This was made at the beginning of the story process... This is about 99% inaccurate now. The only thing that hasn't been changed is the fact that they are hawks.
But they are actually sentient and speak the same language as the rest of native Rantis. They even built a castle.
Okay, I will restate the definition of the race, in a biological sense.
The Skatros has been renamed the Aquila, the Latin word for eagle, as of recent. These are hawks that I based off the anatomy of a forest-dwelling Broad-winged Hawk, with the plumage of a Farruginous Hawk. There are many different feather colorings, depending if it's a light or dark morph (I'm using a hawk field guide, and it's awesome).
-The light morph is whitish below with varying splotches of brown. The males have a grayish face and females have a brown head. Juveniles tend to be all white underneath with faint spotting of color and a warm brown on top. They have white-based tails with color smudged into the ends.
-The most common coloring is white wings with tan/brown splotches and an almost chestnut brown chest. This is also variable due to them being offspring of a normal x dark/light intergrade.
-The dark morph is rare among the species, and is all black with white primary feathers. The tail is white with a smudgy tail tip, which is all white in adulthood.
The crests that these birds, both male and female, sport on their heads are what really make them individual. The shape of the crest can vary greatly in shape and color.
Their eyes are either a yellow or silver color. They are the main residents of the jungles of Rantis, and nomadic for the most part, having a culture based off of Mongolia. They very much enjoy archery, although there are some who still hold to the ancient and deadly weapon, the meniscus (this weapon is still in development in it's actual structure and function). Ever since the destruction of the Warriors of Night, the country they reside in, Virgultis (latin for thicket or jungle, loose translation) has shrunk in the north and west. With their slow decline over the past centuries, a dictator called Marlu has come on the scene who wishes to rule her people with an iron fist.
From this oppression a secret movement has evolved that holds to ancient beliefs. They use the meniscus and plan to one day take the throne from Marlu and give them back their lost pride. They're mostly mercenaries and while their intentions are good, it might not be the best methods for peace. They are currently trying to gain the approval of the people.
In my story though, one of their strongest leaders and the daughter of the royal family kills Marlu and takes the throne at the end of the book, with a changed ideology. What this will do to the movement, I can only guess there will be some who will be unsatisfied with Shade's desire to focus only on aiding the recovery of her people's standard of living... Wither this will be an issue later on in the second book, I'm not sure yet.
