Nightlands: Some Thinking about random races relations

[mimi_sardinia]

The general pattern of what I think about race relations in the Nightlands is that there are a lot of races who never totally live on their own. A lot live in symbiotic relationships with one or more other races, partly to pool resources, partly for protection and partly for prefered environment.

The Curwaquendár (Crafter Elves, Eleniquendár, Star Elves) set up a symbiotic relationship with the Khazad (Dwarves) because of their shared interests and a need to gain metal to craft, while the Dwarves in turn gained the advantage of surface allies who could grow crops and expand their food sources and other things like fabric for clothing.

Because the Dwarves live mostly in underground settlements under mountains, that meant the Crafter Elves encountered such mountain dwellers as the Rámar Kessír (Winged Elves), Mistá Kessír (Grey Elves), mountain Dragons (predominantly Gold, Silver and Red), the occasional Phoenix, Unicorn family herd, and Pegasi to name the dominate intelligent races who may be more or less willing to talk.

The Winged Elves tend to live in villages set in steep terrain and shallow cave systems with a lot of cliffs. They and the Crafters worked out an arrangement where flatter valley floors would be Crafter farmlands while the upper slopes and cliffs would be developed for Rámar residence, when both races shared a valley directly.

Mistá Kessír (Grey Elves) often lived in a similar relationship with Rámar already, but chose to mostly not share valleys with Crafters, but would live peacefully in neighbouring vales and trade with the Crafters.

Phoenixes are an extremely rare race, with their ability to reincarnate by immolation, they do not breed new souls very often. There is believed to be no more than 1000 firebirds in the whole of the Nightlands, paired up in soulmate partnerships. The Phoenixes are native to the Southern Continent, but a small handful of Phoenix pairs live in the north. Given that they are one of the Great Four Races, they are treated in high respect and the Crafters, Rámar and Mistá tend to all be accommodating should a pair come to settle in their area, negotiating a comfortable nesting area with them.

Unicorns are more common in the forested lowlands, but there are a few notable herds who live in the mountains, often residing in certain groups of linked valleys. As another of the Great Four, they are also treated with respect, and accommodation is made for their presence. Often a Unicorn family will also act as guardians of a Pegasi herd, viewing the winged horses as something akin to children to be guided. Some parallel can be drawn to Quendár views of Kessír and humans.

The Dragons work differently, depending on which colouration. Gold Dragons consider it beneath their dignity to share a valley with one of the "Small Races" but otherwise can be good allies, will to negotiate hunting territory so they don't predate on Elven farm animals or Pegasi herds.

Red Dragons, being the most belligerent mountain dragon type, can come into conflict with Elven groups so they either live well away or a hard-fought deal has been made that they don't predate on Elven lands lest they suffer retaliation.

Silver Dragon as the most cooperative and the majority of their kind can have lairs that open into Elven vales. Silver Dragons are also master shapeshifters and can often live in Quendár or Kessír forms for extended periods of time, living amongst the Elves they take the form of.

The mountain communities can also have a moderate Telpín Kessír (Silver Elf) presence, but they are more like lowlander immigrants who came to live with the Eleniquendár at later points, the majority of such immigration happening after Nightfall and mostly after the first Fae War and first North-South War.



TBC...