Ghrefeims
But as Irath looked at the five races, she found a smaller creature left behind. At first she thought it was a little Dynbodaul, but the likeness did not resemble. The other races did not want anything to do with it, so out of sympathy she gave the little creature its own race, named Ghrefeim, the Protectors of the Small. She gave them the same ability as the Dynbodaul, but refined their work with finer stones, than those Rathamaen worked with.The Grefeims are one of the six main species in Agia, along with Harawyrs, Dynbodaul, Taroth, Rathamaen, and Môrwen. There are believed to be around four major ethnicities of Ghrefeims with several minor ethnicities within. The major ethnicity in Western Agia is based around the mountain range Galline, and within the Ghrefeim nation, Galidynos, hence the name Galifreims.
-Book of Irath
Chapter: The Protectors.
Basic Information
Anatomy
"Do not try to fool a Ghrefeim into believing you are someone else. Their keen sense of smelling can smell a lie from miles away... Or just the different smells surrounding each person.
-A merchant travelling who travelled throug the caves of Galline.
The Ghrefeims in Dynbodaul are quite scary, with their ashen skin, long arms, and their tiny eyes. Their eyesight are not particular good since the amount of light within the tunnels and caves are limited to either light-emitting bugs, biolumisence fungi, or fires.
They are not particular tall beings, the average height is about 100 cm. They have long arms so walking which they can choose to use on walking on both hands and feets, like the monkeys in Southern Agia.
They are not particular tall beings, the average height is about 100 cm. They have long arms so walking which they can choose to use on walking on both hands and feets, like the monkeys in Southern Agia.
The Ghrefeims living above the ground, tend to have more tanned versions of skins compared to their brethrens inside the caves. And Dynbodaul tend to consider the more like children rather than a scary species, like they do with the Ghrefeims inside the caves.
Genetics and Reproduction
The Ghrefeims have a cloaca, which is a singular passage of faeces, urine and reproductive products. The females can only reproduce once per year and only with one egg at a time, after finding their mate for life.
The gestation period last about 2 months and during this period she and her mate makes a nursery on their floor level. After the gestation period she lays an egg from her cloaca directly into a small, backward-facing pouch that has developed on her abdomen. There the egg stays for another month, while the mother waits excitedly for the baby to hatch.
When the little baby Ghrefeim hatch through the egg shell it has a small hatching tooth that they loose shortly after getting out of the egg. The mother helps the baby when she feels it is about to climb out of the pouch. She holds the little hatchling, not larger than a mouse, at her breast in order to feed it. For three days mother and the hatchling are unseperable until it starts to grow bigger and is considered a baby. Then the mother puts the baby into the nursery, where she feeds it at least once per day.
Unlike Dynbodaul, the females who follows the Ghrefeim's branch of the Irathian church, takes her chamber a couple of weeks after the gestation period begins and about two weeks after the hatching.
The gestation period last about 2 months and during this period she and her mate makes a nursery on their floor level. After the gestation period she lays an egg from her cloaca directly into a small, backward-facing pouch that has developed on her abdomen. There the egg stays for another month, while the mother waits excitedly for the baby to hatch.
When the little baby Ghrefeim hatch through the egg shell it has a small hatching tooth that they loose shortly after getting out of the egg. The mother helps the baby when she feels it is about to climb out of the pouch. She holds the little hatchling, not larger than a mouse, at her breast in order to feed it. For three days mother and the hatchling are unseperable until it starts to grow bigger and is considered a baby. Then the mother puts the baby into the nursery, where she feeds it at least once per day.
Unlike Dynbodaul, the females who follows the Ghrefeim's branch of the Irathian church, takes her chamber a couple of weeks after the gestation period begins and about two weeks after the hatching.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Most Ghrefeims inside caves lives primarily of local edible fungi, and bugs. While the Ghrefeims outside the caves have evolved a more advanced digestion, making it possible for them to live amongst Dynbodauls. Although most known cave systems with Ghrefeims trades with other species in order to get more diverse food.
Additional Information
Social Structure
To most Ghrefeims, the hierarchy is based on age. Older people knows more about the world and can share their knowledge and guidance within the communities. While there are leaders within each settlement, every family has their own family head, who sits in the elder council of the settlement where they elect the overall leader.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Most Ghrefeims prefer living either in or near mountains or caves, in order to feel closer to their purpose given by Irath. While some surface Ghrefeims have decided to move to some Dynbodaul settlements, most tend to stay near their birthing place. Comfort and the feeling of belonging is important, and travelling far from your homestead is dangerous and brings uncertainty.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Apart from having tiny eyes, they do have a rather big nose, or more like a pig's snout, with hairs that help sensoring their surroundings. They often use their hands as well to get a feeling of their surroundings, should their sense of smell start to deteriorate. They have rather large ears to listen to their surroundings as well.
The Ghrefeims living above the ground looks a lot different due to the evolution through several generations. Their eyes are slighter larger and have improved eyesight. However, their sense of smell is not as good anymore as their brethren inside the caves.
The Ghrefeims living above the ground looks a lot different due to the evolution through several generations. Their eyes are slighter larger and have improved eyesight. However, their sense of smell is not as good anymore as their brethren inside the caves.
Civilization and Culture
History
According to the Book of Irath, the Ghrefeims were almost accidentially created while the goddess made the Dynbodauls. She gave them the domain called "small", and gifted them with similar abilities as Dynbodaul. Most Ghrefeims are facinated by small shiny stones inside the caves and tunnels within the mountains, but the domain was meant for small animals as well.
Not long after the creation, there were some Ghrefeims who wanted to live above ground, and over time evolved their bodies to fit the life above the caves. Thus creating two subspecies: Unghrefeim, the surface Ghrefeims, and Onghrefeim, the cave Ghrefeims.
Not long after the creation, there were some Ghrefeims who wanted to live above ground, and over time evolved their bodies to fit the life above the caves. Thus creating two subspecies: Unghrefeim, the surface Ghrefeims, and Onghrefeim, the cave Ghrefeims.
Lifespan
55
Average Height
1 to 1.20 meters
Average Length
1 meter to 1.20 meter
Geographic Distribution
Related Organizations
Related Ethnicities
Related Myths
Related Materials
Entry for Worldbuilding Summer Camp 2022
Answering: "Α species that survives in an unlikely place"
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This is definitely the most polished article of the three you sent me. I was really surprised to learn what the Ghrefeim look like! It'll be neat when you get some illustrations up for them. As for some nitpicks, there's a handful of grammatical errors in this article so I'd recommend getting someone to proof read it. This article also seems to have an unclosed tag, because the comment section is floating.