Faun

The Faun are a socially advanced people, and natural explorers. Their cities dot the coast of the Ioric Peninsula, with beautifully elaborate architecture unseen elsewhere in the world.

The Faun emporiums were instrumental in the founding of the Ioiric League.

### Appearance

Fauns possess a humanoid upper body, and ungulate features from the waist down. Though they are sometimes (disparigingly) described "half-human, half-goat", many Faun are not caprine, with lower halves in deer-like, boar-like, and bison-like varieties. They possess bovine-like facial features, distinguished by large rounded ears with pointed tips, highly flattened and ridged broad noses, with unpronounced brow ridges. Atop their heads sit varying styles of horns, consistent with their subrace. Faun generally stand a little shorter than humans, though not significantly so. Most Faun have darker skin, in shades of honey, tan, and ochre.

### History

First appearing in Tol some 600 years ago, the Faun have drawn both the envy and ire of humans. Their arrival sparked a revolution on the continent, as the Faun introduced new ideas, writings, farming and building techniques, as well as - significantly - improved metallurgy and military strategies.

The Faun hail originally from a distant land named Epor. It is described by the Faun as a long snaking landmass, narrower than Tol, stretching from pole to pole. Not unlike the Ioric Peninsula the central parts of Epor are rugged mountainous highlands, with only the coast suitable for civilisation building. Nonetheless, the many rivers on both sides of the Epor Highlands are said to nurture luscious temperate forests.

Upon reaching the mainland, they named the collective landmasses (Tol, Ekuka, Gamb, and Itania) Qarabar.

Their journey to Tol had been undertaken by successively island hopping across the vast Bara'al Sea (the name of the sea is itself a misnomer; Bara'al is merely the Faun word for "ocean"). The Faun who ultimately first made it to Tol were not born in their homeland.

From the beginning, Faun preferred peaceful co-existence, avoiding conflict where possible and openly trading with neighbours. Trading knowledge and information saw their customs and technology quite rapidly spread among humans, many of whom were eager to use it to their advantage over rivals. In this way, the Faun directly contributed to the formation of not only the Ioric League, buy also the Lysantine Sultanate, and many of the lesser human kingdoms. The naivety of the Faun saw them freely trade away much of their information and technology, which whilst winning them many allies, also created many of the problems they later found themselves facing.

Nonetheless, many Faun would argue that the net positive impact their arrival had far outweighs any evils they must now endure as a consequence.

### Society

Their means of society building; their organisational and administrative structures, were far more advanced and effective than anything else seen in Tol previously (aside from the insular Calis), which in turn allowed them to quickly establish themselves and co-found the Ioric League in union with the local human population.

All Faun are citizens of their home city, which grants them right to vote in important matters. Each city maintains a cadre of of full time administrators, along with an elected council of Prefects, who oversee the day to day running of the city.

#### Metallurgy

One of the most revered Faun creations is Black Iron; a near mythical metal alloy used in their weapons and armour, expertly crafted by the master blacksmiths of Epor. Unfortunately, the main component of Black Iron - a rare dark metal known to the people of Tol as Wulframite - has been found in only very small amounts, whilst Faun endeavours to source the metal from Gamb or Ekuka have been met with disappointment. The largest single Wulframite vein uncovered measured a mere metre long.

The Faun also introduced much more advanced forms of smelting and metal casting that changed the shape of warfare in Tol, with this technology - perhaps naively - freely traded with the other people's of Tol, who very much took this and ran, designing not only new farming equipment and tools, but also new weaponry and armour.

### Religion

Faun are monotheistic, for the most part. They worship the all-seeing Goddess Wa'aa, who's million eyes observe every corner of the cosmos, such that they light up the night sky, appearing as stars. Perhaps the most significant temple to Wa'aa is at Lacedmos.

Nonetheless, religion is very much personal and a lowkey affair for the Faun, who worship privately either within their own home or, if they are members of a specific cult, they may make their devotions individually and silently within the related temple.

Very little is known about their beliefs and practices by outsiders (even humans living in close contact). Preaching is highly forbidden.

#### Aspects

Although they worship a singular Goddess, specific 'aspects' of her become the focus of different cults in her honour. They each worship the Goddess under a particular epithet, with each of these

##### Wa'aa of the Cerulean

This cult focuses on the "humanistic" aspects of Wa'aa far more so than general worship; to the Ceruleans she is not a distant goddess, but at one with all Faun.

##### Wa'aa of the Azule

The Azule are by far the most significant of the three cults, focusing their worship on the goddesses cosmic scale and the need to explore and expand. It

was the Azule who first began exploring tthe seas, at what they felt was the behest of their goddeshe

##### Wa'aa of the Lazuli

The smallest of the three cults, Lazuli focus on the preeminence of Faun. Their belief is that Wa'aa created the Faun first of all races. Whilst this can create a sense of arrogance bordering on xenophobia, the cult also reinforces responsibility for the other "younger" races.

### Warfare

Faun troops are incredibly well drilled, focusing on maintaining formation and manoeuvring swiftly on the battlefield whilst in a phalanx.

Faun are most associated with the use of the Falx, a weapon entirely capable of carving through the weaker armours common throughout Tol. They clad themselves in lemaller cuirasses, giving them significant freedom of movement, which alongside their fluid use of the Falx has earned them a reputation of "dancing" on the battlefield.

Since their arrival, however, Faun have not been known as aggressors or initiaters of war. They follow a reactive strategy, and indeed in battle they take up defensive formations and choose to observe and respond.