Angelican

As darfellan are a stable race of those with cetacean-weres in their distant past, so are Angelicans descended from the weres of coastal raptors, such as seahawks and eagles.

They are exceptional astronomers and navigators, and are amongst the only race to have seen the sky beyond the clouds. They are wont to make at least one great journey in their life before returning to their homes. This is known as the Great Flight, even though many must do so aboard ship or on foot. They do not return until they have discovered or seen something none have before them, learned a life lesson or piece of wisdom of great import, or defeated a mighty foe or rival. The manner of this discovery and its telling is often used in the interesting of a Lady. These women usually take of the successfully traveled males, based on their discoveries and their use or interest.

Warriors too are chosen by their prowess and bravery, and it is often the case that a Lady angelican takes each a Warrior, an Explorer and a Shine, a male chosen for solely his appearance. This way her hatchlings will, together encompass the traits of strength, curiosity and appearance. Only the most exceptional male that holds all three traits strongly can have his Lady for his own.

Such pairings of Lord and Lady become rulers of the others.

Personality
Angelicans tend toward mercurial moods, raising up in heat and anger only to descend into melancholy and depression a moment later. Adolescent raptorans in particular are incredibly dangerous, going into destructive rages. It is generally at this height they are sent on their Great Flight. Until then they form clannish gangs of both sexes who give each other moral support and protection until their emotions mature and hormones stabilize. Though young raptorans will have almost none ruling over them, each gang tends to be swayed by a young dominant female, who focuses the unchanneled energies of her friends into furthering her personal goals. Of the males that survive their Great Flight she often chooses at least one from her adolescent group.

Physical Description
Though far from angelic, the avian heritage of angelicans gives them the appearance of a winged celestial. Most appear very much human, aside from the great wings growing from their backs. These feathers tend towards mottled greys or creamy browns, and tent to cover their backs, sometimes venturing down their sides, and not and again all the way to their front, though these latter tend to be plucked.

Angelicans petite and lightboned, with wingspans nearly 20 feet. Even so, they have massive chests and back muscles compared with other humanoids, putting even the mighty Free People to shame. Their legs, however, are spindly, with toes long enough to be moderately prehensile, but clumsy.

An angelican's eyes also tend to be somewhat large and bulbous, but not out of the ordinary human norms.

Relations
Angelican temperment makes them suspect amongst most races, coming closest to that of Maenids. As such, Angelicans/Maenids tend to form the most frequent extraspecies relationships, though this also means they can sometimes develop the most extreme hatreds as well.

However, once an  Angelican has matured, had their flight, and found their place in history and within themselves they settle down greatly and tend to have an air of nobility that most races appreciate.

Alignment
Young angelicans, before the Flight, tend towards Chaotic Neutral, but afterwards vary as widely as any human, but tend away from the Chaotic.

Lands
The isles that angelicans prefer are incredibly mountainous, and treacherous to any that cannot fly. Homes are carved out of rock, and built upon plateaus. The lowlier of the people live closest the ground and sea, but those as can fly high enough to reach the higher peaks literally ascend to higher station. Their home capital is a great extinct caldera-island chain far out to sea.

Religion
Angelicans, despite their appearance, are not particularly religious. Many tend towards Saga for she is the Goddess of stories and great deeds, which strikes a chord in the Angelicans. Other, more primal Angelicans, follow their shifter roots and tend more towards shamanism and druidic practices.

Language
Angelicans speak their own language of Harp. In this language they tend to have loud, high, unpleasant voices to the opinions of other races. However, they have the same vocals as humans so are capable of reproducing other languages instinguishably from humans.

Names
Angelicans have nothing but nicknames until they have completed their Great Flight. After that their name is awarded or based on the deed, story, or experience they performed or return with.

Flew-the-Ochine is a common name, for many Angelicans eventually cross the entire waters in search of that special 'thing'. This trip in itself, taking years, is an experience and great deed amongst itself, and worthy of reknown.

Traits

 * Raptoran base land speed is 30 feet.
 * Medium: As Medium creatures, Angelicans have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.


 * Wing-Aided Movement: Angelicans can use their wings to help with movement even if they can't fly yet. The extra lift from her wings gives a raptoran a +10 racial bonus on Jump checks.


 * Gliding (Ex): An Angelican can use her wings to glide, negating damage from a fall of any height and allowing 20 feet of forward travel for every 5 feet of descent. Angelicans glide at a speed of 40 feet (average maneuverability). Even if an Angelican's maneuverability improves, she can't hover while gliding. An Angelican can't glide while carrying a medium or heavy load. If an angelican becomes unconscious or helpless while in midair, her wings naturally unfurl and powerful ligaments stiffen the wings. The angelican descends in a tight corkscrew and takes only 1d6 points of falling damage, no matter what the actual distance of the fall.


 * Flight (Ex): When an angelican reaches 5 Hit Dice, she becomes able to fly at a speed of 40 feet (average maneuverability). An angelican can't fly while carrying a medium or heavy load or while fatigued or exhausted. Angelicans can safely fly for a number of rounds equal to their Constitution modifier (minimum 1 round). They can exert themselves to fly for up to twice as long, but then they're fatigued at the end of the flight. Angelicans are likewise fatigued after spending a total of more than 10 minutes per day flying. Because Angelicans can glide before, after, and between rounds of actual flight, they can remain aloft for extended periods (even if they can only use flight for 1 round at a time without becoming fatigued).


 * When they reach 10 Hit Dice, Angelicans have enough stamina and prowess to fly for longer periods. They can fly at a speed of 40 feet (average maneuverability), and flying requires no more exertion than walking or running. An Angelican with flight can make a dive attack. A dive attack works like a charge, but the Angelican must move a minimum of 30 feet and descend at least 10 feet. An Angelican can make a dive attack only when wielding a piercing weapon; if the attack hits, it deals double damage. Angelicans with flight can use the run action while flying, provided she flies in a straight line.


 * Restless Spirit: Because of their migratory natures, Angelican spellcasters cast spells from the teleportation school or discipline at +1 caster level.


 * Unerring Direction: Angelicans have an instinctive sense of which direction is north, even when they are underground or otherwise unable to see the sky or other visual cues. Beyond the Material Plane, this ability doesn't function.


 * Low-Light Vision: Angelicans can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. Angelicans retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.


 * Weapon Familiarity: Angelicans treat the footbow as a martial weapon rather than as an exotic weapon.


 * +2 racial bonus on Climb and Spot checks. Angelicans have strong grips with both hands and feet, and their eyes are unusually keen. This latter trait improves as they gain HD. For every 5 levels they attain, their Spot check increases by +2. For example, at level 5 they would have a +4 check. At level 10 a +6 check, etc.


 * Automatic Languages: Chat and Hark.


 * Bonus Languages: Any.


 * Favored Class: Ranger. A multiclass Angelican's ranger class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty.