I don’t have a huge write up since work has been driving me into the ground the past two weeks, but basically, I wanted to bring the feathered serpents (x, and below) and feathered coyotes from Mexican folklore and Aztec religion to Thedas. While maintaining their status as deities, I imagine them as being elusive protectors of natural areas or civilizations within an area. They are likely spirits who took on corporeal bodies the way we’ve seen several spirits do, but in contrast to Avvar hold beasts who possess a local animal. However, these gods adopt brightly colored plumage in their otherwise natural forms.
I was toying with a few additional ideas:
Serpents are local god who look after societies that develop in one place. They would be communicated with across generations, storing wisdom and history for the peoples who grow in those areas.
Coyotes are wandering protectors who find travelers to accompany, in order to collect new knowledge and to impart their own. One might always have the sense that the feathered coyote is taking on this form as a favor to mortals, temporarily, to join them on a particular journey before wandering off to go make mischief of their own. It’s both curiosity and kindness that makes sure they see you reach your destination, but travelers should also know that if your journey isn’t interesting enough, these spirits might makeit interesting for you.
The plumage either fits in to the local, probably an area with bright wildlife that we have not yet seen in Thedas, or they pay homage to a time long-passed when such displays were more commonplace, like in Elvhenan. They also make them quite visible, which helps with their self-given duties.
** I also read through a master’s thesis in anthropology, “Early representations of Mesoamerica’s feathered serpent: power, identity, and the spread of a cult,” by Garcia from CSU Fullerton.
