Worldbuilding | Avian-human Biology pt 2: Qyaalyon have a weird relationship with their wings

[@kateg9437]

Fringe being impractical for flying is the exact reason why it could be popular. Male birds being bright colours is, simply speaking, a disadvantage. It attracts predators, but because a male has survived DESPITE that, it is attractive. Same goes for fringes, if a person can migrate/hunt well with tassels, then that's basically a way of showing off.

[@andersonbeck6805]

this is what I thought when I heard it, "oh that is so impractical" " yeah that is the point, I am jut that good that I can afford to be impractical" also thing go brrrrrrrr in the wind :)

[@vanivanov9571]

I'd be interested in the counter-culture, in reaction to glamour going too far. Would bad-boys be seen as anti-social members of the tribe who wear dark, simple clothes instead of tassels? It'd be amusing if this lead to some tribes being completely muted in colour and who didn't wear tassels, similar to how some species of birds (like quail) don't have significantly more colourful males.

[@niklasmolen4753]

It would be reasonable to assume that they have different sets of clothes. For hunting, migration and war, they have very simple practical clothes. While everyday they have more elaborate clothes. But at parties, ceremonies and courtship, they become very spectacular. The clothes can also be built in modules so that fringes and other decorative things can be built on the foundation when needed.

[@thiagom8478]

Yes, but in this instance isn't "attract predators" a good trait in males? Considering the important is "good for the blood lineage" not "good for the individual" I mean. There is no absolute in those things, I can see that, but up to some limit attract predators and risk to be killed by them may not be too bad, if that gives your wife the time she needs to escape with the children. Everybody has to die, eventually. Not outlive your children may count as a extremely desirable thing for some people (I have heard). Unless you have vampires in your world. Them, perhaps they can keep going for ever, ageless and predatorial. "Vampire Qyaalyon", is that a thing?

[@brandonmack111]

I was going to say this. Often animals, especially birds, have very disadvantageous attributes, whose only purpose seems to be showing they can thrive despite it, and thus are good mates. Wearing fringe despite the obvious disadvantage seems to follow very well along these same lines.

[@kkat_]

The old story of the separated wing colors as punishment is.. so perfect, you have to keep it!!

[@clintcarpentier2424]

"Sir, the qyaalyon are migrating." "Oh, how can you tell?" "There's no fringe among the flock. They're going a long way today."

[@Amy_the_Lizard]

I could see lack of fringe also being popular in the event that they're at war or expecting trouble for whatever reason (such as having to travel through an area that they know is dangerous.)

[@Ratchet4647]

@@Amy_the_Lizard Then again, historically some wore very flamboyant and impractical armors. Like enameled metal, or helmets made in the shape of swans and other creatures. Take this to mean that not everyone would be so practical with their garments in war and for some that will be deadly.

[@Ratchet4647]

Love this!

[@worldforger0]

The sheer amount of detail and thought put into avian wings and biology is SO impressive.

[@gshaindrich]

Whats "SO impressive" about having absolutely NO concept of how vertebrates fly? -> whats the point of having a sternum keel when NO flight muscles attach to it? The legs are far to muscular therefore to heavy for any flying organism. not only additional weight but it also throws off the centre of mass. The wings are also far to small to keep an organism of that size/weight aloft without beating at a not achievable pace per second... NO thought put into actual flight biology an biomechanics... far easier to do "genetics" and races

[@bobrob457]

Speaking of details. Okay hear me out in the future of this world which I've been thinking about a lot; I have been thinking of integration War so on so forth. And more like in a world war one kind of style then I realized if the quillian got in a fight, could they just drop big rocks on their enemies while flying making them go splat.

[@Mr.Murasakino]

@@gshaindrich she said herself her goal isn't to make everything completely realistic. It's her world-building and she mentioned she wanted to add magic into the wings. So that's why she didn't make the wings any bigger. Secondly, she said they would have more narrow bones to make them more weightless. And lastly, she literally said their hearts are going to beat pretty damn fast. If you had paid attention to the video your whole comment wouldn't need to be here. If you have a problem with her world-building go and make a “better” one.

[@gshaindrich]

@@Mr.Murasakino maybe you should try to read up what words like "biology" mean... because just sticking wings on the back of a human is NEITHER biology nor is it creative. If this is just a thought experiment in a "magical" world, then sticking wings on a human is extremely boring and lazy from a creature/world building perspective as well... there are so so many errors, stupid clothes that also could never fit these people, restricting movement (one would need to fly), holes to small, stupidly elaborate and heavy for a flying creatures etc... "completely realistic" ? there is nothing realistic, "magic" a lazy dumb excuse to ignore, physics and biology (heres that word again) ... "magic" a lazy explanation to feed small minds

[@Mr.Murasakino]

@@gshaindrich and so what? I said it before and I will say it again if you have a problem what with it go do it your damn self. Nobody is forcing you to watch. 😂And on her last video if you actually watched that as well you would know she made explanations for the clothes as well. The amount of sheer thought she put into this world is amazing. And one of the best cases a of creative I have seen.

[@triccele]

This is a weird comparison, but your Avians got me thinking about octopuses. Octopuses have a centralized brain but also a pseudo brain on each one of their arms, which welps them to solve puzzles (it doesn't ad much to the discusion, it was just a weird idea). I love the idea that the Avians know their wings can take action by themselves, and maybe they have learned to trust their wings, maybe it would even be the origin of some sayings; instead of a "gut feeling", they have a "wing feeling" about stuff.

[@emilysynerellaeliza4382]

Qyallyons bonding over wing management, letting someone outside of their flock or species brush their wings or just showing someone trust or love! A couple sitting in their home and cleaning the others' wing away from the eyes of others and being intimate... So cute! Thank you for sharing!

[@nicelliott1175]

Old couples who can no longer fly preening one another while they sing story songs, boast about their youthful endeavours, and mutter about "kids these days with their atlatls and beads... when I was their age we just stuck to bows and fringing, like sensible folk." Maybe sometimes the ones who can't fly much anymore take care of the fledglings and children when the stronger flyers are away for a few days. Then, when the hunters, etc. return and some young buck is boasting about how well he did on the hunt, his younger brother or sister will chime in with "Grandpa says that atlatls are stupid, and he did all of his hunting, even the moose, with his bow and his brain. When I'm older I'm going to do all of my hunting with a bow like Grandpa!" "What do you know, you can't even fly all day yet?" "More than you, featherhead!" (Angry shrieking and squawking ensue, and their mum decides to leave her mate to handle this while she goes and has a word or ten with her dad).

[@abdqs853]

You know I have a race in my world which has horns but it kind of led to consider something very interesting: How do they sleep? as in how do they lay down and sleep in normal human beds?because sleeping like human when you have horns might not be so easy, that led me to consider sleeping posture and bed design. For your race I think this might be a good question to ask do they have some sort of special sleeping posture or do they sleep in like birds in nests. I know this a bit insignificant but I think it might add into the world building. This is even going to go into how they reproduce as in mating rituals.

[@bleddynwolf8463]

they could sleep on your front, like i do, and not harm their wings, though i imagine they would not be fitful sleepers as twisting a wing in the night sounds horrible

[@nicoruppert4207]

Maybe they could just use their wings as blankets and wrap themselves in them. That's very useful when you're nomadic like the Qyaalyans.

[@bleddynwolf8463]

@@nicoruppert4207 depends on climate, they might no need them

[@livsterlove5681]

Extra big sleeping area to accommodate wings?

[@livsterlove5681]

I’m also wondering if children sleep with parents like birds

[@vanivanov9571]

Preening rituals: Depends how communal the people are. If they're a close-knit tribe, then generally children are reared by the whole group, so it's likely the grannies and pappies are going to be preening the kids and teaching them how to do it. In general, no one inside the tribe is likely to be regarded as a stranger. There could be taboos or it's just seen as odd for certain members of the tribe preening the kids, of course. Groups like the Greeks were open-minded about that sort of revulsion, but the Qyaalyon would no doubt be more moral in that regard.

[@abigaellef.7180]

I love the idea of the headresses because it can symbolize the hunting abilities but also flying and adapting abilities : someone who gets a lot of exotic elements can show that they know a lot of different enviromnents, so they are experienced with climate and be good mates. It can be the same for how often you see an element : the more you fetch for examples colorful scales, the more you show you are specialized in fishing and especially exotic ones. However adding some feathers would be seem as lazy,using birds' wings would be seen as disrespectful and using others' would be a sign of a seducer, so someone not that faithful. Another idea from the meat diet : since they think that having wings would be having a soul, they don't eat bird creature( no chicken, duck, turkey etc.) however they would go for bigger animals. And last a little headcanon : The term Songbird can be used in as a smooth talker, or can be a title for well known singers/poets. Just love how creative this is all getting with the community !

[@christopher_graffam]

5:50 - 6:40 Now I’m imagining a missing or orphaned Qyaalyon, found and adopted by a family belonging to one of the wingless species. After growing up they, while still unquestionably loving their adopted family, set out to learn more about, and hopefully meet, the people they came from. After consulting what few records on migration patterns they can find, and hiring a scholar capable of translating to join them, they finally meet up with a flock of Qyaalyon. However, after an initial period of interest following an explanation of who they are and why they journeyed to see the flock, said flock shows an increasing dislike of the newcomer. The newcomer tries to ignore the skeptical glances, the nervous body language of their conversation partners, and the hushed gossip surrounding them, but each negative reaction merely serves to whittle away their enthusiasm. Having grown up in a society that heavily stigmatizes strong body odor, they thought nothing of using masking perfumes or powerful deodorant, consequently appearing emotionless to the flock. Even after some of more understanding flock members explain the situation, causing the newcomer to stop masking their scent, it doesn’t matter. A lifetime of ignorance has resulted in the newcomer now having to constantly, actively focus on their fellow Qyaalyon’s scents, and having to consciously remember what scent means what. In the end, it proves too much, and the newcomer leaves, returning to their true family.

[@Ratchet4647]

Cool idea with a nice story to it! 👍

[@Amy_the_Lizard]

Oh - small thing about air sacks that's not super well known, but was covered in my classes since I'm a pre-vet student. They make birds WAY more sensitive to inhaled toxins than vertebrates with standard lungs because it allows them to process gases in a faster rate. That's why if you look carefully at the instruction manuals of ovens that have a 'self cleaning' setting (or something along those lines) they usually say not to do it if there's a pet birds in the house. This is because the high temperature causes small amounts of teflan and other coatings used in a lot of cooking ware to become aersolized, which isn't good for anyone to inhale, but is extremely lethal for birds, while most other animals would just get mildly sick or be totally fine. This is also why unfortunate canaries were used to detect poisonous gases in mines a long time ago - since they were more sensitive to the gases than humans, if the bird started getting sick or died there would probably still be time to get the human miners out before the gases started to effect them. (In theory anyway, ye olde mines weren't exactly known for their great worker safety, so I imagine that some supervisors probably just ignored the dead bird, or didn't bother to bring one in the first place...) This is a vulnerability that could be exploited by the Qyaalon's enemies in combat, or even by bandits or something as it would inable them to knock a group unconcious (or dead if they're really malicious bandits) with a gas bomb or something while they stole anything vaguely valuable the tribe might have. It would also probably make the Qyaalons less interested in certain unhealthy habits such as smoking (if tabbaco or something similar even exists on this planet) as it would probably cause noticably unpleasent effects a lot sooner than with humans.

[@Ratchet4647]

Very cool! Thanks for sharing that!

[@mx.noname4710]

Ohh that makes so much sense! By the way, I read somewhere that they saved the coal-mine canaries -- like when the bird would stop singing they would give it oxygen so it would survive. I have no idea how prevalent this practice was, but it makes me feel better to think that it happened.

[@kneptoon03]

About the split color wings, there’s a thing called gynandromorphism, which is completely different from heterochromia or poliosis. Coincidentally, it’s more common in bird species than other species (though still rare). It’s also common in bugs but that’s besides the point. Basically it happens when one side of the body has male tissue and the other side has female tissue, causing a split in pattern. I guess it would only work for bird species who have different patterns for males and females, but still an idea!! Gynandromorphism can be a symmetrical split or can be distributed unevenly. I definitely think you should look into it more :)

[@silverish9081]

Could also be incorporated in an interesting way into the culture. There have been several different myths around the world about spirits/gods that combine female and male features, and some species of avians can have similar mythological characters as well. If in such society a gynandomorph person is born they might be considered divine and blessed by the gods. However, if this person encounters a different flock that instead believes more in the split wing traitor myth they might be ostracised and treated badly.

[@dilo19000]

This is definitely something that should be considered if the sex determination is like birds for the Qyallyons, where it's a lot more heavily based in genetics for birds and bugs than it is with mammals, where hormones tend to be the bulk of determination, hence why split gynandromorphy doesn't occur in mammals, usually those that are split are chimeras (the fusing of two or more individuals during gestation).

[@sifilore]

They can smell emotions by the natural odor, sounds like empathy in a physical non-psychic manner. All that singing they do, bet ya with magic the can go all siren singing for both males and females performers (enchanting anyone regardless of gender or sexuality). Throw in synesthesia too, crossing senses together so the can c odors and sound waves as colors. In rl, very few deaf people have it for sounds, plus it can help the Qyaalyon with being talented musicians.

[@moo4boy]

I like this, maybe well-trained singers or performers can control their musk to some extent to add another channel of information sort of like body language

[@RunningOnAutopilot]

Atlatl gives impression of being new but was first non rock ranged weapon existed before arrowheads and fletching just a sharp stick and a throwing stick

[@ViridianForests]

It could be interesting if the bows and arrows were the new ones. The newer generation could be going for them to show off just how good they are, kind of like the tassels being in the way while flying, so would pulling a bow. It could be a new fashion to attract mates, with dyed and ornamental bows for an extra interesting look. Since atlatls handle/launcher don't seem to be very large. Either way, there would definitively be jokes comparing the size of bow and handles or arrows and spears and how that could pertain to the user's personality.

[@soricinepk713]

I love this world so much already. You're an amazing worldbuilder, it's great inspiration for my own world building.

[@karins8119]

Your short story reminds me of an idea I had lately. You could write a book of short stories that can be mentioned as canonical in the main books (a bit like the tales of Beetle the Bard).

[@mariahpattieworldbuilding4062]

already in the works 😉

[@KodaCreates]

@@mariahpattieworldbuilding4062 great minds think alike then

[@desolation2438]

@@mariahpattieworldbuilding4062 You know, when I think about humans existing in a world with fantasy races like the qyaalon, I find myself wondering about the humans of such a world. Like what sort of biological quirks do the humans of such a world have? Are they stronger or weaker than us? Are they faster or slower? Maybe even smarter? These details about humans in a fantasy world such as this tend to be glossed over or hand waved away, similar to how we don't know about the gravity of the world or atmospheric composition. The humans in any other world such as this have to have biological differences from normal people just to compete. Or simply have a culture that prizes efficiency, pragmatism, and utilitarianism.

[@Ratchet4647]

Or like Florian and Jonquil in ASOIAF!!! It also references histories by Maesters and Septons, and legends like The Rat Cook, songs sung by bards like the Reynes of Castamere and The Bear and The Maiden Fair! Many examples of things you can write for your worlds that aren't the main story you intend to write in it that can then be referenced in that story.

[@NoiseDay]

"An extremely uncreative adult and probably not someone I should feel threatened by." Wow, I never thought of it that way. A good defense, in my opinion

[@aeholmstrom]

The chimera genetic condition could create a child with two different colored wings, and split skin tones, like it does in real life! chimeraisum can occur in both humans and birds (as well as a lot of other species) so I don’t see why it couldn’t happen with the qyaalyon! (Unless the magic prevents it from happening somehow) It could result in an interesting story, where a child was born with its wings different colors, resulting in them being abandoned. Maybe that child survives against all odds, and lives on their own, without a flock, distrustful of other people. And the flocks that see them flying around think it’s the split wing mythological figure. Or maybe the child is kept, and they need to constantly dye one of their wings, to make them look the same color, lest they be discovered and thrown out. Also, if the myth about the evil spirit with split wings was based on something that actually happened, this figure might be an indeterminate gender, as some people who are chimeras, especially ones with such a clear split, are born intersex. Vitiligo is another condition that can result in splotchy pigment, but it results in parts of the body loosing pigment. Maybe this culture sees it as a sign that the betrayal spirit is possessing you or something. I also have chickens, and sometimes one of them will randomly grow a white (or partially white) feather when they are an otherwise plain color. This happens when the growing feather doesn’t fill in the pigment correctly, sometimes due to damage to the follicle, or a random error. Maybe you could do something with this? Like randomly growing a white feather is a bad sign or something. Or maybe it’s a good sign, and these feathers are seen as special or lucky. Maybe the part of the wing it grows on is significant, like if it grows on the underside of your wing, close to your body, it’s a sign that someone very close to you is up to no good. Or if it’s in a hard to reach or see aria, it’s a sign you will be betrayed by someone unexpected.

[@Tundrea3]

I have an idea you know how we have palm reading right what if the avians had wing reading, some avian’s heavily believe what their wing readings are, some think its all a lie and some thinks its fun to have their wings read but don’t base their whole lives around it. This is just a suggestion and you don’t have to use it if you don’t want to

[@leonardoantonio216]

I thought of that too, since underside of wings is considered more intimate and main feathers are more public, one common reading would be comparing the color of these feathers and how they match up. Say for example a Qyaan with brown main feathers and white underside (supposing Qyaan use color symbolism similar to humans) it would mean that Qyaan may appear more practical and serious to the public, but on intimate relations he's just a sweetheart

[@clintcarpentier2424]

I can see breeds reacting differently to this. Can you picture the look a raptor would give when offered a wing reading?

[@georgethompson1460]

divination by thunder?

[@talithacrow7530]

The way youve described sharing feathers and the way they believe in their soul living in their wings reminds me a lot of people who believe their soul lives in their hair. That's why there are so many rituals connected to burning your fallen hair, and why locs became popular with so many people, it keeps the hair from falling so you don't have to worry about it being used against you, perhaps the Qualions believe if their feathers fall into the wrong hands that person could hold some kind of power over them

[@dewmilk7266]

Wait… there are people who think the soul is in the hair?? Who??

[@1adrien9]

I LOVE the idea of soul residing in wings, and of them having sort of a mind of their own. Never encountered it till now, and I am enraptured!

[@AJ-lz1nf]

Potential idea: wing dyes, let me explain. Similar to hair dyes wing dyes can change the color of their wings, usually using plants. Perhaps they are used to be flashy or to catch the eye, especially in young men but others can use dyes too. And it would probably be very temporary, I imagine that dyes made out of berries don’t stay long, but I think that’s almost better if they want to go out to hunt. Another thing, it’s easier to dye lighter hair than it is darker hair so I assume it would be the same with wings (think sand or silver). Sorry for my scattered thoughts, it’s late lol.

[@lydiaderhake2532]

"not someone I should feel threatened by"...such an awesome burn the way you said this that I literally burst out laughing in my company break room. I came for the sewing but I stayed for the world building. *Subscribed*

[@kc1901]

The story about the split wings has be thinking, What would happen if a child were to be born with weak/small wings that can't hold them in flight? Would they keep that kind of fluffyness and never grow proper, waterproof feathers? and then how would they be seen in a flock? As weak, cursed, unfortunate, ill, a burden? Would they be seen as physically impaired? Or would it be seen as them having lost part of their soul in their previous life which caused their wings to be weaker, since the soul resides in the wings- without a full soul their wings can't fully grow?

[@marthachampagne316]

it might be similar to a village idioit, never being considered a true adult, stuck in some half child status. i expect how they were treated depends on how hard their lifestyle is, those who are barley clinging to survival are often forced to make difficult choices. there are reasons why elderly iniuit went alone into the snow when they felt it was their time to die. but if they are not struggling for survival the bonds of kinship often mean that even those who cannot contribute normally are still supported. folk nowadays seldom abandon a child for being born blind or deaf, allowances are made and they live as normal a life as they can.

[@Lilas.Duveteux]

Another thing to consider: architecture. Quails in real life don't have the prettiest nest, but their not awful either. Its mostly crudely tangled straw. Maybe qyaalians would have a more, messy design to their houses: put a messy hatch roof over branches and if it stays in place long enough, it'll do. Plus, if they are nomadic, they would not need anything fancier. Another thing for inspo: small birds have very neat nests, which maybe can influence some ideas. Like having a humming-bird people who make very elaborate habitations of tightly woven straw and rod with intricate patterns of lichen, clay and spider silk.

[@etherealkraken2662]

I think that another weapon that may be used by the Qyaalyon would be a flechette. Dart like objects that were often dropped from planes over trenchlines in WW1, stabbing soldiers from above. They would be simple to construct, probably using feathers, stones, and bones. And highly effective as they pick up huge amounts of speed and damage potential simply by using gravity. They'd be dropped while flying overtop of prey, requiring less aim and skill then either a bow or an atlatl. Possibly the hunting training version of training wheels, although the benefit of low costs to high effectiveness and easy ability to carry as extra weapons could mean even experienced hunters may carry a few as backups or spares. Another topic is that if Qyaalyon ever made use of melee weapons, they would probably have a curved blade due to the fact that swooping down from above before flying back up would definitely be more attuned to a slashing strike then a stabbing one. With a stabbing weapon like a straight sword or spear there's the risk of it getting stuck, broken, or being thrust back upon the wielder from the impact. A curved slashing blade like a cutlass would not have this problem.

[@georgethompson1460]

what if the spear is considered disposable, i.e. lances. Swoop down with a spear and drive it into someone with your momentum before dropping it and pulling up. Also wonder how you'd use an atlatl midflight without desgtroying your balance and entering a spin.

[@etherealkraken2662]

@@georgethompson1460 Exactly, their weapons should realistically be very specialized for use while flying. I highly doubt that they hunt on the ground considering they are both smaller and have more fragile bones then humans do, making them even less likely to survive a blow from a beast. Idk either how they'd use an atlatl in flight considering they're usually thrown during a short run and a lot of the force of the throw comes from your legs. And bows seem unnecessary considering they'd be firing almost straight down on their prey, meaning gravity would deliver most of the punch, making the drawstrings almost unnecessary. They'd also have to be very small bows to be able to be drawn while flapping your wings. I'm almost tempted to say a slingshot may be a better weapon for them. Or, as I said previously, flechettes. Which I stand by as a top-notch weapon they'd probably find great use in

[@prettywiltsforthee4763]

8:04 I'm cackling in glee. Gotta love that confidence and self assurance! Loved the new content, the exploration of the Qyaalyons cultural practices particularly, the racial misunderstandings and stereotypes were fun too!

[@KodaCreates]

Do you think close siblings would have secret combinations of bird calls to communicate with eachother?

[@prettywiltsforthee4763]

"Genuinely helpful" aww shucks! You flatterer! Were so honoured!

[@IAmTerrestrial]

Guy Qyaalyon: *wiggles eyebrow* Girl Qyaalyon: *sigh* why are you like this? This had me fucking ROLLING-

[@ehtuanK]

in regard to the legs being heavy: To avoid problems in flight you need to shift back the center of lift, either by just angling the wings back a bit, or by adding feathers to the sides of the calves. The second option would also support their legs during flight and add maneuverability. Now if they can fold those feathers in, they could reduce their drag while shifting their center of lift forward. By angling their wings back at the same time, they'd shift the center of lift back again while further reducing the drag. This could be useful for short forward bursts and steep dives, like peregrine falcons do.

[@BonaparteBardithion]

They could create artificial leg-wing attachments with different designs intended for different activities. The style or even lack of this tech could vary by Avyan subspecies and/or tribes.

[@marthachampagne316]

who says their legs are always behind them as they fly? anyone can pull their legs up to their chest. in fact given how figure-skaters adjust the speed of their spins by adjusting the position of their arms in relation to the axis of rotation i'd say that adjusting limb position from a complete fetal position to spread eagle could be realy good for making the best of angular momentum to make sharp turns. a typical flying posture mid flight may well look like someone squatting. adjust leg position for tilting in the up/down and adjust arms for turning left/right.

[@lily_white]

Primaries can be also saved or donated to someone else who is a warrior for flight feather transplantation. Saw it done on YT for a macaw who's feathers were damaged

[@mariahpattieworldbuilding4062]

Looked it up. Excellent.

[@TapperPlushMom]

I'm remembering an episode of a vet show, and a peregrine falcon came into a specialized falcon hospital with a broken wing feather - not wing, wing *feather* (I think it had a hard landing or something and that feather broke in half). That hospital had a drawer filled with wing feathers, all neatly sorted into their categories - first primary, second primary, left and right, many lengths and types (for some reason they decided to call that drawer their "spare parts" drawer). And they were able to mend that feather so the bird could fly again. I imagine the Qyaalyons and other avians having a thing like that with molted feathers: some being held onto in case something has to be mended *now* rather than waiting who knows how long for a molt. It isn't even a particularly high-tech thing, all an avian would need to fix a feather is the *right* feather, a twig or something that's thin enough to fit inside a feather shaft, and some glue (which can be made out of naturally-found products; how many people have discovered the glue-like nature of egg (forget if it was the yolk or the white that was "glue")?).

[@vanivanov9571]

Something to note, is birds having lighter bones appears to be a myth. A study compared mice and bird bones of similar dimensions, and found little to no difference in weight. The air pockets in their bones, insanely, are used like extra air-sacs/LUNGS, to store more oxygen for flight. This makes sense, since birds need strong bones for landing and the stresses of flying, and because skeletons actually make up a tiny percentage of biological weight. Like 11% for humans, I think.

[@iwouldlikemycoffeewithanon622]

9:49 hot dang your savage when you want to be. Also, I’m curious about a few things in regards to the Qualians (I’m so sorry for butchering that spelling). My first question is do they stick to the same mating cycles as their bird counterparts or is that just when they would have their ceremonies? My second is in what other ways have they adapted to flight? I know birds have a third eyelid to protect there eyes and that they use their feathers to keep warm at high altitudes and I’m curious as to how thy do that. Third question is what are some cultural behaviors and mannerisms of their species? (I know some birds stare for a long time and I’m curious to see if they did as well. Might make interacting with other species really interesting if they did.) My last question, and I promise this is my last one, is how do they view the outside world?

[@oiram641]

In Human history the spear was invented first than the bow. This is mainly for one reason, the spear is just a glorified stick. It’s very simple to make and also very efficient.. The bow requires more technique to make, more materials and also more time to master for practical use.For this reason it seems to me a little weird that the bow is considered more ancient than the spear. Of course I don’t know the history of those people and perhaps there is a good reason for this.

[@hvbg]

Well, this could be actually possible, since also in human history a phosphorus stick is newer than a lighter (mostly because humans only discovered the chemical phosphorus a lot of years after inventing the lighter)

[@georgethompson1460]

@@hvbg But the materials for spears and bows are the same, heck spears can just be sharpened wood. AtlAtl's I also think predate bows in most cultures, for the Aztecs they were just a predominant weapon for them.

[@marthachampagne316]

some of her other videos have established as lore that the world was a created/engineered world. the species on it are not naturally evolved but engineered species. as such it would be natural that they got some of their most ancient tech from their creators. as such they were given the knowledge to make the bow by the gods in ancient times, but the atalatal was an idea they came up with on their own generations after their creators left them behind.

[@loganmeacham5447]

I’m sure others have already asked this question somewhere but how do relationships work within your avian races I love the idea of a single lover ever idea you know with lots of bird species mating for life but I also feel like a race where a show offy man tries to engage with as many females in a courting season as possible would be realistic I love your world building videos so much and they’ve really inspired me on my own world building journey

[@KodaCreates]

Actually in most species of bird parntner with one bird but may have children with other birds, so i personally wouldn't be surprised if cheating was a common issue in relationships

[@loganmeacham5447]

@@KodaCreates oooooo I love that! I had no idea that’s birds did that

[@nicoruppert4207]

Tbh, I feel like serial monogamism makes the most sense given how human like Qyaalyans are. Humans are mostly serial monogamists (with a lot of exceptions) so there could be several levels and kinds of committed relationships.

[@triccele]

It also could deprnd of the type of Avian. Some birds, like penguins and parrots mate for life, but others, like hummingbirds and bowerbirds don't. Since different ethnicities of Avians have different bird DNA, they could have quite different types of relationships.

[@thelastthreebraincells6244]

Actually, that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. Small ones like songbirds are prodigious adulterers on the principle of more is better, but raptors tend to be monogamous because more children means heightened direct competition for the parents.

[@jennivamp5]

The way you describe the wings made me think of Maleficent's wings and how she describes them in the first movie 😁

[@miki_orchid]

I don't usually leave comments because I am very shy, but I just wanted to let you know that I am so glad that I found your channel! I also worldbuild for fun, and didn't even know it was a hobby until I found these videos! I am also making an avian-humanoid race for a fantasy planet, and I found that we think alike when it comes to biology! I got so excited when you mentioned the species having both air sacs and lungs, I nearly screamed "I did that too!" It makes me so happy to see that someone else is just as passionate about the hobby like I am, and I can tell that you make these videos purely out of passion as well. It is a wonderful hobby to have, is it not? The ability to make entire worlds and people within your head... I started plotting a story about my world (which is called Arenda) because I just simply couldn't keep it in my head anymore. It's like the characters were knocking on the inside of my skull, saying, "let me out!" so I had to bring my world to life on paper. I wish I could draw as well as you do! Your drawings are wonderful, even if they are solely for the purpose of concept, but they help visualize the ideas you talk about so well and I wish I could do the same! Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I really enjoy these videos. Thank you so much for making them!

[@itsabutton45]

The way you think inspired my nomadic society. I am loving hearing your thought process. You have been helping me find more holes in my world ❤️

[@BenthiccBiomancer]

Mentioning the use of an atlatl brings up a thought: Do you have any idea as to whether the Qyaalyon hunt from the skies? Or do they land and then launch projectiles against their prey? Because throwing (including the use of enhancements like an atlatl) engages muscles from the legs all the way up through the body and into the arm to generate the most power. Of course, you can simply throw with just your arms, but it has a lot less power than using your core/hips/legs to build force. So a winged biped throwing/atlatl-ing would need to have feet planted on the ground to generate optimal force and would be at a disadvantage 'throwing' whilst flying as they can only generate force through the arm. In contrast, firing a bow mostly concerns the upper body and could conceivably be done effectively 'on the wing' in a way that a thrown weapon couldn't. Although how the wings and accompanying musculature effect the biomechanics of both processes is another question... That could be why they developed/use atlatls compared to species? Because an atlatl gives mechanical advantage to a throw by lengthening the lever of the forearm, and that advantage could compensate for the lost throwing force of upper-body only throws in flight. Most other species are constantly bound to the earth and aren't ever forced to just use their arms, so the mechanical advantage of the atlatl is less vital. Another (unrelated) thing is that in terms of height, nutrition during childhood plays an important part in reaching an individual's genetic potential height. So average height figures can be biased by the prosperity and resources of the population they're measured from. Many of the modern countries at the shorter end of the spectrum can have issues with food security that bias the average downward. Likewise, historical populations were a good deal shorter than the modern ones from descendent populations, despite being practically identical on a genetic level. Broadly speaking, Early Modern populations tended to be the shortest due to diets being heavily cereal dependent, Medieval populations were a bit taller because their diets were more diverse (although nowhere near modern standards). Go far enough back to hunter-gatherer times and you'd hit the point where people were actually quite tall compared to most historical populations because their diets were very diverse and had a much larger share of meats/proteins. The advent of agriculture leads to a marked decease in heights, both due to the lower nutrition and increased disease (which can impact nutrient uptake during childhood). Just some food for thought when you're trying to figure out some 'realistic' heights for your worldbuilding!

[@jocelyngray6306]

I feel like a flying humanoid would be able to swap using their legs and body for powering a spear throw for using their flight to power a spear throw: fly towards your target, throw your javelin, and then turn away. Firing a bow while flying would be difficult. Most birds I've seen can keep their torsos very level while flying, but their wings are still going to get in the way. Additionally, you fire the bow to your side, not straight in front of you, so it would very much get in the way of your wings. Additionally, since the wings are using pectorals either shared by the arms, or at least which share real-estate with the arms, I really don't think bows are best either. What ranged weapon do I think a flying humanoid would use? Lawn darts. Dive towards a target, fold the wings so they aren't in the way, throw a front weighted javelin, use the momentum of your throw and gravity to aid the throw.

[@BenthiccBiomancer]

@@jocelyngray6306 Oh absolutely, the human body is a very holistic and interconnected machine. Bolting some wings onto that will heavily interfere with any sort of complex movement in the upper body, for sure. We kinda just have to handwave at least some aspects when we're worldbuilding bird people. And I agree, from a min-maxing perspective, the optimal hunting strat would be to fly as high as you can and go hurtling, full pelt, directly down towards your target before dropping a javelin (or the like) at the last possible moment. Kind of like how peregrine falcons hunt, but all the kinetic energy of falling is channeled into a projectile rather than a body-slam.

[@andresmarrero8666]

@@jocelyngray6306 I think they would have a use for crossbows as those don't require you to pull back your arm, as well as rope with a large rock or metal sphere at one end so that they can simply dip the rope and have the hard tip smack their prey at high speeds or tangle them up.

[@julialungan4722]

About the split wing colours, that could only happen if two non-identical twins didnt separate, in animals it is called the chimaera (or split mosaic)

[@Rainart520]

I’m so excited for this video. Your world and effort is amazing. I hope this doesn’t come off the wrong way, but your Avians are the ones I wish we had over the Maximum Ride avians. It feels like a real world a person could have been born into

[@mariahpattieworldbuilding4062]

basically exactly this. I loved the idea of winged people as long as I can remember, but more of an angelic inspiration. I read Maximum Ride at 14, and was blown away that someone actually did it, but in the real world. But then the books kind of went south and continued to disappoint, and my Aavyans evolved from that disappointment.

[@Rainart520]

@@mariahpattieworldbuilding4062 Oh we could talk about the downfall after the third book all day. But it’s awesome to see you develop what it could actually mean to be a bird-person. Can’t wait for the next video!

[@desolation2438]

@@mariahpattieworldbuilding4062 You know, when I think about humans existing in a world with fantasy races like the qyaalon, I find myself wondering about the humans of such a world. Like what sort of biological quirks do the humans of such a world have? Are they stronger or weaker than us? Are they faster or slower? Maybe even smarter? These details about humans in a fantasy world such as this tend to be glossed over or hand waved away, similar to how we don't know about the gravity of the world or atmospheric composition. The humans in any other world such as this have to have biological differences from normal people just to compete. Or simply have a culture that prizes efficiency, pragmatism, and utilitarianism.

[@sheriffbutterball7824]

I have a fun idea, what if the Qyaalyon can make a coo like that of a mourning dove's, it can be used in any sad event like burials, heartbreak, or when someone is lost and calling out for help

[@ferric6796]

Okay, I know this is WAYYYY late for an idea, but thinking about the idea of whether or not tails are required for flight, I thought, why not split the difference? A line of shorter feathers running down the outside or back of the leg, creating fin-like feathered structures that could be used as flight control surfaces. This would be practical, and has the added creative benefit of further differentiating them from other humanoids. It's also a bit more original than a tail, since it's a new anatomical feature and sidesteps the possible accusation of Qyaalyon being "people wings tacked on."

[@ferric6796]

Just watched reacting to comments part 1. I was indeed WAAAYYYY late to the discussion lol

[@niety5914]

I love how you’re able to incorporate biology into their culture! And I some cultural ideas for them, such as: They see humanity as a bond between the human body and the soul wings. Also they could either have a great cultural responsibility of taking care of the elderly as they near can’t do anything themselves, or they could go in the opposite direction and have the elders die before they get too old and life becomes too troublesome and painful. It would probably depend on how they see the afterlife

[@nicoruppert4207]

Aavian philosophy and ethics are going to be interesting. Especially considering how deeply ingrained it is for males to do life threatening things to impress the females.

[@heyitstat4227]

In terms of weapons I reckon something similar to a smokebomb made from little sacks that are woven from leather filled with irritable materials like burrs, small rocks, and chalk could be used by them flying over their target and literally dropping on them. It could’ve been developed as a way to defend in a time of warfare. They can be literally living bomber planes

[@TheSuperdsp]

Also, if fringe makes it harder to fly this could also make it more attractive. The longer and more extravagant fringe would show off an individuals strength, because they’d essentially be bragging and saying look how good I am I can tie all these bells and whistles on and still be an effective flyer/hunter. This is seen in evolution with species such as peafowl taking it to an extreme.

[@firestorm165]

I never thought I'd see someone put more effort into their worldbuilding than I do but seriously wow this is amazing

[@Ashplayer1123]

gotta love the Rachel Maksy Photos thrown in there :3

[@fridaybutitssaturday1362]

Perhaps the qualyon might have names for their wings? Possibly words or names that are their own but with added letters? And perhaps the feathers of the forefathers can be seen as housing a portion of their souls and mind so qualyon leaders may use them in a similar fashion to an Indian tribal headdress so that the leaders can inherit wisdom?

[@igormartins2701]

Since the wings are where their soul resides and you said that giving a feather to a loved one is a sign of intimacy, maybe the feathers would keep a fragment of the magic or the soul and make you feel close to the person who gave it to you. And maybe they would make a necklace with all of the feathers they got from loved ones, although not in a flashy "I have more than you" kinda way and more of a very important personal item that they would keep under their clothes, and is seen as vain and disrespectful with the ones who gave you the feathers if you show them like a prize, as if you were bragging and objectifying them. I think this would be more personal then using the feathers for arrows since you will need to replenish them and may seem as replaceable and less important. Also, I will probably steal A LOT from this but not for any commercial uses, I'll put them exclusively on my homebrew world for my friends to see if that's ok.

[@soulsucker7994]

12:00 What if they had feathers protruding from their calves at an angle similar to the way some dragons or even griffins are drawn? Or they can even have a certain flight-specific pants like a wing gliding suit

[@ALoserRatling]

An idea, calico sploched wings, that would be really be a really cool idea

[@uzunaruMelonness]

"Qyaalyon Javelineers? Such a thing doesn't seem real to me... However, a chance encounter with one marshland hunting party changed my thoughts. Ample bone and quill-tipped short spears carried around their lower backs. These unusual birdmen were taught from a young age to fly in formations. These formations maximize the hunting chances of certain quilled, scaled, and winged prey... What is unusual about it? One of their formations is a very familiar military formation of the north. Even their clothing is... different. Instead of leather, cloth gambisons with an open back are seen on that group. Bear claws and small turtle shells lined the collar. Flight feathers of his forefathers and enemies adorned the shoulders. Upon close examination, the several thin layers of clothes that are bound are hardly noticed. Only looking at the cuts and piercing of the armor, do you see the layers. The impeccable stitching held the pieces of the tightly woven fibers. Fine steel clasps held the straps... He explains that an odd trading stranger sold him those armors. This merchant wore a combination of deep blue cloth and Blacken steel (from the bonfires). If it weren't for this new armor, this elder would have died on the field of battle many years ago. This elder... Is known no other but Black Feather. The former mercenary went to the north on a short campaign as part of a skirmishing unit. The black feather on his cap was a mark of respect for his former command... An ambusher that wears that crow's feather as proof of skill. Sadly, a burial was never given to him. Truly, such an elder is a rarity. And until it is time for me to leave, I shall listen in for his stories." - Klukha Loto, on Black Feather.

[@jjj4068]

Since birds preen with a beak would they have some sort of tool they’d use?

[@BonaparteBardithion]

On a related note, how do they reach feathers at the center of back when there's no one else around or willing to assist?

[@jjj4068]

@@BonaparteBardithion that’s probably where the tool comes in handy,

[@fynnmorley3835]

Hello! Love the race! First btw!!

[@salenebrom6476]

OK but the random white shock of hair on dark hair does happen like it’s a genetic thing that does happen and it’s so weird and cool you really need to look into it

[@matteozigante2813]

Wow, I saw all your videos on this topic and the only thing that I can say is Wow. Great content, applause from Italy. GG

[@Oirarana]

If I remember correctly, fringe does have a practical function. I recall hearing or reading about it being a way of drying clothing while worn. Water drips down into the fringe where it disperses/evaporates quicker. Not entirely sure how accurate this is, but worth looking into perhaps.

[@jackohara5272]

I love how passionate and excited you are to share your ideas with everyone. It's very inspiring keep up the good work :)

[@rooalberti6084]

I'm really grateful you made the world building videos. You and Tolkien (fav creator ever for me) got me thinking about cultures and races I dream about bringing to life, along with how and why they are XD Your videos give me tips on what makes sense and what probably doesn't on top of reminding me that building nuances flushes everything out.

[@V7I-theseventhsector]

have you thought about doing another race similar to Harpies? harpies are far more biology accurate as a quadruped than a hexapod. my own headcanon for "flying humanoids" are very much similar to Harpies but mine have 4 digit hands on each wing with an opposable thumb giving them the ability to use and craft tools easier and their "feet" are similar to birds feet but lacking any claws because again the tool crafting skill. --- also, "normal" human legs are too heavy and if left out will shift the center of mass backward making it far harder for them to keep a steady control(one reason birds tuck their legs in and don't use them as such). --- Also, I would look into changing or trying to fix the legs because human legs are primarily made for running and endurance not. .landing or jumping from a high height. we can destroy our knees if we try and do a landing with them of most kinds without rolling.

[@frazzledfries7989]

I actually randomly found your vids recommended to me and I find it really fascinating. I kinda have idea to do with color traits like albionism and things like that since a lot of animals seem to carry these recessive genes do to different reasons. I do like the colors that you've chosen for your species as is btw but I think it would be fun to play around with those traits as really really rare genes that are seen as godly or seen as a bad omen

[@Ratchet4647]

Your content just gets better and better!!! Can't wait for the next episode!

[@EJinSkyrim]

That thing about copy+pasting made me giggle SO hard - that's not harsh, it's just true. XD Aaaaaaa! I love the split-wing story SO much! The little sparkly wonder-eyes I got when you described pulling the speckles to either side of the body - *chef's kiss*. I felt like a young Qyaalyon being told the story for the first time and wondering if that could really happen to people - or even to non-speckled Qyaalyons. Subsequent idea: teenage edgelord Qyaalyons who purposefully dye their hair/feathers contrasting colors because "This is just who I am, mom!"(I say that, knowing full well that if I were a Qyaalyon and this was a Thing that I'd make/wear a split-colored headdress and/or shirt thing because ~symbolism~)

[@malaineeward5249]

Your video about your avian races has reignited my drive for world building, especially in relation to a world my brother and I are creating for a few stories.

[@blondesalute]

Two ideas I had for a society similar to this are, #1, preening search others wings is a sign of friendship, and #2, wearing certain feathers from your partner/mate means you are married (maybe wear certain flight feathers) or boyfriend/girlfriend (maybe wear not very important feathers, but feathers none the less) or mating (maybe wearing down feathers or the first feather your love molted signifies mating or children) Going into more detail here... Since wings would be super important to these Avian-Humans/Qyaalyons, maybe letting someone else preen their wings is the ultimate sign of friendship and trust. Maybe even some Qyaalyons won't even let their mates or family preen their wings!! I kinda imagine it like saying I love you to a friend or partner. Some people say I love you pretty loosely to family (me, for example), but hardly ever do it to friends. Probably on the flip scale, saying someone can no longer preen your wings after saying they could is the highest disrespect and basically saying you disown them/never want to see them again. And maybe preening someone's wings without their permission is one of the highest forms of abuse. And the second thing is pretty self-explanatory.

[@I-Need-A-Nap]

12:26 there could always be a mix, primarily using your own feathers but using your loved ones underwings as well. And it could be seen as a form of affection, like hunting in their honor. I wonder if you could use your deceased feathers as well? As a show of respect and love, letting their memory stay alive, letting them continue to hunt in a way

[@camelot8369]

I love the birdsong language and the sentiment behind the different feathers and preening! The mix of bird and human characteristics is very inspirational for headcanons of the Dark Fey in Maleficent 2! If I ever will create something like that (which is unlikely because headcanons are hard to put in videos, depending on the material that is there) I would only use it if you are ok and would link back. The mix in both culture and anatomy is very creative! :D

[@thelandoftea9995]

Hey, this might be a dumb idea but have you also considered boomerangs being a part of their weaponry

[@darkserpent6884]

Im happy to see other people making avian races! the Qyaalyon are similar to a race i made called Leshati.

[@Dicyroller]

I am truly glad I stumbled upon your channel. I love the deep dive into culture, anatomy, and little bits of information, that may not, probable will not be a part of a published story. Unless the Auther is Melvill.

[@maggiewinfrey2164]

So with the soul in wings idea does that mean there are burials specific to the the the bird people?(sorry would say there name but autocorrect wouldn't let me) so like how with the skills things are inscribed would there ben an equivalent? Maybe darkly like taxidermy but just for the wings? Or perhaps since they are a nomadic society perhaps they plant trees over matriarch and patriarch burial grounds? Like a huge family has to return to a forest each year to pay tribute to each tree because each tree was grown from a relative?

[@ArsonGremlin]

yeah the thing with the fringe I agree with. I was making my own bird/human race and I decided that some of them were messengers and they would wear more tight fitting clothes so they could go faster but a lot of the others wore more flowy clothes that would flare in the wind and look beautiful. But that was mostly kept for more important occasions. They'd probably wear something inbetween in their usual life

[@TangledMind1018]

I'm wondering if dyeing your feathers/wings, even temporarily, would be considered a method of adding beauty, like make-up, or slightly taboo given the relationship they share with their wings? If the first, I can see it being used at festivals just to add to the males going over the top with flashiness. If taboo, though, I can see a different method of choose contrasting outfits/colors for headdresses and such to really make both their natural colors and the colors of their ornaments stand out. Or even a mix of the two, where it's considered highly foolish or vain to dye your feathers outside of festival times, but if/when it is encouraged, they naturally aim to use colors that will offset against their wings to maximize the effect of both. A black-winged male would benefit from bright red dye a lot more than a scarlet-winged, for example. On a different note, could unique markings be considered pretty or ugly, like a scar? If two people share a unique marking, could it be something akin to a sign of a soulmate, given that they believe their souls reside in their wings. And tying into their soul being in their wings, I could see how they might have a culture of praising calmness during flight, as most bird species fluff up their feathers in anger or aggressiveness to appear larger. Thus the term, ruffled feathers. If their wings can react without conscious input, it might just be a standard, every day thing to teach about keeping calm while in flight, to avoid ruffling your feathers to your own detriment. A sort of, stay calm in your anger, until you are best able to utilize it. This comment is huge now, so I'll stop, but I can't wait for the next video! :)

[@theultimatecookie394]

I'll take all the wing biology for my own personal AU. Thanks for making the vid coz I was gonna stay up all night thinking about this probs

[@tomthumb1507]

The problem with bows and maybe spears whilst flying is the aiming when you aim with a bow you turn your torso side ways which for a species with wings would mean you'd be likely to just plummet I'd like to suggest you watch shadiversitys video on what weapons a winged species could actually use

[@mariahpattieworldbuilding4062]

I can see a particular wing maneuver developing to sweep the body up sideways for a split second. I think flight archery would be possible, but would take an incredible amount of skill, which is alright. Flying species are inherently overpowered.

[@quiche6936]

all these videos are so addicting to watch love it !

[@darthjekyll3648]

5:21 no grooming strangers children, ya hear

[@marthachampagne316]

the feathers of owls have fringes to eliminate noise from flying. try mounting a few fringe samples on a stick and waving it around real fast, you might hit on something that could work in a similar manner. i expect that clothes could make some noise being blown about by the wind and if someone hit on a decorative design that also happened to reduce the noise their clothes made it might get very popular real fast.

[@spiritbird2247]

I love the fringe idea but it could def be tucked away or tied up elaborately for hunting or long distance flying and it could have a symbolistic element maybe and also so it’s more practical.

[@brixitbiscuits8632]

THE EYEBROWS BIT WAS HILARIOUS

[@Zero-4793]

the thing about the wings being a second mind sounds like the realworld stuff of our spine having reflexes before the sensory information reaches our brain, how some dinosaurs are thought to have had smaller brains in their tailes, and then stuff like starfish/octopus where each 'tentacle' has a sort of mind of its own so i can see a way to explain it without magic, and i think thats amazing

[@VelociraptorsOfSkyrim]

I'm glad I found your videos! I was thinking of a few avian races for my own setting, so this is rather helpful! Though, part of my mind went to some wildlife that could have evolved alongside the Qyaalyons. Like a predator species targeting their wings, since they're little more than humans without them. It could go with the Mythology, this predator could be the physical manifestation of a demon or something.

[@flyboymike111357]

Also, there's a thing called a scotch arrow, which is an arrow thrown using a chord wound around the shaft of an arrow or large dart. An Atlatil is still a good idea for an ammentum than can double as a club to launch fletched javilins at long ranges or high speeds. But Scotch arrows are a more compact wearable alternative. Rabbit sticks and boomerangs would also fit nicely.

[@thegrimreaper1892]

I have to thank you for these avian videos. I’m currently writing up an avian-human, and your videos have helped me to not only get a sense of what they would look like and stuff like that, but it also gives me ideas of how they may behave. Although my avian is different to yours when it comes to the legs where as yours have more human like legs and mine has talons. I think it’ll still be very interesting to work with. Sorry, I’m rambling. But thanks a lot for the inspiration, I have tried looking up stuff on my own, but when I looked up “avian human”, I mostly just results for the bird flu. Anyway, thanks again for making these videos, they are very educational and entertaining, and I hope to see more from you in the future. Take care and have a nice day!!

[@thegrimreaper1892]

Also, I apologize for any spelling errors, or any odd wording. English is not my native language

[@phtogrphic]

15:31 Gives the same vibes as doja cat saying “shut up you ugly 😃” to the paparazzi

[@MattieAMiller]

What I have noticed in fashion history is that people often make impractical clothes ON PURPOSE. It showed that you were rich enough to not care about efficiency. Fringe on flying people would look awesome, and they know it.

[@onceuponapriori]

Really interesting videos, thanks for sharing!

[@livsterlove5681]

I have a question about hunting and migration. Human nomadic people carry only the absolute essentials with them: food, water, tools, weapons. When they camp they build using the nature around them to build temporary shelters during the hunting and gathering seasons. In the winter months they return to their permanent village. Carrying things in the air might prove difficult, once things are strapped to their back and front they left with carrying things in their arms. I am confident in their strength however this might slow them done significantly especially if it’s an awkward object. I’m thinking they would fly to their desired hunting and gathering area. Then travel on foot and strap sleds to their waists to carry the food. Also have you considered “tumpline burden baskets?” They are large weaved baskets with a strap the rests on the forehead to hold the weight. If attaching things to the back is too difficult to work out this could be a good option for carrying loads.

[@livsterlove5681]

You could incorporate bird migrations into the Quaalyon’s lives. Summer and winter or maybe they migrate 4 times a year to be even more nomadic.

[@FoxLatté-r1l]

Hi! I know my comment is probably late and going to get drowned in the endless abyss by what the ancients call “the comments” but I have an idea for your songs. I suggest “flight songs.” These will be songs in a call and answer form. For instance (excuse my horrible song-writing): Hunt leader “Find the game, where they go?” Fellow hunters “near the south, near the south” Hunt leader “and why are we hunting?” Fellow hunters “for the tribe, for the tribe!” -then this could later be introduced with work songs or the more traditional Qyaalyon poems. Perhaps sung or friend groups ‘anthem’?

[@davidhull261]

Body position would be huge for flight, with bows and atlatls the body needs to be turned to get the best strength behind it inducing a turn that would have to be accounted for. So some avian races closer to human settlements might start adopting crossbows (if they have been invented yet) as a way to get the best effect without needing to account for a turn induced by drawing the bow. The drawback would likely be needing to land to load the crossbow again. They would get one easier shot compared to more chances at a more difficult shot. More traditional groups (tribes, flocks?) would stick to the older implements and consider themselves more skilled hunters. Look up some skydiving and wingsuit videos and you can see how small shifts at the torso can turn into large banking motions.

[@jesseclark7966]

The Atlatl makes sense for throwing a spear from the ground. But for Qyaalyons, the most effective way to use throwing spears in open areas is to dive from above, throw the spear, then swoop up to not crash into the ground. Bows and arrows could be preferred for the safety of the skies and the cheaper to make arrows, but dive-thrown spears would be faster for eliminating a target. Letting go of the spear earlier to swoop away is safer but you're more likely to hit if you wait longer. If your target hits you during this maneuver, the very high relative speeds could result in severe injury. In spite of that risk, dive-throwing from a proper distance would likely be safer and more effective than throwing from the ground. A late-release dive-throw, or even a dive-thrust, would be a more daring maneuver only used on imminent threats, or to show bravery.

[@andresmarrero8666]

The problem with bows is that the wings get in the way. Pulling back on the bow has the elbow bumping into and constantly connecting with the wing which makes aiming practically impossible and flight very unstable. Wing people with bows and arrows are iconic but the weapon just doesn't work with the biology, now a small spear that can be dropped with great speed works much better.

[@silverish9081]

Unrelated to the content in the video, but still an idea for avian races. Birds perceive colours differently as they have 4 types of cones in they eye as opposed to 3 types human eye has. This means they see and distinguish more shades of colours. Birds also perceive a wider range of electromagnetic spectrum, specifically seeing some UV light past normal purple available to humans. I feel like this would affect how they view the world

[@crazyjedi338]

No, that wasn't too harsh. That was pretty accurate.

[@frankbrooks1393]

If the back and skin around the wings are sensitive and intimate, would hugging be only allowed between very close individuals. So, would a greeting hug or a celebrating hug not be common?

[@BonaparteBardithion]

It depends on how you hug. A hug around the shoulders or mid torso would land your hands squarely over the wings. Whereas am embrace at the waist is more likely to slip under the wing-shoulders. The latter is already a more intimate hug in human societies because it pulls everything, including below the waist, closer, so it's also probably less likely in Avyyan society. I can also see a hug that involves bringing the edge of the wings forward and otherwise only making contact in front, thus reducing contact with the tabboo back area.

[@sukikurai]

imagine a young Quaalyon who’s wings are braver than he is. he’s standing next to his crush and his wing just suddenly wraps around her without warning XD

[@sukikurai]

i have continued thinking more about this and i think if it happened with another quaalyon obviously they would understand that the wings will do what they do but it would reveal that there is something and would probably be really cute and wholesome. but if for whatever reason a quaalyon had a crush on a human it would probably end in heartbreak cause the human would think he is coming on way to strong and would think he was lying when he tried to say that he can’t control his wings

[@AdirondackRuby]

That chart of average heights really threw me...I knew I was considered tall by others, being 5'8" female, but I never understood the kind of awe that often came along with that notice. Now I do. I'm a Giant! Also, that "Hey hey" eyebrow bounce gave me a great amount of giggles. Thanks.