Physically, they are of medium height, around 5 feet tall, but with a thin and delicate build similar to other raptors. They're immediately recognizable by their unusual and elegant appearance: their body is not unlike that of an eagle, but their legs are long and thin, more similar to those of their Ostrich neighbors. The plumage of their body is mostly off - white or gray-blue, lighter on front side. The crest is made up of long black feathers that emerge from the nape, and the tail is wedge-shaped. They don’t have wings and instead have fleshy, featherless legs (from the knee down) and arms (from the elbow down), both of which are fleshy in color and have four toes. Their chicks are born ovoviviparous, meaning they hatch within the mother's body, and families usually never have more than 3 or 4 chicks throughout their life.

The Secretary bird people were the only people in this region to try to form their own kingdom with defined territories. They also attempted to form an alliance with their neighboring Wild dogs, but this attempt was in vain when they were opposed by the huge Elephants. However, there was no war, except for a few armed clashes, because it was soon clear that none of them would have wanted to shed blood unnecessarily. Thus, when Ostriches and Giraffes asked them to join under the noble guidance of Elephants, the Secretary bird people were forced, partly forcibly and partly spontaneously, to accept the unification of the entire region.

The main social unit in Secretary birds' society revolves around a homestead: a traditional "beehive hut" thatched with dry grass and lightly raised from the ground. There are three inner structures for sleeping, cooking, and storage, but larger homesteads also have structures used as bachelors' quarters and guest accommodation. Central to the traditional homestead is the livestock's byre, which has a ritual as well as practical significance as a store of wealth and symbol of prestige. Dialectics, history, and politics are prominent studies in their society, and this often grants them an official position as Matriarch's advisors. Music and dances too are highly regarded, especially as traditional values: the Umhlanga Reed Dance is a cultural event for unmarried youth to pay homage to their Ancestral Princess, while Inq'whala marks the new harvest tasting by the ruler.

They speak the Aevar language, a subtle and melodious language able to make even a dull and narrow text harmonious and poetic (perhaps a Spanish gibberish).

Religiously they are mostly devoted to Najan (deity of hunt and agriculture), Dykren (deity of gamble and subterfuge), and Cilldyn (deity of streets and stars), but here and there also thrive the cult of Kudan (deity of diseases and tortures) and Thialon (deity of conquest and ambition), but also some Druidic and Lohudonist cults that keep tarrying.

Their Ancestral Princes were Ngwenyama and Ndlovukati, who taught their race the importance of the family unit and belonging to a social group. Rarely does someone born indigent have the opportunity to improve their position, even though every Secretary bird should strive not to increase social differences within its own group. Equal opportunity is a must for all newborns, but those who don't prove themselves worthy or capable of reaping benefits must not be helped and should be left to their own fate.

Footnote
Typical of the Secretary bird people is the use of gruuxtlat, a sort of flail-weapon composed by a short and thick handle and a sharp blade both conjuncted by a long and heavy chain.