Cervan
The Cervan are a noble and serene race of deerfolk created by Valessa, the Animal Lord of Deer, to embody balance, gentleness, and unwavering vigilance over the natural world. With long limbs, elegant forms, and antlers that reflect the seasons, Cervan move like spirits through the forests, plains, and sacred glades of Aigusyl, guardians of harmony and watchful protectors of places forgotten by war or conquest. Where civilization scars the land, the Cervan whisper healing through their tread.
Cervan stand between six and seven feet tall, their lithe, digitigrade bodies combining the grace of deer with the upright posture of humanoids. Their faces are elongated and expressive, crowned with antlers that vary by region and heritage—some wide and branching like a stag’s, others sleek and sweeping like reeds in the wind. Their fur ranges from soft browns and grays to pale whites and dusky golds, often marked with subtle dappling or swirling patterns that reflect their affinity to nature and the spiritual echoes of the land they inhabit.
Culturally, Cervan live in groveholds—loosely structured communities built into the natural world without disrupting its flow. They craft their dwellings from living trees, stone softened by moss, and woven reeds, singing to the land rather than carving into it. Their leaders are often chosen not by vote or lineage, but by listening—those who hear the call of Valessa most clearly are entrusted with guidance, not command. Cervan value wisdom, compassion, and foresight, believing that to act without understanding is to break the delicate balance their goddess entrusted to them.
Though gentle, Cervan are not defenseless. When their sacred spaces are threatened, they fight with the strength of storm-woken forests. Their martial traditions focus on fluid motion, evasion, and precision, using spears, bows, and ritual staves carved from sacred wood. Cervan rangers and wardens are famed for being able to disappear into a tree line and strike from shadows without ever raising their voices. To many, Cervan warriors are more like spirits than soldiers—ephemeral, protective, and nearly impossible to track.
Many Cervan are also spiritually attuned, acting as intermediaries between mortals and the land's minor spirits. Cervan druids, shamans, and wardweavers conduct rituals that align the natural and spiritual realms, maintaining ancient pacts and cleansing sites poisoned by war, ruin, or defilement. They often accompany Spiritfarer Erina or work closely with Hedge and other forest guardians in tending the soulscapes of Aigusyl.
Despite their reclusive tendencies, Cervan are not isolationist. They frequently guide lost travelers, provide shelter to the injured, and teach the values of stillness, balance, and understanding to those willing to learn. Outsiders who treat the land with respect may find Cervan unexpected allies, while those who bring thoughtless destruction are swiftly turned away—or, in extreme cases, vanished into the thickets where the horns gleam in moonlight.
To speak with a Cervan is to hear the hush of ancient woods. To fight alongside one is to feel the calm before the storm. And to earn their trust is to gain not just an ally, but a sentinel who will stand between you and the fall of the world—quiet, watchful, and unyielding.
