i need to learn a lot

But wait, there’s more!

a rare closeup of a black swift, found throughout north america and small parts of south america. swifts are rarely seen up close; they spend more of their life in air than any other species of bird - they eat, drink, mate and sleep while in flight. they are incapable of perching like other birds; they must cling to vertical surfaces.

Full Taiyeks universally have bone stubs protruding from their shoulder blades.

Both full and half Taiyeks have reflective eyes like cats and better eyesight in darkness.

There is a scene where a Taiyek MC surprises another unwary MC while scavenging for a midnight snack when she turns to just see a pair of glowing eyes.

Traditionally, Taiyeks believe themselves to be angel-like beings cast out of the heavens and thus have a lot of bird and sky symbolism/terminology.

They are both a people and a religion.

There are three main ‘branches’: the Fallen, the Anointed, and the Rationals. Obviously these are their own names, not what the other branches call each other.

Fallen are the largest branch, tending towards nomadic lifestyles either at sea or in the sky. Pride themselves on being able to collaborate with other species. They believe that they were cast out of the skies when their Gods died and thus are atoning for their past failures by building new worlds. Most diverse in beliefs and practices.

The Anointed are more fundamental and tend to live in cloistered communities. They believe the Gods are merely trapped and one day they will lead a holy army back into the sky to save them.

The Rationals are the newest and youngest branch. These Taiyeks reject the notion they’re descended from the skies and argue that they may be a sibling-species to humans linked to catastrophic arcane climate changes in history.

Arcana is a natural resource that can be harvested from the sky. Taiyeks are the only species which are allergic to it.

Since this world’s version of an Industrial Revolution involved essentially harnessing and running everything on the stuff, Taiyeks have been further pushed to the margins.

They have on average six official genders and don’t choose one until their coming-of-age ceremony. Each is represented by a different colour.

They have high percentages of being intersexuality, deafness, and blindness so these are far more accepted and accommodated in their societies.

They are universally cremated at death as it returns them to the sky.

Their funeral colours are blue; birth is pink, youth is yellow, elderly is purple, and weddings are in black and traditionally stitched with constellations.

Taiyeks value music and dancing extremely highly both as in social settings and religious ceremonies.

To the the point they have incredibly specific songs and poems for life events and situations including a lullaby for recently adopted/found babies.

A Taiyek funeral is a full celebratory wake/ceilidh for the first day, openly grieving is only acceptable the day after.

This is because the spirit is thought to linger only long enough to see if they’re still ‘needed’ so the party is to reassure them that they’re free to leave.

Due to a long history of marginalisation and active persecution, Fallen Taiyeks tend to not grow up with their immediate family due to various historical acts of separation and so have many words for types of family ties.

They also have a reputation for adopting abandoned and lost people (particularly babies and children, but extends all the way to the elderly) because looking after the weaker is vital to their culture.

In comparison, the Anointed are far more insular and interested in marriage within their own groups.

Taiyeks have an internal language called Taiyeku which consists of both verbal and signed aspects.

Taiyeks are essentially immune to poison. Belladonna and arsenic have been used as spices in their cooking.

This means they cannot get drunk on normal alcohol or (reportedly) be sedated.

They invented their own alcohol anyway. It is fatal to humans, and possibly to phoenixes as well.

Three amigos. The built-upon house. 1929.