[hider=RACE]

[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/GoY7Rvqm.jpg?1[/img][/center]
[center][sub]/\Slow workday sketch :)[/sub][/center]
[b]The Visogul[/b]

 The enormous eagle-like Visogul are known for their fierce hierarchical societies, their adherence to a strict martial discipline and respect for elders in their tribes. In earliest times, they were great prophets, gifted with the magical ability of Farsight, and spoke prophecies for kings and emperors. Although visogul have long been allies of mankind, in modern eras they have grown insular and fearful of the outside world. 

 Although the Visogul are hatched with bright, iridescent plumage, as they age and grow their appearance becomes dull and grey. The oldest Visogul, nearing 500 years in age are a snowy white. Feathers of the younglings are prized possessions of other races, as they have some minor alchemical applications, and are some of the most beautiful naturally occurring colors in nature. These feathers are hard-won, as a young Visogul is fiercely protected by the community. 

 Visogul have the head of a raptor-most commonly associated with eagles or hawks. The torso is wide, and the shoulders strong to accommodate the massive wingspan, (nearly 15 feet when fully extended). At the ends of each wing are smaller vestigial claws that may be a relic of an abandoned evolutionary path. The dominant arms extending from just below the shoulder joint are also human like, ending in three fingered hands capable of working independently from the wing structure. A typical full-grown visogul can weigh up to 1000 pounds, the largest no more than 1500. The chest and abdomen are strikingly human as well, with pectoral and abdominal muscles completely devoid of plumage. The legs are where the birdlike features resume, ending in very strong, scaly claws tucked neatly beneath a thick feathery down.

 Visogul most commonly build settlements along isolated cliffs, or in the highest valleys of mountain ranges. Some ancient ruins of visogul settlements have been discovered in the deepest forests of the world, with scattered dwellings on both the forest floor and within the oldest tallest trees. 

 The Visogul have the gift of Farsight, which in contemporary times has been abandoned as a savage practice as it requires the sacrifice of a regal egg, the unhatched offspring of the kingly lineage. Only in great times of danger will a visogul offer their brood for divination. The egg is ceremoniously shattered and the contents inspected by a cleric of the community. The cleric then consumes the egg, and for several days and nights is sent visions from either past or present that may influence the community in the seasons to come. Direct questions cannot be posed to the cleric-this is not the nature of that magic. Instead, the cleric is supposed to interpret the divination for the protection of the community. 

[/hider]