Kais

Appearance

Kais are three to four feet tall with large, feathery wings. Both races are physically identical except that daekais have poisonous teeth and claws, and their eye colors differ. Kais have large, slanted eyes, thin, arched eyebrows and a high forehead and cheekbones. They have a clear jaw line and downward pointing chin. Their ears are also pointed, though less so than karelia.

Kais have delicate feet that end in retractable talons, which some grow long to impale fish, fruits in trees, or attack with. Their necks are longer than other species and flexible. Kais wear lightweight clothing that facilitates flying: a sleeveless garment belted at the waist, worn like a tunic, with an inner liner to cover and contain private parts up to the waist. Leggings are tight-fitting.

The wing coloring on top disguises kais from above. The underside is typically light. Forest kais have green feathers, sea kais have blue, golden kais live near plains or deserts, mountain kais have brown feathers, snow kais have white, and the rare night kais is all black. Females acquire display colors on both sides during mating season.

Habitat

Kais prefer living in high places to catch the air under their wings and are frequently found in mountainous regions, along forest edges, or very large caves. Kais live in the largest trees they can find.

Magic

Both kais races have equal talent for magic, but their attitudes greatly affect what each is capable of.

All species acknowledge Llurien’s twenty-eight gods. The twelve gods of the green, indigo, and yellow spheres created morkais, while the four gods of the orange sphere created daekais.

Kais avoid hand-to-hand combat in favor of missile weapons (slings, bows, and crossbows), partly from being smaller than many threats but also due to their wings being precious and hard to protect. Daekais also avoid it out of fear. Either may be carrying a knife or dagger as a last resort. Their teeth and claws are also formidable, especially daekais, whose are poisonous.