THE
DOVE
("COA-COA
BIRD") |
The most common term for referencing this white bird is the "Dove". Though the elves have named it Aelién Eyá'pholiár translating roughly to "White Peace Maker", which also fits to what it represents in religious terms, as it is seen as a messenger of the Santharian Peace Goddess Eyasha. People in Southern Sarvonia have created the slang term "Coa-Coa" after its soft trill. Though you will not find a researcher calling it this name, many peasants use this as their sole title for the birds.
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Appearance.
The Dove stands on two
long, elegant legs, the hue of a light pink sunrise. Small white talons protrude
from rosy toes, but they are rounded and dull, and are used merely for gripping,
not for fighting. The short rounded beak is the same shade, if not a touch
lighter. Doves almost always have pure white feathers. On a very rare occasion,
these birds may be seen with black spots dappling their backs. These are
believed to mark its relations with the Dark God
Coór, and are frowned upon by followers of the Twelve. This is seen as a bad
omen, and such Doves are therefore rarely kept as pets. Strangely, a spotted
Dove has never hatched in the month of the
Rising Sun, or so the saying
goes.
Eyashene mindsmoothers believe that
Eyasha gave the birds their white plumage
to signify their peaceful nature. Those with black are therefore considered to
no longer be holy to Eyasha, as chaos is
the absolute opposite of her teachings.
Mindsmoothers know to value these birds: Dove feathers are long, soft, and
smooth as if woven of fine silks, their deep black eyes seem to have hypnotic
properties. Patients report feeling "lost" in the everlasting expanses of black,
almost relaxed.
Doves are a petite aven species. Ranging in size from 2 to 3
palmspans from the beak to
the tip of the tail feather. They are slender, weighing in at only 3 to 4
od. This lack of body mass
gives them a fragile appearance and rightly so. Combined with the fact that its
wingspan is nearly twice the length of its body, this makes it farely easy for
it to fly mostly by riding currents of air.
The unfortunate disadvantage to this is that it can often be pushed unwillingly
by the wind, and not have the strength to stop
itself.
Special Abilities.
The Doves main abilities are meant to support their survival. They have rather
acute eyesight, which helps them to locate seeds easily. This combined with
their fairly fast flight speed often saves a bird's lives in the event of an
emergency. The birds seem to have some form of sentience, though more complex
thoughts elude them. Yet the reason they are so valued by the
Eyashenes is for their soothing aura. In
fact most of their names imply these talents. "Eyá'pholiár" means "peace maker"
in Styrásh, while the coloquial
term "Coa'Coa" refers to their soft trill. Many patients have reported that
hearing a chorus of Doves in the morning is the perfect start to their day. Also
many times the birds very presence seems to be a soothing one. Although
Eyashenes seem to be the main owners, many
people keep them as pets. Its soft feathers are also used in the manufacture of
the softest pillows. Many simply collect the feathers that fall out, as it seems
cruel to harm such a peaceful bird. Though, there are those who desire money,
even at the cost of infamy.
Territory.
The Dove makes its home all over Caelereth,
but is most common in Southern Sarvonia,
and Nybelmar. It's hearty nature allows it
to withstand most climates, but still tries to avoid the extremes: Aeruillin,
Cyhalloi, and the far north. They enjoy the company of
humans and other birds, so will be seen
acompanied by many of their kind. Doves are most often found in small farming
communities where they can easily obtain their main source of nutrition: seeds.
A Dove rises early in the morning and is often the first bird to be heard
singing when the sun peeps up from behind the
horizon. Most often Doves are nesting in trees, twigs are woven together to form
a conical structure, then wedged between two forked branches and lined with soft
down. Though most common in trees, Doves have been sighted nesting on the ground
as well. Their flat homes are surrounded by thick walls of tall grass and brush.
Habitat/Behaviour.
Coa-Coa birds are most often seen searching for food. As they require eating a
lot, it dominates their minds most of the time. They could be hopping around on
the ground or high up in a tree plucking the seeds. When not faced with the task
of maintaining their nutrition, the bird would probably be singing. Its mournful
song would most often be the first bird you hear in the sunrise chorus. They are
usually very friendly, only territorial during the first step of the mating
process - which mostly only lasts about a day. Doves make good companions for
humans (especially
Eyashenes) as their soft trill can be very
relaxing.
Diet.
Doves, like most followers of Eyasha, are
strictly vegatarian eating no meat whatsoever. Therefore it eats mostly seeds,
pollen being a delectable treat. Though not quite as high as their
wynd racer cousins, their metabolism is fast, so
they require a good deal of nutrition. In inhabited areas, many people throw
seeds for Doves out on the streets during the winter. If they hadn't, many Doves
would be wiped out during the winter because of a lack of their main source of
nutrition.
Mating.
Doves choose their mates during
Changing Winds. A male makes known it is looking for a mate, by sitting on
the inside of branch. Males then sing a special "mating" song, which is slightly
different from its normal tune. At this time the male is very territorial of the
branch, and will drive away all other males who attempt to even sit in the same
tree. A female then responds by resting on the branch next to the male. They are
then considered mates, and will be for the rest of their lives. Only if their
mate dies will they stray from their monogamous habits. Up to two eggs (though
usually only one) are layed late in
Singing Bird, and occasionally in
Rising Sun. Parents share
sitting duties: the female taking the day shift, while the male searches for
food and vice versa at night.
The egg finally hatches close to the end of
Rising Sun. They will
occasionally hatch in Burning
Heavens, but this is generally not good for the egg. It seems that if the
egg has not hatched before the last night of
Rising Sun, the parents will
abandon it! This seems like a natural insinct of the Dove, but it may be to show
Eyasha's dislike for having her holy birds
born in the month of a Fire God. Otherwise Doves are nurturing parents. They
will not eat until after the chick is fully fed. Even after the chick has grown
up, most will nest in a neighboring tree. They live about seven years at the
most but most often around five.
Myth/Lore.
Certain lore has been weaved to explain the occasional appearance of black spots
on this bird's plumage. A giddy children's poem tells the tale something like
this, though some words vary from region to region. Note that the humans from
where this poem is supposed to originate do not worship the mentioned High
Goddess Avá, but they had heard of Her from
local elves, and the poem is also a somewhat
mocking reference if you look closer. So listen to the following tale of the
origin of the Dove as constructed by simple peasants crafting a quick story to
tell their children:
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