Mousefolk
Native RangeMousefolk live in settlements that dot the Terrin and Kilanthro mountains. In Serendipity, they can also be found along the Ora river, while in Adela they can spotted in the Draconi forest. In Connlaoth, they could be found in the Sirantil valley from time to time, but
with the ongoing civil war, many have fled to Serendipity or gone into hiding for fear of purges or persecution.
Physical Characteristics and StylingMousefolk are not a tall or muscular race; the tallest members of this race of anthropomorphic mice only come up to a mere 3'11" at most (at shortest, they are around 3'5"), and their build is more toned than bulky. In essence, their body type would be best described as having the proportions of an adult packed into the small frame of a child. They are covered almost completely in fur bar their shins and feet, forearms and hands, and tails, which are covered in fine, delicate hairs that are almost unnoticeable to the naked eye.
Murine fur color ranges from dark grey to snow white, but the most common hue to find among this race is chestnut brown. For males, their hair is typically cropped flush with their fur in the back, but allowed to grow shaggy in the top and sides; variations on this haircut allow for one side to be worn long and kept in a braid, although this is viewed as a more effeminate styling in most circles. For females, the hair is allowed to grow long, almost down the middle of the back, and is normally kept up in a bun or chignon, but braids and curls are not uncommon among more well-to-do mousefolk women in urban areas.
Clothes among mousefolk fall along the lines of trousers and knee-length tunics with a belt for men, and ankle-length dresses for women. Popular colors includes greens, light blues, and reds; darker, richer colors such as purple or black are usually not worn except during formal occasions and only on small articles like scarves or sashes. Mousefolk do not generally wear shoes or footwear of any sort, although sandals are not unheard of in rough terrain.
General AttitudesMousefolk live fairly short lives compared to other races. On average, most mice only live around 50 years; while they are capable of living longer, their lives are often cut short by the injustices of their neighbors, who, depending on the race in question, might treat them as the vermin they resemble. As such, long lived individuals are rarity that are often treasured. This short lifespan fills most mousefolk with a sense of urgency and a desire to achieve. Laziness and sloth are seen as dire conditions, while studious and efficient individuals are held in high esteem. Compared to other races, they might seem impatient or pushy.
Mousefolk are curious and adventurous, but also loyal and steadfast companions. They find grudges and long-standing feuds to be a waste of their already short time in this world, and find the generations-long rivalries of dwarf, elf and some human families utterly baffling. As an extension of this, mousefolk in general are more likely to show mercy and compassion to strangers, and can be quite given to generosity when they can afford it.
Individual mousefolk are often inquisitive and playful; even the most steadfast and stoic of mousefolk adventurers have a penchant for pranks, jokes, and harmless fun. Their sense of urgency gives them in life gives a mouse adventurer an undeniable determination to succeed, and an almost bottomless well of optimism. It is very hard to totally crush their spirits, as their optimism and determination just keeps pushing them onward in the face of even the staunchest of adversities.
Views on MagicGiven their laid-back attitides, mousefolk are generally accepting of the magic-users in their midst, rare though they might be. Most mousefolk magic users fall into either druids, who derive their magic use from nature itself, or from a nature deity, or warlocks who make a pact with a patron archfae for magical power in return for some sort of service; it is quite rare for mousefolk to be born with innate magical ability, and can be a good cause for celebration when any one such individual is found. Depending on where a mousefolk settlement might be (with the exception of Connlaoth) and what area of magic they focus, these magic users might be shamans, healers, or scholars.
Sexuality and GenderAmong the mousefolk, men and women work most any job they would like to; the only expectation is that they be competent, lest they be laughed out of their profession. Similarly, family roles in the home are fairly relaxed; one partner generally does do much of the heavy labor and the other more of the handicraft and cooking and there is no social stigma if those roles overlap or flip-flop. On gender identity, the mousefolk are live and let live; if someone is transgender, the only thing the mousefolk will care about is making sure they can still work. Sexuality is much the same way; they don't care who one sleeps with, so long as they're not a detriment to the community. In more conservative settlements, however, queer mousefolk often keep their sexual preferences under wraps to avoid certain social stigmas.
SocietyMousefolk society is very much tribal and family-centered; households can span several generations and it isn't uncommon for a family to have the same house or couple of houses through multiple generations. With this in mind, kinship and familial honor are core values of mousefolk society; there is a sense of duty to the family and to the tribe as a whole. To bring shame or dishonor onto one's family is a grave sin, and can lead to ostrisization and even exile from one's village.
Most mousefolk towns and settlements are largely agrarian with little industrialization; there might be a town blacksmith or two, but more advanced metalworking beyond tools and simple weapons is a rarity. With their values of kinship in mind, much of the farmland surrounding a town of mousefolk is held in common by the entire community; crops from these fields are stored communally and distributed as needed. Most families will also have a small garden of herbs and vegetables for private use and to barter with, as most settlements work on a bartering system than standardized coinage. Governments within these settlements are entirely democratic; on major issues and crises, the entire town will convene a gathering and hold debates on the best solution until a consensus among the majority is reached.
As far as religious beliefs go, there are two main aspects to bear in mind: archfae worship and ancestor worship. Most mousefolk villages will have either a shrine to a patron archfae or a shrine to deceased ancestors in the town center, depending on the town in question. The most common form of both fae and ancestor worship among mousefolk is the offering of libations to their patron archfae or familial ancestors. Other common rituals include ritual dust baths with the ashes of their ancestors around sacred times of the year, and dancing around or in rings of mushrooms during a full moon (a common argument between mousefolk elders is whether one should dance in or around the mushroom rings). As a general note: fae worship is more important among Serenian and Adelan mousefolk, while ancestor worship takes the forefront among Connlaothian mousefolk.
