In the Avian Age, human-constructed buildings have mostly crumbled to rubble and are overgrown by vegetation. But the larger structures made of stone or concrete have survived to varying degrees. The Awakened birds refer to these as Apterian (human) ruins. Concrete is an ancient technology among us today and the birds of the Avian Age have learned, from studying our writings, how to simulate it using materials at their disposal. This "bird concrete" is used to add on avian dwellings to Apterian ruins and adapt to their scale and special needs. In some of the more intact buildings, windows become doors with landing platforms. Rooms within the buildings are divided into smaller dwellings, or kept spacious to accommodate large birds or those desiring extra luxury. Stairs are seldom necessary in the Avian Age, except to assist the very few that cannot fly.

In the Low Town district of Whiterock, where the cliffs have eroded away and exposed subterranean Apterian ruins, a different flavor of modification occurs. Miles of abandoned sewers, utility tunnels, basements, and subways create opportunities for cheaper dwellings and ideal opportunities for seedy establishments and hide-outs for illegal activities. These areas are dirty, ventilation is often poor, and prostitution, bird-trafficking, and other varieties of crime are common. The Peacemakers maintain order on the surface, but they are too outnumbered to control all that happens in the labyrinthian depths of the Low Town ruins.

Today's Image: A sketch of the inside of an avian dwelling. It is roundish inside, made of bird concrete, resembling a mud hut. There is a rainwater downspout built into the wall to collect water in a basin, there is a colorful mosaic window made of scrap glass, a neck basket full of berries, a cup suitable for a bird to hold in foot or beak, and a roosting perch with a feaking cloth for beak wiping.


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