About Project Soar
Project Soar is my ongoing world-building project. The story follows the lives of bird-like humans and the conflict between two rival species the “white feathers” and the “black feathers.”
Two rival nations,
opposites in every way...
... the White Feathers and Black Feathers. Descended from both human and avian ancestors the “Feathers” are human-like beings that have the gift of flight. However, they choose to call themselves “birds” rather than humans.
The White Feathers live on a series of offshore rocky islands while the Black Feathers live deep in a forest on the continent.
Travel between the two nations is highly regulated and only allowed for a select few traders and for diplomatic missions, the latter of which has not happened in anyone’s recent memory leading to a state of tension between these two ancient rivals.
The two nations are based on birds found in the Hawaiian Islands, the White Feathers on the Manu o Kū (White Fairy Tern) and the Black Feathers on the Mynah Bird.
The White Feathers
The White Feathers' home is a series of rocky oceanic islands. Resources there are limited with some of the only plants to survive a type of grass found nowhere else in the world. This grass is one of the most important resources for the White Feathers as they use it to weave their famous white fabric known as the “cloth of wind.”
Every White Feather has a personal swatch of this “cloth of wind,” but its form can vary depending on the wearer and how they choose to work it into their everyday outfits. Whatever the form all White Feathers carry this most important of materials on their person at all times as they cannot fly without it.
How exactly flying in this manner was developed is unclear but the method for doing so is taught to White Feathers from a very young age. It is said the White Feathers fly using a kind of magic unique to their species. If you were to ask a White Feather their thoughts, they would say they fly “with their soul.” If they are troubled with worries that day then they will have difficulty flying. Flying is inextricably linked with the very essence of the White Feather’s spirit.
Presented here are some diagrams from a manual for novices on one method of take-off and flight. They say it resembles an ancient sport of ocean wave riding but this is disputed by modern historians.
Fisherman
(White Feather)
Fish are a primary source of food for the White Feathers. They have a unique style of fishing which involves diving into the water while flying, thus the fisherman have algae growing on many of their nets, tools, and clothing, this gives these elements a greenish tinge.
Unable to access wood they make use of a kind of ceramic that is enchanted to increase its tensile strength and give them other extraordinary powers. The pots the fisherman carry are made of such ceramic and have enhanced thermal insulating properties.
The fisherman, while generally genial can sometimes be on the gruff side and can seem aloof or even intimidating when an “outsider” from another profession approaches them without a proper introduction.
Archer
(White Feather)
The White Feather have a small band of soldiers tasked with defending their territories. These mercenaries zip around the clouds using their own cloth of wind and are skilled enough to shoot while flying.
While White Feathers don't engage in combat very often, they usually use their arrows as warning shots, this doesn't mean their power goes to waste on a day-to-day basis. Their arrows harness the power of water which they draw from the air, this creates an enormous shockwave into the ground upon impact. When used on the ocean's surface however it has the added effect of stunning the fish near the surface. This allows other White Feather fisherman to easily harvest a catch.
The Black Feathers
The Black Feathers contrast the White Feathers in many respects. They live deep within the forest on the continent unlike the tropical islands the White Feather's call home. The Black Feathers have easy access to wood and mineral rich soil which they use to fabricate metal using it for all sorts of purposes. For both nations self defense is paramount so they will always find a way to create defensive and offensive devices in case of sudden attack.
The biggest difference physically between the nations is that the Black Feathers do not use the "magic" of the cloth of wind to fly, instead in order to travel long distances they rely on their metal contraptions that use electricity to manipulate the air currents giving them an extra energy boost when needed. In order to maintain this level of energy they carry around battery packs on their backs. Their metal contraptions can also be used offensively if needed though attacks use a large amount of energy depleting their battery at a faster rate, thus it is used only as a last resort when the Black Feather's safety is at risk.
Trading Card Illustrations
As a perk for my Patreon members I create a series of trading cards depicting a new character, location, or object from the world of Project Soar every month. Follow along here and become a member today!