Simir

Phoenixes were one of the Flamecaller's first creations during the 1st Age, created to embody both the destructive and the creative properties of fire, and serve as a symbol of rebirth. They were created primarily to serve as emissaries and messengers for the Flamecaller, able travel far from their homes without tiring or losing the magicks that sustained their bodies. Highly intelligent, incredibly resilient, and eternally self-sustaining, they represented the ideal flame.
They live their lives in cycles, which can vary in length from a few dozen years to a few centuries, depending on how close they live to the Ashfall Waste; the source of their life is stronger the closer they are to the source of that magick that sustains it.

Anatomy:
Their bodies were originally created from molten lava, hardening to form a shifting, crackling skin from which grew many heat-resistant feathers and expansive wings. The lava sustains them from birth, serving as both their life force and their internal workings. This life force slowly hardens from outside inward during the course of their life cycles, making them slower and less vigorous as they age. At the end of their cycle, their bodies and wings turn to ash, with the exception of a small, glowing, ovoid core that slowly forms into the new Phoenix chick.
Through the process of rebirth, their wings, being furthest from their body and thus the most malleable, can go through changes depending on their natural environment. This formative vulnerability is what has caused most of the variety that is present among different Phoenixes today.

Diet:
Phoenixes do not actually need food, but it does provide fuel for their inner flames, which helps sustain their bodies for longer cycles. Primarily, they hunt meat (birds, reptiles, and small mammals) or insects, but seem to take more enjoyment from the sport of hunting than the act of eating them. As a supplement to their diets, some will even take take to eating small rocks, basalt chips, and even bits of scrap metal; however, their favorite snacks are chunks of old wood and other combustibles, for the interesting effects they create during “digestion” (integration).

Society:
Most Phoenixes live in small, isolated, communal groups or flocks that are very close-knit; though Phoenixes tend to form the closest, most long-lasting bonds of friendship within their own small communities, they are very welcome to integration of new members. Since Phoenixes’ appearances are largely the product of their environments, the seeming segregation between different Phoenix varieties has much more to do with their locale than their appearances.
As a ritual of respect, many groups will gather together in the Ashfall Wastes to observe the rebirth of one or more of their own. Though most memories are retained during the process, the reborn Phoenix is treated as a new life, and past friendships are started anew; it is widely recognized as a ritual of cleansing. Seemingly contrary to this, mates will usually try their best to synchronize their life cycles, to stay close even into their next lives.
Those that choose to take mates and reproduce do so at the cost of their lifespans. When mates combine their life forces, they can create new Phoenixes by sacrificing their own inner sustenance; this effectively shortens the length of their current life cycle, but does not affect the length of future cycles. The newborn Phoenixes inherit only their parents appearances, and, for all intents and purposes, are treated no differently than newly reborn Phoenixes. Parents only stay with their newborns until they have finished formation, and then treat them as new members of the community rather than as children.


Combat:
Phoenixes have very few natural defenses, other than flight and their natural molten composition. It is for this reason many took to hiding rather than face being hunted during the 2nd age for their mythical properties. When threatened, they will often choose to run rather than fight.