a note about imagery:
Avian society is closed and the planet of Preen is hostile to photographers and others. Pictures presented here are reenactments and artistic interpretations of Avian and Drakon culture.

Alien_Life/ Avians:
	Size .Sm .Med .Lg .XL Life Span .Short .Med .Long ? Tech Level .Prim .Low .Med .High .Ultra Range .local .space .warp/other Category .nervous unwelcoming xenophobs

"Hey, we just want to live in a place where we won't get skewered by a big chunk of moon crystal.."

. The cloud covered planet of Preen is the 5th body in the Avo system, located near the center of the Spoonbill Galaxy which borders a great asteroid belt that is all that remains of the planet Tyrone 5. Preen's close proximity to the asteroid belt has made it a frequent target for devastating stray boulders.

. The sun Avo is very old and within the last 10,000 years it has cooled considerably, covering much of Preen in a great ice age with some forested areas and prairie lands still existing at the equator. Sever flooding occurs during Sun Season when Preen's orbit brings it very close to Avo for a few weeks, rapidly melting the layers of ice that shroud most of the planet.

. Preen has four moons with erratic orbits, three of which are covered by thriving crystalline jungles whose razor sharp spires can tower as tall as 4 miles from the lunar surface. During certain orbits called Shard Seasons these moons pass dangerously close to Preen where the tops of the tallest crystal spires are caught in the planet's gravitational field, break off, and are pulled to the surface like javelins, embedding sometimes thousands of feet in the surface of the planet. It is no wonder that there are 118 different words for "impale" in the Avian language.
. moon shard

. Preen has an unstable crust and suffers from enormous volcanic pressures deep within the planet that cause frequent and unpredictable quakes and eruptions.

. Biology & Behavior

. Avians are thin-boned bipedal mammals with white hair, pointed features and frenetic dispositions. They are fast moving and dexterous with keen sight and hearing.
. .

. Very little is known about female Avains beyond that they are rare (only 1 in 30 of the general Avian population is female), and that there is no record of a female ever leaving Preen.

. Since their homeworld is chaotic and riddled with dangers, Avians are often fearful and worried. Prof. Edvard Ng of the Ng Institute, who was the first to make contact with refugees from Preen, has described them as, "a little jumpy." They are also natural scientists; inquisitive by nature and prone to conducting obscure and lengthy experiments.

. Avians exhibit an often obsessive thirst for new inventions and gadgets, especially those related to flying. Avians make excellent pilots and are renowned for their daring and skill at the controls of almost any flying vehicle.
. early glider

 . Society and History

. Preen is home to a second intelligent species and no accounting of Avian society is complete without an examination of the Drakons. Drakons are enormous winged reptiles who predate the dawning of the Avians and appear in a handful of racial subsets. The majority are powerful creatures with deadly jaws and claws, but they are lazy and plodding by nature and chiefly enjoy napping in subterranean dens.
. Drako Insignator

. For many generations, individual Avians and Drakons have formed bonds with each other that are formalized in psudo-religious civil ceremonies. The bonded Avian and Drakon are responsible for the well-being of the other and work together as a powerful team, combining the brute strength and determination of the giant reptile with the clever and nimble inventiveness of the Avian. Prof. Edvard Ng has likened this arrangement to an archetypical union of the Bully and the Geek. Almost every Avian on Preen has a bonded Drakon at their side, but Drakons will not bond with fools or liars.
. winter feeding, Drako Vermor

. Avians build small villages and hamlets near the caves of their Drakon companions and trade with nearby settlements. Regional jurisdictions are drawn and overseen by the Moltokbureau (also called The Cloud Council) which is a bicameral body with legislative and judicial authority. The Cloud Council is comprised of two equal bodies, The House of Avian and the House of Drakon, with each House consisting of elected Barons chosen to represent the interests of their particular region and species. This governing arrangement reflects the mutual interests and interdependency of the two species and has served to keep the peace for countless generations.
Drako Supremor

. The Avian Royal Guard also known as the Knights of Avo, are the oldest and most respected Avian military unit. The Knights of Avo ride their Drakon bondmates as flying war steeds and they united are the defenders of Preen, under the command of The Cloud Council.

. Avians and Drakons alike are xenophobic, rarely trusting outsiders and, with a few notable exceptions (see First and Second Exodus), they never leave Preen.

. There are two instances of Avians leaving Preen. The First Great Exodus occurred shortly after Avians achieved space flight and saw 100,000 Avains leave in a massive space convoy of ships, never to be heard from again. The Second Great Exodus began roughly 75 years ago with smaller groups and individual Avians leaving Preen silently in the dead of night. Those who have left the home plant have done so for the same reasons, namely to escape the planet's many dangerous and uncomfortable environmental cycles.

. The Avians are a people divided. The vast majority stay on Preen and are deeply connected to their home world. They are obliged to follow a strict cast system and ancient code of behavior that predetermines the direction of each Avian's life. The Drakons, who never leave Preen, are their allies. Avians who choose to leave are never allowed to return by strict edict set down in antiquity, but they are afforded an opportunity to explore the universe and make their own choices on their own terms, free of asteroids, quakes, deadly shards, freezing temperatures and restrictive social orders. Great animosity exists between Avians of Preen and their homeless kin, referred to tersely as "Leavers."
. Baron Vindaloo chases Leavers who dare to return.

. Extended Study

. Drakon eggs require extended periods of incubation under intense heat for proper formation which, before the ice age, was accomplished with high altitude nests that took advantage of the full radiant energy of Avo. Since the advent of Preen's ice age the Avians have seen to the construction of special hatcheries built on the highest mountain peaks, featuring enormous ovens that provide the requisite heat. These hatcheries are staffed by a dedicated order of monks called Eg'smths.
. Eg'smths