Satyr

Goatlike creatures that live within the moment, seeking out joy and happiness where they can find it, the satyr wander in small bands across the Horned Peaks in southern Lasair. Their outward happiness and casual nature belies a strong cultural history borne out of the utter destruction of their homeland a millenia ago.  

In game terms, "satyr" and "faun" can be used interchangeably. Both have referred to similar species in real-world mythology - one is Greek the other Roman, with differences between them. The differences have been mingled over time in fantasy so both can work here.   In Lasair-world terms, they're both used sort of interchangeably. Each term carries different cultural baggage associated with it. The differences have not yet been defined but will be developed over time.

 

History

The satyr are one of a number of mortal species that were native to the central mountains of Lasair by the time of the Imperial Era. They had carved out a homeland in the low-lying hills to the Southeast of those mountains, finding a mostly peaceful existence outside of the notice of the Empire. They subsited largely on hunting and small amounts of farming - they had developed tiered farms along the sides of sun-facing hills.   When the Dragonscourge broke over the eastern continent, the satyr did all that they could to protect themselves. Some dug into the mountains, hoping to find shelter from marauding Dragons. Some organized into bands which travelled into the Empire, volunteering to fight alongside Humans against the threat. And others led great migrations away to the north and south, hoping to perhaps let some of their people find a new land untouched by the war.   In the end, it was those migrations which became the survivors. The cataclysmic ending of the war shattered the continent, including breaking through the wall of the central mountains. The satyr that had sought shelter in the mountains were lost. Those that fought with the Empire were destroyed. Those that went north would succumb to what later became known as The Desolation. Only the satyr that migrated south, into the mountains known today as the Horned Peaks, would survive.   Now the descendants of those satyr wander the mountains and plains, dodging hostility of larger species, surviving on what they can, and maintaining the traditions that they have built in the centuries since losing their homeland.  

Culture

In the centuries since their departure from the east, satyr culture has evolved to help them survive in their new environment. While they are quite comfortable in mountainous or hilly terrain, they have been unable to find a place to truly settle down into a lifestyle similar to what they once experiened. The Horned Peaks are dominated by bands of Orghyr and Minotaurs, each often fighting skirmishes with each other or raiding smaller species within the mountains or surrounding lands. While they are capable of some level of digging/mining, they've been unable to truly create space that way due to the presence of mountain Goblins who are both much more proficient and show no compunctions with collaborating with the larger species for protection. The satyr are sufficiently martially skilled to protect their people during their wanderings, but are wholly unprepared to fight the kind of protracted conflict that would allow them to carve out a permanent settlement and to hold it.   It is this impermanence of home that has permeated and molded the satyrs' outlook on life. Where some people would suffer from a deep melancholy at an existence without a home, the satyr instead have turned their focus to living very much in the moment and making their concept of "home" about people rather than places. They build extremely strong bonds among family - with a chosen family being the strongest they build - and hold with an intense responsibility to mutually support those of their community. In their travels, they will seek out happiness and pleasure of all kinds, finding joy in food, drink, art, love, and myriad other pursuits. They will host revels that last multiple nights, bonfires lighting up the night in defiance of the darkness, inviting those they know from their wanders and explorations. This often extends to people of other species, for their familial bonds need not be limited to their own people.  

Satyr Spirituality

While satyr bands will welcome any kind being into their midst during revels, there are some parts of their society that is rarely experienced by outsiders. Key among these practices is the concept of "Aspects" which guides individual satyr through their life, seeking purpose and a way to serve their people.   Through their centuries of wandering, there have been significant figures that have become a part of the ongoing history of their people. Each satyr band includes a number of storytellers, responsible for keeping the history of their people alive. One of the ways that this history serves the satyr is offering a glimpse to ideals and purposes that those in the past have lived up to. Some satyrs, seeking a purpose or following a traditional role, will take on the "Aspect" of that historical or legendary figure. In doing so, they take on that being's name or title in a symbolic way as they follow the role laid out and adding their own chapters to the story of that name.   It is in this way that some satyr will seen a modicum of immortality - for being remembered in your band's histories, even as just a few lines in the heritage of an aspect means that you will survive for as long as those stories are told. Knowing that one might inspire a future generation of satyr is indeed one of the highest aspirations they can strive for.  

Biology and Geography

The Satyr of Lasair have an apperance akin to a humanoid with goat-like features. Their feet are digitigrade, they have small often-curled horns sprouting from their heads, and they are covered in short, wiry hair from head to calf. They tend to wear coverings/clothing in general but this is somewhat due to the differences in climate from their original homelands - the Horned Peaks are somewhat colder than their ancestral lands were. It is not unknown for a group of satyr to be found unclothed in warmer weather, which can often be a little unsettling to the more modesty-minded species (or in those without fur and must wear clothing for warmth). This does not extend to warriors, however, as any satyr knowing they may face battle will be armored or otherwise suitably protected.   Their range is mostly limited to to the Horned Peaks and surrounding lands today. Groups will often cross the Southern Wastes for a given purpose - trading with the caravans that cross between Southport and Almina for instance. But for the most part, they find the mountains most familiar and comfortable, even with all the threats that they face in the lands they call home today.