Kith
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Kith
Kith (also called beast-kin, or in poetry Twilight-marked / Veil-marked) are mortals of the Sunworld whose bodies show animal or dragon-like touches—ears, tails, eyes, scales, horns, and the like, from subtle to impossible to miss. They are not Fae, not born in the Moonworld, and not a separate branch of creation in the usual reading of The Realms of Faeloria: the Moonworld reflects what mortals have already lived; it does not mint new bodies on its own.
In practice, Kokoro is where Kith are easiest to spot in daily life (see below). Avaria and Luxor are mixed realms where many ancestries share the street. Dalr is mostly human, with many dwarves in the mines, very few elves, rare Kith, and almost no open Fae—when a Fae is taken there, foreign chronicles and Avarian pulpits alike cry slavery.
What Kith are
Kith grow old, raise children, and die as mortals. Their marks come from bloodline, birthplace, oaths, hard luck, or old magic in the air—and are often mistaken for half-fey blood by folk who like a simple tale.
Kokoro and Kith
In Kokoro, Kith show up often in craft halls, port lists, and festival lines as everyday neighbours—not as rare fairground acts. Humans still head most households in honest rolls, but eastern ballads only slightly stretch truth when they sing of ears and tails at every second stall.
Sages argue over trade, marriage custom, dawn and dusk at sea, or plain old habit; no one story wins. Abroad, folk agree on one practical test: a felid artisan in Crystalport may keep quiet; the same artisan in Kokoro's ports is often nothing worth pointing at.
Common lineages
These folk labels appear in law and tavern tale; they are not sealed bloodlines, and two siblings may wear different marks.
| Lineage | Typical marks | In plain words |
|---|---|---|
| Vulpine | Fox ears and tail; sharp senses; some families said to live very long | Marks can be tiny tips or full tails. Hearing and smell often beat human averages in guild trials. Long life runs in some houses—not a promise for every vulpine line. |
| Lupine | Wolf ears, tail; oath-heavy culture in places | Stamina and cold grit show up often, but not for everyone. Many grow up in big family webs with strong vows; many others do not care for pack talk at all. |
| Felid | Cat ears, tail; grace in low light | Night-friendly eyes are common yet not universal. Tails mostly help balance. Coat, ear size, and claw gossip change wildly by city—fashion and bloodline blur. |
| Cervine | Deer ears or antlers; long stride | Antlers usually grow in seasons where they appear at all. Height and stride often beat human norms. Some lines show ears only with no rack; sex and lineage both matter to shape. |
| Lapine | Long ears; strong legs | Jumping and sprinting win praise in army trials; big ears aid hearing and cooling in plain healer talk. Short stature is common, not required. |
| Ursine | Round ears; heavy build; thick fur | Weight and warmth dominate; slow winter sleep mixes habit and body in northern towns. |
| Serpentine | Lithe spine; heat sense | Heat pits or glossy scales appear on and off in records; flexibility is the most steady tale across regions. Skin shed is rare but noted in healer logs. |
| Avian | Feather crest; light frame | Bones stay near human in most temple examinations—flight is still impossible. Crests may moult with season or stay fixed. Balance in wind is the usual boast. |
| Draconic | Scales, slit eyes; optional horns or tail | Patch scale usually covers only part of the body; no dragon-size shift. Innate fire or storm knack shows up a little more often in old rolls—never a sure bet for one child. |
Where people think Kith come from
Priests, teachers, and dock loudmouths disagree; all of these coexist in Faeloria:
- Thin-veil birth / Fae-touched places — Child born at a strange hour or near a heavy Fae pact site; not half-Fae biology, but Sunworld outcome when story runs hot (see failed crossings).
- Wild Fae country — Villages beside the Avarian Forest or Silverfall Cascade tell of marks creeping through families after generations of near Wild Fae.
- Great shocks — Some chronicles tie spikes in Kith births to Faefall-era wounds; sages fight over truth, bad counting, or real thin magic.
- The Penumbra echo — A dark sermon: marks as Veil shadow trying to wear flesh—good for horror, poor excuse for cruelty unless your table names the lie.
- No drama — They have always been here say the ports; cosmopolitan law treats Kith crews as normal.
Kingdom snapshot
| Realm | Kith in daily life |
|---|---|
| Kokoro | Common sight — crafts, docks, public rites feel normal with beast-kin beside humans |
| Avaria / Luxor | Strong mix — cities expect many ancestries on one street |
| Dalr | Rare — lone travellers more than districts; local fear varies, royal law uneven |
Culture and law
Charter differs by city: Crystalport tends pragmatic; back valleys may call Kith omen. Magic in Faeloria has no Kith-only school; innate fire or charm tied to echo is story, not statute.
Relations
- Humans — Most neighbours; welcome swings with politics.
- Elves / Dwarves / Halflings — No holy rank above Kith; local habit picks friendship or slur.