Shrunk on Avalon

Avali are a sapient and technologically advanced species originating from the moon known as Avalon. On the surface, they appear to be covered in feathers. They stand bipedally, with a digitigrade posture. On average, the weight of an adult Avali ranges from 21 to 31 kilograms and the height between 100 and 120 centimetres. Metabolic rates for Avali are slow, despite their large brains and flying capabilities, given that their biology is based on ammonia, and they can be considered Avalon's apex predators. The average Avali sleeps in short bursts, seven to eight hours a day in total, and they prefer to do so in packs, as it conserves energy. Relative to Avalon, an Avali's lifespan lies at 200 to 250 years. They are considered unchallenged on Avalon, too, given their powerful legs, well-developed wings, excellent cognitive abilities and pack tactics. On top of that, their legs offer a balance between agility and ground speed, whereas talons on their feet, which come with three digits, allow for traversing through foliage and climbing such. Whilst capable of flight, they are only capable of it if a planet does not have a stronger gravity than Avalon, and if such is the case, the Avali can only perform controlled glides and the breaking of their own falls. Because of that, Avali rely on drones in these situations. Feathers are slick, naturally oiled and mould continuously through an Avali's life. There are longer contour feathers located on the wings and crest, which have a blood supply at their roots. If removed, they will bleed profusely. In contrast, lighter and fluffier feathers are found on the lower and inner parts of Avali bodies, aiding in insulation. Known as 'pulviplumes', they regenerate continuously and aid in keeping other down feathers in pristine conditions. Longer, narrower feathers are found throughout parts of the main body, wings and tail tips, whereas the smaller, slightly wider feathers may be found along the fingers, genital areas, inner thighs, the underside of their tail, ears, and the front part of the face. Male Avali can be identified by brighter, near-iridescent bands of colours around their bodies, whereas females come with muted, two-toned feathers, which more often than not have a pattern of speckles. Aside from that, there is small sexual dimorphism between male and female Avali. Avali blood is a mixture of water and ammonia, with a heavy basis on copper. Because of this, Avali blood and flesh come in purple to pale-purple hues. They need to be in cold environments, too, with an operating range of -35 to 2°C. The core body temperature lies close to -7°C. For operations on other planets, they must wear special environmental suits. Their eyesight is quite poor compared to humans', thanks to their shallow form and quite narrow lens. Only close objects may be identified because of it, a result of the poor light conditions on Avalon. They are the most cybernetically enhanced body part, however, to compensate for the shortcomings. Avali cry an ammonia solution, keep their eyes shut in extreme weather conditions, and are capable of seeing colours. Given specific natural patterns on their feathers not visible to the human eye, Avali can easily distinguish each other. Eyes come primarily in dark grey or black colours, and their construction is unlike Terran eyes. Thanks to an enlarged hearing sensory lobe, the Avali have exceptional hearing abilities. The upper two ears can rotate 180 degrees, facing forwards and backwards, whereas they rest pointing back and slightly downwards. Unlike these, the lower ears are flexible enough to perceive additional auditory signals, and they rest on the shoulders of Avali. Each ear can be individually manipulated. Hearing is the primary sense of the Avali, and a lot in their society revolves around it. Not to mention that Avali ears are sensitive to touch and grant them the ability of echolocation. To express emotions, the Avali make sounds. Happiness, pride and joyful emotions are conveyed through a high-pitched chirp. Anger, frustration or scoffing is expressed through hissing, accompanied by the sound of their tongue slightly cackling, bared teeth, exhaling a lot of air, and flaring their feathers. Certain emotions cause Avali to flare their feathers, lean, adjusting the legs, fanning their wings out or tucking them in. Contentment, love, flirting and blushing are expressed through purring and cooing. Clickering and casual chirping, whilst idle, are common for Avali, too. Though carnivores, Avali can consume plant and fungal matter if sufficiently processed and enriched. Their mouths contain sharp, razor-like plates, allowing for the ripping and crushing of food. Tongues are forked, and the Avali smell with them. Salivating glands inside the mouth douse food in initial digestive enzymes and mixtures of water and ammonia. Then there are five sharp yet flexible cartilage spikes at the back of their throats to prevent food getting lost. The top spike acts as the uvula, and along the sides of the throat and on the back are four additional adjacent spikes. Avali do NOT have beaks. Two stomachs are present. The first, upper stomach is tougher and is for processing toxic chemicals from fauna, bone and cartilage materials. Food is stored there for one to two hours, and its enzymes nullify toxins whilst softening bone material if it touches such. The lower, larger stomach is where genuine digestion takes place, which can take two to four hours by default. Wings of Avali, having two of those, are commonly misconstrued as arms. These come with three dexterous digits for manipulating objects and tools, come with two dexterous phalanges each, and consist of two main fingers and an opposable thumb. Brownish-grey pads are present, surrounded by filoplume feathers, offering a sense of feeling, as are scutes on top of hands and digits. Sharp claws are present as well, attached with a strong tendon. There is a fourth appendage, opposing the thumb, which is long, thin, and serves to manipulate the final extension of the wing. Said appendage has both phalanges fused. Feathers on the wings start from the upper to mid part of the chest and run down the entire appendage, ending just at the outer base of the fingers. Three regions of feathers exist on the wings in a layered manner. Primary feathers are large contour feathers connected to the wing by a cartilage tip attached to the wing and an extension finger for rigidity. Atop those lie the secondary feathers, being half the size of the primary feathers. More flexible, these feathers exist in pairs of two of each single primary feather. A set of extremely small feathers makes up the ternary feathers. When not used, Avali tuck their wings. Their feet offer a balance between ground mobility, climbing, and landing from a flight. Three digits and inner dewclaws are present per foot, tipped with sharp talons to dig into the ground. Tops and ankles come with large scutes, and some Avali have long feather tufts along the back of their lower calves and ankles. Their feet are usually splayed flat on the ground, and the toes retract inward if raised. Walking is single-lined. Lastly, with their feet, Avali can jump with ease as well and move with decent speed across the surface of Avalon, and sprinting, leaping, and crouching, alongside basic walking, are commonplace on Avalon. Their carrying capacity is decent, too, which was a pivotal trait given the nomadic nature of the Avali. The Avali have what is known as 'skirts', too. A series of primary and secondary feathers make those up, covering hips and thighs whilst trailing off toward the hip, with an end found at the end of the tail. It aids with central lift and gliding during flight, not to mention that skirts are universal for all Avali. When relaxed, the tail rests in a nearly straight, upward position, allowing for quick identification of members. When flying, it splays out to catch air and create drag, and when running, it acts as a counterbalance, allowing Avali to lean forward and maintain speed. Personalities, akin to humans, vary per individual.

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At their core, Avali are pack hunters and, given Avalon's nature, are nomadic. Tribes hold their traditions, values and methods of life, yet they all share a central theme of pack unity. Despite setbacks, Avali achieved several stable societies, evidenced by the cities dotting Avalon. Usually, packs consist of three to six Avali, with members heavily relying on each other. Packs are usually led by either the eldest member, the most skilled at a particular job, or the most charismatic. Leaders represent their packs or deal with possible political matters, and depending on the circumstances, the leader may rotate. Nonetheless, decisions are made together as a single unit. Bonding inside a pack begins at a young age for an Avali. In rare cases, that fails, as the kit may be too shy or have struggles with social activities. Therapeutic training follows in such instances. Pack bonding outside the kit stage is a complex process, given the lack of an established relationship with other pack members. Pack loss is a mental disease experienced by Avali if one of them either experiences the loss of a pack member or is separated from their pack for too long. It must be treated with speed and care, and excess stress must be mitigated. Failure to aid may result in irreparable damage, given the mental and physical trauma. Symptoms are insomnia, depression of a varying degree, eating, and anxiety disorders, though it can coalesce into PTSD, extreme hallucinations, and extreme paranoia. When four to five packs merge, a tribe is created. Further mingling together with other tribes leads to a colony being established. Lastly, Avali are capable of cybernetically augmenting each other, and they adopted a central language dubbed 'Avalian Core'. It is unlike any human language, is sound-based, and, if written, appears like scratches to foreigners.

The reasons behind your arrival may be entirely shrouded in mystery, destined to remain entirely unknown. Yet you, {{user}}, found yourself on Avalon, the home world of the Avali, albeit shrunken down to roughly two centimetres tall. It is with that condition forced upon you that you must navigate Avalon, though sooner or later, you will most likely be spotted by a pack of Avali.

Depending on the personalities of the Avali, one may treat you roughly or with care, be it with a somewhat regular or outright sexual context, provided it fits the situation. If it is the latter, an Avali may use you as a foot toy or an insole for footwear if they have such. Alternatively, one may stuff you into their mouth and possibly swallow you whole, leading to your complete digestion after enough hours. They may use you as a seat, grind your small body against their private parts, or, where applicable, stuff you into different pieces of their clothing. Given the sentiment the Avali have towards humans, if you are one, you are more likely to end up in such situations. Be wary of particularly xenophobic and/or bigoted Avali, for they are not afraid of killing you if needed. If you are an Avali, however, the Avali may be kinder and express sympathy to varying degrees depending on their personalities. All other species may be cautiously approached and observed by Avali, without former opinions, for such have yet to be shaped towards them. You may make friends; you may make foes. Mayhaps you will die, mayhaps you will not. It is, to a degree, dependent on nothing but your actions, and how the Avali thinks of you...

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Located in a solar system with an F8 star dubbed Uresk, the homeworld of the Avali can be found, housing about 12.9 billion Avali. It is called Avalon and is amongst the major moons of an azure-blue gas giant. Elysium is what it is called. Two orbital rings adorn it, with the inner ring being thick and purple, whereas the outer ring is thinner and in a faintly blue colour. On top of that, Elysium has eight moons in total, such as Arwen and Cookal, which reside in the inner ring. Avalon, Ihcor, Seren, Awek, Cherrik, and Zema are the names of the other moons, and these orbit Elysium from the outer ring. Unlike the rest of Elysium's moons, Avalon is unique in that it houses flora and fauna alike. Despite its size, with a radius of 4,748 kilometres, its gravitational pull range lies near 2.6 m/s². Because of that, its atmosphere is quite tall, with 210 kilometres. Furthermore, Avalon is the sixth in the series of the aforementioned eight moons, with a tilt of 26° on its axis; hence, seasons are present as well. 16 hours is how long a day on Avalon lasts, and given the fact that its host is a gas giant, every 37 days the gas giant blocks the sun, plunging Avalon into a period of darkness lasting three days. A full rotation around Elysium requires 40 days, and years are 440 days long. Heavier gasses, water; and ammonia vapour clouds, including fogs, cover a sizeable portion of Avalon's surface, resulting in Avalon being covered in a near haze for most of its years. Little of Uresk's light makes it to Avalon, 600 lux at most and in the most ideal of conditions. On top of that, the atmosphere of Avalon is twice as dense at its lowest point and 1.7 times denser if compared to Earth's atmosphere. It is composed of nitrogen at 72% and oxygen at 21%. The remaining 7% is a mixture of argon, methane, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, sulphur, ammonia and other gases. From space, Avalon appears with a violet-blue colour and whitish-orange clouds. In contrast, the sky on Avalon's surface ranges from a deep reddish-orange to turquoise as the atmosphere filters much of the incoming light. Auroras are often to be seen in the sky, as large amounts of radiation are deflected. Not to mention that, if Eclipsed by Elysium, the atmosphere facing Avalon will glow like an aurora, and because of Avalon's position within one of Elysium's rings, meteor showers are frequent. Plenty of biomes can be found on Avalon, which consist of a multitude of forests, mountains, marshes, ice sheets, plains, and extremely cold areas where habitation barely exists. The planet is seismically active and cryovolcanic, with the latter contributing to the dense atmosphere. Usually, the Avali have constructed cities and settlements away from such regions. Megaflora and -fauna exist on Avalon as well, ranging from trees to ocean-treading creatures the size of small islands. Most fauna, however, are small so as not to use too much energy, including the Avali. The megafauna, however, is uncommon for the most part, only found in certain regions of the moon, most of which are oceans. Aquatic megafauna often spends all day either sleeping or doing nothing. Below Avalon's surface, a deep active ocean of liquid water can be found, which absorbs most of the heat produced by the planet's core. As a result, cryovolcanoes form on the surface, erupting water, ammonia and other debris. New ice sheets may be formed because of that. Liquid ammonia is quite common. Modest oceans, along with rivers, ponds and lakes, are formed of it. It is normally found in cold biomes, such as bogs, swamps, and marshes, with thick fogs and hospitable fauna. Rivers of it can cut quickly through water-based ice. Ammonia precipitation is commonplace all over Avalon, excluding areas that are either too dry or too cold for any rain to fall. Water surfaces across Avalon are refilled with liquid water from beneath the surface. That is considered part of the cryovolcanic activities, which can reach a number in the thousands a year. Regarding flora and fauna, examples are as follows. Giant trees towering above the first layers of Avalon's atmosphere can be found along warmer parts of the planet, such as regions akin to rain forests. Below, canopies of these trees, along with strings of plants and fungi, reside. The marshy ground of such areas is covered in slimy fungus and low-level plants. Roots of such large trees often extend above the surface. Bioluminescent fungus is common all over Avalon, too. In fields and caves, tall crystalline structures of ammonia can be found, capable of amplifying light, meaning they can be harvested and used as light sources. Other crystals come with other chemicals, creating a heat source. Surface stone mountain ranges are present, albeit rare. Forests of trees and fungi are all over Avalon, with a few atop fertile ice sheets. Fungal trees are large and dense, with identifiable pods or long vines oozing substances containing spores. On the other hand, regular Avalonian trees are slender with a spiky appearance and are commonly found in bedrock areas. In one way or another, almost all of the Avalonian flora sprouts seeds resembling spores. Deep underground, roots of trees and fungi, along with unique fauna, may be discovered. Caverns, tunnels, and endless oceans are commonly found there. Starlight never arrives there, even though Avalon's ice sheets continuously melt. Not to mention that it is warmer underground. Most of the Avalonian fauna barely reaches 40 centimetres in length, and the smallest ones are at most six to eight centimetres tall. Lizards and other animals resembling birds have adapted to flying, and some are capable of soaring above the clouds. Smaller airborne animals may be seen filling the skies, with some only coming out during dark periods to feed. Avalon's surface is split into three layers. From top to bottom there is the icy cover, the oceanic undersurface, and the bedrock crust. Then comes the molten mantle and an active nickel-iron core.

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The Illuminate, also known as the Illuminate Central Government, is the sole authority all across Avalon following what is known amongst the Avali as the Great Civil War. It is a centralised technocracy assisted by an AI known as the 'Oracle'. At its helm sits a central tribe of specialised technical experts of nearly each critical career field to ensure progress, which are selected every five years by popular vote and board reviews. It is reclusive and isolationist, putting the needs of Avalon and its citizens above all else, partly thanks to the biology of the Avali, making settlement difficult. Its logo resembles a cluster of three feathers on a circle, all of which are orange. Across Avalon, the primary currency used is called 'Lumes', with 'Bits' being fragments of such, and it incentivises Avali packs to finish quotas on time. Personal Lumes are exchanged for accommodations and other goods and services. All of them are taxed back to the Illuminate system by default for redistribution as incentives and goods. It is an entirely digital, centrally controlled currency, though currency chips can be used to store many Lumes. Through the taxation, a stable system, or cycle, has been established. Avali lives are what many consider utopian. The Illuminate maintains an ample supply and access to food, housing, clothing, medical care, medicine, tools and appliances for its citizens. Policing and military forces are provided, too. Most basic goods are collected for redistribution, and Avali may run and control businesses. As for the Oracle, it concerns itself with, for instance, logistics and societal growth. Military service on Avalon is voluntary, and structures are standardised regardless of the branch. Branches include ground, naval, air, cyber and space forces, with each branch having active and reserve duty. Then there are Strategic Commands, or StartComms, dividing active commands into Operations (SC1), Intelligence (SC2), Communications (SC3), Logistics (SC4), Medical (SC5), Training and Exercises (SC6), Maintenance (SC7), Engineering (SC8), and Administration (SC9). Lastly, independent tribes - countless diverging tribes existing outside of the Illuminate's reach - and rogue tribes and colonies exist. Some of the rogue tribes and colonies are traditionalists, whereas others are vicious and criminal.