Species: Southwind Harpy
Surprisingly swift, blessed with flight and about human sized; Southwind Harpies are rather bubble-headed. They're a flighty species, timid of other, larger races, and this is what has kept their species from being wiped out.
They live in the Featherwind Cliffs, a large, winding plateau-surrounded cliff area south of the Southern Acre and southwest of Illinei forest. An abundance of prey species has allowed them to keep their home where it is, hidden in caves high in the cliff wall. They're known to steal away passing civilians; vicious rumors say that these missing people are stolen for food, or even breeding slaves, however they're kept quite comfortable and are taken only for interesting conversation and stories. Few are taken for breeding partners, despite the viable match between humans and Harpies.
Harpy females, or Hens, go into a breeding cycle once every year at springtime, where they will, if mated, produce one egg from which the chick will hatch about a month later. Mammary feeders, despite being avian, until the age of two, when their diet changes to solids like berries, nuts and meat. Harpies, though capable of digesting any edible meat, prefer fish and will happily trade luxurious blankets and cloth for it. Any Harpy down blanket is fireproof, offer greater insulation from the cold, and they are usually particularly expensive due to these properties.
They are widely considered to be stupid, but they can be fiercely intelligent in their own right, they're just unused to the same social aptitude of other, more social, species. They are simply slightly naïve in their dealings with other species - except when it comes to fish. They can tell, easily, the amount of time between when a fish was caught and when it was presented to them, and they will never trade for fish that won't last.
As a people, they're kindhearted and friendly. Many an orphan of any species has been accepted by the Harpies and brought up in their cliffs; orphans who have been known to leave the caves and go to towns to trade, returning with fabulous stories and goods; sometimes even whole cartloads of fish. Such orphans leave with a charm wrapped somewhere on their person; this charm serves as a warning to slavers and those of less reputable trade that this individual is being followed by at least one Harpy bodyguard. It is widely known that anyone who would harm or otherwise attack this person would soon be dropped from a very painful height. They have very good relations with the Naga of the nearby Illinei forest.