.......... ---------------------------------------- ..........
.........,  % 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). --------- %*†-,.....
......,-†* ---------------------------------------- *†-,......