Satyr

Also known as "Faun", the Satyrs of the Clovis forests are seldom seen when they do not mean for it. They are a dichotomous bunch, being a jovial, trickster people, but also sneaky, mysterious, and enigmatic.

Appearance

Compared to a human, a Satyr is short. They grow to a height of four feet on average with the upper limits of Satyr physiology capping out at about five and a half feet. A satyr's most notable differences from a human are their cervine features. They have furry lower torsos, digitigrade legs that end in small cloven hooves, small, puffy upturned tails, and similarly small horns or antlers that poke out from their shaggy, brown or black hair. Their fur ranges in similar colorations to their hair, with the occassional stark white fur prominent in several individuals. Generally, they sport pointed, mousey faces, with long noses or ears, and high cheekbones. Their eyes can range anywhere from a deep, almost black brown, to orange hues, to a bright yellow. Many Satyrs prefer to dress naturalistically, often going fully nude or scantily clad, covering up secondary sexual characteristics only in cases to appease the taboos of human societies.

History & Geography

Satyrs make their home in the deep forests of Clovis, where in the early years of the Age of Clay, they sprung forth from the Fountain of Life, a holy spring that sits in the deep roots of the Calessos. Calessos is the name of a massive tree that sits at the heartlands of Clovis, and is also the name of their largest city. The Satyrs of Calessos keep their homlands free of complex architectures, prefering a more Druidic aethestic as a backdrop for their revelry and worship of the various Fae spirits and their woodland pantheon. Much of the Satyr's history is entangled with the conflicts of eliminating various invaders from their wood, trying to keep it pure of human influence by protecting the plants and animals that live there. The Satyrs are not afraid to leave the wood to travel, but it is of important tradition for them to not allow the other races to approach the Calessos tree without a heavy amount of trust. The first time the Satyrs allowed this to happen, their whole wood was nearly burnt down by a particularly evil and tricky Djinn.

Civilization & Culture

Art

Satyr art is heavily influenced by the crumbling Sirae ruins that dot the forest floor, where early on in their history, Satyrs came into contact with these ruins and taught themselves to read the ancient languages written on their walls. As such, beautiful, if slightly more crude and floral variations on Sirae architecture, sculpture, pottery, and mosaic bloom and flourish on their minimally constructed cities.

Theatre

The concept of plays were always a part of Satyr cultures, even if they did not necessarily have a word for it until they observed the Lapezeans codifying it. A piece of culture shared with these humans in their early interactions were the Satyrical productions, which involved often humorous commentary on current events, other productions, or other cultural standards.

Literature

Satyrs write in a heavily modified form of the ancient Sirae script, which invloves heavy use of runic alphabets and pictographic elements. These runes and pictographs are hewn into the walls and floors of their constructions, telling stories on stone pillars or on the sides of trees. Runic scripts of the Satyrs are a particular interest of non-Satyr scholars, who are surprised to find the magic contained within them.

Economics

Being as isolationist and naturalist as they are, Satyrs don't have many exports. Enterprising individuals often take up the business of brewing wines and ales, as the sacred nutrients available at the base of the Calessos tree are desired by drinkers around the world.

Cuisine

A Satyr's typical diet consists of what is generally foraged from the woods, be this berries, nuts, vegetation, fruits, and some fungi. When their diet does turn omnivorous, they perfer to hunt small game like rabbits and squirrels. Larger game is often recruited as companions and pets, or sometimes even mounts for the Satyrs. They mostly drink wine, but when recovering from the previous night's hangover the Satyrs have been known to consume water for a few hours in a day as well.

Religion

The Satyr pantheon consists of the Atrasians that contributed to their place in the world. They worship Kora, Fengari, and Kolpas most widely. Kora for giving them the beauty of Flora, vegetation, wine, and the Calessos tree as a home to live in. Fengari supports their vigilance, their bestial ferocity, and their nocturnal tendency. Kolpas indulges them in their revelry, their trickery, and their sneaky endeavors. The Satyrs do not worship in temples and shrines like the humans do, but they do gather to dance around stone mounds  or circles. It is here they perform the ritual sacrifices more familiar to human visitors, but also as a general gathering space to revel. Satyrs take great importance to their evening revelry, as they see it as a time to mingle, relax, and find love among their kin, before the moon rises and they switch to a more serious and protective mood.

Military

While no formal military for the Satyrs exist, they do tend to form scouting parties of bowmen that leave towns and settlements at night, to hunt down and drive away unwanted visitors from their wood. Long ago, the Satyrs made peace with the Centaurs of Galilae, who freely roam their wood to hunt alongside them.

by Midjourney AI

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Fae

Lifespan

120

Average Height

4'0"

Average Weight

100lbs

Geographic Distribution

• Edifas, The Exalted Forum