Vaettir

Born from Fire

"Don't be scared, little one, I won't hurt you. I know I may bear fangs, but they are just for eating apples." - Old vaettir to a timid human child

The great Vaettir were created during the Sorrow, their bodies forming from the ashes of a burned landscape. They are wildfire, strong and with burning personalities that often rub themselves off on individuals of other races. On the contrary, they can also be the ashy aftermath. As they age, they mellow greatly, gaining one of the most naturally soft demeanors found in the world of Gai'ia.
As a people, their connection to fire naturally draw them to forests when they decide to settle down. Youthful vaettir will often seek out large volcanoes, however, and test their courage in great tests of spirit. A popular game among these young individuals is "scatterball", which consists of one vaettir throwing a fistful of volcanic rock at another. They take turns, and the first one to duck loses. It is all done in good spirit, and if (or in this case, when) an individual is wounded, encouragement is offered together will a good hug to settle any resentment.
As a race, they are the most physically varied. Standing anywhere from around 4 feet or even shorter to 7 feet, muscled like giant meaty turtles or thin with twiggy arms, a vaettir's only real defining feature is greyish skin and two big tusks that stick out from under their lower lip. Don't be fooled by their antics, the vaettir don't believe in only pure physical strength, and any character with enough strength of spirit is worth praise in their eyes. And if a more diminutive individual lacks this strong will, they often see it as nothing more than a matter of encouragement.