The gryphus was a promising commander, and if she were to climb the ranks and bring Bird up with her, well, that would suit them just fine. As it was, they became more and more privy to the inner workings of their captain, Basalt. It was around this time that Bird began to grow closer to Aedes’ brother, Anopheles. He lacked his sister’s mind for strategy, but was clever in his own right. Aedes cared for her soldiers, certainly, but she was ruthlessly efficient nonetheless. There was never much room in her mind for doubt or indecision. Anopheles, on the other hand, was more sensitive to such things. Quietly, Bird suspected he would never have made it this far without riding in his sister’s wake, in more ways than one. Anopheles worried about the rights and the wrongs, and saw how more and more, soldiers around them fell. He was from a long line of soldiers, and would never voice such things to his sister, but Bird had keen eyes and open ears. They could both see the canaries dropping from their perches in the coal mine, and they both saw that recognition in each other. Bird would never reveal their mission, but they found comfort in the company of shared knowledge. They too were partners, for far longer than they had been with Quinine.

As was their role, when there was no urgent information to relay beforehand, they would return back to Preyma for debriefing twice a year if the Queen could find no excuse- or suitably trustworthy swiftwing- to journey to the field and visit them directly. For the first few years, when the Rainforest front had been most chaotic, she had come to speak to them personally. On two occasions, she had sent a trusted swiftwing to take a verbal recount, too. And so at the start of their service, they managed to spend many years without laying eyes on their homeland once. When finally it came time for them to make a journey back themself, life changing news awaited them. Firstly, the Queen was happy with their performance, and requested they continue their work in the North. This was big, exciting news, but it wasn’t as earth-shattering as what awaited them when they sought out Quinine again.

They had a daughter.

They had a daughter and Quinine hadn’t even bothered to send a message. She was years out of the nest now. Years fully grown. And they hadn’t met her once. They hadn’t even known she existed in the first place. Blood was not family, Bird knew this. Her relationship with Quinine had never been serious enough to require any talk of children either. As they talked now, they certainly got the sense that she had had no interest in sharing the duty of child-raising with them. It was perfectly reasonable for Bird to have no relationship with this young hen, and yet… Bird was frustrated. Bird was hurt. But they also had no right to intrude on their not-daughter’s life. Truth be told, they had no idea how they could even broach such a topic with her. Certainly not in the casual ‘by the way’ matter Quinine had with them. So they went back to work, fighting and gathering information in the North, returning to Preyma to share what they learned. They saw her in the streets once, on one of their visits. She didn’t have their face- or Quinine’s, for that matter- but Bird would know their old partner’s wings and mane anywhere. She had Bird's paws. But it would have been rude to say anything, so they didn’t.

It was on one of these visits, several years later, that tragedy befell Bird’s Northern flight. Finally, it happened. The canaries had warned of it, and now Anopheles lay dead and quiet along with the rest of their flight. An ambush in Breakwing Bush, apparently. Only Aedes and Dianthus had survived. They’d gotten Anopheles out too, apparently, but Bird hadn’t been in the kingdom to bury him. Aedes saw she was standing in a mine full of dead songbirds then. She deserted with Dianthus not long after her recovery. Good for her, Bird supposed, but they had to find a new flight now. They had to find a new everything. This was the last time they let anyone into their heart while they were on the job.

A few years later, a truce was called. The fighting stopped. Yet Bird remained in the North. Zinnia said she still had work for them, and they would gladly avoid the other matters of heart that awaited them in Preyma. They were going to have peace, apparently. That Bird was still needed to spy suggested it would be a tenuous one at best, though. They played the helpful dromaeus, always happy to carry goods, or tie things with their relatively dexterous toes. Not very intelligent, but eager to please.

They weren’t surprised when things immediately went to shit again. Through the majority of Queen Reprise’s rein, they stayed in the North. They suspected she had forgotten about them entirely in the chaos of her ascension, because she never came to debrief them, nor sent a swiftwing to do it for them. Bird had to make the journey themself, and suspected very little of the information they brought got put to use. And then, as they had warned was coming, the gryphus took it a step too far. They killed a pregnant whale, and the borders closed. Bird tried to stay on, pulling every string of goodwill they had, but when Inula was accused of killing Zinnia, they had thought it best to make their retreat. Dromaeus were no longer trustworthy, and trouble was certainly brewing.

KIN:

OTHER:

Likes

• Hard, crunchy foods, especially those containing bone. Turtles are a particular favourite.
• Swimming and water in general
• Avus with keen eyes and sharp minds. They make for the most interesting conversations, even if they don’t give away much

Dislikes

• Soft foods
• Painfully unobservant avus. It gives them second hand embarrassment, even

Trivia

• They’re no otter, but they’re still a strong swimmer
• Robust jaws and thick teeth can easily crush bone

Songs

• Black Mambo - Glass Animals
• Hypothermic - Goodnight, Texas
• Lie Like Them - Nick Leng
• What is a Killer Like You Gonna Do Here - Zeal & Ardor