Firbolgs

Firbolgs

Firbolgs are an old race.

Calm, slow, and methodical, they are often not seen by people. They live in forests and protect, tend, and care for them.

Complexions and Mannerisms:

Firbolgs complexions are a pale grey, with reddish or brown hair. They stand somewhere around 2m – 2,4m (6 – 8 ft) and have long, covered ears. They often wear light clothes and very rarely wear armour of any sort. Firbolgs live long lives, often living for almost half a millennium if undisturbed.

Firbolgs are slow and labourious people, often choosing to spend their lives caring for one patch of wood or shrubbery. They have a natural affinity to nature and can understand and sometimes communicate with animals and plants around them. As such, many Firbolgs grow fond relationships with trees and help them grow to hundreds of years.

The Birth of Firbolgs:

Firbolgs are one of the oldest races, with legends telling of them being around at the creation of Rathnir, helping the god of nature, whom they call Carn Adar* (Beautiful Song), to bring forests to the world. While Firbolgs are one of the older races, they did not spread like the other races as each one is created by Carn Adar. There is usually only a handful of Firbolgs who live on Rathnir at any given point, and there have been times when there has been none.

Each Firbolg is sculpted by Carn Adar when she needs a steward for a forest or land. Occasionally she will make more than one Firbolg for a place, but this rarely happens. The life of a Firbolg is to tend to their given forest and help it grow and survive harsh times.

Firbolgs are made genderless, as they are made and not born. As such, many stay genderless their whole lives. Sometimes, a Firbolg may chose to call themselves male or female, but this is only a title to them as they do not have the reproductive organs.

Naturcrefydd:

Naturecrefydd is the “religion” of the FIrbolgs, if you can call it that. It is the glorification of Carn Adar as their mother and the fulfilling of their promise to her to care for the forests and wildlife. There has not been any outside Firbolgs to worship Naturcrefydd, but not all history is recorded.

Whyddonhud:

Whyddonhud is the minor magics that the Firbolg folk can do. It involves minor growth spurts to plants and animals, the bending of plants to form shapes, and the decay of life when chosen.

Firbolgs often use Whyddonhud to create houses and furniture by bending plants to a given shape. They also use Whyddonhud to take care of parasites and hostile plants and animals in their jurisdiction.

Recent Times:

Of late, Firbolgs have become more and more scarce as the forests start to dwindle. As of writing this, there are five Firbolgs around: one in the western forests of Uldarash (Calonerig), one in Sørliste (Naghariad), one in the forest cultural capital of Astana (Frogthir), and one in Aurlûnor Verlande (Bodynwedd). Both Calonerig and Naghariad are caring for their forests while Bodynwedd moved to Aurlûnor Verlande to find refuge from pillaging governments in the south.

Many Firbolgs have died in the past 100 years as more forest is removed. These fallen Firbolgs are: Malwen, Rhybuh, Barddol, Planyhon, Eryier, and Annigwyl.

While many have died, some are beginning to adapt to living around and even with people, and there is hope yet that the forests will be saved.

* - Carn Adar is known by many other names. These include: Mother Nature, Jordestain, Rakau, Elden Father of Nature, Vishji, and others.

(Many of the Firbolg characteristics are made up and you should not take them for standard Firbolg facts.)

Written by Bodynwedd, or Lóthesien of Linren