The Lore[]
The sailors of Ithica and other port cities constantly seek out new lands and new places to explore, but rarely have success in their ventures, consistently being thwarted by Natharsis herself. The Mists, which envelop the lands in a veil where no man returns from; the Storm Line a line of ever-raging storms, cutting the sea in half; and the Tendrils, a long stretch of spikes and rocks that dot the seas of the East, filled with the wrecks of ships who dared venture through.. As a result of this, humans never knew what new challenges lay beyond these barriers against expansion. Some speculated that vast lands were past them, ripe for the picking, and some even suspected that there would be exotic forms of life there, possibly even sentient.
They were right.
The Fenrel live to the West, on their continent of Eirenia. They are humanoid artiodactyls, or even-hoofed mammals. They have large ears and many prefer to grow out their hair to a length going past the shoulders, with a majority of the males having beards. Their legs are covered in a thick fur, but their upper body remains mostly hairless.
Fenrel are extremely territorial of their homelands, but when unopposed, they are a peaceful species. They are known to be led by their emotions and feelings, responding to a situation by acting on emotional impulse, rather than strict analysis. They are deeply religious, and put their whole heart into worship. They worship a small pantheon of Gods, consisting of three individuals: Altheum, the God of Earth and Mountains; Isra, the Goddess of Frost; and Myrail, the Goddess of Nature.
The Fenrel lived peacefully together for over a hundred years. Quarrels were rare, and the Fenrel found themselves in a golden age. They worshipped a small pantheon of gods, rulers of the earth, nature, and frost.
But, the peace soon ended as the two Moons collided. Was it a sign of the Gods for good things to happen, or a troublesome omen that would bring evil to the land; the Fenrel didn’t know. They prayed to their gods both day and night, but were left unanswered, until …
A large moonshard plummeted down towards Eirenia, hitting its center, and absolutely devastating the area. The shard brought unnatural life to Eirenia, the plants bloomed to enormous heights , the animals grew larger and bloodthirsty. Among the Fenrel, a small plague erupted, dwindling their numbers, although, the plague remained contained and many were unaffected. With the shard came three smaller objects, two of them flying towards Paenr, and one to Eyria. The Fenrel, curious as they were, went to investigate these happenings, as they had investigated the moonshard. With grim determination they explored, finding the objects. The Shard had brought evil to the lands, and they were sure these would do the same. But, fortunately, they were wrong. What they saw when they eventually found the objects, were that they were no objects at all.
They were Fenrel. One with giant horns, a colossus of a man; another a woman with hair as white as snow; and the final one a small Eyli child. The Fenrel nurtured them and brought back life in the trio’s dying souls. When they opened their eyes, they glowed a faint hue, each a different color. When the man stood up, the Earth trembled, as he summoned a mighty pickaxe, black as coal and hard as diamonds. The woman’s aura was cold. Those around her felt a chill in their hearts as she summoned a mighty frostworn axe. The final one, the small child, shifted into many forms. First a bear, then a stag, a wolf, and then a deer. The Fenrel’s hearts were filled with hope, as they realized who stood before them. Altheum, the God of Earth and Mountains; Isra, the Goddess of Frost; and Myrail, the Goddess of Nature.
This faint glimmer of hope gave the Fenrel a new goal. Eirenia continued to become corrupt, as the plants and animals grew more vicious with the day. They had to leave. The Krao and Eyli fled to the West with the Gods by their side, to the Dreai, masters of the seas. The Dreai had anticipated the refugees, as they had built mighty ships to get them across the ocean, into the unknown. They had no choice.
And so, they sailed, towards the only place that hadn’t been tainted by the Mists … the Storm Line. With the help of the Gods, who wielded the power of the elements, they passed the ocean and reached Iratar, the Continent of Humans.
The Subraces[]
Note: Not all characters within a certain subrace must follow the “trends” or “stereotypes”, there will certainly be individuals that are drastically different than other individuals within their subrace. The Fenrel are, as a whole, laidback and relaxed, and therefore do not enforce a moulding of character and personality. They let each other be themselves and do what they wish.
Krao Fenrel - A mountainous type of the Fenrel. They peak just a bit higher than the average human at about 1.90m (6.23 feet), and their fur is typically black or grey. They commonly live under overhangs, in caverns, and ravines. Their culture is fairly patriarchal, but that does not necessarily imply that their women are weak. They are a warrior society, flourishing in fighting and achieving honor in battle. Ancestor veneration is a common practice, with Krao Fenrel seeking to bring meaning to their family through conquests and success. Often, when a Krao Fenrel has grown weary and tired of combat and war, they will shift to a form of merchant or religious caste, living a simpler life. As well, not all Krao Fenrel see the fright of battle, and work as peasants on farms, or as masons, smiths, and any other job required of them. There is no shame in such choice, either, but merely the lack of a chance to bring notice. Religiously, they have one priest to guide them.
Eyli Fenrel - A forest type of Fenrel. They are the smallest of the Fenrel at about 1.5m (4.9 feet), and their fur is typically brown. They live on the ground and some within trees, using wood as a main part of their homes. Living within forests and jungles, most would think that these Fenrel would be common hunters, surviving by shooting and trapping animals. However, the Eyli Fenrel are rather unique. They are commonly known to be the most relaxed of the Fenrel, focusing only on pleasing themselves and their gods. They commonly eat from plants that they farm, mainly practicing various forms of forested agriculture, but will eat meat if some of the hunters of the subspecies catch some prey. They are the most religious of the Fenrel, content with studying and learning about the world around them. They are entirely at peace with themselves, and are well-known for their parties. As a result, the Eyli Fenrel are skilled with making various wines. Religiously, the Eyli Fenrel are led by a council of sages.
Dreai Fenrel - A plains type of Fenrel. They stand much taller than their mountainous kin, typically at heights around 2.30m (7.54 feet), and their fur is typically light brown or blonde. The Fenrel of the plains are commonly known to be nomadic, and are the most laidback of the Fenrel. Many take an interest in the art of sailing, as they often live alongside rivers and lakes. They have adapted to ensure that they have the most efficient ways of travelling available for themselves, and as they commonly travel, change camps, and work upon their ships and wagons, the Dreai Fenrel have become skilled with travelling and carpentry alike. They live off of a diet of mainly meat, hunting whatever land creatures they can find, and fishing whenever they have the time. Religiously, they have one priest, although he/she does not have as much power as the priest of the mountain Fenrel. A priestess is also more likely to exist within the Dreai Fenrel, as they are commonly more relaxed than the mountain Fenrel.
The Fenrel inhabited a spherical-shaped continent named Eirenia, similar to Iratar’s climate and geographical features. There the three subspecies of Fenrel lived in harmony, the Krao to the north in Paenr, the Eyli in the southeastern city of Eyria, and across the plains of the Dreai in the southwest. They lived in simple peace, worshipping the gods and surviving contentedly, thriving in their environment.
Fenrel Cities[]
Paenr - Inhabited by the mountain-dwelling Krao, Paenr has had a long history of being an invincible stronghold. Protected by both warriors and mountains alike, Paenr has never lost a battle.
Eyria - Inhabited by the forest-dwelling Eyli, Eyria is hidden within deep forests in the southeastern section of Eirenia.
Dreai City - As the Dreai commonly live in smaller groups and are nomadic, there is no set city for them. However, a large part of the Dreai population do live together, moving camps every few months or years. They call their vast collection of temporary homes the Dreai City.