Smallfolk
"Like stepping on a piece of glass, small, sharp, and you'll only know too late that they got you."
The Smallfolk are an understated yet enduring people, native to the eastern coastlands of Tarmahc, particularly the refined, garden-filled former province of Tulani. Though after The Fall's utter destruction of the land, and the planet-wide micro-wars of The Great Schism that followed, ravaging the continent of Tarmahc in-which it dwelled and Smallfolk culture in short order; They now dwell with the Everwealthy, making up a significant portion of Everwealth’s rural and artisan population, especially in Catcher's Rest, where they account for nearly a quarter of the city. Despite their losses they remain semi-reclusive and strongly bound by, what remains, of ancestral custom. Famed for innovations in aqueducts, irrigation, and agricultural supports, Smallfolk are practical, polite, and precise. Their humble nature belies a cultural persistence as enduring as stone. Often underestimated for their size and soft voices, they are nonetheless stubborn, deceptively quick, and vindictive when wronged. The “bunny” myth, an offensive and inaccurate racial slur suggesting rabbit-like ancestry from the Smallfolk's size, excellent jumping skills and propensity for light, vegetable-heavy meals, persists in some ignorant circles though true scholars know better. Quiet and insular, the Smallfolk are not easily provoked. But cross one, and you will not know how sharp they are until the bleeding starts.
Naming Traditions
Feminine names
'Liora'.
'Tessan'.
'Mirelle'.
Masculine names
'Vint'.
'Orlo'.
'Calien'.
Unisex names
- 'Fenn'.
- 'Bramble'.
- 'Jory'.
Family names
Smallfolk traditionally adopt surnames derived from their homestead, craft, or garden name, such as Trellish, Underrose, or Mossweather. These are used more often in formal settings, with close kin referring to one another by simple first names or affectionate diminutives.
Other names
- Bunny: A racial slur often hurled by outsiders, falsely alluding to rabbit ancestry.
- Grasschewer: A derogatory term referring to their diet, often used mockingly by Everwealthy humans.
- The Stubborn Kind: A phrase sometimes used by older Dwarfs, half-respectfully, to describe their persistence.
- Cagefolk: A colloquial nickname referencing their love of gardens and trussed farming plots.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
The Smallfolk speak a dialect of Everwealth Common laced with old Tulanese inflections, polite, precise, and often metaphorical. Their native tongue, has mostly fallen into antiquated idioms and regional flourishes. Some elders in Catcher’s Rest still maintain the original tongue, known locally as Tulanique, but it is rarely taught outside the household and still bears many differences from the original Tulanese.
- “Jaloun vi terre.” May your soil hold strong. (A traditional farewell among gardeners or departing family.)
- “Célin sur l’eau.” Grace upon water. (Used to describe something done with poise or balance, often a compliment for tact or fine craftsmanship.)
- “La racine voit tout.” The root sees all. (A warning against dishonesty in one’s household or community.)
- “Pas trop haut, jamais trop bas.” Never too high, never too low. (A proverb on humility and consistency, commonly said to young folk.)
Culture and cultural heritage
Smallfolk culture is one of quiet sophistication and understated resilience. Descended from the old Tulanese provinces, their customs are rooted in careful planning, harmonious living, and familial legacy. Their homes, half-underground, half-garden, are marvels of subtle architecture, adorned with trellises and marble facades. Festivals revolve around harvest cycles, culinary feats, and seasonal craftsmanship. In everything from waterworks to vine-growing, their ingenuity endures. They remain deeply proud of their ancestral innovations, including aqueducts, terrace irrigation, tomato cages, and wine trusses still used today throughout Everwealth.
Shared customary codes and values
Modesty, hospitality, and perseverance are the Smallfolk’s highest virtues. Boasting is frowned upon, but cleverness is rewarded, particularly if it’s done with a soft voice and a full belly. Trust is given freely, but betrayal is remembered for generations. They consider petty vengeance an art, not a crime.
Average technological level
Though modest in military or magical progress, the Smallfolk boast some of the finest engineering feats in early agriculture and civil planning. Their irrigation systems and small-scale architectural refinements are still in use throughout Everwealth. Catcher’s Rest, where many now reside, bears the hallmarks of their subtle infrastructural genius.
Common Etiquette rules
Visitors should always compliment a Smallfolk's garden, refuse a first offer of food (but accept the second), and avoid entering their home uninvited, even if the door is open. Conversation is often roundabout, and direct confrontation is considered deeply impolite unless the matter is truly urgent.
Common Dress code
Practical tunics, soft trousers, wide-brimmed sun hats, and aprons are typical. Earthy tones dominate their wardrobes, though they often embroider subtle patterns that tell family stories or harvest cycles. Jewelry, when worn, is minimal and handcrafted, typically passed down from parent to child.
Art & Architecture
The Smallfolk blend practicality and beauty in equal measure. Their architecture features low, stone-braced homes with wide courtyards and sloped gardens. Art takes many forms, painted pottery, embroidered heirlooms, or carvings on irrigation stones, each designed to be useful, not just beautiful.
Foods & Cuisine
Herbaceous, seasonal, and deceptively complex. Smallfolk cuisine is largely vegetarian, based around stewed root vegetables, wild grasses, edible blossoms, and grilled mushrooms. Milkweed and tomatoes feature prominently, along with fermented drinks made from grapes or summer grains. Meals are small but frequent, always shared.
Common Customs, traditions and rituals
Seasonal festivals mark planting, harvest, and irrigation maintenance. Naming ceremonies involve planting a tree in a child’s name. Each household also maintains a family trellis or vine that is never cut, only shaped, growing as a symbol of ancestral continuity.
Birth & Baptismal Rites
Upon birth, a Smallfolk child is swaddled in a blanket embroidered with the mother’s birthvine pattern and shown the household garden at dawn. They are then bathed in warm rainwater collected from the last storm of the previous season, a gesture believed to connect them to Tulani’s lifeblood.
Coming of Age Rites
Adolescence is marked not by a party, but a project. A Smallfolk youth must complete something of lasting use to their family or community, be it a section of irrigation, a new recipe, a trellis, or a crafted tool. Only then are they considered of age.
Funerary and Memorial customs
When a Smallfolk dies, they are buried beneath their favorite crop or tree, feeding the next season’s growth. Their most cherished tools are passed down, while their names are etched into communal stone pillars found in village gardens, written alongside the things they built.
Common Taboos
- Boasting.
- Wastefulness.
- Walking on another's garden uninvited. Calling a Smallfolk a “bunny” is not just offensive, it is a racial slur, punishable by law in many districts.
- Lying about your own craftwork is considered one of the deepest betrayals.
Common Myths and Legends
- The First Vine: A tale of the first Smallfolk who planted a vineyard that grew across the world. They say each family has a sprig of it in their trellis if they trace far back enough.
- The Milkweed Maiden: A gentle forest spirit who guides lost Smallfolk children home, feeding them milkweed until they’re strong enough to walk again.
- The Stone Gardener: A mythical ancestor who could coax flowers from marble. Some say he invented tomato cages. Others say he merely found them.
Historical figures
- Olvet Tulano: The legendary founder of Catcher’s Rest, who designed its now-famous irrigation canals.
- Maela Vintrose: A revered Smallfolk vintner whose truss-grown grapes won three royal awards, one posthumously.
- The Whispering Sisters: A pair of infamous Smallfolk saboteurs who dismantled a Human tax barracks over the course of a decade without ever being seen.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
The Smallfolk see beauty in balance and subtlety. Sharp angles, overly muscular physiques, or loud ornamentation are considered gauche. A graceful gait, clear skin, and expressive hands are more prized than height or flash. Gardening calluses are a point of pride, as are clever fingers capable of embroidery, winemaking, or fine woodwork. In traditional settings, a Smallfolk considered "well-shaped by the seasons", weather-warmed skin, a few laughter lines, a sun-marked brow, is thought to be a testament to an honest, fulfilling life.
Gender Ideals
Smallfolk society favors practical competence over gender roles. Though they retain some old Tarmahci mannerisms, such as referring to women as “Mistress” and men as “Master” in formal contexts, these are ceremonial more than prescriptive. Women are often stewards of the home and garden, but this is seen as a place of strategy and pride, not relegation. Men are just as often involved in cooking or textile work as in manual labor. Both genders are equally respected for what they contribute, not what they are expected to be. Strength of will, sharpness of mind, and the ability to tend something (a vine, a ledger, a child) are valued far above brute force or status.
Courtship Ideals
Smallfolk courtship is slow, deliberate, and subtle, much like their personalities. Direct declarations of affection are rare and often viewed as rude. Instead, a prospective partner will begin to share small things: the best parts of a fruit harvest, a folded quilt left for warmth, a carved trinket tucked into a satchel. These gestures grow over time, and once returned in kind, signal a mutual interest. Formal courtships often involve quiet visits, one spending time in the other's garden, home, or bakery, until the community starts referring to them in the plural. An engagement is finalized with a binding knot tied in public between the couple’s scarves or belts, known as “the twinefold,” done before friends and kin.
Relationship Ideals
The Smallfolk prize consistency, devotion, and good humor in their partners. Love is less a passionate fire and more a warm hearth, stable, sustaining, and slow to go out. Public displays of affection are rare and often frowned upon. Instead, companionship is shown through shared tasks, matching routines, and taking on chores without being asked. Smallfolk tend to bond for life, and though separations do happen, they are treated quietly and without scandal. Trust is everything; once broken, forgiveness is possible, but forgetting is not. In relationships, as in the garden, what’s torn up may regrow, but it never looks the same.
Interesting Facts & Folklore:
Idioms and Metaphors:
- Catcher’s Rest Stronghold: Roughly 25% of the city’s population is Smallfolk, making it the largest community of their kind in Everwealth. The city’s irrigation and terracing systems are all based on Smallfolk designs.
- Masters of Cultivation: Many modern techniques for grape trellising, tomato cages, and elevated canal irrigation originate from Smallfolk methods perfected in Tulani’s countryside.
- Milkweed Tolerance: Unlike other races, Smallfolk can safely consume wild grasses, raw milkweed, and certain bitter plants that would cause nausea or illness in others.
- “Like Glass” Temperament: Known for being overly trusting, but when wronged, they become meticulous and cutting in their revenge, sharp, silent, and unforgettable.
- Premier Perfumers: The art of perfuming, once a noble indulgence of Tulani’s courts, originated with the Smallfolk. Their refined noses and mastery of herbcraft made them unrivaled scent-makers. To this day, the rarest perfumes, distilled from blossoms grown only in layered Smallfolk gardens, command exorbitant prices among Everwealth’s elite. A single vial is said to contain the breath of a season.
- “Tilled but not tamed” Said of someone well-mannered but still quietly dangerous.
- “Butter on stone” A compliment for a graceful or delicate act accomplished under pressure.
- “Smiled while setting the snare” A warning that someone’s kindness may hide a grudge or scheme.
- “Taught the grape to climb” Said of a clever innovator, often with a humble background.
- “Took root spiteful” Describes someone whose pettiness grew over time, deep and quietly vindictive.
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