Avian Culture

Content
Preface
The Commandments of Kluex
The Aether
Sacrifices
Ascension Towers
Tombs
Mausoleums

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Preface
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It's important when looking in on the Avian faith to consider it from an Avian point of view. As a human, we have multiple options for religions which don't intrude very much into our everyday lives. On the other hand, as an Avian, your religion is the only choice and it is taught from birth. The faith is involved so deeply in an Avian's everyday life that religion and culture are practically synonymous. An Avian likely wouldn't even consider their belief in the Sunborn as a religion, because to them, it is simply a part of their society and culture as a whole.

The Commandments of Kluex
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Written long ago by the Arbiter Kluex, these commandments outline basic morals that an Avian should follow. Defying any of these rules often requires atonement, which can be completed in multiple different ways.

1. Thou shalt not fly, for fear of angering the celestial entities.
2. Thou shalt not eat seeds from the pussplum plant.
3. Thou shalt aspire to greatness; to become a Sunborn.
4. Thou shall serve Kluex, in this life and the next.
5. Thou shalt keep thy feathers clean.
6. Thou shalt outcast any Avian such as would deny Kluex.
7. Thou shalt not worship false idols.
8. Thou shall never take dinner with a Floran.
9. Thou shalt not steal.

The Aether
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Likening the Aether to Heaven is a fair comparison, but the most glaring issue is the lack of a Hell counterpart in Avian culture. The Aether is often described as a plane above the mortal realm, sometimes painted rather literally as the stars themselves. It is believed that the Sunborn, when not in the mortal realm, reside in the Aether. Entry to the Aether is entirely dependant on the judgement of Kluex, the arbiter, who judges those who wish to pass into the afterlife. Avians who lived a holy life in accordance with the rules Kluex decreed are able to pass into the Aether, sailing on their newly granted wings amongst the stars for eternity. Those who Kluex deems unworthy of entry are forced to 'hop' around on the ground for all eternity in a form of purgatory.

Sacrifices
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An often misinterpreted part of the faith, sacrifices play an important and non-malicious role in Avian society. Ritual sacrifices are performed by Avians for appeasement of the gods, atonement for wrongdoings, and other various reasons. Typically, criminals and captured enemies are used as subjects to sacrifice, but sometimes Avians willing volunteer to be sacrificed. It is believed that those who volunteer to be sacrificed will ascend into the Aether without the risk of being denied entry.

Ascension Towers
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These towers can seem rather tall and imposing, but are actually part of a deeply admired part of Avian society. Avians volunteer to train themselves mentally and physically before throwing themselves from the tower in the hopes they will ascend and become a Sunborn. Training is a rigorous process, often spawning cutthroat competition between the trainees. Once their teacher determines the volunteer is ready for an attempt, they climb the tower and toss themselves off it. It is said that those who are worthy will sprout wings and sail into the Aether to become a Sunborn. Those who plummet and die enter the Aether as a typical Avian would. Those who plummet and survive are said to have been chosen by Kluex to remain on the mortal plane to serve him. Most Avians admire the dedication and faith the jumpers have, but very few feel as though they are able to make it through the exhausting process.

Tombs
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Tombs are not holy resting places of respected flightless. Instead, they’re the cold and final resting place of criminals and grounded alike. One of the greatest desires in an Avian’s life is to spread their wings and soar, in both a metaphorical and religious connotation. Sealing undesirables into tombs directly cuts off any association with the sky and the stars, as if condemning them to a fate with the ground.

Mausoleums
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On the other hand, the more well respected members are laid to rest in large, elegant mausoleums. They’re often very open and covered in religious symbols, arguably some of the Avian's most beautiful constructions. For those who cannot find a place in a mausoleum, cremation, followed by the spreading of ashes, is often the right choice.

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