PHYSIOLOGY
Basic Physiology
The Avyloci for the most part, appear basically humanoid in structure. In the place of hair they have feathers, which they're able to raise around their heads like a ruff for expression and also hide their ears. The Avyloci's eyes are proportionally large and always fully black as their eyesight is their most predominantly used of all their senses.
Their sight is keen both in the day and at night and is compared more to the sight of a bird of prey than a human. The Avyloci have a large heart and their lungs are adapted for flight. Their bones are light, making them fast and agile, however, this also makes them vulnerable to tactics in which weight is used against them. They have a fast metabolism which enables them to minimize the amount of weight they must carry in flight. This means they need to eat often in order to keep up the amount of energy they need for their usual hunts.
Luckily, the threat of the Rasharrn has caused the Avyloci to evolve to be able to eat just about anything organic. The Avyloci have long since become resistant to most, if not all natural poisons on their home planet and can safely eat just about any animal or plant life without adverse effects. Avyloci have also developed an extra set of large muscles beneath their Pectorialis Majors in order to aid the Symphylux in supporting their weight. Just as humans do, they have five fingers on each hand, however, they only have four toes on each foot. Another difference from humans is that all Avyloci are hermaphrodites and posess both male and female sets of reproductive organs, however only one set will be 'dominant', influencing other physiological markers of gender (body-shape, voice etc).
The Avyloci have strong back muscles in order to handle the weight of the Symphylux. Their diet is mostly herbivorous however they are omnivores. Because of the high plant content in their diet and the nature of their lives, the Avyloci have developed enzymes and bacteria that aggressively break down plant matter and allows them to gain nutrients from it, so unlike humans, Avyloci can live off most plant matter.
Reproduction
Avyloci are all hermaphrodites and are born with the sexual reproductive organs typical of both males and females. While still in the egg, the there is no sexual dimorphism and each child is not distinguishable from the other. When born, each child is blessed by one of the Elders who will receive a sign from the Ancestors telling them which gender a child will grow to be.
Once hatched the genders continue to be completely the same however the tribe will use the pronouns appropriate to the child’s future gender. The genders don’t typically set in until puberty when the child begins to grow into the body shape of either male or female and they grow into one of the two main genders, however gender is more of a spectrum for Avyloci. After this process, an Avyloci still retains the reproductive organs of both a male and female, however the organs of the opposite gender will become ‘dormant’ unless speifically stimulated.
The male genetailia on a female will recede beneath an opening or slit (similarly to dolphins), and usually are not visible at all. It will only emerge if specifically simulated, which is usually done during intercourse to heighten sexual pleasure.
This means that same-sex couples among Avyloci can reproduce and have the same relationship as a heterosexual couple. In fact, the female doesn't nescissarily mean 'mother' and male 'father', sometimes in a male-female relationship, the male will be a mas in order to birth the child while the female will be a fem and sire it. Sometimes they will switch roles with children, it is all up to personal preference.
Mas' however, do not have breasts and do not produce milk as a Female would. Thus if two males or mas' were to have a child or if a mother was unable to produce milk, a healer would make up a special blend of herbs designed to give the child all the correct nutrients.
Avyloci have what is known as a ‘Three day Cycle’ and this takes place for three days every month in which both male and female Avyloci become fertile and this is signified by an increased sex-drive. During this time, should a couple choose to conceive a child, they will have intercourse over this three day period. Outside of this time, Avyloci are not fertile and cannot conceive children.
The Avyloci menstrual cycle takes place internally where the lining of the uterus is re-absorbed into the body and not excreted as waste. This biological function evolved to prevent Avyloci from being scented by Rasharrn before the towers came to be.
Genders
The Avyloci only become sexually dimporphic when they reach puberty, before this, there are no genders. However once an Avyloci hits puberty, their body will begin to change into one two possible genders. Each gender can use both sets of organs if needed, however only one set remains dominant. These genders then become more of a spectrum; those on the 'male' side can either be more 'male' or more 'mas', and those on the 'female' side can be more 'female' or more 'fem'.
In some very rare cases, an Avyloci may be born with the organs of only a single gender, however this does not affect their relationships o status except that their partner will become a mas or a fem to take on the opposite role in the reproduction process.
Because this is a spectrum, none of these things are 'set' and an Avloci are simply more of one role or another and can even fluctuate on their own sides of the spectrum depending on circumstance.
Male
This gender is characterised by the typical male body-type of broard shoulders, small hips and a lack of breasts while also having dominant male organs, meaning the penis is external and remains so. Those closer to the 'male' end of the spectrum often have higher levels of testosterone and will sire the child though they can 'become' a mas in order to birth the child before reverting back to 'male'.
Mas
This gender is characterised by the male bodyshape of broad shoulders, small hips and a lack of breasts, however this gender tends to take on a more 'female' role in the reproduction with a higher estrogen level than those closer to the male side of the spectrum (yet still more than Fems). They tend to be more 'feminine' in character. An Avyloci will also 'become a mas' if they choose to birth the offspring in a relationship.
Fem
This gender is characterised by the female body-shape with smaller shoulders, wide hips and breasts while taking on a more 'male' role in a relationship and in reproduction. Fem's have a higher level of testosterone and a female Avyloci will 'become' a Fem when she sires a child (though she can later fluctuate back to the more 'female' side of the spectrum). A female who is closer to the Fem side of the spectrum will often be more 'masculine' in character.
Female
This gender is characterised by the female body-shape with smaller shoulders, wide hips and breasts while having the dominant reproductive organs of a female. They have a slit similar to a dolphin behind which is the male genetailia which only emerge when specifically stimulated to do so. Females are the most 'feminine' in character and will take on the role of birthing the child.
Life Cycle
All Avyloci and their symphylux will begin their life as an egg after a gestation period of four months. These eggs are usually a quite small so that a mas can birth them with their smaller hips, though the egg itself will grow over the next six months similarly like the way a numan nail would grow yet remain hard. The egg is carried by one of the two parents constantly until it hatches.
If one of the parents is a female or even a fem (who will fluctuate to female), they will breastfeed the baby, however if both of the parents are either male or mas, they will use a special blend of herbs which one of the parents will chew then feed to the baby. The baby Avyloci is born with fluffy down in the place of feathers on both their wings and head until the child is around three years old. The child's Symphylux is immediately under the child's control, however, just like human babies don't quite have control of their motor functions, this is true also for the Avyloci children.
Avylocian children often pick up words rather easily though for the first year of their life they'll simply mimic sounds they hear with no attempt at the actual speech. From birth to around the time an Avyloci child actually begins to speak, they're all able to mimic any sound they hear with absolute precision (A defense mechanism to protect them from potential predators), however, as the babies grow and at about the time they learn to speak, they will lose this ability (however a rare few have been known to keep this skill).
At the age of three, most Avyloci children can understand the basics of most dialects. At the age of thirteen, the child's wings are usually developed enough for flight and it is at this age that the children are usually apprenticed.
The children are usually fully grown by the time they're nineteen or twenty and this is also when they become fully fledged warriors.
Avyloci usually live to around 150 however, they lose their ability to fly at around 90-100 years old. Because the Rasharrn rely only on their sense of smell and hearing, the Avyloci have been free to evolve as colourfully as they wish. They come in as many colours as one can imagine and often have any variations of markings. In saying this, however, most Avyloci will have a dull or faded base skin colour and more commonly it will be grey. Despite this, more and more Avyloci are being born with brighter base colours, as bright colours are considerd very attractive in their society.
Expression & Body Language
The most noticeable use of expression is through the Avyloci's feathers on their head. When irritated the feathers will often bristle and when angered or agitated, the feathers will rise to form a ruff around the Avyloci's face. In addition, the Avyloci's tail will often flick in a similar manner to a cat's when agitated. In order to impress someone of the others, an Avyloci will puff out their chest and perform a 'strut' of sorts.
Closing the eyes is a sign of respect for another (this comes from the fact that the Avyloci's eyes are it's strongest sense and to cut that sense off means that you trust whomever is near you to watch out for you.) and is often used in greetings, the longer the eyes are closed, the more respect there is for the other (though to hold this too long is considered mocking).
The Avyloci also twine their tail with another, the extent of this depends on the closeness. Fully intertwining the tail with another is only done between lovers/mates or parents and their children, then it goes down from there, the less the tail is twined, the less close the two are. The proper greeting (along with the closing of eyes) is to twine the tip of the tail with the other. This has also derived from an expression of trust, an Avyloci's tail is used for balance and to twine the tail with another is to show trust in the other in that you can still stand and walk properly together.
Symphylux
The organisms (Symphylux) connect through the nervous system, there's a stalk of sorts that lies along the neck of the Avyloci, from the base of the skull to where the stalk connects with the main body of the Symphylux. Along the stalk there are dozens of tiny hooks, as small as hypodermic needles that insert into the skin of the Avyloci.
The hooks at the top of the stalk absorb energy produced from thoughts, it baffles scientists as to how this is even possible, but somehow the Symphylux seem to live and thrive of pure thought whether conscious or subconscious. The hooks down the side of the stalk send out and receive electrical impulses in order to perfectly sync the Avyloci with the various appendages on the Symphylux.
Because the Symphylux absorbs pure energy there is no waste in that aspect. Any biological waste is broken down within the organism itself. It is thought that during the early stages of the Symphylux's evolution, that they were fully functional parasites. The legs were used for walking around, the body was bigger and the wings, tail and tail feathers were smaller. They attached themselves to any living thing they could find (Except the Rasharrn whom consider them prey) and fed of the mental energy until the animal died.
Then the Symphylux attached itself to an Avyloci (Whom are the only species with self-awareness besides the Rasharrn) and found the energy produced by thoughts. The Avyloci also discovered that while connected to these organisms, they were able to make use of the Symphylux's features.
The Symphylux used to have base animal instincts, things like breeding and getting food were the only impulses they had. Now that they have a permanent relationship with the Avyloci, they've lost most of these impulses and when detatched, have no conscious thoughts for themselves. All external senses (except for touch) have de-evolved to naught as they're no longer needed. All physical feeling is re-routed to the Avyloci who are able to experience pain, pleasure etc through the Symphylux.
Because each Avyloci's thought energy is unique to the individual, the Symphylux are unable to switch hosts (It is considered a great taboo to take the Symphylux of another). However, in the process of bonding with a mate, the pair will wear the other's symphylux for a short amount of time, however the symphylux cannot feed of the partner's energy and thus can only be used for a limited time. The exchanging of the symphylux forms a mental-bond between the two mates and they will be connected in mind, able to feel the emotions of the other which can become more sensitive over time.
If it's host should die, the Symphylux will perish as well (though the Avyloci will live on if it's Symphylux is killed). Luckily the Symphylux have an incredibly fast regeneration rate and it is incredibly rare for a Symphylux to die unless it's host does also. Often, this fast regeneration also extends to the Avyloci however the Symphylux must be connected for this to work and in order for the Symphylux to regenerate at maximum speed, it must have constant access to it's hosts energy, if disconnected when injured, the rate of healing will slow.
Mimic
When each Avyloci is born, the posses the ability to mimic almost any sound they are able to hear or come up with. However, this ability only lasts approximately until the child learns to speak, after which the ability will wear off and the child is left with a standard vocal range. This was thought to once be a defense mechanism in order to scare off predators should the child feel threatened (Thus tantrums in young children are often frightening to listen to).
Because of this, there have been occasions in which warriors have taken young children out on hunts as a decoy while the group forages for food. This method was abandoned, however, after three children were killed while being decoys (The warriors cannot keep the children in the air as the hearing sensitivity of the Rasharrn enables them to tell if the call comes from below the tree canopy.)
In rare cases, children have been known to retain the mimic ability beyond childhood and keep the ability to mimic for the rest of their lives. However this is only in very rare cases and adult Avyloci with this ability have only been recorded once or twice every generation among the whole species at most. Adults with the ability to mimic are highly valued and often encouraged to travel among the tribes and help out each of them using their ability. This seems to be a spontaneous mutation as there are no indications of how this trait is passed on through bloodlines or even through tribes.
Healers Tongue
Gustatory Receptor Cells - Stimulated by the chemical makeup of solutions.
A healer possesses extra receptor cells that allow them to detect the potency and effects of plants. Like the ability to mimic, all Avyloci are born with this ability however it fades over time due to lack of use. When a young Avyloci gets chosen to be an apprentice of the healers, their new mentors teach them to use this ability, thus they do not lose it. This ability is nurtured and they are taught what tastes mean what effect and plant as well as how strong it is.
As a result of tasting the plants, Healers build up an immunity to small doses of all plants that possess unsavory effects. A trained healer needs only a small taste of a substance in order to detect the potency and effect of the plant. These specific receptors are usually located on the top of the tongue.