§**~^..... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ .....^~**§
§§**~^....  § in the end, it's ride or die. join or ....^~**§§
@§§**~^... ........  get integrated.  §  .......... ...^~**§§@
#@§§**~^.. .. §§ eventually they lay their eggs, .. ..^~**§§@#
##@§§**~^.  . usually in warm, tasty places. it's . .^~**§§@##
#@§§**~^.. .. bird elf custom to let others deal .. ..^~**§§@#
@§§**~^... ................... with the fallout. §§ ...^~**§§@
§§**~^.... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ....^~**§§
§**~^..... §§§ § before their juice harvesting .... .....^~**§
**~^...... .. organs start to cludge, and before .. ......^~**
*~^....... . their wings atrophy, and before their. .......^~*
~^........ . tails start to seek the earth... § §§§ ........^~
^......... §§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§ .........^
.......... §§§ these elves have no bell power, the^ ..........
^......... ..... fey bells are called by other .... .........^
~^........ .......................... agitators §§§ ........^~
*~^....... §§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§ .......^~*
**~^...... §§§ they feed mostly on plant nectar in. ......^~**
§**~^..... . their first years, relying on rains to .....^~**§
§§**~^.... ... filter through the vines of the .... ....^~**§§
@§§**~^... ............................ island. §§§ ...^~**§§@
#@§§**~^.. §§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§ ..^~**§§@#
##@§§**~^. §§§§§ § they have built their largest .. .^~**§§@##
#@§§**~^.. . colony in the floating tree outside .. ..^~**§§@#
@§§**~^... of venezuela.  any  bird from  any house ...^~**§§@
§§**~^.... ................is welcome here. § §§§§§ ....^~**§§
§**~^..... §§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§ .....^~**§
**~^...... §§§§§ there's a desert of fangs to be .. ......^~**
*~^....... ........................ cast into §§§§§ .......^~*
~^........ ~ the largest gathering of such elves .. ........^~
^......... ......... will be in the floating tree ~ .........^
.......... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ..........
^......... ~~ although you could find a solitary .. .........^
~^........ .. bird elf hexing you for stepping .... ........^~
*~^....... ... out of lane in your own garden, .... .......^~*
**~^...... ..... .bird elves flock together ....... ......^~**
§**~^..... ........................ if they can. ~~ .....^~**§
§§**~^.... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ....^~**§§
@§§**~^... ~~~ they look like dark birds at first ~ ...^~**§§@
#@§§**~^.. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ..^~**§§@#
##@§§**~^. ~~~~ ~ some practice animal husbandry, . .^~**§§@##
#@§§**~^.. .... especially monkeys and snakes ..... ..^~**§§@#
@§§**~^... .......... (for fur or scales, ......... ...^~**§§@
§§**~^.... ........... or quality of blood). ~ ~~~~ ....^~**§§
§**~^..... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ .....^~**§
**~^...... ~~~~ the floating tree above ........... ......^~**
*~^....... ......................... venezuela ~~~~ .......^~*
~^........ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ........^~
^......... ~~~~~ their claws are long ............. .........^
.......... and root-like, and trail after them in . ..........
^......... .......................... flight. ~~~~~ .........^
~^........ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ........^~
*~^....... ~~~~~~ . various dances performed ...... .......^~*
**~^...... ............................... . ~~~~~~ ......^~**
§**~^..... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ .....^~**§
§§**~^.... ~~~~~~~~~ later they will learn how to . ....^~**§§
@§§**~^... .. harvest blood from animals (think ... ...^~**§§@
#@§§**~^.. ................... mosquito). ~~~~~~~~~ ..^~**§§@#
##@§§**~^. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ .^~**§§@##