Folkwynd

The Folkwynd call themselves the Vellan. They are the most widespread race in Criozevan, descended from humans who evolved into Folkwynd during the Crimson Convergence. Folkwynd and humans are effectively the same, except that Folkwynd can have magic. They live about 85 years, stand five and a half to six and a half feet tall, and vary widely in build. They live in almost every kingdom, most heavily in Vacron, Frada, Akison, and Oredsy. Few live in the Warring Darkmane Realm, where most are found in Adlens, and almost none live in the Goldhelm Kingdom, though the Goldhelms themselves descend from a Folkwynd family that split off soon after the Convergence. The Folkwynd’s defining trait is adaptability: they take on the customs of wherever they settle, so their social structure and religion vary from kingdom to kingdom. In the theocracy of Iyhago, for example, worship centers on stillness and the belief that balance creates divinity, while in Frada religion is treated as an optional luxury, often reserved for retired veterans and high-ranking officers. They are a rare race whose magic users do not lean toward any one type of Magi, whether Runestones, Metas, or Malefici, and they balance magic with technology. Because they live everywhere, they can find common ground with almost anyone, which makes them frequent diplomats between races. They fill every level of society, from commoners and elites to rebels and mercenaries. Their fighting styles follow local tradition, with swordsmanship favored in Oredsy and technological weapons in Frada, and they adapt to many kinds of combat. Myths even tell of Folkwynd who learned techniques of other races, such as the Darkmane Elves’ shadowstep or the Shar’kai spiral drill. They speak Common, the continent’s trade and diplomatic language, which every race speaks as a first or second language and which has its own variations and accents in every region. The Crimson Rooks, the continent’s main peacekeeping organization, were founded by Folkwynd, and while their members are diverse, most are Folkwynd. The Republic of Frada is almost entirely Folkwynd. Famous Folkwynd include the Crimson Knight, born in Vacron and arguably the greatest pure fighter alive; the Azure Paladin, later known as the Dark Paladin, who founded the Republic of Frada in 715 ACC; Velho, a former Master of Magic; Anton, a Scarlet, one of the rarest and most unstable kinds of magic user; and the Mist family, the noble line that ruled Wrofast for generations until every member was killed in 993 ACC. The Folkwynd are stable as a people, and their one real threat is cultural fragmentation: the same adaptability that spread them across Criozevan also pulls them apart.