Dollfolk

"**Dollfolk**", "**Dollkind**", or simply "**Doll**" is an insult directed towards either one of three races, simply due to their beautiful appearance.

## Who are the Dollfolk?

* Heronoi
	+ Waxeroi
	+ Iruwasians
* Ontemazei
	+ Porasonids
	+ Kâlokei
	+ Bujanski Ontemazei
* Kodequara (who are literally dolls)
	+ Hoquosari (Island Kodequara)
	+ Kuritawanoi (Sea Kodequara)

Sometimes, Waxeroi are also known as "dollfolk" because of their beautiful appearance or their immature behaviour. Arnadjanai are also called "dollfolk" because in spite of their muscular figure, they also looked "cute".

## Dolls in horror movies

In horror movies, magical dolls are a common character, being toys that are possessed by magic, restless ghosts, or demons.

The **killer dolls** (as they are called) tend to enjoy tormenting or murdering humans. This was derived from an old belief that dolls could come to life with magic, as people were unnerved by how similar their faces were to real people.

### Similarities and differences

* killer dolls are made of wood, plastic, porcelain
	+ Heronoi and Ontemazei are beings of flesh and blood
	+ Ontemazei bodies have plant-like traits (like sunlight causing rapid healing)
	+ Kodequara are made from wood
* killer dolls are possessed by ghosts or demons
	+ Ontemazei and Heronoi have souls, but if something horrible happens they could come back as ghosts. If they dedicate themselves too much to the Gods, the Gods raise them as blessed spirits in their paradises (e.g. the Four Heavens for Heronoi, Mount Kailasha or the Eternal Spring for Ontemazei).
	+ Kodequara were given souls by their creator deity Kojarena. In later times, Kodequara use magical spells to generate souls into new members. If they die, the souls depart into a blessed realm as heavenly beings, or (if Kojarena wills it) they are sent back to inhabit a new body.
* killer dolls are cruel
	+ Ontemazei were created as monsters, so they were even more savage than killer dolls. They were cannibals, killing and eating anyone who became their target; especially during Konjor rule and the Ontemazei Empire. Until their defeat, the Kalokei Ontemazei, leftovers from the Ontemazei Empire that were awakened by plunderers, continued their notorious cannibalism and brutality.
	+ Heronoi and modern Ontemazei are less cruel. They could be more friendly, or (especially among Heronoi) affectionate; and in most cases, due to their history of persecution, they tend to be defensive.
	+ Ontemazei and Kodequara tend to be mischievous. However, they are less closer to being murderous: most modern Ontemazei want to be treated nicely, while the Kodequara are more focused on accomplishing the will of the Gods.
* killer dolls are cursed
	+ All three "Dollfolk" have some sort of curse:
	+ The Ontemazei were "cursed" (programmed) by their creators to be savages and monsters, beneath their beautiful appearance. Later, they modified themselves to become more rational, freeing themselves through genetic programming.
	+ After their defeat from the Ontemazei Empire's self-demise, all Ontemazei are considered "cursed" by the peoples of Jerde to be exterminated, hated by all Gods and everything holy.
		- This may have been why the Porasonids became very devout enough to convert to Rodnovery and Hinduism, as they sought the Gods to forgive them and love them again.
		- This was also why thousands of Porasonid soldiers died defending the Northern Kolovrat Temple from invaders, as they believed that their deaths in holy ground will purify their sins, causing the Gods to love and bless them again. The soldiers who died in that war were believed to ascend to Heaven as celestials, among the blessed hosts of the Gods.
	+ The Heronoi were considered by the Galactic Norse to be "cursed" to be stupid and irrational, and then as the targets of many curses by the Rannarisk to the west as nithings (condemned). Later on, one curse (as supposed) unleashed a great winter that summoned ice vampire-demons that killed both Heronoi and the Rannarisk who claimed to have summoned them.
		- The Heronoi killings of Waxeroi unleashed another curse from the Norse and Heronoi Gods: their nation suffered from natural disasters - floods, earthquakes, lightning storms - killing hundreds as a punishment for the massacres. Through resentful compensation and grudging apologies, the Gods forgave the Heronoi.
		- King Atozájoro's controversial apology to the Waxeroi was followed by blessings. The Waxeroi also believed that Odin protected his life, as he was very pleased by the hated king's restoration of justice.
	+ Kojarena's animation of the Kodequara is considered as a curse, not a blessing, even though it did not harm his creations per se. It is a curse because others regarded Kojarena as an evil deity for using the Kodequara to destroy Heronoja.
		- They can still thrive in an environment without magic, unless someone kills them or sucks away their souls. Without magic, they have to use tools to work to defend themselves from enemies.

## "Elves"

In some way, all three races are like elves in fantasy media:

### Heronoi

Heronoi are more like high elves:

* blonde hair
* sophisticated civilisation
* beautiful art
* they love horses, chariots, and unicorns
* one group of female blue-haired Heronoi fight with bows and arrows
* the Norse peoples compared them to Alfar (Elves) and associated them with Freyr.
* they jump faster and quicker than humans
* (differences) - very human-like, worships the moon, flammable blood, too affectionate and emotional, they are not immortal, intact, no pointy ears, spears and lances, not very arrogant

### Ontemazei

Ontemazei are more like (redeemed) dark elves:

* cruelty, savagery
* horror
* obsession with beauty
* (differences) - more plant-like, very pink, they are not immortal, thriving (thanks to new communities like Bujan, Irajon, Siangwaan), no pointy ears, no spikes
	+ elves hate dwarves - more faithful example during the Ontemazei Empire's (elves) extermination of the Lausorijo (dwarves/clowns) for their rebellion; later subverted when the Porasonids and Hurasim Lausorijo worked together as allies for millennia.
	+ dark elves are evil - the Ontemazei Empire and their Kalokei descendants play that trope straight, while the Porasonids are a subversion in that they are good and they are fervent allies of their human neighbours.

### Kodequara

Kodequara are more like wood elves or sea elves:

* they live in forests
* very magical
* isolated
* close allies with wights (fairies)
	+ treemen, treants - in some cases, a Kodequara asks the wights to transform him or her into a mighty treeman or treewoman. They say goodbye to their old life as a craftsperson, deciding to join the wights in using their great strength to defend the jungles and mountains.
* one community of Kodequara live on islands
* (differences) - as automatons they do not need food or drink, they can use guns, mechanical *and* magical

## Actual elves in the Rabydosverse

There are "elves" in the Rabydosverse's setting. They live in two main subspecies, the light elves and the dark elves. The light elves are of two main races, the prideful Alfheimians and the diplomatic Vanaheimians; while the dark elves are the industrial Svartalfheimians and the wild-hearted Dokkalfar, different from the Dwarves.

The denizens of Alfheim and Vanaheim became more like demigods due to the divine nature of their dimensions. All of them look like tall, slender humans with pointed ears, and they get very offended and annoyed when other people expect them to be snobby, primitive woodlanders.

All four elven races have a variety of skin colours, and darker-skinned elves are seen by some civilisations as the most beautiful of all the elves.

### Vanaheimian Light Elves

The light elves are two races: Vanaheimians and Alfheimians. The Vanaheimians are ruled by their divine monarchs, Freyr and Gerd, but under the two supreme rulers are their various kings and queens.

In spite of their home realm being a magical forest and its surrounding planets, Vanaheimians are rather technologically-advanced, akin to the spacefaring Galactic civilisations of Jerde's universe. Their machinery is a blend of mechanics and magic, learned from the academies and forges of Asgard.

The Vanaheimians are faithful allies of the Novantirnas, since their recovery of the Sword of Freyr from the Celestials who murdered its past keeper. They were among the teachers of the Novantirnas in the semi-magical technology they possess.

### Alfheimian Light Elves

Alfheimians are also under Freyr's rule, but they are more mediaeval. They also utilise the same magical technology of Vanaheim, only not as advanced as the Vanaheimians.

They are noted for being more arrogant. Alfheimians dislike Vanaheimians for being more relaxed and playful; while Vanaheimians are annoyed by the Alfheimians for being too pedantic and snobbish.

### Svartalfheimian Dark Elves

Svartalfheimians are the industrialised inhabitants of the dimension of Svartalfheim. Their home universe was named either for being far away from Asgard, the dark colours of their robes and uniforms, or condemning their past war against the heavens. Their skin is more pale, almost like chalk, due to their dim surroundings and nocturnal past.

In ancient times, they were bitter enemies of Alfheim and Vanaheim, waging a great war to destroy each other. Freyr intervened to stop the three major elven civilisations from annihilation, and the deaths of their supreme emperors forced the three to make peace. They are still resentful towards the heavenly elves, but over time, some Svartalfheimians are allies of the two.

Svartalfheim is more united than the other elven peoples. While they are not as advanced as the heavenly elves, they are still a scientific and industrial people. priding themselves in building robust machinery. They do not like to be seen as a godsless race of sadists, torturers, and murderers, but mainly as a daring race of scientists and engineers.

### Dokkalfar

The Dokkalfar are similar to the Svartalfheimians, being an offshoot. Most dokkalfar are nomads, and a handful of dokkalfar are settled nations, but they are the least advanced of all the elven peoples.

They are more playful and mischievous than other elves, and they are also very seductive. Svartalfheimians see them as childish brats and hooligans.

In spite of their jovial attitude, it was the dokkalfar's warriors who aided Freyr in preventing the other three elven races from annihilating each other. It was due to many dokkalfar having spouses and children from the other three.

## In other languages

* Buyanski:
	+ Vaknoljōdo
	+ Vanokkaljō (childish pronunciation)
* Sanskrit:
	+ Panjalika (पाञ्चालिका, "stage puppet")
		- Was used in Porashonid literature for another meaning referring to the Ontemazei's dark history of being used as slaves, or "puppets" of evil rulers.
		- In one song named "Panjalika", a person was built to only dance on a stage. Someone cuts away the strings so the doll-man was able to run away from the stage.
* Rukanian:
	+ Ljaljud
* Eosome:
	+ Pijotyri ("doll people" - official name chosen by the Ontemazei and Heronoi minorities)
	+ Maatimijo (from a race of gold-haired fairies)
	+ Maiawa ("cute little people" - can also be demeaning)
	+ Pjammjovwil (more literal translation of "doll people")

## Comparison

* In some way, the three races are opposites of each other.
	+ The Ontemazei have colourful hair, skin, and eyes; while the Heronoi are only blonde-haired, peach-skinned, and blue-eyed.
		- The kodequara are mostly peach or brown-skinned, reflecting the wood where their bodies were carved from. Some kodequara were also transformed by forest wights into walking trees.
	+ The Ontemazei worship the Sun because its rays make them heal faster, while the Heronoi worship the Moon because moonlight keeps them energised.
		- In contrast to the Heronoi, the kodequara worship the Sun instead of the Moon, as they associate the Sun with their main god Kojarena.
		- Sun sdachels (a sort of fire sdachel) can also help Ontemazei heal faster just by shining their glow near them. They can also soothe a Heronoi if he or she is exposed to lunar eclipse moonlight, which triggers frightening visions.
	+ The Ontemazei are considered "effeminate" because of their obsession with art and plants; while the Heronoi are considered more "masculine" because of their warrior culture.
* Both races are more careful towards fire: fire damages Ontemazei's skin and bodies more easily, and it can easily burn the blood of Heronoi.

## Trivia

* The practice of naming Heronoi people as "Dollfolk" was derived from the Norse kingdoms' insults, comparing the Heronoi to the Ljósti dolls due to their similar appearance.
	+ The Ljosti dolls were perhaps inspired by Barbie dolls. The author sometimes compared Daniel and Jen from Camp Camp (which inspired two Heronoi characters, Gworofando and Farondo) to Barbie dolls because of their grins, their skinny shape, and their blonde hair.
* There were cases of "double dolls", in which Heronoi and Ontemazei were so drawn to each other's beauty, that they intermarried and had children with each other. In most cases, the pretty son or daughter is usually considered an Ontemazei because of their colourful hair and plant-like regeneration.

### Inspirations

* The Heronoi were inspired by transcriptions of Myceaean Greek's Linear B script, as the author was amused that it resembled Japanese. The author made them blonde because they looked cuter that way.
	+ Their name was based on "aiya Earendil, **elenion** ancalima" (Hail Earendil. brightest of stars).
* The Ontemazei were ultimately inspired by Equestria Girls, specifically the character Pinkie Pie.
	+ Their creators, the Konjor Supercorporation, was inspired by a parody character, Overlord Hasbro.
	+ The archenemy of the Konjors, the Malendor Supercorporation, was based on Mattel, Hasbro's rival. Therefore, Monster High (one main franchise in Mattel) is another major influence on what the Malendors' society is supposed to be like, albeit with heavy scifi and Norse influences.
* The Kodequara were inspired by the androids from Detroit: Become Human, along with the Wood Elves from Warhammer Fantasy.

## See also

* Orcs
* Doero
* Jambavan
* Konjor creations
* Kuelgons and Novantirnas, the "dark elves" and "high elves" of the Galaxy
* Lausorijô, the "dwarves" of the Rabydosverse
* Arnadjanai, the "orcs" of the Rabydosverse