Bound by Nature
Living in the heart of a region infused with energies of the
Leyline of Genesis, the Lessai people are most typically
Myren in nature, bound to the thrum of life energy agitated by the leylines at play in
Nimavi. Their connection to nature is, therefore, far more than a strong cultural leaning, but a physical dependence as well.
Druidcraft for Passion and Survival
The Lessai called
Nimavi their home long before the leylines pulsed through the lands as they now do, living in thriving forest settlements and small cities scattered through the southern forests of Northeast
Nefyran. They learned to adapt well through the aggressive and sudden overgrowth brought by
Genesis, though at the cost of growing dependent on the bolstered natural energies of the land they occupy.
Druidic practices are exceptionally common in Lessai culture, with most studying herblore and the natural world extensively from a young age and onward. Balance is the core of Lessai principles. These nature-bound people see the natural world and the flow of arcane throughout as a delicate balance they are meant to preserve through their own lifestyles and actions. With Genesis came abundance and extinction both, as new growth overtook old and left species once-dominant fighting for a place in their native ecosystems.
Traditions of the Lessai
These are the only people known to have the ability to cultivate
Glacial Fern, which they use in many of their marital traditions, which includes the production of a brew known as
Wystyras.
Though rings were historically worn by the ancestors of the Lessai people, metal bands around the finger act as a great hindrance to the many Myren who call Nimavi home. What the Valsheri still consider to be wedding bands, the Lessai now wear only as symbols of grief and mourning, bearing the physical weight in addition to the mental and emotional toll of their losses.
Conservation & Culling
The Lessai learn to identify their lands' true native species, as well as those which evolved from the leyline's interference, building their conservation and protection practices from a deep understanding of what is natural to their homeland. With this knowledge, they developed rigid structures surrounding hunting and harvesting in their lands, noting which species are to be protected, which may be hunted, and which should be regularly culled.
Due to how rigid these beliefs are, the Lessai have found a great deal of conflict with the neighboring
Kingdom of Arsavela, from which poachers routinely attempt to enter their forests and take what they wish from the land.
Diligent Protection
Rodents and small carnivores seemed to suffer the most in the emergence of the Leyline of Genesis, and the Lessai strive to maintain their populations throughout their homeland. Breeding programs for native chipmunks are all that keep the creatures from slipping into extinction, for example, and the Lessai have formed a tradition where they throw a portion of their hunt to any foxes they see in their travels.
Though the protected species of the Lessai are typically historical native species of Nimavi, there are some that spawned from the Leyline of Genesis that the Lessai are just as eager to defend. The
Faespinner is an intelligent magical creature tied to the Leyline of Genesis just as the Lessai are, and this has led them to form a strong alliance through decades of sharing their changed forests.
Targets of the Hunt
Cervid species of the wood seemed to suffer the least of the local wildlife, but likewise saw no explosive benefit as other did. They are seen less frequently than they once were, but this may be attributed to an improved camouflage developed in the energies of Genesis.
Insects and other terrestrial arthropods saw great boons in the emergence, however, either proliferating in great number or growing to unusually great sizes. Many of these creatures were already commonly collected for human use or consumption throughout Nimavi's history, but their increased sizes make them more sought-after for both food sources and crafting material. These scaled-up exoskeletons proved to serve well as strong, chitinous armors, tools, or weapons.
Crucial Culling
Creatures which proliferate wildly through the influence of the Leylines are common targets for culling, as they often lead to infestations, hazards, or disturbances in the surrounding ecosystem. Wherever a culling takes place, the Lessai attempt to make good use of whatever materials they can, so nothing goes to waste.
Silk moths were always an invasive species in the forests of Nimavi, but easily managed. With Genesis, however, their populations have grown to nearly unmanageable levels all throughout the deeper woods. Great masses of silkworm pupae are routinely found and processed to prevent their emergence, resulting in an abundance of silk product produced by the Lessai. Boiled silkworm pupae are often processed further into portable snacks for travel and hunting.
On the hunt for insects, the
Vine Millipede is a great find but an awful catch. With their powerful jaws and powerful bodies, they can easily take a chunk out of an unsuspecting hunter.
Hunters should be wary of regions of the forest coated in silks, for they can spell danger just as easily as bounty. Silk tunnels can be silkmoth infestations, or they could be the lair of horrific spiders, or even the elusive
Ikonan native to the region. Though silkmoth infestations can be a rewarding venture, with great hauls of both silk and food for the lucky hunter who heaves the material home.
Other cultures who encounter the Lessai and see their silken garments assume them to be people of great wealth, as silks are scarce in other nearby regions.
Traveling the Unpaved Road
In connection with the Leyline of Genesis, the Lessai take comfort and find restoration in keeping their feet grounded and touching the earth as much as possible. Where the natural earth beneath their feet is covered or removed in some way, the Lessai fare poorly, seeming to wither with time as this connection is severed. As a result, their homes are often constructed without flooring, and their cities are wholly unpaved, allowing them to maintain their contact with the ground throughout their day-to day lives.
With this persistent need for grounding, the Lessai have found themselves, as a population, largely opposed to the development of land and city living. This has driven a wedge between them and the neighboring
Valsheri population, who make their homes in the overgrown cities the Lessai had long left behind in the emergence of the Leylines. The Valsheri live in a way that directly opposes Lessai values and the ways of life they had developed to survive and protect the balance of their lands, as these urban neighbors expand their cities fueled by arcane fonts fueled by the
Leyline of Potency.
The Lessai dependence on connection to nature made the population shun many forms of industry and production, fearing that these advancements would continuously draw out the life-giving forces they'd grown to depend on from their lands and leave them with nothing to sustain themselves.
If stone pavement can put a barrier between us and Genesis, what could factories do?— Questions drawn in silk
That's quite the list, Good luck!!!!
Thank you! The update quest sure won't get done DURING the challenge, but it's an great quest list to get my post-SC goal of organizing my world kickstarted!
WorldEmber is coming...
Seek a new dawn, in Malkora!
Craft a bright new world, in Ayun Sovos!