Tapestry Bird

Tapestry Birds are a species of bird exclusive to the Coughing Lakes. They are fully sentient and most of them are capable of communicating with humans, and they are often considered members of regular society, especially in the West. They were created by Skebrin as a crafting experiement. Tapestry Birds are most noteable for their somewhat two-dimensional anatomy, as their unusual shape gives off the illusion of them being flat regardless of where they are viewed from. For the most part, they are peaceful creatures that live away from large cities and are in touch with nature.

Notable Tapestry Birds

 * Deusinite
 * Hurting Day

Behaviour
Tapestry Birds are usually gentle and somewhat shy. In most cases, their small size causes them to avoid confrontation, and they are omnivorous but can lean vegetarian depending on where they live. They typically live alone or in very small families. Their dwellings and lifestyle are usually similar to a more primitive human lifestyle; they have been known to be farmers, storytellers, and other professions, but they do not use electricity or running water in their homes. They also wear traditional Lakes clothing; due to their abnormal shape, Tapestry Birds are often seen and depicted in wool ponchos and large wool sweaters worn as dresses.

There are, however, a couple of exceptions to the "gentle and shy" rule. Hurting Day is a well-known bird who, breaking the stereotype, has a reputation for being aggressive, unreasonable, and usually downright crazy. He has had a rather large bounty on his head for several decades. His infamously failed relationship with Witchie is also frequently pointed at as a reason that even fully sentient species are not meant to be treated as potential partners by humans. Common speculation suggests that, due to his abnormally large size, Hurting Day does not fear predators or any form of repercussion for his actions. This has been proven to be a rare and impractical mindset for the rest of the species, however.

Habitat
Tapestry Birds are usually found in the western half of the Lakes. They are often found along the Western Border River, and in smaller towns such as Condor and Fever Lake. They typically live in low-to-the-ground homes, built into trees, riverbanks, and small caves where possible. They are not hunters, and usually harvest their own food, so they tend to live in forested areas or farmlands where the soil is rich and crops can grow. They grow their food on a very small scale, usually having only moderate sized gardens at maximum, and try to take up as little land as possible. As they are known to be uncomfortable in large cities, most people who live in areas such as Slipknot City or the Queen's Quarter will rarely, if ever, encounter one.