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The secluded affairs of the Gods of Khama are an ancient topic of discussion and investigation for many, with scholars and priests still contemplating the many stories and parables that these gods have to tell in their lessons. One of these most obscure Gods is Mauthek, the Tranquil God of Death, who is seen as the benefactor and creator of the Aphed. Deeply tied to the Khama afterlife, as well as the affairs of Mauthek, the Aphed are seen as his eyes and ears far away from Du’en, observing for him the scenes of great death and dismay in the world, and taking flight at night in spectral magnificence, to relay to him the souls that shall be soon arriving for judgment. Well-storied are the beliefs surrounding the Aphed, but all are aware of the ominous majesty of this ghostly bird.
| Aphed | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Fauna | |
| Official Name | Aphed |
| Common Nicknames | Ghost-Bird, Death-Song |
| Classification | Bird |
| Habitat | Westwynd |
| Domesticated | No |
| Current Status | Common |
History
The exact history of the Aphed is unclear, wrapped in Asha mythology and folktales, but enough can be sorted from these more fantastical elements to find the truth. It is said that the bird emerged after the first sunrise over Du’en, where a great gilded Aphed, known as Sufiq, spread its wings and became the embodiment of the sun over the endless desert, and the lesser Aphed were commanded into the realm of the living to execute the bidding of Mauthek, Khama God of the Dead. To many Kemet Asha, namely those belonging to the far gone Death-Cults, the Aphed is a symbol to rally around, to carry the symbol of the Aphed is to become a bringer of death, a war cry against a world that they revile. To others, the Aphed is an honorable symbol of rightful death, often depicted observing scenes of great death in illustration and mentioned in literature, to many Hedjet and even Deshret, this Kemet use of the Aphed’s appearance is regarded as insulting yet fearsome. It is even said some Asha deities wore outfits and imagery of the birds, but this remains unconfirmed. It is certain though that the leaders of the Dewamenet Empire did so, as surviving artwork shows great leaders dressed in plumage with the Aphed soaring above them.
Due to its appearances in the skies during times of travesty, even the ancient Allorn Empire knew well of the Aphed, though regarded it as a lost messenger of their own Estelley religion due to the seemingly arcane nature of the trail left in the bird’s flight path. However, due to this attachment they held for the Aphed, and their spite at the Dewamenet, they would often follow those spectral magical trails to slay the birds in their sanctuaries in vast numbers. By the end of the great war between Elves and Asha, the Aphed populations had been rendered almost extinct due to this overhunting, as well as the reliance of the Aphed sanctuaries on the nearby Living Metal implements and devices whose steam-power exertions provided the perfect humid breeding environment for the Aphed. For many more millennia, that remained the case, until the fall of the Allorn Empire to the Cataclysm and Wildering. The Great Journey brought the Asha to the east of the continents and to the Ashal Islands, where they reactivated long dormant Living Metal infrastructure. As time passed, among the creations restored were the Aphed Sanctuaries, and within a mere decade, flocks of these birds roamed the skies of the Asha’s new homeland. They have remained populous in the Ashal Islands to this day, and have regained their ties to being Mauthek’s observant dignitaries in the land of the living, as well as their reputation for the mystical trails they leave across the night skies.
Physical Appearance
The Aphed is a large species of stork, standing at five feet tall, with a wingspan of up to twelve feet, and a weight of around twenty pounds. Their head is small and round, with a large beige beak speckled with white, two large eyes colored various shades of green, and a mostly bare head and neck clear of feathers, exposing pale red skin. There is a small crest along the top of their head, however, and a thin line down their long neck to the rest of their body. Their neck also features a pale red gular sac, which while bulbous, is not excessively prominent. The point below the connection to the neck has the bird's two vast wings folded close to their sides leading back to a soft point of a tail, with the bird standing on two tall dark gray legs speckled with white spots like their beaks. The bird’s body is covered in feathers, save the majority of their heads. The feathers are a gleaming black-green, the same hue as the bird’s wings and back, while its underside and chest are a prominent white. Their torso and the tips of their wings also slightly sparkle in normal sunlight, seemingly flecked with silver spots. What makes them stand out from other stork species, is the strange illusion they cast while in flight at night. A pale, Ordial-green glow sweeps from the tips of their wings and along their chest, giving the appearance of a spectral, translucent form. Some have even noted the appearance of what seem to be internal organs in the chest area. The most easily seen effect though is the green trails the animal leaves in its wake as it flies.
===Diversity===
The Aphed have only one trait of sexual dimorphism, but even then it is a small feature difficult to make out for those not familiar with the birds. The slight patch of feathers on top of their heads is different based on gender, with females having feathers that curl downward while males have feathers that curl upward. As a result, the small amount of feathers the species has is most prominent in males. Additionally, the Aphed gender population is equal, likely a result of the mechanisms of the Aphed Sanctuaries.
Lifespan and Development
The Aphed’s life cycle is difficult to determine, given the nature of their deep connection with Living Metal machinery. The Aphed themselves are also nearly sacred, and rather aggressively protective of the nesting area within the Sanctuary, so in-depth investigations as to their mating, and incubation practices, are limited. Despite this, it is known that the Aphed lay eggs, their size is unclear but it is believed their shells are pale green. These eggs are incubated partly by the Aphed themselves, but when night comes, all members of the flock leave the Sanctuary building, allowing Living Metal devices to take over. It is thought these devices then sort through the eggs, ensure their health, and keep them warm. Aphed chicks are taken care of in a similar way, who appear to be featherless for several weeks, and also blind. After this period passes, the chicks become juveniles, gaining their sight, and their first coat of feathers. While they are still so little, they only leave the Sanctuary with their mother, and return to it with her, keeping incredibly close like ducklings to a mother. There are never more than three juveniles attached to any female. They slowly mature for years, a unique time for birds, until by the age of three, they break away from their mother to live on their own in the flock. They are considered full adults by the age of four, their period of young adulthood exceptionally short. They live for up to forty years, but some have noted the difficulty in keeping track of this because of the bird’s prolific numbers in their Sanctuaries, as well as them returning to, and standing in the Sanctuary buildings, to die.
Mental Overview
The Aphed are still in their majority a wild and undomesticated species, though they share a kind of peaceful symbiosis with the Asha, whom they need to tend to their Sanctuaries. They are ill-tempered and easy to offend, often flapping their wings and making a display of their great size at any who approaches them that they deem unbecoming or a threat. However, it can be noted that the Aphed are largely all bark, and no bite, as attacks from Aphed are rare, only in the case that their eggs or nesting grounds are truly invaded do they attempt to attack a would-be threat, instead tending toward retreat. It is well believed that the Aphed do not like being grounded, but need to do so to maintain their magical allure at night time, requiring lots of rest before a night spent soaring through the air - a time during which they are regarded as graceful, beautiful birds. Aphids tend to avoid metropolitan and populated areas, as, whilst they are harmonious with the Asha that tend to their Sanctuaries, they are still highly territorial birds that respect the territories of the civilian Asha, but it is not unheard of for a juvenile Aphed to rest in its flight path by landing on a rooftop or garden pool.
Territory and Groupings
Integral to the wellbeing of the Aphed flocks are structures known as Aphed Sanctuaries, areas in which a well-maintained humidity is provided by the steam let off by reconstructed Living Metal devices, that need to be regularly maintained by the Asha who live in the nearby settlements. There is a sense of symbiosis between these maintenance Asha and the Aphed, though both tend to maintain a respectable distance from each other due to the territorial nature of the Aphed. The Aphed emerge at dusk each night to take to the skies in a great and beautifully organized display, with the streams of light that follow their wings forming great spirals in the air as they ascend. It is observed that many adult Aphed will spend the entire night in the air, with their wings well-designed to glide to maintain energy, whilst juvenile Aphed require a brief landing once every four hours or so, often briefly nesting in trees and cliffsides where they feel safest, though they markedly abhor the ocean, and avoid oceanic flight paths at all costs. Aphed Sanctuaries are not large structures by any stretch but are spacious enough to house comfortably around sixty or seventy Aphed, referred to as a colony.
Trivia
- Some believe the Aphed is one of the most advanced forms of Genos manipulation in Aloria. Maquixtl observers ejected from the Asha’s Fair-Port in 310 AC referenced something roughly called “perfect duplication” in their tongue before returning to Mandu.
- When Living Metal repairs are required of an Aphed Sanctuary, this work is commonly done at night while the birds have left the site, but it can also be done during the daytime through maintenance shafts that run under the earth.
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