Habitat: They mostly live in the forests close to the mountains, some Houses have taken refuge in the ice wastes, they dislike cities of other races although there are exceptions.
Lifespan: 500-700 years, physically mature at age 50, although not considered as adults until they go through the rites of Ca'din'so which can only happen if the elders approve (normally around age 100)
Elements: Wind: 30% Moon: 25 % Sun: 25 % Water: 10 % Ice: 5 % Fire: 4 % Earth: 1 %
Husbandry: Angels, demons, dracarien, dwarves, elves, humans, nymphs, selkies, shapeshifters
Gestation:: 1 1/2 years.
Appearance: The Valkyries are a race of angelic looking beings but they are born with only one wing which makes them incapable of flight, although they can hover for short distances and a few feet above the ground. Valkyries eventually construct another wing, however, giving them better ability to fly. (See Culture.)
They have the same smooth features as the angels. Depending on where the House lives they have a brown or rather pale skin, this also has a varied influence on the colour of their wings, the ones who grow up in sunny climate have gold/brown wings whereas the ones who grow up in a cold climate have white/blue wings. All valkyries have mismatched eyes.
History: Valkyries share the same ancestor as the angels, but through the ages they lost one of their wings, making them unworthy of the angels attention. The big difference is that Valkyries procreate within the same sex (male-male, female-female) dividing the valkyries into two Houses, the Ashar (males) and the Ashymin (females). Although the two Houses get along they never really mingle.
Culture: Valkyries have a strong sense of Honor, the elders of the House decide when someone is ready for the rite of Ca'din'so, in which the Valkyrie has to construct a second wing, called a Ar'lal, out of any material he or she wishes, and through the rite that wing has to become part of him/her. Afterwards they are able to fly, not as fast as the angels but close enough.
The Ca'din'so is a very important rite, not only for the wing, before a boy or girl has gone through the rite they are considered children, even if they are physically adults.
The two Houses have a different form of the rite, passed over from the house mother/father over the ages and only the house mother/father can know the secrets, even after the Valkyrie has gone through the rite they can never speak of it to anyone.
Every Ar'lal is different and it takes magic to make it part of a Valkyrie, magic they gain through the rite of Ca'din'so.
They almost never resort to magic, seeing it as something sacred, only the house mother/father and the elders are allowed to used magic publicly.
Every House is governed by a mother or father. There are some houses who live together, in some instances even males and females in the same city/town but those are exceptions. (Every town has their own house)
Above every House mother/father or every specific House is the Leader of each sex, The Sadin for the Ashar and the Amyrlina for the Ashymin.
Directly below the house mother/father are the elders, these are not always the oldest of the house but are considered the wisest, there is no age restriction.
Below the elders is the Tarashta, a council of sorts, in which the nobles and representatives of the people are seated, they make decisions about everyday things, when it comes to the greater good of the House, the House mother/father is in charge.
Magic: The Valkyries have a fair amount of magic power, they are slightly telepathic although not able to send words to each-others mind they can send a general feeling or in some instances even images, mostly in the form of metaphors and not the real life image.
Their magic is mostly wind and water related, they have no real power when it comes to fire and earth.
They will never use magic unless it is absolutely necessary.
The Valkyries’ Ar'lal are constructed by a gathering of magic from the elders and the House mother/father, resulting in the union of Ar'lal and Valkyrie.
Misc. When a Valkyrie has gone through the Rite of Ca'din'so they no longer react to heat or cold, hence they no longer sweat or shiver from the cold.
Terminology: Ashar: the males of the Valkyries
Ashymin: the females of the Valkyries
Ar'lal: The second wing a Valkyries makes and then becomes part of them
Ca'din'so: The rite of passage every valkyrie has to go through to become and adult
Saidin: the leader of the Ashar
Amyrlina: the leader of the Ashymin
Tarashta: the council of representatives and nobles, every city/town has one