Burrowfolk

The Burrowfolk are the small but hardy people who originated in Dovin Minor .
In the aftermath of the Fracturing, Dovin Minor, or as it was called at the time Home-Stone, was completely covered in a massive forest of blue trees called the Mournwood. The Mournwood is filled with all manor of insecticide monstrosities who comprise a vicious food chain that the Burrowfolks' ancestors simply could not compete with in any meaningful way. The only choice these survivors had was to retreat underground, beyond the reach of any monster. Under their new home, the Burrowfolk found a vast system of subterranean tunnels, which seemed to expand far below the bottom of the island itself. No matter how deep they went, they could never find the bottom, it was an endless world of stone stretched ever downward.
The Burrowfolk made these cave systems their home. Luckily, the Burrowfolk were able to utilize a bio-luminous moss they discovered near the surface for light, so as to not be plunged into an eternal night. Several subterranean streams stem from a large lake on the surface, hidden under the dense canopy, providing the Burrowfolk with enough water to survive. For food, the Burrowfolk turned to mushroom farming, insect husbandry, and the occasional above ground hunt.
After generations of below-ground life, the Burrowfolk began likely to shrink in stature, coming to be generally only a little under a meter tall. As the Burrowfolk were only discovered by chance in 168 AF in their current state, and the Burrowfolk were unaware of the change as it happened, it is impossible to know exactly when the change took place. Additionally, Because of their reliance on bio-luminescent moss, the Burrowfolk never developed night eyes, and still retained their ability to stand the light of the sun.
Burrowfolk grew in steady numbers below the surface of their island, careful not to exceed their means of food production and their ability to grow their living space. Their unique style of living required an emphasis on community and consensus, working to sustain their population in strange and sometimes inhospitable conditions.
The culture that emerged from the burrows of Home-Stone was one that emphasized familial ties and their role in the community. In the early days of their survival, the first Burrowfolk families were charged with a single aspect of survival to manage. With each family maintaining a specific aspect of survival, some farming, some hunting, and some cutting new living space, the early community was able to maintain itself without much in the way of conflict, as each family had their own domain of expertise. As time went on, inter-familial diplomacy became essential to maintain social cohesion, especially as the population expanded, and so a system of arranged marriage emerged to ensure every family was tied to each other in some way. This resulted in the intricate family histories for which Burrowfolk are known. Even in populations of Burrowfolk who were made to leave Home-Stone, the family tree, or the "family roots" as Burrowfolk know it, is still of tremendous cultural concern.
In the last century, Burrowfolk culture has changed rapidly ever since they were conquered by The Kingdom of Dovin. The Burrowfolk have become enslaved, forced to work for the Kingdom as laborious in the lumber colonies of Dovin, Minor, as farmers on the island of New Stone, as minors in the Gift, and as general laborers on Dovin Prime.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Burrowfolk speak Terran, with a few learning how to speak Auran in the last century, the language of their colonizers.

Art & Architecture

Burrowfolk architecture is sized for them. Traditional architecture features lots of curves, rounded edges, and smoothed surfaces. In their home tunnels, generations of Burrowfolk spent decades chiseling and smoothing the stone tunnels of subterranean home. Burrowfolk buildings, as they are often cut straight from the earth, feature few lines or breaking points, appearing to be almost molded from the living stone. Recent Burrowfolk construction, particularly of those who have been elevated in the current class system, have echos of Dovin design sensibilities, featuring ribbed pillars, harder lines, and the inclusion of statues and busts.

Funerary and Memorial customs

Burrowfolk are traditionally enclosed in stone coffins with a collection of their favorite tools, items, and sometimes, furniture. Relatives visit to "knock" on the gave once a year. If the dead knock back, it's considered an omen of impending death.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Burrowfolk are renown for their fascination with hair. As they naturally are a very hairy people, proper grooming of one's follicles has become a cultural icon for success, dependableness, and virility. What exactly constitutes "proper grooming" varies from individual to individual, but over all, one's hair is seen as being deeply linked with their identity, an expression of some inner truth.

Encompassed species

• Burrowfolk