Kupiara (coo-pih-ARE-ah)

The simple majesty of an enormous long-winged seabird is a rare and treasured sight for many, and few are so impressive as the albatross. Kupiara are incredibly smallbodied, most of their mass taken up by a pair of enormous wings. Living in the sky, they rarely touch down to land and when they do it’s usually for an extremely good reason. They have a soul for travel and exploration and tend to be loners, although occasionally you will find one fascinated by a field of study or social group and decide to become earthbound to pursue knowledge or understanding of people.   They take a very long time to search for a mate, and once chosen will never leave them. The pair will sometimes go their separate ways during the course of the year, but they always meet in the spring and it is a most joyous reunion. When they have a hatchling then the pair take turns to look after them while they grow, trading off years as they reach their teens until finally the young Kupiara goes off on their own to explore the world and finish maturing. Some pairs travel together, but Kupiara don’t tend to join clans in general. Mated pairs will often demonstrate signs of affection such as touching their beaks together gently and staying in that position for a long duration of time.   They stand about a scant four and a half feet tall, but their truly impressive feature is their seventeen foot wingspan. When grounded and at rest they fold their wings behind their backs as almost a tall cloak that slightly wraps around the back of their arms, that at its very top height reaches a good six inches to a foot above the top of their heads.   It’s nearly inevitable that Kupiara will go and experience the world across many long years both solo and with others across the course of their journey across the skies. They tend to take an active interest in bettering themselves and acquiring knowledge, although they will apply this interest in different ways depending on their personal interests. Their great capacity for self discipline lends itself to training as monks, although their survival skills are perhaps the most impressive and would suggest rangers. Young Kupiara sometimes find magic fascinating, especially that of the wind and waves.   Kupiara reach maturity at 22 and adulthood at 30, and have a lifespan of 230 years. Pairs will typically raise only two or three chicks in their lives.