Omenfly

Summary

A small, aerial insect species beleaguered by an ill-gotten reputation, the omenfly's strange majesty commands a certain respect. If not for its tyranny among insects, then certainly for the foreboding whispers of impending misfortune and calamity.   The tale of the omenfly begins in many cultures with a disturbing consistency: the appearnce of long-tailed, broad-winged 'flies' who dominate their insectoid domain. Their original name of 'dragonfly' came about in respect to their prowess, as they were dragons among flies. Actual dragonkind, as it goes, took offense to anything so beneath them–let alone anything like a fly–to share their name. Yet, when they reached the towns responsible for such slander, they were eerily empty already.   So came about the much more deserving name of 'omenfly', for their terrifying whispers carried warnings of impending calamity.   Whether or not the omenfly itself could be called divine or some kind of magical insect is argued endlessly among scholars. It is physically an insect, and beholden to mortal concerns as such, but it can inexplicably change without warning. Its eerie warnings, let alone the ability to communicate them, implies much greater intelligence than it should have normally.   Those in Etzli Cuauhtla are far more familiar with the creature, as it routinely appears within the realms of various goddesses. For the many peoples, insects carry disease and plague, and so many are creatures of misfortune. The omenfly, a predator of such creatures, is more holy by contrast–a guardian of sorts, and so it is revered as such.   Perhaps the principle issue is that the reliability of the omenfly's so-called omens. Their abstracted warnings can be misunderstood easily, and are never explicitly clear. It does stimulate people to be more alert of possible dangers, which inadvertently helps the warned. Still, an omenfly's warning may be just as much about stubbing your toe as impending death by an accident.   Those beyond Etzli Cuauhtla have mixed opinions about the omenflies, and many even see them as the source of said misfortunes. Regardless of the truth, most people learn to give the omenfly a reverent amount of space and preferential avoidance. It's seen as badluck to kill them, but simultaneously, people hate hearing their whispers. More than one poor soul has run in terror from an omenfly's 'helpful' attempts at warning.   In a more mundane way, the omenfly is a swift predator that hunts down smaller, typically flying, insects like flies, mosquitos, and the like. Their outbreaks draw omenflies to them, and as such pests usually bring disease, the omenfly is lumped in with them by proxy. Scholars in modern times try to point out the omenfly, as a predator, is rather helpful to people, but superstition ruthlessly clings on.