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* [[Selvath Heritage Traits]] | * [[Heritage_Traits#Selvath_Traits|Selvath Heritage Traits]] | ||
* [[Yanar Heritage Traits]] | * [[Heritage_Traits#Yanar_Traits|Yanar Heritage Traits]] | ||
* [[Erythar Heritage Traits]] | * [[Erythar Heritage Traits]] | ||
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==Religions== | ==Religions== | ||
* [[Estelley]]: Estelley is the most obvious Religion of choice for the Freefolk, as they all have a God specifically assigned to them in the pantheon as their patron Gods, who also have historical relevance to their existence outside of the Allorn Empire. Estelley as a whole can sometimes be experienced as somewhat dubious to the Freefolk, as it is mostly a pro-Allorn Religion, but the Freefolk extract | * [[Estelley]]: Estelley is the most obvious Religion of choice for the Freefolk, as they all have a God specifically assigned to them in the pantheon as their patron Gods, who also have historical relevance to their existence outside of the Allorn Empire. Estelley as a whole can sometimes be experienced as somewhat dubious to the Freefolk, as it is mostly a pro-Allorn Religion, but the Freefolk extract spirituality while avoiding that topic. | ||
* [[Draconism]]: There are some small Draconist clans among the Freefolk, those who have largely rejected Estelley as a product of Allorn Imperialism, and embraced Draconism due to their proximity to the Dragon-God Gaia of Nature. The Draconist clans among the Freefolk had no oversized relevancy to the events concerning the other Dragon Cults within the Allorn Empire, but survive to this day. | * [[Draconism]]: There are some small Draconist clans among the Freefolk, those who have largely rejected Estelley as a product of Allorn Imperialism, and embraced Draconism due to their proximity to the Dragon-God Gaia of Nature. The Draconist clans among the Freefolk had no oversized relevancy to the events concerning the other Dragon Cults within the Allorn Empire, but survive to this day. | ||
* [[Minor Faiths]], [[Evolism]]: There are minor cults among the Freefolk who have been swayed by the Deep Ones, Rejected Gods, or even Death Gods. Evolism in particular has some notable minority religion status among the Selvath, whose occasional wild lifestyles, can venture into the rejection of traditional spirituality in favor of transactional faith with Demon Gods, while the Selvath in general have unique attitudes to Demons. | * [[Minor Faiths]], [[Evolism]]: There are minor cults among the Freefolk who have been swayed by the Deep Ones, Rejected Gods, or even Death Gods. Evolism in particular has some notable minority religion status among the Selvath, whose occasional wild lifestyles, can venture into the rejection of traditional spirituality in favor of transactional faith with Demon Gods, while the Selvath in general have unique attitudes to Demons. | ||
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The fact that Dragons created all sentient peoples of Aloria is understood from a secular point of view, but the exact origins of the Freefolk groups are somewhat dubious. Generally, it is believed that all peoples of Aloria have a singular creation origin and that the idea of evolution is extremely limited. For example, a Teled Elf has no evolutionary relation to an Ailor or Asha, and Sihndar are in effect just Teled Elves who were altered with Magic. Freefolk are somewhat different however as they appear biologically unique, especially the Erythar and Yanar, despite being Elf-like. The prevailing theory is that each cycle, Dragons attempt something different. A more recent theory that has been gaining traction towards the Ailor, is that the Dragons seeded the Ailor people across multiple continents, instead of focus-creation in one place, as was the case in past iterations of life creation. For the Elves however, the theory goes that instead of seeding the same people across multiple continents, several slightly altered base-line designs of the same people were placed in the same continent together. This would explain why the default state of the Erythar, Suvial, Teled, Yanar, and to a point the Selvath, are so similar yet distinct in a way that evolution could not explain because the factors that created the Maquixtl and Sihndar for example, were absent 15,000 years ago. There is no way to prove any of this, but it can be fun to speculate about the origin theory. | The fact that Dragons created all sentient peoples of Aloria is understood from a secular point of view, but the exact origins of the Freefolk groups are somewhat dubious. Generally, it is believed that all peoples of Aloria have a singular creation origin and that the idea of evolution is extremely limited. For example, a Teled Elf has no evolutionary relation to an Ailor or Asha, and Sihndar are in effect just Teled Elves who were altered with Magic. Freefolk are somewhat different however as they appear biologically unique, especially the Erythar and Yanar, despite being Elf-like. The prevailing theory is that each cycle, Dragons attempt something different. A more recent theory that has been gaining traction towards the Ailor, is that the Dragons seeded the Ailor people across multiple continents, instead of focus-creation in one place, as was the case in past iterations of life creation. For the Elves however, the theory goes that instead of seeding the same people across multiple continents, several slightly altered base-line designs of the same people were placed in the same continent together. This would explain why the default state of the Erythar, Suvial, Teled, Yanar, and to a point the Selvath, are so similar yet distinct in a way that evolution could not explain because the factors that created the Maquixtl and Sihndar for example, were absent 15,000 years ago. There is no way to prove any of this, but it can be fun to speculate about the origin theory. | ||
=== | ===Selvath Specific Culture=== | ||
This section discusses customs and habits that are more unique for the Selvath that set them apart from the other Freefolk. The other Freefolk can participate in these cultural ideas, it is just less common, and may conflict with some of the unique culture beliefs of those sub groups. | |||
====The Wyld Hunt==== | |||
The Wyld Hunt is a narcotic and adrenaline-fueled affair, during which Selvath chooses wildness and brutishness over dignity and class, and embrace the wild natural relation between predator and prey. Selvath are by nature still Elven, and thus not deprived of the inherent dignity and class that other Elves have, even if they sport tribal tattoos and leaf or twig-like foilage. The most brutish tribal looking Selvath is still more sophisticated than the most well-to-do Ailor peasant, but all this class goes out the window when the Wyld Hunt is concerned. The Wyld Hunt is just an expression of freedom and wildness, a Hunt where there is no point in striking an animal mercifully, but to show it who is at the top of the foodchain, and savage any unfortunate prey that comes into view. The Wyld Hunt is often paired with a lot of intense drinking, narcotic usage, and often a tinge of vandalism. | |||
====The Wyld Feast==== | ====The Wyld Feast==== | ||
The Selvath have a very unique attitude to the idea of shapeshifting (or skin-walking, as they call it), in that it is not culturally reviled like in many other cultures, but encouraged. While they have no innate ability to Shapeshift, many Selvath learn the magical principles of shapeshifting so they can have access to this very unique skill, and use it for the Wyld Feast custom (though Mundane Disguises can also be used). Wyld Feasts are chaotic affairs during which the Selvath release their own identity into the void, become someone else entirely by changing their appearance and behavior, and live like another person for the duration of the festivities. At a Wyld Feast, one can often find egregious alcohol consumption, narcotic usage, illicit lovemaking, and even bouts of violence or random acts of vandalism and blasphemy. During Wyld Feasts, the Selvath (and their guests), do whatever they want (short of actually permanently harming someone) with no regard for the consequences, or for the way others might perceive them after because they are not themselves. For example, while Selvath is generally monogamous and faithful outside of Wyld Feasts, all escapades and conquests during a Wyld Feast are forgiven and forgotten, more often because of the impracticality of proving that anything of it happened, because everyone is either shapeshifted or disguised. Yanar and Erythar look at the Wyld Feast with some modicum of disdain, because to them it is an expression of Allorn decadence that was once thought to be the source of the downfall and chaos of that Empire. Still, the Selvath believe this level of free expression of the "other self" is a necessary emotional and physical vent, so that they can be "normal" for the rest of the month. Wyld Feasts always happen on the first Wednesday of the month, every month, unless they fall on a different Religious or cultural holiday, in which case they are skipped to the next day so as not to conflict. | |||
====Families==== | ====Families==== | ||
Selvath families are usually referred to as clans, which are loosely organized social units of multiple families not necessarily related by blood. Clans often form around shared occupations, habits, alignments, or goals, and often intermarry within the same clan while avoiding marrying into other clans. Selvath society is not patriarchal or matriarchal, it is deeply meritocratic, where power in individual family units or clans is decided by who the strongest is, physically, mentally, or magically. Selvath marriage customs are generally speaking monogamous, but polyamory does occur as a by-product of the Wyld Feast. Children are often raised communally, and treated like adults at a much earlier age than most other heritages, owing to the idea that Selvath parents believe strongly in the concept of self-sufficiency, and must feel confident that their child will survive from a young age if abandoned in the forest. Families generally avoid sending children to education institutes, preferring to home-school them or teach them in communal groups along with elders inside forest communes. | |||
===Yanar=== | ===Yanar Specific Culture=== | ||
This section discusses customs and habits that are more unique for the Yanar that set them apart from the other Freefolk. The other Freefolk can participate in these cultural ideas, it is just less common, and may conflict with some of the unique culture beliefs of those sub groups. | |||
====Dulofal==== | ====Dulofal==== | ||
Dulofal is a powdery mildew disease that was developed by the Abyss Gods at the behest of the Kathar, that has been used to corrupt parts of the Selvariuan Walds and also in particular Yanar. While the Erythar and Selvath are unaffected or would just get sick from Dulofal, this corruption can change Yanar on a biological and mental level not unlike mind control. Dulofal turns other plant matter and trees white, completely drying them out to a brittle chalk-like consistency, which then breaks as easily, releasing more white spores into the air. Most Yanar are deathly afraid of Dulofal, as there is no real cure for it, and so the changes caused by Dulofal are permanent. When infected with Dulofal, a Yanar becomes aggressively Abyss corrupted, taking on more typical traits shared with Abyss Demons, and losing aspects of kindness and conscientiousness that are inherent to their kind. Unlike the more common Yanar beliefs to hold nature in great esteem and live among it, Dulofal Yanar adopt the belief that Nature is something for them to break and bend to their will, and often go about spreading more Dulofal spores to other parts of the natural world to make it theirs. There is still a lengthy scholarly debate whether or not Dulofal as a disease is a form of cordyceps mind-control on Yanar victims, or whether it is purely a magical re-alignment of personality and whether the Yanar has full free will and subsequent culpability. The only known way to combat Dulofal spores before infection is to burn any infected plant material to prevent spreading. Dulofal as a disease is well known in Regalia, ergo Knights use flame projection or even fire-Mages to burn away infections whenever they are found. | |||
====Rebirth==== | |||
====Yanar Rebirth Capability==== | |||
The Yanar have a unique Capability called Rebirth, that allows them to enter a cocoon-like state anywhere and at any time though commonly at the end of their current lifecycle or reincarnation, or when they are mortally wounded. After a short period of time, they are reborn from this cocoon as an entirely new person. They can still look like their old self, or appear like a completely altered person physically, and all of their memories are also completely reset. Their personality may be the same, or slightly different, or very different. They are in all aspects completely new, except for social connections. Yanar who go through Rebirth remember specific people they had social connections with in the past, such as lovers, family, friends, enemies, etc, and they will remember why they felt that way about that person, but not the specific details. For example, a rebirthed Yanar man might remember his Yanar wife, and remember how deeply he loved her, and still feel that same way, but he won't remember all the details of the dates and first time meeting that they shared. Yanar considers these situations with poetic beauty, as they often prelude the idea that they fall in love all over again, and experience all their firsts once more. Yanar as such do not conventionally age, most Yanar live on for 150 years, and then consider their life cycle at an end, and are rebirthed. While it is technically possible for a Yanar to stay un-rebirthed for longer, we do not recommend it, and encourage players to play with this concept rather than avoid it. | |||
====Plant Biology==== | ====Plant Biology==== | ||
Yanar are often misunderstood to be plant-like through and through as if their interior blood vessels are filled with water or green ichor, and their organs are made of leafage also. When a Yanar is cut open in dissection, they look no different from a standard Teled Elf on the inside. Their appearance of plant, flower, fruit, and bark, is often skin-deep, and while aspects that appear visible on the outside like eyes, nails, hair, and bones may appear differently, Yanar are biologically compatible with all other peoples of Aloria. Yanar are capable subjects of blood transfusions or organ transplants, and regular doctoral surgery techniques work on them just as well, so long as it concerns the interior. Mending open skin wounds, however, is more difficult, and usually relies on healing Magic. Most conventional Regalian doctors do not know how to suture a bark-skin wound caused by a sword, so Yanar often seek alchemical or magical healing instead of conventional surgery. Most healing shops or hospitals that are capable of treating Yanar have a "Yanar Admitted" sign on the outside, to identify that they have doctors who can treat Yanar for surface injuries. | |||
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====Senlon and Fenlon==== | |||
Yanar distinguish between two lifestyles, Senlon being "to live among the Freefolk primarily" and Fenlon being "to live among urban citizens primarily". While Yanar are a proud and strong component of the Freefolk people, they are also keenly aware that the habit of Selvath to isolate in the woodlands, and the Erythar to live underground, isolates them from the outside world. The Yanar can fluently flow between the urban societies that they often live near, and seek out the pragmatism of showing urban citizens that they can integrate among them while retaining their old customs and habits. While the Selvath would probably deride one of their kind living among city Elves and wearing their clothes and abstaining from the Wyld Hunt and Wyld Feast, Yanar are more commonly accepted to be the emissaries of the Freefolk, and thus their integration outside of Freefolk communes is considered a benefit and a pragmatic solution to their otherwise self-imposed isolation. | |||
====Families==== | ====Families==== | ||
Yanar families, romance, marriage, and childhood are extremely communal and often lack exact boundaries. While monogamy is certainly possible, the Yanar generally consider children "everyone's children", and grandparents "everyone's grandma and grandpa". Their familial bonds are not limited to blood, and their children often receive a very broad raising where they have lots of aunties and uncles from entirely different families or clans. This always fosters a strong communal nature in Yanar, and explains why they are usually socially active and bubbly in comparison to the other Freefolk, who are usually more reserved or exclusionary to their surroundings. | |||
==Trivia== | |||
* Selvath Freefolk are often mistaken for Maquixtl or Finullen. The difference is ironically enough often colors. Finullen often wear the blues of the seas, while Selvath wear the browns and green tones of the forest, and Maquixtl the red and orange tones of their volcanic homeland. | |||
* Selvath are generally considered an ungovernable nuisance who continue to thrive in their communes in spite of the habits of empires to conquer. Attacking them for their land is just generally considered impractical because they have no money economy worth taxing, and relentless guerrilla warriors. | |||
{{Peoples}} | |||
{{Accreditation | |||
|Artists = MonMarty | |||
|Writers = MonMarty | |||
|Processors = MantaRey | |||
}} | |||
[[category:Heritages]] | |||