Culture
Birth
When a pregnant Avyloci goes into labor, it's custom for one elder and one healer (male or female) to attend along with the partner. The labouring parent will give birth in the main room of their home. The other members of the immediate family, usually including the mentors will stand guard outside the room, representing a time in which the family group would have to protect from Rasharrn.
It is customary for the partner to stand or kneel through the whole birth and will not eat or drink in that time as it is seen as some way to share in the partner's labours.
During this time, other members of the tribe would bring gifts and well wishes, then offer them to the family standing guard to then be passed on to the new parents after the birth.
Once the egg has been birthed with both the baby Avyloci and Symphylux inside, the elder will bless it and predict the future gender of the child. The couple will keep the egg with at least one parent at all times until it hatches and the one who birthed the child will not hunt during this time. Because Avyloci begin their life as an egg, then hatch into the baby. Hatching is an exciting event, however for the hatching, only the parents are to be present as well as the child's siblings and immediate family, if any. After the baby hatches, they will announce the newest tribe member and name at dinner before everyone eats.
Fledging
At around the age of ten, a the Symphylux will have developed to the extent to which the young Avyloci can now fly. There are two platforms on opposite sides of the training grounds (not high enough to get hurt should the Avyloci fall), when a young Avyloci proves they're worthy by flying from one platform to the next before an elder, they will go through their Fledging Ceremony.
The Ceremony happens at night before Joavos takes place. Gathered around the table, the Eldest will call upon the Ansestors and hero's of old to bare witness to the moment the young Avyloci flies for the first time. They will then call on a young Avyloci warrior and ask them if they wish to be mentor to the child. If the mentor approves, he or she will then approach the parents of the young Avyloci and request permission to Mentor the young one and give them space in their home.
Traditionally, the parents agree and the Elder will complete the ceremony. The new apprentice will then leave their family and be seated with their new Mentor. The tribe will then cheer four times and the ceremony is completed.
Joavos
(J-oh-vos) Joavos translates into 'To strengthen bond family shares, whether of blood or not'.
After dinner, the whole tribe will come together, sitting on either the floor, or the table. They will sit in a large spiral or circle and each Avyloci will groom the wings of the person directly in front of them while chatting and sharing the news of the day.
All Avyloci will do this except the youngest children who will often simply play around the adults instead or sleep in a parent's lap. This can last anywhere from an hour to three, depending on the day. It is traditional for everyone to change the order they sit in each night in order for the entire tribe to bond. For that reason, exclusion in the case of a visitor from another tribe isn't really seen as it's considered a great opportunity to share new information.
Keinvolias
(K-eye-en-vol-eye-us) The Keinvolias ceremony usually takes place at the age of around nineteen or twenty when the Mentor believes his or her apprentice is ready. This ceremony takes place in the morning by the rising of the sun, the whole tribe will gather and the elders will call upon both the mentor and apprentice to stand before the tribe.
The eldest will ask for the young apprentice's bow and tie around it a customary string of grasses and beads, the mentor will then add their own to the bow. The strings are custom made for each Avyloci and are said to have the blessings of the ancestors and great heroes. The young apprentice will then give to their mentor four of their feathers on a string which is then tied around their bow to symbolize the deep bond they now share. The Eldest will then pronounce the young Avyloci a warrior and the tribe will proceed to cheer four times.
Afterward, through the day, it is customary for each member of the tribe to approach the new warrior and congratulate them. It is also at this time that the young Avyloci will choose their own home, though some do choose to move back with their family or mentor.
Harnos
(Har-nos) There's no set age when which an Avyloci becomes an Elder but rather the current elders will decide when they believe it is best for an Avyloci to retire. Sometime the warrior does not feel ready to leave the hunts, however the elders will usually negotiate as to the right time.
When a warrior decides to become an elder. The Eldest will stand up before dinner and announce that one of them is ready to leave the life of a warrior and is ready to become an advisor and teacher. The old warrior will then stand and acknowledge all those who've fallen and then thank the ancestors and heroes that he or she lived long enough to become an elder. Then their old apprentices will stand and join the old warrior, each paying tribute to him or her. The tribe will then cheer four times and then the ceremony is over.
Bonding
When an Avyloci bond with another, they mate for life and it is rare for an Avyloci to join with another if their mate is killed. However, it has been known to happen and is usually frowned upon unless the elders give their blessing. Though it is incredibly rare for the elders to disapprove. When an Acyloci becomes interested in another, he or she will often puff up his or her chest and put on a bit of a strut when he or she thinks the other is watching. They'll also puff up their feathers a little in order to make themselves look more impressive. Other than that, the courtship is very similar to humans and the pair will often flirt and go out together.
Young love in both human culture and Avylocian culture has been often described as 'clumsy', however this is very literal for the Avyloci. A young couple while dating will often walk or sit with their tails intertwined. This will almost always throw off balance instantly and it isn't unusual to see a young couple sitting down and laughing having just fallen over.
Because of Avyloci having both male and female organs, they are able to reproduce both as a homosexual or heterosexual couple. This means that the culture has evolved to view both relationships as completely normal and thus there is no discrimination, there isn't even a word to distiguish between different combinations of genders. An Avyloci might have a preference for one gender or the other however as a general rule, all Avyloci can be considered bi-sexual as they are raised to view homosexuality as no different to heterosexuality.
Due to this, Avyloci have no terms or words to label different sexualities and instead simply express a preference one way or another.
Beliefs
The Avyloci don't have Gods in the traditional sense of the words, but they believe that the spirits can still hear and watch over them. They also believe that the ancestors can grant insights and abilities, though they usually are only said to do this for the elders. All the same, the Avyloci often make exclamations to the ancestors and request aid, sometimes the prayers are even answered though this is incredibly rare. It is believed that the ancestors, through the elders are the ones that makes the bows and arrows as effective as they are and each ceremony addresses them in some form or another. The Avyloci can also often be heard referring to the Old Heroes. They're simply Avyloci of the past who have performed a notably heroic or amazing deed. Because the Avyloci believe their dead still watch over them, many Avyloci will often pray to them for strength or advice specifically and their stories are often told to the young ones.
Death
When an Avyloci dies, the funeral will always take place after Joavos the same day. The whole tribe will attend and a large bonfire is built, the closest to the Avyloci will always take a feather from them to keep as a reminder that the dead still watch over them. The dead Avyloci will then be cremated with it's Symphylux attached. The healers and elders will often contribute a mix of herbs designed to combust when in an open flame. This often makes it appear as if there are pictures and figures in the fire, this is often thought to be memories of the departed Avyloci. The closest to the Avyloci will then sit vigil until morning, then take the ashes and scatter them over the forest.
Meals
The whole tribe will always sit together for every meal. Usually this is on the topmost platform of the towers out in the open. There is one large round table and the Avyloci will sit on either side. Food is prepared feast-like and everyone will choose what to eat. Sometimes if the tribe is too large, the children will be seated at a separate round table in the middle.
Before or after the meals isusually when ceremonies take place and they will usually do so in the center of the floor. Because of their fast metabolism, the Avyloci will usually snack through the day and the meal tables are always kept well stocked with food up until they begin preparing for the next meal. The main part of the Avyloci's diet is the plant life on their planet which is usually much higher in nutrients than plants on earth. However, their diet is quite often supplemented by meat whenever they can get it.
The Hunt
Every day, teams of Avyloci will go out on hunting missions in order to provide food for the tribe. The teams will usually work on rotation, going out for a hunt and returning with whatever they can find. Often these are teams of five to ten warriors, however many apprentices and usually one medic will be on hand.
Usually the teams will aim for stealth, trying to avoid alerting the Rasharrn as they hunt. The team will always stay within yelling distance of the others. If the Rasharrn are alerted, one of the team will let out a warning yell and everyone else will scatter and head for the canopy. If attacked, the entire team will converge to save each other.
If an Avyloci is to miss a hunt due to illness or whatever other reason, it is traditional for them to make up the extra 'shifts' when they are well again, though these can be done over time. Every Avyloci is expected to contribute as equal amount as possible and thus everyone is expected to help when they're able.