Common Harpy

Summary

A Common Harpy is a bird-like Humanoid that loves to live in high elevations or even in the sky. A huge portion of Common Harpies are female mainly due to breeding patterns. Male Harpies exist, but are considered rare. Unlike the majority of Harpies, males do not fluctuate in rarity under normal circumstances. A Common Harpy is known to catch and carry off exceedingly miserable to the afterlife. Usually this involves those dying from a lack of basic needs or incredibly depressed beings. They tend to do this with any species that has been good in life, even if the species is very heavy. Harpies are capable of making any said targets become light before carrying them away. If they've had an extraordinarily miserable life, a Common Harpy may even take them into an embrace before carrying them into the afterlife. Common Harpies use their talons when they intend to carry someone miserable to the afterlife. Exceedingly miserable beings are often embraced close to the Harpy before she floats up to the sky with them. A merciful, and from some accounts, a very pleasant death. Harpies and Dragons often conflict when Harpies start expanding their territory into where dragons reside. Dragons are a common predator to Harpies, which is why they often go between the plentiful and common categories. When Harpies become plentiful, they tend to spread out, often conflicting with Dragons during this time. While Harpies closer to the dragon territory have taken precautions to keep away and hidden from dragons, dragons often outwit them. Harpies reproduce quickly, so even after their population regresses they can quickly rebuild their population. During mating season, Common Harpies hunt for suitable males, usually of any species. The males are brought to their nests where the Harpy will reproduce. If their nest does not have eggs when you're taken to it, it is likely they intend to reproduce. The offspring always end up being Harpies due to the dominant genes that they contain. It is extremely rare (1 in 2,300,000) for the offspring to not be a female Harpy. However, if a Harpy manages to find a male Harpy (which is rare because of their rarity in the first place), this has an equal 50/50 chance of either a male or female Harpy. Harpies also have a habit of adopting other species into their family. They'll take that individual (male or female) to their nest. If their nest already has eggs in it, chances are the Harpy intends to adopt. You will be treated as her eggs and you will probably be raised like them as well.

Appearance

Build

A Common Harpy has an average size head, their head is feathery, but due to the arrangement of the feathers, is sometimes mistaken for hair. Harpies have pointy ears that typically have thin feathers used for picking up sound. They have remarkable wings with an average wingspan. Despite being in the bird group, they have average to above average chests and a charming curve around their belly. They have wide hips, thick legs which thin out towards the ankles. They often have large talons, though some may only have average talons. They have a lot of feathers on their wings and the feathers modestly cover the centre of their chest region. Their bellies and necks are typically exposed skin. They have thick feathers from their hips down to their ankles. They have small to moderate tail feathers. Males have a similar build, but may be slightly smaller and their chest size is small and their curves are less pronounced.

Colour

Harpies usually have one dominant colour. A Common Harpy's variations are yellows and greens in the Overworld. In Current Realm, purple variations have been observed as well. Cyan Common Harpies also exist, but are not found in Cody's Galaxy. Grey Common Harpies are documented, but have not been seen in over 50 years, making their status unknown.

Clothing

A Common Harpy doesn't usually wear clothing, as their feathers typically serve them well. In colder environments they are more inclined to wear clothing. They will also wear colourful and rather remarkable clothing at times when they are courting a partner. This is far more likely when a Male Common Harpy has been sighted in the area. In these cases there is often competition. During these events, one may see many Common Harpies dressed in brilliant clothing.

Evolution

Common Harpies don't evolve that quickly, but some evolution that have been made typically involve improvements to courting and evasion of predators. The clothing that they wear during courting usually becomes more colourful and innovative as time passes. They typically use their fallen feathers and colour them. As a result of this homemade creativity, they come up with different unique designs every year. Harpies used to stay in the sky and hide among the clouds to avoid dragons, but they have taken to hiding well within trees. The green Common Harpies have had better luck with this habit, since their green feathers allowed for better hiding. Yellow Common Harpies have found out that hiding in yellow grass often found in open areas has been a better success. These habits may be observed more often if you're in a dragon territory.

Personality

Attitude

Common Harpies are often associated with happiness in lore. This is not too different from their culture, where they are often quite happy. Outside the comfort of their community, they are typically happy as well, although that is subject to their comfort level. A Common Harpy in a dragon's territory may be much more wary than one that is not. During mating season they tend to get rather focused on finding a partner. After laying their eggs, they often have motherly instincts, which is why on some occasions, they may adopt someone while they're out. This is more likely if they did not lay many eggs. During non-breeding seasons, they're typically happy while out and about. They have sympathy for good people who are under miserable conditions. If these conditions are causing them to suffer and move towards Death, they may decide to carry them away to the Cloud World, a pleasant sentence to the afterlife.

Common Harpies dislike Dread Harpies greatly, but since Dread Harpies are rare and nocturnal, there's rarely a conflict between the two races.

Reasoning

Common Harpies have enough reasoning to live their life. They operate on a more simplified logic. If a good person is suffering a lot, they carry them away. If someone is happy, leave them be. If someone's a threat, stay away. Where their reasoning may cloud is during breeding season. They tend to take males of any species, regardless of whether they have family of their own to attend to. Common Harpies can also adopt someone who is already part of another family. So by logic, this is kidnapping, but little can be done after the fact. This is why some species have taken a general dislike to the Common Harpy.

Social

Harpies are quite social to anyone within their community, including those they make have adopted or taken for a mate. They talk quite a lot while in their community, but are more quiet and spread out when outside their community. They are even more quiet and less social if they are in Dragon Territory. The roar of a dragon will also cause immediate silence, since by now, Harpies are trained to avoid dragons under any circumstance.

Language

Body language speaks volumes with Harpies, but they speak surprisingly clear English as well. They can speak to most bird species, but only understand one or two dialects. Harpies take a long time to learn a new language outside of what they know as adults. However, young Common Harpies learn languages impressively fast.

Intelligence

Harpies are great at assessing a situation before acting. This is why while they're quite common, they're not observed as often. If entering an area they don't know yet, usually they stay in a spot where they can't be seen and listen in. They are somewhat innovative as well, some of their larger communities, which are typically built in the sky or high in the mountains, have platforms embedded within the clouds for when they have other species over. Their shelters are old fashioned, usually made of sticks, fuzz, feathers and dried mud. Even though this appears to allow the cold to pierce easily, they're actually really good at insulating their homes. This demonstrates that they are capable of learning some engineering tactics.

Habitat

Range

Common Harpy in the Overworld can be found around the Southern Mountains, sometimes the Central Mountains as well, but since dragons are found here, the population in that area often changes. They can be found in foothills as well, but are uncommon there. Common Harpies are usually found in the clouds.

Climate

Common Harpies tolerate a good variety of terrain, but highly prefer places with tall cliffs and steep slopes. Some have taken a liking to forest environments as well. During breeding season, Harpies will come down from the mountain area and can be found singly high over fields. They don't tend to make themselves too obvious though.

Adaptability

Common Harpies are capable of building communities if enough of them take a liking to a certain area. Usually these communities are created within the clouds. Low level clouds are the preference of the Common Harpy, since higher clouds are in much colder and thinner atmospheres. There is a couple of communities that are found high in the mountains. These areas are near-impossible to access by foot, so it would be more practical for a Harpy to take you there instead.

Exploration

Harpies do a limited form of exploration, since they prefer the mountains and the clouds. Due to the threat from dragons, some have been forced to scout forests, which Harpies are gradually starting to like with time. If not limited by dragon territory, they would very likely spread to the Northern Mountains and even become successful up there, as Dragons stick to the Central and Inner mountain range.

Reproduction

Courting

A courting display from a Common Harpy is a spectacular thing to witness. Not only do they wear colourful and beautiful clothing, but they perform remarkable aerobatics. Courting occurs only when a female Harpy has identified a male Harpy, so it doesn't occur as often as one would think. What makes the displays even more amazing is when one Harpy starts courting, others know what this means and will join in as rivals. It is not recommended to watch courting to the end if you are a male though, as the Common Harpies that didn't win over the male will likely go after you next, and this likely means being swarmed, much more frightening than being snatched by a single Common Harpy.

Initiation

Common Harpies reproduce sexually with nearly any species and will repetitively attempt until they know they're carrying at least one egg.

Pregnacy/Eggs

It takes about two weeks for a Common Harpy to form and lay their eggs and one more week for the egg to hatch. It takes two to three days for a Common Harpy to realize they have an egg after successfully initiating formation of one. Common Harpies typically lay 2 to 5 eggs that have a slight blue tint to them, sometimes with white speckles. Common Harpies will seek adoption if they lay less than three eggs.

Nurture

Offspring will be fed, kept warm and safe for the first eight to ten months. Most Harpies breastfeed or catch prey for their children to eat. In more established communities, Harpies may even cook soft food for their children.

Training

After those eight to ten months, children will then be taught to hunt for food. They will also be introduced to the community. The early part of this can be a mixed bag, as sometimes the children will be bullied or pestered. However, once the children start to stand their ground or perform generous acts, word spreads and they are typically accepted into the community. It is rare for a child Common Harpy to be rejected from the community. Common Harpies mature at the age of five.