Mure

The Mure are a species of avian humanoids native to Akitei. They are nomadic and migratory in nature, and specialize in trade. The Mure are divided into two subspecies that coexist, the Clorka (crow-type) and Skotta (magpie-type).

Clorka:
The Clorka are the crow-type subspecies. They have entirely black plumage. They are the natural-born leaders of the Mure. The Clorka are very logical, detail-oriented people who use strong reasoning skills to attain wealth. They might be considered the "left brain" of the Mure. Only about 20% of the Mure are of the Clorka subspecies.

Skotta:
The Skotta are the magpie-type subspecies. They have black plumage with white arms, underbellies, and upper wings. They are considered the working class of the Mure. Skotta are very passionate about valuables and personal gain. About 80% of the Mure are of the Skotta subspecies.

Lifespan:
Both Clorka and Skotta have a life expectancy from around 90 to 120 years. They live longer than both of the other species that coexist on Akitei (humans and Beasar).

Communication:
Mure are multilingual. Their native language is a gruff-sounding language made of birdlike cawing noises.

They speak the common language of the people of Akitei and generally are able to speak and communicate with other dialects for trade purposes. They speak with an accent and odd inflection, given that they have beaks and no teeth or lips, but generally are understandable (like how humans can understand parrots' imitation of speech).

They are skilled imitators and can imitate sounds as well as languages.

Diet:
Mure mostly eat fish, grubs, worms, insects, and lots of veggies. They typically eat very healthy. They avoid all wild bird meat and eggs at all costs. They don't eat much meat in general, but bacon is considered a delicacy in their society.

Sexual Dimorphism:
Females are slightly larger than males but otherwise look nearly identical.

Reproduction:
Mure do not give live birth - they lay eggs. They typically mate for life. Child rearing duties are split equally between male and female Mure. Children from previous clutches may also help with hatching and raising new children.

Social Customs:
A large part of Mure culture is their love of trade, and especially trading up to gain wealth. They are always trying to one-up each other, and can be extremely competitive, but they have a friendly sense of competition and will look out for each-other when traveling. Mure are very trusting of each other, even between subspecies, but are wary of outsiders. However, they are not malicious.

They might be seen as greedy and seek wealth, but they are not thieves or rogues. Stealing is a huge taboo in Mure society and gaining wealth from ingenuine means might result in social isolation.

Though Clorka are the natural leaders of Mure society, they do not generally see themselves as inherently more worthwhile than their Skotta comrades. Skotta, however, can occasionally become caught-up with their identity as a lower caste member and can become jealous and greedy. Likewise, some Clorka have disproportionately large egos.

Mure are a peaceful people and are generally non-aggressive despite their competitive nature. If they must fight, it is generally the females who will defend their property because they are larger and often the ones rearing children.

In public, Mure people are not very showy. Their general outward appearance is not indicative of their wealth - they generally dress plainly, and do not attract attention to themselves. However, in private, they tend to show off their wealth. They may collect jewelry, textiles, etc to adorn while in the presence of close acquaintances.

When not in use, Mure have the tendency to fold their wings over their bodies instead of on their backs.

Religion:
Compared to the other species on Akitei, particularly the Beasar, the Mure are relatively non-religious. They generally do not follow Dasaniq, but they may believe in them.

They do, however, follow a set of spiritual beliefs. Mure religion is led by two main leaders, similar to pharaohs, who are seen as god-like but are not actually divine. They always have one male and one female, and they may be either of Clorka or Skotta heritage.

Major Cities:
The Mure do not have any major cities due to their nomadic nature. The relatively small town of Alecliffe is populated mostly by Mure, mostly those who are nesting, raising very young children, or are ill or old. It is considered both the beginning and end of their major trade route on Akitei.

Some Mure have elected to take up permanent residence in Swynmead, usually as salespeople or business owners.

Usually, though, the Mure tend to create temporary homes along their trade route and move accordingly with the weather and available resources around them. They can reasonably be seen in any town or city in Akitei.

Economy:
The Mure economy subsists almost entirely from trade. Due to their natural love of wealth and collecting material goods, Mure are extremely talented at bartering and trading, and have developed a culture around it.

Trade route:
The Mure take a consistent triangular trade route across Akitei. It begins in the Mure-populated town of Alecliffe, which goes south to Lackington, Walsworth and Tempo, and then up the coast to Swynmead, where they typically spend the longest due to the large port and other traders available there. When the weather gets warm again, the Mure continue back up north to Vinby and occasionally Fort Byers, and then back to Alecliffe.

Mure tend to travel either with their mates and children, a small group, or occasionally a small tribe. It is unusual to see a large group of Mure at once, especially Clorka. If a group of Mure is traveling together, there will typically be one or two Clorka as the leader(s) of the group, and five to ten Skotta.