Tong'Fei

Tong’Fei, is a Greyfolk word meaning “True Grey”, it is a word that became the name of this subculture of Greyfolk. The Tong’Fei are a group of Greyfolk that draw ancestry from the far eastern reaches of Aldria. They are the greyest looking of any Greyfolk and are hence the typical assumption of who Greyfolk are for most. Their skin is so grey that if one standing still for too long was seen, one might brush them off as a statue. Tong’Fei are stealth fighting elitists in combat. Living in isolation close to mountain ranges, they make homes in the cliff sides and blend in almost seamlessly. They are organized based on clans and normally the older the clan, the more credibility they hold over others in a tribe. Tribal in social structure, yet operating in a similar fashion as Seileshi, Tong’Fei choose leaders by means of ancestral succession.

This means that the head of the oldest clan leads and should they die, the head of the next oldest clan takes charge. Disputes happen sometimes over whose clan is more ancient than others but such debates rarely last long. Tong’Fei were among the last of the Greyfolk to lift isolation from the rest of Eyumel since they dwell on the border of Aldria and Utesbken where their sworn enemies the Horndall dwell. This is because they unlike most others in the Greyfolk communities hold a deep suspicion to outsiders as they believe most just want their clan secrets and documents. These ancient relics tell of the clan's line and origin and some hold secret rituals and spells that are said to be the secret to Tong’Fei strength. The Tong’Fei are some of the fiercest fighters on Eyumel. If stealth fails them, which it seldom does, in combat they show no fear, no worry, no hesitation, no emotion whatsoever, and no mercy. This is because they don’t “feel” as others do, according to them.

If a Tong’Fei is cut by a blade, they acknowledge the pain but if it didn’t outright kill or mortally wound them, they find it is not worth the attention otherwise better spent fighting the given foe. This is part of their war tactics and tribal warrior training, they honed these skills for centuries into a style called Dah’Lung’Fu or “Path of Sure Demise/Death”. In this style of fighting Tong’Fei warriors fight in fluid motion from one target to the next exploiting vital areas in the body and armor of opponents. This was said to be directly divised to fight the Horndall to the northeast, but was soon adapted to others trespassing in their lands. A common phrase is said that if a Tong’Fei didn’t kill you in under a minute, they must really hate you, as a minute would be more mercy than they’d otherwise show.

It is unclear what magics led to them becoming who they are and this secret is said to only be known to the oldest clans. One thing is for sure however, if you travel too close to their lands, they will have already devised 10 ways to kill you before you ever checked your map. While not outright hostile to others from neighboring regions to the west, these folk are not easy to warm up to. You have to really work at befriending a Tong’Fei, as they have nothing but time. They are a hunter gatherer group that feed mostly on game like mountain sheep, wild chicken, and minor vegetables like carrots and mushrooms grown near cliffside homes in terraces. They worship a mixture of Val’Maer Gods of Magic and something called Yora’Ye, which is more a form of ancestor worship with emphasis on meditation. In ritual when they pray to Yora’Ye they sit in a circle and face backs to each other while chanting mantras and names of their clans.

This is said to attune them to who they are as a clan member to who they are as a whole. While not much for travel themselves, some Tong’Fei do venture out from time to time offering their stealth prowess to the highest buyer. This makes them a fierce yet expensive mercenary force to whomever buys their service.