Greyfolk

During the 3rd Era, Battlemages were purported to have harnessed raw elemental power via the use of arcane magics and sorcery in ages prior. They claimed this arcana is the right and just path given to them by the Val’Maer Gods of Magic while others shutter in fear of what they were supposedly capable of. While more often than not said magics were more used in things like elaborate architecture and fortifications to towns and hamlets, some bore darker overtones. Not all magic is good magic and not all battlemages stayed noble. Some turned to darker practices and profane rites to elevate their magical might over those of others.

This would lead to conflicts that in legend “shook the earth and made towers sway”. Ultimately this led to the isolation of those that came to be known as the Greyfolk. After what many in their circles called the Great Schism, a war between factions of Battlemages in ages before, the residual magical sources and essences used greatly affected the land and waters of the surrounding areas in the straits and northeastern regions of Aldria. This fundamentally altered the people living in the area and thus they became a new people altogether. Though sharing common ancestry with Humans, Greyfolk are people touched by magic of ages long past, either through residual contact of magical essences in their native lands over generations or they are turned more magical via sorcery and magecraft of ancient ways. Either way, they are in most cases simply sensitive to magic in small ways and in very rare cases are able to cast spells similar to their ancestors. Due to this many shun the Greyfolk as witches and wicked spell casters for fear of what they can do or out of a folk fear that they will turn others into Greyfolk themselves.

### Subcultures

Since the Great Schism and subsequent centuries of isolation imposed by Greyfolk themselves and others around their lands, these people have changed drastically more than any other race on the continent. Differences include, manner of behavior, manner of speaking, variance of skin tone in shades of grey hence the racial name, and social practices. Greyfolk tend to mostly keep to themselves but in recent times they have lifted most isolation practices in favor of extending trades and colonizing efforts east and west of Aldria. This has brought them into conflicts with some humans in Ostendi and the Horndall of Utesbken.

**Seileshi**

By far the most “normal” looking population of Greyfolk according to some Humans, the Seileshi are the heartland populus of Greyfolk. Living more toward the eastern straits of Aldria they make their homes of stone and thatchwork forming simple hamlets. Though there is fleshy tone to their skin they are still pale and greyed in comparison to Humans. They boast a unique “magical” glow in their eyes that tend to help distinguish them from Humans.

These people are more closely linked to the Battlemages of old in the sense that their homelands are the center for where the Battlemage are said to have arisen. They are a humble folk, peaceful in most cases and are renowned stonemasons in the region. They are organized in a style not so dissimilar to Ostendi humans with minor differences. They are more ready to battle with sword and shield in open field combat if and when needed but prefer to use diplomacy beforehand.

They are led via local leaders elected among hamlets to form a type of council for surrounding hamlets rather than just 1 village. This council oversees and speaks for a group of hamlets at a time, making them more collectively governed than most. Seileshi are also famed armor smiths and are known to brandish armor they make themselves in battle. Some say their armor is enchanted with magics but not many can verify this claim.

Worshippers of the Val’Maer Gods of Magic, they pray in or near shrines they erect in their hamlets and near places they believe hold more concentrated magical essence than others. An agrarian society, they subside on a diverse diet. They farm wheat, pumpkin, and melons while at the same time fishing local waters and raising livestock like chickens and pigs. They are open to most but hold reservations of far travelers, or those they have held no prior contact with.

Seileshi are kind and gentle but are not afraid to mobilize a battleline and will hold it in defensive tactics to the last sword if needed. There is a beautiful sadness about these folk however, due to their origin like all Greyfolk, they are blessed and cursed with long life spans. Whereas a Human might be lucky to see past 60, most Greyfolk live well into their 100’s. This is thought to be because of the magic entwined in their being. Thus it is said if you befriend a Greyfolk, means a friend will mourn you long after you pass.

**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 the continent 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 the continent. 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.

**Sorama**

“Woe betide they who find,

Them that time left behind.

For should ye come across Their place,

Last thing ye see, a Sorama face.”

* Cautionary rhyme, Unknown, 3rd Era

The Sorama, a name given to the Greyfolk people of northern Aldria meaning “Living Sorrow”. Not much is known of these people, as they are almost a myth to all, even other Greyfolk. Sorama are said to be Greyfolk descended from the Battlemages that first started the Great Schism Wars. They are said to be a people with untold magical capabilities, brandishing dark armors, and speaking in a tongue so ancient and imbued with magic some say to hear it drives others mad.

Now, these are just tales to be sure, but what is known about them comes from other sources in the surrounding regions. They are said to be the smallest of groups among the Greyfolk but this is because they chose it to be so. They are said to have slaughtered vast numbers of their own people in the past. The reason is unknown. Some believe it was internal fighting, others suspect it was complications of their natural magics colliding with other magical forces, and even some believe it was in sacrificial rites of blood magic. Whatever the reason, it is thought only a fraction of the population still exists to this day. Adventurers in their region report that remains found there suggest indeed there was great struggle there but the wounds on some bones are inconsistent with battle and suggest sacrifice and foul play.

According to legend, Sorama live in the northern area of Aldria, deep underground just on the border of the Nordic lands. They are said to have retreated there out of a disgust and disdain for a world they no longer cared for. If this is true, then they are an ancient group of Greyfolk that are living off of things like cave mushrooms, wandering animals that got lost, or even cannibalism. Whatever the case, it can not be certain as any who went looking for them either found nothing of merit or never returned. Greyfolk describe the Sorama as porcelain skinned folk with grey tones in the flesh, glowing eyes, and otherwise blanketed in dark garbs.

Some say they are more magic than flesh. But from what can be gathered from the histories of them can be seen an aristocratic society bordering a clandestine autocracy governed by a small group of 5 elites called the Hand. Each member of the Hand was chosen by means of divination and sacrificial rites. One burned a bone on a coal fire and divined who would have to sacrifice to join the Hand ranks. Once chosen the potential member would sacrifice something or someone to something only hinted at as “Ahmoar’an” which when translated to the common tongue comes to something roughly meaning “The Harbinger”.

This rite is not easy and not to be taken lightly, an old Greyfolk tale speaks of one such event where a Sorama chosen to join the Hand slaughtered a village of 150 in a fire whilst yelling “Accept this blood Ahmoar’an!” over and over into the night amidst the screams around him. Another tale speaks of a Sorama eagerly sacrificing their own child to join the Hand. Once accepted, the new member of the Hand serves until death. It is not known whether the practice is factual or not, but most sources say that there is good reason to think that the terms of Hand members and the small population of Sorama is no coincidence. In legends the Sorama like the Battlemages before them, were masters of siege warfare. They crafted weapons of truly devastating power and brutality. They are said to have weildied magics of such a dark nature that even blood became a weapon in the hand of a Sorama. If they are still out there, many urge others not to seek them out. For in seeking the Living Sorrow one risks calamity in wake of their own.

**Gwai’Non**

The most scattered of the Greyfolk peoples are known as the Gwai’Non, or “Mana Kin”  to the Grey tongues. Gwai’Non are Greyfolk that have an unnaturally high affinity to primal magics and elemental sorcery. They are a pale skinned people with more fleshy tones in complexion with grey hair and colorful eyes. Some would even swear they have a glowing aura about them.

They are viewed as not so much outcasts to the Greyfolk as they are wanderers of the woods. They are not comfortable in towns and villages for long and find it better to live in the wild. While they do congregate from time to time, Gwai’Non are truly a free people. By this what is meant is that no governing body of Greyfolk claims dominion, rule, or authority over Gwai’Non in or near their lands.

They forage, hunt, fish, and on occasion trade with just about anyone and carry a cheerful often childlike demeanor. Because of this they are treated as free roaming Greyfolk to all groups save for Sorama, who are said to prey on such innocent beings. Due to their magical affinity to nature based and elemental magics, Gwai’Non tend to live in the wild among nature and are said to be skilled in herbal medicine and survival in the wilderness. This has led to them being often employed as pathfinders by wandering traders, settlers, and hunting specialists by local towns.

Gwai’Non are omnivorous and will eat just about any food given to them, though it is common knowledge that they really like cake, pies, and other such sweets. Naturalists as they are, they show a reverence for Nature and it is assumed that they worship the Val’Maer Gods of the natural world. Gwai’Non praying to such beings are normally seen sitting beneath large trees, in secluded groves, and laying in wild flower fields. It is hard to tell whether they are either sleeping or meditating whilst “praying” but either way they behave in a truly natural fashion, at one with their surroundings.

It is not in the nature of a Gwai’Non to fight, hence in warfare they tend to flee more than stand and face an opponent. With this in mind, they know the wilderness like no other, and make for excellent scouts. If they must fight however, it is only because they’d have nowhere else to run. Under extreme stress and danger Gwai’Non are said to tap into the primal magic of nature and call upon allies in the wild to fight for them. Elsewise there are tales of Gwai’Non going feral in battle and mauling opponents with flurries of blows and slashes from makeshift knives. The Gwai’Non are so passive however that more often than not it is seen as a crime to harm or threaten one in most regions where they dwell.

They don’t value the money of the realms but understand that the little shiny coins equal food from others so often you may see them as trading by the roadside with simple goods just hoping to make enough to get by. Greyfolk are, on the whole, so peaceful with them that over the centuries it became folklore that helping the Gwai’Non was considered a good deed and an omen of fortune. Like the other Greyfolk, Gwai’Non live for very long periods of time but it is unclear as to when one is considered an adult by Greyfolk standards which is normally around 30 to 50, given that they behave as children more often than not.

**Greyborn**

These are the hybrid offspring of the various Human and Greyfolk cultures of the Continent. Since Greyfolk have common ancestry with the Humans of the land and are merely altered by magic over vast centuries, their ability to intermingle with the greater portion of the Humans of the Continent remains intact, the outcome of such coupling are what are known in the realm as Greyborn. They are beings with traits from both of their Human and Greyfolk parents, greyish skin tones, varied tones and hues to said appearance, slightly brighter eyes (in color and slight glow similar to Greyfolk), longer lifespans than the lay human, and slight acuity to the sensing of magic (however this is greatly diminished due the mixed blood of their origins).

While uncommon in most societies between the Human cultures and Greyfolk circles, the Greyborn are often either seen as one or the other by the respective communities. This is because they are of both bloods, and it is thought that they are a type of bridge between the two culturally, spiritually, and so on. This isn’t to say however, that all feel this way. It is thought by some that the Greyborn are an abomination. Some Greyfolk see the mixing of blood with Humans as a weakening of their bloodlines and magical essence while some Humans view them unnatural and treat them as outcasts and alien to their cultures. Whether accepted or ousted, Greyborn enjoy a relative peace from most as they are few in commonality and at their core are just another type of being on the Continent.

***(Written by Ricortix)***