Wild Men
Wild Men, not to be conflated with humans also called „men“ colloquially, are a species of large and broadly built furred humanoid native to the Leshivoi Forest.
The term is sometimes also applied to them but in truth human wild men are physiologically much the same as their eastern Sattal relatives and mostly confused for one another by elves who cannot tell the difference between a bearded man with some body hair and a humanoid double that size covered head to toe in fur.
They call themselves Cyrmgard, the Guardians of the Woods due to their relation with otherwise nearly forgotten ancient structures within the Leshivoi Forest which they religiously tend to and guard for reasons unknown to both most Forestfolk and city dwellers.
Wild Men, sometimes also called Leshy, Leshyn or Leshen are who the name of the Leshivoi Forest was originally derived from.
They are featured in many of the earliest legends about the Leshivoi Forest going back as far as the First Age and have been a topic of both fear and interest to the people of Styx since then.
They are generally described as being as strong as Kholyn Orcs, if not stronger but are taller than them and are covered from head to toe in shaggy fur ranging in color from earthy browns to black and rarely hints of ginger-red.
Their faces are notably less fur-covered as are the palms of their hands and they tend to have very prominent and angular brows giving them an expression most often read as grim by the drau irregardless of intent.
Their eyes are small, dark and beady and they have tusks protuding from their strongly forward tending lower jaws.
Their teeth in general are on-par with those of many forest predators though they are habitual omnivores like most of the Forestfolk.
Wild Men are the subject of many scary old wives tales in which they are depicted as flesh-eating stalking predators within the Leshivoi Forest.
They are also often called "bugbears" in the context of these stories relating to their "ursine" featured hands and feet which sport wicked claws and because of which they never need to wear footwear even in the thickest undergrowth.
Another mythological name affixed to the Wild Men of the Leshivoi Forest is that of the "Waldschrat" or "Sylvan Schrat", the "Forest Stalker".
The Divai are, as said, known to have been among the first of the Forestfolk that the drau encountered in the First Age and it is further said that even back then what little collective culture they had as a species was focused on the protection and ritualistic warding of certain ancient sites within the Leshivoi Forest which they claim responsibility for.
Although their image in the folklore of the people of Styx is that of a bloodthirsty and dreadful stalking predator the Divai don't truly seem to have any particular tendency for violence or opposition to the other sapient people of this world.
Rather it appears that although they are physically very impressive and could best even the strongest drau in a contest of prowess easily many of them are far from simple minded showing remarkable wisdom, curiosity and even intellect.
Wild Men are known for being insular and having a tendency for self imposed isolation, only rarely joining tribes or clans. Some Wild Men have claimed that stories of bloodthirsty bugbears stem from ones of their kind that inadvertently became corrupted by horrid spirits of gore and ghoulishness which are said to inhabit some of the eldest ruins that the Leshen have tended to for millennia. Such individuals would then become the stalking nightmares most often referred to in stories as bugbears, ogres or waldschrats.
The term is sometimes also applied to them but in truth human wild men are physiologically much the same as their eastern Sattal relatives and mostly confused for one another by elves who cannot tell the difference between a bearded man with some body hair and a humanoid double that size covered head to toe in fur.
They call themselves Cyrmgard, the Guardians of the Woods due to their relation with otherwise nearly forgotten ancient structures within the Leshivoi Forest which they religiously tend to and guard for reasons unknown to both most Forestfolk and city dwellers.
Wild Men, sometimes also called Leshy, Leshyn or Leshen are who the name of the Leshivoi Forest was originally derived from.
They are featured in many of the earliest legends about the Leshivoi Forest going back as far as the First Age and have been a topic of both fear and interest to the people of Styx since then.
They are generally described as being as strong as Kholyn Orcs, if not stronger but are taller than them and are covered from head to toe in shaggy fur ranging in color from earthy browns to black and rarely hints of ginger-red.
Their faces are notably less fur-covered as are the palms of their hands and they tend to have very prominent and angular brows giving them an expression most often read as grim by the drau irregardless of intent.
Their eyes are small, dark and beady and they have tusks protuding from their strongly forward tending lower jaws.
Their teeth in general are on-par with those of many forest predators though they are habitual omnivores like most of the Forestfolk.
Wild Men are the subject of many scary old wives tales in which they are depicted as flesh-eating stalking predators within the Leshivoi Forest.
They are also often called "bugbears" in the context of these stories relating to their "ursine" featured hands and feet which sport wicked claws and because of which they never need to wear footwear even in the thickest undergrowth.
Another mythological name affixed to the Wild Men of the Leshivoi Forest is that of the "Waldschrat" or "Sylvan Schrat", the "Forest Stalker".
The Divai are, as said, known to have been among the first of the Forestfolk that the drau encountered in the First Age and it is further said that even back then what little collective culture they had as a species was focused on the protection and ritualistic warding of certain ancient sites within the Leshivoi Forest which they claim responsibility for.
Although their image in the folklore of the people of Styx is that of a bloodthirsty and dreadful stalking predator the Divai don't truly seem to have any particular tendency for violence or opposition to the other sapient people of this world.
Rather it appears that although they are physically very impressive and could best even the strongest drau in a contest of prowess easily many of them are far from simple minded showing remarkable wisdom, curiosity and even intellect.
Wild Men are known for being insular and having a tendency for self imposed isolation, only rarely joining tribes or clans. Some Wild Men have claimed that stories of bloodthirsty bugbears stem from ones of their kind that inadvertently became corrupted by horrid spirits of gore and ghoulishness which are said to inhabit some of the eldest ruins that the Leshen have tended to for millennia. Such individuals would then become the stalking nightmares most often referred to in stories as bugbears, ogres or waldschrats.