Sheepfolk
- "Studying the clouds or wool; why not both?"
— Cloud and Weather Expert, Soseferus Inatre
Writer Credit
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Codex
Name: Sheepfolk (pl. Sheepfolk)
Sexes: Male and Female
Height: Ranges from 4'0" to 5'5", with males standing slightly larger than females.
Weight: Comparable to humans except when their wool gets wet; this can lead to an increase of 50 or more pounds depending on their wool growth.
Skin: Sheepfolk have human-like skin but are well-known for growing thick wool over their necks, arms, and legs
Hair: Sheepfolk grow white and grey wool in similar patterns and styles like human hair; when it grows long enough, it can couple and bolster their neck wool into one singular pattern.
Horns: Sheepfolk can grow ram-like horns that curl into tight, circular bunches.
Eyes: Sheepfolk have human eyes and share the same pool of eye colors.
Ears: Sheepfolk ears are drooping, short sheep ears that are backed with wool. They can move forward, backward and downward depending on their mood.
Tail: Sheepfolk tails are simple, wool-backed tails that run only a few inches in length from their back with little control.
Lifespan: About 110 years.
Maturity: 18 years.
Description
Commonly more lithe among the human-like species in the world, sheepfolk hold a place in everyone's heart for their abundantly fluffy wool. Male or female, the race is commonly known for androgynous men and smaller-chested women with tight holes and smaller — compared to the average 12 inches — pricks. Their body wool can grow up to a several inches thick, wrapping and concealing their hands or lower faces when not cared for. When sheared short, their wool grows to a short and protective length in a matter of two weeks, with their total growth only needing a month without shearing to reach its maximum length. Many sheepfolk rarely get hair that grows past their shoulders as a result of this growth speed and will sometimes not need to ever cut it.
Although rare, some sheepfolk are born with animalistic faces akin to sheep. "Every one in ten sheepfolk is born with their most common mutation: black wool. This occurs regardless of their parents' wool color."
Reproduction
Sheepfolk share very familiar heritages to humans for the first year of their life; they're born lacking any wool and can easily pass for a human. However, after this first year, a sheepfolk's wool will begin growing at a consistent rate for the rest of their life. Young sheepfolk are often sung to and pampered for a few years when being sheared.
Sheepfolk pregnancies are similar to humans; they carry children to a 9-month term but only start producing breast milk in the last month of the pregnancy. Sheepfolk women bear 2-3 children at a time; depending on their partner, pregnancies can produce either twins and triplets or litters. Even when born identical, however, sheepfolk are well-recorded being born with different eye and wool colors than their siblings.
History
While many races in Savarra are wide-spread, sheepfolk are traditionally known for originating from the Belharan Heartland and rarely traveling far from its neighboring farm nations. Unlike most races the sheepfolk have never held a nation or an invested interest in it — instead, they have maintained a profound place in the history of Belhar and its fractured servants in the form of farmers and workers. Their frail size kept them well away from battlefields and often staying safe; their value came not from military might but their wool being used to clothe entire armies.
During the collapse of the Belharan Empire, this slowly changed; in the loss of countless soldiers trying to quell riots and unrest, sheepfolk took up the mantles of even more pacifist work. Their studying led to the creation of the Astrologer's Guild — a group of mages and great minds working to study the stars and skies. Sheepfolk slowly but steadily earned an earnest place in the hearts of everyone as their mages worked not to create war spells but to solve droughts and fight flooding. Only about 20 years ago, this culminated in a piece of the Heartland becoming the only known nation of sheepfolk in the world — The City-State of Barania. Many sheepfolk argue that this name was an accidental mistake when the charters planned it out, yet it has remained unchanged ever since.
Society & Culture
As the wooly helpers of Belhar and now the greater world, sheepfolk as a society share one common and central piece of culture — shearing. Many sheepfolk wind up marrying childhood friends that help with their first shearings, while older ones often offer it as a romantic encounter. Braiding and weaving their wool into clothes or tools is often seen as a way to wish others good luck, while the rejection of these can leave a sheepfolk disappointed. As simple as they may appear to be, all sheepfolk take great pride in the quality and use of their wool for and by others.
Codex Acquisition
Only one of the conditions below must be met to unlock the Sheepfolk Codex entry:
- Met Clementine