Edelflug

Stalwart guardians of the skies and the peaks that loom over the Southwestern Plains. They are the Edelflug.

These birdmen are creatures that live the lifestyle of luxury and utopia under every definition. These creatures reach between heights of 5'6 to 6'6. They have diversity through feather coloration and even by their heads, similar to the different types of Primal Flight which they had descended from.

Culture
Edelflug live in a prosperous civilization within the Southwestern Peaks. Their settlements span across the mountains, within the mountains and even float above the sky. Their capital is Flügelheim, the Great Jeweled City. It is a gem which floats among the clouds. Their people are ruled under the wing of Der Krystal-Herr

Their utopian lives come at the cost of extreme punishments falling upon those who break the laws of der Krystal-Herr. Always the punishment was to imprison them or to even execute them within a chamber underground. Those who commit treason or any high law get their wings clipped, no longer referred to as Edelflug. Once their wings are clipped, they are either banished into the plains below, or dropped off of the floating city's edge, the Great Drop.

Due to these rules, their lives are crimeless most of the time. For some even during their entire lifespan. Their lives are safe and they have high trust between one another, an uncanny trait among other races.

During the time of the Shayek, they were untouched. The Shayek could simply not reach the floating city, but the settlements below were ravaged. With this they developed a strong sense of xenophobia, tolerating other races but not even batting an eye to the idea of slaughtering any invaders from the outside world in their settlements. If any outsider was escorted by an elite or a noble, they are spat on and ridiculed, but left to live.

Those that exit the borders of their territory are usually the ones that chose to tolerate outside races the most. Many, though not being able to escape xenophobic thoughts, are left curious about the outside world.

Beginnings
The history of the Edelflug begin a few centuries before the Great Shayek Empire reached its peak, the Primal Flight discovered Warpweave. Though, they decided not to let it affect their bodies, as seen in some. Instead, they learned how to condense the Warpweave into pure physical objects known as Warp-Crystals. As they continued this practice, they began to evolve into the modern Edelflug as their intelligence grew. With the Wind living on through those who are born with Kataigida's gift, they continue their traditions since the Cleansing itself.

The Floating City
The Great Shayek Empire quickly became a threat, and they took to the skies. They fashioned a settlement which would be immune to their assaults, not by defense, but by position. Their leader at the time rallied all the Edelflug, and searched for every Windcaller he could. They were trained and through a ritual that required a hundred windcallers, they lifted the village into the sky.

There they hid from the Shayek and only travelled down to gather resources so they may expand the size of this settlement. It later grew into the floating crown of Kouvia itself, the Great Jeweled City.

The Gladiators
Once the Shayek had broken down, in the plains were left a broken tribe of bloodthirsty berserkers. They were the Inhlyien. As they lived so close, it seemed as if history was repeating itself with the battle between the Primal Flight and the Gargantuans. Instead the Edelflug barricaded the mountains and made it very clear where they may not stray if they wish to continue living on their own land.

This, of course, did not stop a bunch of frenzied berserkers. They fought for a few decades, as the Inhlyien mature very quickly, and they breed like rabbits. The Edelflug decided to give in and gave the Inhylien a portion of land at the foot of the mountain. The mountain that the tribesmen had access to now was the one in which The Bleeding River was found in later on in history.

Torn out freedom
Long has it been since the Quelling of the Jeweled Mountain Ring and since then have there not been many near attempts to recreate a group or action as vile as then. Though, in the year 35,248, there was a silent rise within the communities. Propaganda was being spread and the civilians began to become less and less obedient to the great laws of the Great Jeweled City. Soon, it turned into riots.

For the first time in nearly three and a half thousand years had it become so deadly to roam the streets. In the background was a criminal that had been killing the Edelflug one by one as they rioted and attacked each other in the streets. The elite were sent out and seized many rioting Edelflug. No longer were wings being clipped, as the captured were blinded and knelt down at the Great Drop.

Der Krystal-Herr himself arrived to the scene, and many civilians watched the heavily guarded show. Der Krystal-Herr rose his hands and preached of how history will not repeat itself, and he will quell the situation so the Edelflug may return to peace. He did so by ripping out the wings of every captured Edelflug individually. After, he did not drop them down to their deaths, but instead had them all be lowered down safely onto the mountain of rotting remains of past criminals to fend for themselves. Blind, flightless and lost, their freedom torn out.

They were not heard of ever since, as none of the Edelflug that stayed in their homes cared about them, they were no longer Edelflug in their eyes. The one which was murdering Edelflug in the background is still hidden to this day and unknown, making the streets now something to be wary of walking through, but safe nonetheless.