Burrowfolk
The Burrowfolk are the hardiest, most adaptable individuals in the Skies. Due to the cruel whims of fate, they were bound to the island of Dovin Minor, an inhospitable jungle of strange trees and giant insects. To survive, the Burrowfolk fled underground. Discovering a network of endless tunnels that seemed to stretch past the bottom of their home island, the Folk built their own civilization underground, carving a network of warrens out of the living stone.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Burrowfolk are small humanoids averaging around 2 to 3 feet tall. Their skin is a unique blend of pink, purple, and lime green pigments, although their hair is always a dark purple. They have green eyes, small noses, and disproportionately large ears.
Civilization and Culture
Common Dress Code
Burrowfolk on Dovin Minor generally wear the furs of small animals, boiled chitin, and fabrics made from special varieties of moss. On Dovin, they tend to adopt the dress of their masters; togas and sandals.
History
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.
Conservation Status
Initially the Burrowfolk fled underground to escape the horrors of their native island's surface, and became a small but hardy population of rugged survivors. Generations of strict population control were thrown out the window when they were discovered by the kingdom of Dovin, which took them as slaves. In the last half century, their population has exploded, both on their native island and on Dovin Prime.
Related Ethnicities
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