Drimfaw

## Overview

Simple creatures rarely seen by human eyes. Born within the realm of Aeddom, much of their population disappeared for a short time. It was seen that these creatures were whisked off to Aevonhold through a destructive Arcane Rift along with the Yselnativa, intelligent creatures native to the realm of Taaret. After arriving in northern Deurlyth through the rift alongside the Yselnativa in 3E 971, they were quickly enslaved by the imposing race.

Drimfaw have begun making more of an appearance within Aevonhold as the quick modernization stretches to all corners of the realm.

The Drimfaw are fast and nimble, but fragile. Although weak, the Drimfaw are dedicated workers, as long as they are promised something worth their troubles. They have a keen sight for shiny objects and will more than often seek after them, as they find them attractive to look at. With a utilitarian nature, they value success and the boons which come with it, while failure is looked on harshly. Drimfaw possess horns on their heads and often have sand colored skin.

## Culture

Due to their relatively harsh origin in the realm of Aeddom, the Drimfaw typically operate in compact tribal groups with a tight-knit social order. As their physical stature is far from impressive, they rely on group-oriented strategies and philosophies when dealing with outsiders and other clans. The ideal of the 'individual' as a component of Drimfaw society only came about after their arrival in Aevonhold, and their people began to adapt to the new realm. In spite of their seemingly innate communal nature, more often than not a singular Drimfaw rises amongst their peers as a chieftain or 'suzerain'

The Drimfaw chieftain holds a personal responsibility for dealing with outside threats, as well as ensuring the common safety of their tribe. Delegation is an intrinsic part of Drimfaw tribal hierarchy, and the entire group can be tasked with varying levels of orders to carry out at a time in tandem. The common good is often considered above all, as the Drimfaw measure their successes in quality of life and well-being... however low the bar for either might be.

As a result, it's not uncommon for a tribal group of Drimfaw to turn on an underperforming chieftain whose guidance has led them astray from perceived prosperity. Their methods for dealing with these individuals is brutal and swift, with most victims of insurrection being strung up or worse, set aflame upon a communal bonfire. Despite the brutality issued towards underperforming leaders and members of Drimfaw society, they believe these activities bring them closer as a community, with Drimfaw tribes being some of the most tightly knit familial units in Aevonhold at large.

The tribe at large is considered but an extension of a Drimfaw's blood family, and tribal comrades will usually be treated with a similar deference and affection. With attitudes that some outsiders have described as jarringly capricious, the change in a Drimfaw's status among their peers can occur wildly and seemingly without cause. From the very bottom rung of the ladder to the top, a Drimfaw is constantly judged and regarded with scrunity by their tribal fellows. To that end, success is lauded with explosive excitement, while failures and defeats can lead to months of shunning, and deep depressive episodes in the Drimfaw responsible.

### The Modern Drimfaw

Traditional Drimfaw culture grows increasingly out of style for a number of those who've come to call Aevonhold their home, more so than the hellish reaches of their former home. The longer that the Drimfaw remain in this new realm, the more they change and adapt to its eccentricities and differences. Whilst living remains harsh, it pales in comparison to the fires of Aeddom, which can lead to a more 'lax' attitude from Drimfaw who've grown more comfortable in their new home.

The first instances of Drimfaw breaking out of tribal units occurred several decades after the Arcane Rift catastrophe. A relatively conservative and shrewd people by nature, those that broke away did so more out of a sense of opportunity, than any underlying desires for personal liberties which communal lifestyle denied them. The world was their oyster, and the most cunning of the Drimfaw realized that it could be best exploited in smaller groups, or simply on their own.

They blended with local cultures, using their diminutive sizes to assimilate without much concern. When they were not slaves, the Drimfaw were employed in tasks suited to their kind, and would be sent out as spies, couriers, and agents of discretion. With the vast majority remaining in their secluded tribal origins, a growing minority found their natural talents might be better exploited abroad. Ultimately leading to the birth of 'the Modern Drimfaw'.

A subset of Drimfaw society which becomes all the more common today, as the Drimfaw as a people approach a drastic paradigm shift in their way of life.

## History

The history of the Drimfaw is an eclectic mess of orally recounted tales which vary from tribe to tribe. Though there is a consistent through-line of events which seem to be almost universally remembered by the Drimfaw that passed through the Rift into Aevonhold. This vague collection of stories could almost be called a 'history' of the Drimfaw as a people, though some scholars are hesitant to give such credence to the maddened tales of Drimfaw elders drunk on cooking sherry.

### The Mountain Massacre

Skirmishes between the hundred tribes which roam beneath the nine moons of Aeddom are far from uncommon, but rarely did these shrewd nomads commit to all-out warfare. Resources were scarce and as a result, the losses from major conflict were avoided if at all possible by the Drimfaw. Yet on the opposite side of the coin, when a collective grew desperate enough as food and water depleted... it leaves the threat of full warfare dangerously open.

In the second epoch of Aeddom, the first major war between tribes arose beneath the high peaks of Yagallathrik. The mighty volcano which had stood since the fires of Aeddom first bloomed, and would stand long after the last cinders had smoldered into nothing. It was here that the Forked Root folk of the distant ashen deserts from far in the west had migrated in an increasingly despairing quest for water. A four day storm had left their ancestral homelands little more than a slough of ashy sludge, forcing them to depart far from the lands they'd grown accustomed to. Yet the slopes of the mighty mountain are home to many tribes, who already live in a tenuous balance bartering over the scant resources it has to offer.

With the arrival of the Forked Root, the careful scales which kept the ecosystem of the mountain in check finally tumbled. What little remained disappeared as the forlorn pilgrims scrounged for what they could... leading only to immense resentment from the native folk of the mountain. In the night, beside the sweltering hot springs which bubble near High Yagallathrik's base, a bevy of tribes descended upon the Forked Root. A starving and meager people, the battle was short, if it could even be called such a thing. The men and women were stabbed in their beds, while wailing infants were tossed into the mountain's rumbling geysers.

Yet in the dark not all things were as they seemed, and the coalition which had come to drive away the Forked Root found it difficult to tell one another in the dark. What followed was a hideous and bloody combat which lasted through the night, as looters picked apart the scant supplies of the camp, and brothers clashed, and the victims of the massacre lay with glassy eyes directed unto the nine moons above. What remained in the morning was the bodies of more than seven different tribes, the survivors licking their wounds and returning home in resentment with what spoils they could muster.

### Arrival of the Blod'Juret

It's not known exactly when the Blod'Juret arrived in Aeddom, though it is believed to have been sometime in the twilight hour of the second epoch. Hideous predators which were not native in the realm at all, yet soon found it suitable as a hunting ground. Eschewing their tendency to blend into society at large, the Blod'Juret of Aeddom became monstrous predators which used their inhuman capabilities to their advantage in feasting on the Drimfaw in droves.

It was a catastrophic era for the complacent Drimfaw who long had flourished in the desolate plane, now forced to contend with an alien species which lived only to consume. It forced the Drimfaw to adapt, forging new weapons and digging into the ashen soil to weave intricate networks of hideouts. Weaves of dull grey cloth cast over holes in which they slept to disguise from the hideous Blod'Juret. Pits of tar set to distract the scent of these hunters, yet in kind often left the extra-sensory capacity of the Drimfaw subdued.

The Drimfaw's greatest enemy ceased to be the unforgiving environment of Aeddom, and took on the form of parasitic creatures which lived off the feast of their children. The slopes of High Yagallathrik are dotted with pikes, whereupon the heads of Blod'Juret are spit, as the regions around this 'holy' mountain are the most fiercely defended by the warrior tribes of Drimfaw there.

Yet the further one travels into the ashen deserts, the greater the presence of these awful beasts become, now thoroughly ingrained into the hellish ecosystem of Aeddom.

### Pilgrimage on High Yagallathrik

The history of the Drimfaw is one of disparate peoples scattered across an unforgiving realm plagued of fire and endless gloom. Rare is it then that the hundred tribes of Aeddom ever come into any kind of confluence, rarer still is it for the nine moons of Aeddom to come into alignment above a cloudless sky.

So it was, that when the skies parted for the first time in decades, and Aeddom's moons shone in a devilishly crystalline light, many tribes took it as a sign of the new epoch. A time when the world shifted and the age of the land showed itself in furious, flaming splendor. An innumerable count of tribes set on a grueling pilgrimage to the slopes of High Yagallathrik, though some debate that the exact number was twenty four. How they know this? They refuse to say, it's just 'a vibe thing'.

Regardless of this, it was beneath nine brilliant moons that these droves of Drimfaw towards the foothills of High Yagallathrik. What might've been the brink of all-out war between the mountain tribes and the plain-dwellers who approached the mighty crag, was averted by what some call 'moon's madness', as the pilgrims proceeded through the territories of the natives there and up into the grey gloom. A constant layer of smog which guises the heights of its unseen peak from the land, and the seeming object of the spontaneous pilgrimage.

Thousands of Drimfaw herded up the mountainside and disappeared into the bleak haze, most not to return. An unholy ascent which seemed to follow no rhyme nor reason, it was like many instincts in the diminutive creatures... something almost mystical.

### Ten Day Rain

It's not at all uncommon in the fiery realm of Aeddom, for the land to be drenched in many inches of rain through-out the year. Yet unlike the refreshing and plentiful dew of Aevonhold, the rain of Aeddom is as hellish as its namesake. The scant water droplets which form out of the volcanic geysers through-out the land mingle with the ash and toxins in the higher altitudes, coming back down as a toxic sludge which washes over the land like volcanic discharge.

Yet none had anticipated the cataclysm which is now referred to quite simply as the Ten Day Rain. A weather event so devastating that many hundreds of Drimfaw disappeared into the mire it created, as the storm swept in from the marshes of the east, where moisture is most plentiful. Carried through the lowlands, it's said to have only been stopped when its murky clouds buffeted against the flank of High Yagallathrik.

In its aftermath, the storm left a majority of the land barren, disallowing even for the scarcest of life to eke out existence amidst the toxic flooding. The population of the Drimfaw dwindled, and so too did that of the Blod'Juret, as their most accessible prey declined in numbers across the realm. Only several years before the Rift Incident, Aeddom was left irreparably scarred in the wake of the Ten Day Rain.

### The Rift Incident

A world-shattering event which sent Aeddom shuddering into its third epoch, the Arcane Rift Incident is the first indication of the Drimfaws' arrival in Aevonhold, and their formal departure from the ruinous plane. In 3E 971, a series of rifts opened across the flaming realm of Aeddom, sending the land into disarray and transporting the Drimfaw elsewhere, flung far abroad. Some are said to have vanished outright, others beneath solid rock, long entombed beneath mountains, and others were dropped right in northern Deurlyth.

Quickly enslaved by the Yselnativa who arrived alongside them from Taaret, the surviving Drimfaw were propagated as a slave race. Though the vastness of their species and the rapidity of their gestation led to a great number slipping through the cracks, transported across the world as refugees from their life of servitude in Deurlyth. One can almost always find Drimfaw when Yselnativa are near, or the shadows and alleys of cities throughout the civilized world of Aevonhold.

## The Big Three

While Drimfaw culture continues to splinter and fracture in its ongoing expansion across Aevonhold, there remains a root to which all Drimfaw belong. A primal lineage which dates back to their nomadic existence in the planes of Aeddom. Known as the 'Triple Three' by the Drimfaw with their often redundant linguistic patterns, or to outsiders, simply the "Big Three".

These first three Drimfaw which were told to have walked on the harsh volcanic soil of Aeddom eons before, are the closest thing these creatures have to a 'creation mythos'. With no means or desire to write down their history, most stories of the Big Three are passed down by word of mouth by Drimfaw elders. With a cadence and pomp which would almost have listeners believe that these wizened wisefolk were practically there when the events of their archaic story-telling unfolded.

When put simply, the tale of the Big Three recounts the travels and squabbles and triumphs of those who are considered to be the first Drimfaw in existence. As opposed to recounting the actual genesis of their species, these stories and fables indicate that the Three existed for as long as the planes of Aeddom were awash with fire. A fact which would lead some to believe that these were some sort of god-like figures in Drimfaw mythology, yet one that they'd be quick to correct.

The Big Three were by all accounts of mortal bodies, which could be maimed, wounded, bitten, spat upon, and suffered all the inequities which those Drimfaw today do. However by the telling of the Drimfaw, these bodies could not age as theirs do, and could live so long as they could scrape by claw and teeth. An attribute of self-efficacy which is lauded by almost all in Drimfaw society, even those who've long since left their people behind.

All Drimfaw come to embody one of these immortals in some small way or another, be it in personality, physical appearance, or lifestyle. Occasionally conscious, more often than not to embody the Three is simply a fact of their alien nature, of creatures not born from this world at all.

### Ged

There is no telling which of the Three came first, and which came last. Yet, it's almost universally agreed upon that Ged was the tallest amongst the trio, and thus seemed a self-appointed leader. His skin a mottled grey like the ashen slopes of the volcano he lived under, Ged was the most unnatural of his kin, possessing a great height of five feet, and with a slender nose that jutted from his face a fair five inches. How Drimfaw story-tellers always seem to get these exact measurements correct is lost to time, but it's insisted that the fact is essential to the story.

A trouble-maker and the most rambunctious of the Three, Ged is often attributed to the scuffles and troubles which arise in the tales of the Three. Those who follow in the step of Ged are natural rabble-rousers, are quick of temper, and are swiftest in their vindication of friend and foe alike.

### Vog

Often considered to be the most 'normal' of his kin, Vog was a stout and snub-nosed Drimfaw of a tanned, yellowy complexion. A prototypical Drimfaw in every sense of the word, it's in his image that the majority of the population seem to model after, be it by purpose or happenstance. With a natural scowl on his features, almost every retelling of the Big Three's travels see Vog as the anchor of the company, be it to temper Ged's wrath, or to rouse Yan from his melancholy.

### Yan

Not as mighty as his brother Ged, or as sturdy as his brother Vog, Yan appears to be a curious outsider when juxtaposed against the Big Three. With a faint purple tint in his otherwise orange complexion, Yan speaks with a guttural sense of purpose when addressing the others... or so the elders would re-enact it for you. His thoughts are crisp, and his ideals seem to float above the sensible Vog, in clash with the fiery rhetoric of Ged.

In the constant struggle of the three, Yan serves as the voice of more thoughtful consideration, weighing risks and rewards of their myriad endeavors. Though he is also considered the quietest voice of the three, with many retellings casting Yan as a coward. Though he plays an important role in validating the faults of his brothers when they play out, he is the voice of praise and he is the voice of shame.

However quiet, Yan remains steeped in the Drimfaw culture of scrutiny.

## Wealth and Economy

Prosperity and success are everything to a Drimfaw. With their arrival in Aevonhold, the discovery of minted currency and its value in displaying wealth put its accumulation at the forefront of Drimfaw society. What was once measured in the girth of a Drimfaw's stomach could now be weighed in the sacks of coin at their disposal. Prosperity took on a new meaning, and true excess was now available to the shrewd and intrinsically stingy creatures.

A fact which goes both for traditionalists and those break-offs forging their own way in the world. To any Drimfaw, their inherent value is weighed in their myriad piercings and shows of personal success. As the creatures become more and more acclimated to the humanoid economies of Aevnhold, it's become increasingly common for Drimfaw to hollow out gold and silver coins to loop through their ears.

## Native Technology

Not known for their prowess in science and technology, the Drimfaw were still an ingenious people for their home realm of Aeddom. With the arrival of the hideous Blod'Juret and other unnatural predators, the often complacent creatures were forced to innovate and retaliate. As such began a hurry to work new arms and armor for their warriors- giving birth to the Foundry and all its awful invention.

Primitive swords and obsidian knives were replaced with volatile sulfur-based firearms. Such explosive energies and resources were far from a rarity in the hellish realm of Aeddom, leaving the Drimfaw with a wealth of tools in combatting their new foes.

Though even with these inventions, the vast majority of the disparate tribes that roam Aeddom rely on the cruel tools their environment lends them. A basic sense of wicked ingenuity when confronted with danger, whilst meek looking, Drimfaw grow relatively bestial when backed into a corner.

## Attitudes Towards the Arcane

Not an inherently magical race, it wasn't uncommon for the Drimfaw of Aeddom to go their entire (albeit short) lives without encountering mages of their own species. More often than not, the arcane holds a strong association to the mysterious masters of the Foundry, and the Blod'Juret they often clash with in the fiery crags of Aeddom. Yet once in a blue moon a Drimfaw is born with a potency for the Arcane, and due to the nature of their homeland's inferno, they tend towards the arts of pyromancy.

While not innately opposed to works of the arcane, the rarity of Drimfaw which do manifest it has elicited a certain amount of superstition from the more old fashioned elements of society. Drimfaw born with magical potential will often bear distinct marks to this end, usually in the form of multi-colored horns which twist and turn, or even blotchy birth-marks which form across their faces.

Elders and midwives will tell tale of misfortune or great luck to come from the auspicious birth of a magically inclined Drimfaw, depending upon tribal culture. Opinions on the matter vary, though it's widely considered to be a boon when such a child is born into the clan at large. Drimfaw with distinct arcane potential are often apprenticed with the sages of a tribe, who even if not mages themselves, will instruct them in the ritualistic rites of the Drimfaw and educate them on ancestral practices to imbue with their magics.

To be born under the dazzling moons of Aeddom with such a gift is even considered a blessing from the fire spirits themselves, and some say it's these eccentric pyromancers which will rekindle the land anew, returning these flaming sylphs from the earth beneath.

## Physical Features

The Drimfaw are a relatively homogenous race of people in their social order, which is often contrasted by the myriad physical features which are used to tell one another apart and build a sense of personality. The widest variations appear in their ears, horns, noses, and occasionally skin tone.

A Drimfaw's ears are usually elongated and pointed, with varying lengths and widths which act as a canvas for piercings and notches etched into the flesh. These piercings are usually indicative of social standing, which to a Drimfaw, usually refers to their personal success and victories. It's not uncommon for a Drimfaw of repute who suddenly falls on hard times to rip out their piercings and leave the wounds as a sign of their own lament.

Alternatively the horns of a Drimfaw are usually unadorned, being formed of a keratin-like substance. While not being actively altered in a show of aesthetics, a Drimfaw's horns can manifest in numerous different phenotypes. Some appearing to twist and curl, while others grow outwards in pointed fashion. The color is almost always a dulled yellowish ivory, with occasional patterns or blotches cast in purple and deep indigo. To be born with such distinctive and unique horns is often fussed over by old Drimfaw midwives to tell an infant's fortune, as to whether they'll be prosperous or even become a significant leader someday.

Perhaps the subtlest of features on a Drimfaw's face, the nose is usually squat and snubbed in shape. With numerous specialized nerve endings in the nose related to sensory perception, a Drimfaw usually considers their nose to be quite precious. Some form a more rounded, bulb-shapes, while others grow outwards in a peculiar, almost human-like fashion. Occasionally off-color from the rest of their skin, the nose can be anywhere from a dulled orange, to a vibrant and sore looking red.

Most Drimfaw are born with the same light yellow hue of skin, though rarely, this can alter under seemingly unknown circumstances. Some Drimfaw theorize it relies on the phases of the moon, or the alignment of the planes, but once in a decade, a Drimfaw infant might be born with more reddish or purple skin. A superstitious lot by their nature, Drimfaw elders will tell portents of these 'red devils', be they born to enact great evils, or serve as a messiah to their people.

## Language

Being an otherworldly people by nature, their use of language can be considered off beat or strange by outsiders. A consonant heavy tongue which combines a series of syllabic notations together to shape meaning and shift tone depending upon context of use. Uniquely, it's a language which is shared with the Blod'Juret who've come to call Aeddom home, in spite of their fierce opposition to the spritely Drimfaw. The Blod'Juret dialect differs in its preference to almost entirely eschew vowels from their speech, and the modality of intonation is much less important to the monstrous beings. The adaption of the Drimfaw's harsh language by the Blod'Juret is believed to be in relation to the superstition that it descends from the tongue of the fire spirits which once sailed over Aeddom in all their fury.

### Naming Conventions

The names of the Drimfaw are often short and guttural in nature, utilizing consonants as liberally as the rest of their language. They are usually monosyllabic, though this ranges and some of them are known to have names as long as five syllables. Though these names vary widely in meaning and pronunciation, there are a few common prefixes, suffixes, and conventions which many Drimfaw follow.

Some are granted at birth as an indication of intent for the child's future, while others are earned, not unlike the rings that sway from their ears.

Those listed below are but a few examples,

**Yat**-

A prefix which indicates one's birth under auspicious stars.

**Knet**-

A prefix used to refer to the youngest child of a brood, often associated with being the 'runt' of a pack.

**Zk**-

A prefix that can refer to one's affiliation with the elders of a tribe, this is usually not taken at birth.

**Ekk**-

A prefix which indicates that one was born under a purple moon, one that has since fallen out of style with centuries past since the Rift incident. The nine moons of Aeddom made this prefix's use relatively common in the times before, and was associated with prosperity.

-**aw**

Perhaps the most common suffix of Drimfaw naming conventions, it's considered a blessing from the elders, and is believed to give the infant good luck whilst growing up and into entering adulthood.

-**og**

Given by midwives who wish for their child to embody the sensible and steady hand of Vog, this suffix often finds itself attached to the name of craftsmen, laborers, and tinkerers.

-**ed**

Similarly to its counterparts, this suffix associates with the embodiment of Ged, and is often handed down to future warriors and bandits. Though there is growing debate in modern Drimfaw society as to whether 'bandit' as an acceptable profession for a child anymore.

-**ahn**

A rare suffix that affiliates with the embodiment of Yan, it's rarely given out by midwives, though it can found affixed to the names of many elders and wise figures in the fathomless tribes of the Drimfaw. With sharp and beady eyes, Yan calculated the woes of his brothers and instructed them on the path out of ruin, yet rarely was it kind.

-**zna**

A suffix which is often given to Drimfaw which have saved the life of a fellow, and lived to tell of it. A Drimfaw who dies in their ventures are buried with no names, and their titles are forgotten, lest the mourners attract the same bad luck that befell the deceased.

### Drimfaw Slang

A fading aspect of Drimfaw life as their species, their language is traded out in favor of the almost universally applicable common. Innately social creatures, even the most traditional of Drimfaw tribes find the acceptance of common vital in trade, and existing in the lands of sunlight. Even still, the deeply ingrained nativist tendencies of the Drimfaw see their archaic and harsh tongue still slipping into day-to-day conversation. Enough so to make a distinct mark on their lexicon, and impress upon outsiders with its oxymoronic vulgar harmony.

Though by and large, the Drimfaw's unnamed native tongue is considered a dying language in Aevonhold.

**Tawk-eza**

A word in the Drimfaw which holds no direct translation into common (a trend in Drimfaw-speak), though is widely accepted to mean "You there", and is an informal address.

**Opah**

Meaning "Thanks", and is often repeated multiple times to indicate a greater sense of gratitude.

**Pek-iyo**

Meaning "No worries", a dismissal of concern, or alternatively a casual substitute for "Thanks".

**Hap-hato**

A word which means "Apologies, my friend", and is the more formal choice of delivery when referring to someone of greater prestige.

**Hap-hap**

Meaning "I'm sorry" in direct translation, but with an underlying subtext of dismissiveness and a lack of sincerity. Often used to insult someone you've wronged, or who you hold power over.

**Yutta**

Meaning "Greetings", and is the more formal and socially acceptable means of address for someone you don't know, or hold in high regard.

**Ira-iro**

Meaning "Is that so", used in an inquisitive tense, and has a wide variety of uses in Drimfaw conversation. From being a suggestion for someone to elaborate on a story they're telling, to suggesting a level of interest in their words, or even make a show of wishing to leave the social encounter. Its meaning is almost entirely reliant on context, and non-native speakers have occasionally found themselves in hot water with a manic Drimfaw after employing the incorrect tonal address.

**Leke-Leke**

A word which means "Goodbye", but comes with variable modalities of intention. A simple "Leke" will be considered a curt or casual farewell, while the full "Leke-Leke" is reserved for elders, superiors, and figures of respect. A common inscription on Drimfaw graverocks is the words "Leke-Leke-Leke", which is reserved for those who've already passed on, and is considered their immortalized final farewell.

## Guidelines

* Drimfaw have names which are harsh, nasally, and short.
* The Drimfaw are fast learners, but unintelligent speakers.
* Drimfaw are obsessive over shiny objects. Often times Drimfaw will incorporate the peddling of various goods and artefacts into their lifestyle when not enslaved.
* They are fast, but are as weak as a Granthelian infant. As a Drimfaw, you are limited to leather armor and up to light material for swords. They can not use any other weapon besides a dagger or a small crossbow.
* They have big ears, light yellow hue skin, and have large horns.
* Often times, Drimfaw will speak in third person.