Eirene (3.5e Race)

Eirene
Summary::Eirene are kind-hearted bird people directly related to harpies. They promote peace and harmony in others, and are sometimes known as Peacebearers or Dovelings.  It's uncertain when the eirene and harpy races split, but the two could not be more different. It is the one thing eirene do not try to use diplomacy with, and vice versa.

Personality
Known as birds of peace, this is reflected in the attitude of the eirene which embraces comfort and serenity, meditation and reflection, and the elimination or mitigation of suffering. They have taken it upon themselves to show respect to all living things and to give all creatures a chance at rest. Though it implies life, an eirene is not afraid to bring death if death is the greatest peace they can bestow. Fortunately, this is usually only a last resort.

Eirene are friendly and generally cheerful, but have been known to be "bird brained". They are rather dull and occasionally animalistic compared to most civilized life and most of their tools and mechanical wonders comes from trade with outsiders, for they make very little themselves.

Physical Description
Unlike the typical harpy, eirene do not have hands in addition to their wings. They have a humanoid head and torso, but the wings and legs of a bird. They do vary in color but their feathers are commonly white, brown, red, or gold and their skin, eye, and hair tones vary as much as humans. Their hair sometimes is mixed in with hair-like feathers or entirely feathers. Their arms are wings and while they have enough fine manipulation to grasp objects, they cannot wield with them without great difficulty.

A fair majority of eirene are female, or at least it may appear so as the males typically guard the nests from danger. These egg laying beings hide their nests in tall places and cliffsides out of sight from most beings.

Like birds they have hollow bones and thus are very light for their size.

Relations
Because of the helpful and benevolent nature of the eirene, they befriend nearly everyone including typically barbaric or savage races. The favor of an eirene is difficult to lose, but once lost it is difficult to return as well. Word spreads quickly amongst clans, and soon a hostile force finds itself exiles from assistance. Thus, wise antagonistic forces choose to avoid angering their benefactors. They usually serve as medics on battlefields, helping both sides and being harassed by neither.

Alignment
Eirenes are often Lawful Good, and typically any Good. To fall into evil is to become like a harpy, a mark of shame.

Lands
Eirene live in places of great height such as redwood forests, great mountains, cliffs, and canyons.

Religion
Eirene religion has picked up several good aligned deities from other nations, but remains of their original religion stay firm in the form of The Song. The Song is not a deity so much as a philosophical concept of peace and harmony, and great hymns are sung in The Song's name. It is accredited to several forces in the world, such as the Words of Creation, Truespeach, Power Words, or sometimes even less benevolent forces.

Language
Eirene speak Common and Auran.

Names
Eirene names typically have a "sing song" rhythm to them, often rhyming or words that just flow off the tongue.