Spriggan

Spriggans are a tribe of humanoid creatures who live in the wild and are adept at using nature-based magic. They are in touch with the natural world and respect the animals and plants around them. They typically have a gentle, peaceful nature and strive to maintain balance in their environment. Most Spriggans practice shamanism and often act as healers and protectors of the forest. Some Spriggans may also be skilled archers or artisans. Spriggans tend to live in small, close-knit communities and cherish their traditions and culture.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Spriggans tend to be smaller than most humanoid species and tend to be lean and moderately muscular. In terms of features, they have sharp teeth and usually wide-set eyes. They tend to have skin tones ranging from various browns to dull green and grey.

Biological Traits

Spriggans live about an average of 300-400 years. Female Spriggans stand at about 5'0"-5'6" and male Spriggans stand at about 5'3"-5'9". They have an average weight for their height, their muscle mass adding weight to make up for the lower body fat percentages.

Genetics and Reproduction

Spriggans, like all humanoids, reproduce sexually and, like humans, the gestation period is 9 months.

Growth Rate & Stages

They grow at the same rate a human would, however they reach complete emotional maturity and development by 15 years.

Ecology and Habitats

They often live in forest-type environments and are quite inventive in architecture, constructing whole cities in the trees. They are close to nature, interacting with nature in a way that conveys mutual respect. They have a great respect for the flora and fauna and, when they have to hunt them down for survival, they do not waste the gifts of nature.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Spriggans both hunt and forage and waste none of the resources they get from either. They store their food during colder seasons and protect them any other time. They respect all the resources in nature and consume them all the same.

Biological Cycle

The colder the weather gets, the weaker their magic gets. Their nature magic draws power directly from nature itself, so when the plants die in colder seasons, their magic dies down as well.

Behaviour

Spriggans are a very interwoven species, having a great respect for all their fellow Spriggans. With the exception of a few outliers, they tend to be very peaceful and kind, wise beyond their years due to their expansive understanding of nature and the ways of life.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Spriggans have smaller communities with their own governments. A chief leads the city and appoints a commander, an advisor, and a shaman to assist him/her with maintaining the city. Commanders orchestrate hunting parties, advisors manage trade, communications, and much more, and shamans (usually a matriarch or patriarch) lead spiritually.

Facial characteristics

They tend to have further-set, almond-shaped eyes with full lips and round noses. They are ethereally, uniquely beautiful.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

They live in heavily wooded areas, usually never in numbers higher than 150. Their cities are very small, as they are built high in the trees and their locations are never disclosed to those outside of the cities, unless under specific circumstances.

Average Intelligence

On average, Spriggans are very wise. They are aware of many things regarding the cycles of life and death and have a lot of sage-like wisdom to offer. However, Spriggans raised around other Spriggans are not often educated in things like math or language.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Due to their tribal nature, they tend to survive off of hunting and, as such, they have incredible perception, sight, and hearing. They are sometimes gifted with the magical ability to detect life, thus giving them an advantage in terms of tracking.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Spriggans wait days to name their children after they are born. There is a ritual in which they offer the child to "Shanagaia, the Earth Mother" (who is believed to be a great nature spirit and giver of all life) and speak the child's name to the heaven's after Shanagaia "speaks" to them.

Major Organizations

Spriggans are all united under one deity (which they consider the only true goddess, but she is only one on many of the pantheons of gods of many other cultures in Saphos), Shanagaia. They are a peaceful group and often do not have reasons to break their own laws, so there is hardly organized crime. The governments of chieftans are also fair, their peaceful nature making it exceedingly difficult to harm others, minus a few outliers.

Beauty Ideals

Spriggans find strength beautiful in both genders. They admire wisdom and unshakable character. In terms of physical beauty, they prefer to be on the thinner side, with a decent amount of muscle. Their beauty is almost ethereal. Strange, but stunning in its own right, with far-set eyes, rounded noses, and sharper features.

Gender Ideals

Spriggans see strength and prowess, not gender. The strong hunt, forge and go to war and the weak stay and manage shops, gather, and practice spirituality.

Courtship Ideals

Courtship amongst Spriggans is very important as they value the soul and believe love (of all kinds--familial, friendship, romantic) to be very important to the soul and, when a Spriggan attempts to court another, they will often use gifts and acts of service to convey their attraction.

Relationship Ideals

Spriggans allow any form of consenting love. Not so much as they encourage it, but they simply do not see how it matters in any way.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

All the humanoids of Saphos share a common species as an ancestor: the Primordians. Therefore, minus a few differences in dialect and slang, they all share a language. Nornians, Aeshians, Solasians, Spriggans, and more. They all share a tongue.

Common Etiquette Rules

Their etiquette simply demands respect. Do not talk over people. Do not carry yourself in a way displeasing to others. Do not act out of line. Of course, within their own homes, they act as they like, but cannot displease the preferences of their fellow Spriggans.

Common Dress Code

Modesty is not a priority for Spriggans, as they do not see their bodies as inherently sexual. They wear less because it allows for more movement and they overheat less and, given they hunt regularly and live in wooded areas, both of these factors are important. They also tend to have many piercings and jewels.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

1. Spriggans place great importance on their ancestors, with generations of oral storytelling and preservation of history.
2. They have a strong connection to nature and the environment, and their cultural practices often include ceremonies and celebrations that honor nature and life.
3. Spriggans have a tribal, close-knit society with a deep respect for elders and leaders. They work together to maintain their community and to preserve their ancient traditions and beliefs.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

1. Holding regular ceremonies and celebrations honoring nature and the life it supports. These typically include dancing, singing, and games.
2. Honoring the spirits of the forest and sky - Spriggans believe in the power and presence of spirits in their environment and hold them in deep reverence, treating them with respect and gratitude.
3. Respecting and honoring life - Spriggans value the life of all creatures and treat them with care, whether it is animals, plants, or eachother.

Common Taboos

Spriggans believe a few things to be taboo. For example:

• Bringing harm to a plant or animal without reason (ex: killing an animal and leaving it to rot).
• Revealing too much regarding their culture to the outside world. It is sacred to them and they do not want it disrespected.
• Dishonesty, as Spriggans have a very honest and straightforward nature.
• Disrespecting elders, as Spriggans tend to have governments led by those who are wiser and they are owed respect.

Common Myths and Legends

The One is a legendary giant, the first humanoid inhabitant of Saphos. The father of the Primordians. Some call him God, some call him false, and some simply call him a predecessor. Some believe that, while he was not a god, his consciousness split and created the races.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

They are slightly less accepting of interspecies relations, but allow it because they accept all forms of consenting love. However, some more conservative Spriggans still harbor prejudice against it.

Scientific Name

Homo Sylvanus

Origin/Ancestry

African

Lifespan

350 years

Conservation Status

No. Spriggans are a smaller group when compared to Aeshians and Solasians, but that is not a new occurance.

Average Height

5'6"

Average Weight

137 pounds

Average Physique

Spriggans tend to be different distributions of thin and muscular.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Spriggans often have tattoos or some kind of body paint.