Harengon
Hoppers, Harefolk, Swiftclaws, Feyrunners
Harengons originated in the Feywild, where they spoke Sylvan and embodied the spirit of freedom and travel. In time, these rabbitfolk hopped into other worlds, bringing the fey realm’s exuberance with them and learning new languages as they went.
Harengons are bipedal, with the characteristic long feet of the rabbits they resemble and fur in a variety of colors. They share the keen senses and powerful legs of leporine creatures and are full of energy, like a wound-up spring. Harengons are blessed with a little fey luck, and they often find themselves a few fortunate feet away from dangers during adventures.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Harengons are humanoid rabbits with long, powerful legs, well-developed ears that swivel to capture sounds from multiple directions, and a slender, athletic build that allows for rapid movement and agility. Their fur varies in color, often matching natural tones like brown, gray, black, or white, though some Harengons in the Pastel Prairie sport rare pastel shades.
Genetics and Reproduction
Harengons reproduce similarly to other mammals, with a gestation period of approximately five months. While their lifespans are relatively short compared to some races, they are highly adaptable and resilient, with a genetic inclination toward creativity and curiosity that has allowed them to survive and thrive even in harsh environments.
Ecology and Habitats
Harengons originated in the Feywild but have adapted to many regions, with a notable presence in Astrium’s Pastel Prairie. Their preferred habitats are expansive grasslands or prairies where they can travel and explore freely. They coexist harmoniously with nature, taking only what they need and respecting the local flora and fauna. In Prillock, they live among Fairies in tree-based homes, using bioluminescent moss and plants for lighting.
Behaviour
Naturally curious and sociable, Harengons are drawn to novelty and adventure. They value freedom highly, preferring a nomadic lifestyle and embracing the present rather than focusing on material possessions or long-term plans. Despite their friendly nature, they are quick-witted and agile in combat, often favoring ranged weapons and ambush tactics
Additional Information
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Harengon live in places that have a huge affinity to fey magics; the Pastel Prarie and the Surging Plains being the main areas that the Harengon call home.
Average Intelligence
Harengons possess above-average intelligence, especially in creativity and adaptability.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Harengons possess acute hearing and vision, giving them high perception skills. Their wide-range hearing enables them to detect sounds from afar, including soft noises such as whispers or footsteps. Additionally, their Feywild heritage grants them an innate sense of luck, allowing them to instinctively sense minor threats and avoid danger.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Harengon names are playful and often derived from nature, such as Swiftwind, Cloverleaf, or Petaljump. Surnames, if used, are usually descriptive, like “Brighttail” or “Softpaw.”
Beauty Ideals
Harengons value bright eyes, expressive ears, and unique fur patterns. They admire colorful and well-kept fur, as it represents health and connection to the vibrant prairie they inhabit.
Gender Ideals
Harengon society is relatively fluid regarding gender roles, valuing individuality and encouraging members to pursue their interests freely, whether they be arts, combat, or crafting.
Courtship Ideals
Courtship among Harengons is often lighthearted and involves acts of skill or cleverness, with partners exchanging playful dares or showing off their talents.
Relationship Ideals
Harengons prefer partnerships that allow freedom and mutual respect, often favoring close bonds based on trust rather than rigid expectations.
Common Etiquette Rules
Politeness is expressed through gestures rather than words; for example, bowing ears forward or hopping slightly backward in a gesture of trust. Sharing food is customary in gatherings, and offering a drink is a gesture of friendship.
Common Dress Code
They favor light, breathable garments made from natural fibers, often in pastel colors that match the prairie. Festival attire may be adorned with feathers, flowers, or bioluminescent decorations.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
Harengons carry a rich tradition of music, dance, and storytelling, with elders passing down tales of their Feywild origins, famous travelers, and magical encounters. Their art often includes depictions of nature and Fey creatures.
- Spring Leap Festival: Celebrated at the beginning of spring, Harengons gather for athletic games, feasting, and a grand dance at night to honor the spirit of renewal.
- Wanderer’s Farewell: When a Harengon sets off on a journey, friends and family bid them farewell with gifts of travel charms and woven tokens for luck.
- Ancestor’s Eve: Held once a year, this ceremony honors deceased Harengon by leaving small offerings of food, flowers, and carved tokens at sacred groves.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Bouncelight Jubilee of Prillock
Overview: The Bouncelight Jubilee is a vibrant and joyous holiday celebrated by the Harengon of Prillock, located within the Pastel Prairie. The festival is a time to honor the Harengon’s agility, joy for life, and connection to nature.
When:
Date: The festival occurs on the First Full Moon of Summer, symbolizing the height of nature's bounty and the alignment of the prairie’s colors with the glowing moon.
Timing: The celebration lasts for three days, with the peak event happening on the second night when the moon is at its brightest.
Significance:
The Bouncelight Jubilee celebrates the Harengon people's quick-wittedness, speed, and harmony with the ever-changing beauty of the Pastel Prairie. According to legend, the Moonlight Hare, a mythical ancestor, gifted the Harengon their nimbleness and ability to always land on their feet. The full moon reflects her light back onto the earth, blessing the Harengon with vitality and happiness.
Traditions and Customs:
Moonlit Leap Race:
Description: Harengon of all ages compete in a race across the Blooming Fields, where the flowers glow softly in the moonlight. The course is designed with natural obstacles such as tall grasses, gentle hills, and ponds, encouraging participants to showcase their leaping and agility.
Prize: The winner receives the title of Moon’s Favored and a ceremonial wreath woven from the glowing flowers of the prairie.
Glowbloom Parade:
Activity: A grand parade featuring floats and costumes made entirely from the luminescent flora of the prairie. Harengon wear glow-in-the-dark face paint, and the parade winds through the town of Prillock, illuminating the pastel-colored streets.
Feature: The largest float is shaped like the Moonlight Hare, leading the procession as it "hops" through the town, blessing everyone along its path.
Harengon Hop and Dance-Off:
Performance: A lively competition where participants showcase their acrobatic and dance skills in sync with the music. The event combines traditional Harengon folk dancing with creative leaps, spins, and flips.
Participation: The entire community takes part, with each family performing their own choreographed routines.
Judging: Winners are chosen based on creativity, skill, and the ability to capture the spirit of the Bouncelight Jubilee.
Feast of the Four Winds:
Cuisine: The Harengon prepare dishes using the fresh ingredients of the prairie, including root vegetables, wild herbs, and vibrant, sweet fruits.
Special Dish: Carrot Soufflé, a light and fluffy dish symbolizing the Harengon's agility, is served alongside other delicacies like Honeydew Pudding and Prairie Greens Salad.
Moonflower Gathering:
Activity: On the second night, Harengon families gather in the fields to collect Moonflowers, which bloom only under the full moon. These glowing flowers are used to weave garlands, adorn homes, and create keepsakes for the year ahead.
Tradition: It is believed that wearing a Moonflower garland ensures good luck and fleetness of foot for the year to come.
Pastel Bonfire Celebration:
Description: A large bonfire is lit in the center of Prillock, made from driftwood and decorated with pastel-colored ribbons. As the fire burns, it casts a soft glow that matches the hues of the prairie, and the townsfolk gather to sing traditional Harengon songs.
Feature: The night ends with a massive leap competition, where Harengon attempt to jump over the embers of the fire, symbolizing their resilience and courage.
Decorations:
Glow-in-the-Dark Elements: Homes, trees, and pathways throughout Prillock are decorated with glowing lanterns, pastel ribbons, and flower garlands that shimmer in the moonlight.
Prairie Colors: Every structure is adorned with soft pinks, purples, blues, and greens to match the natural landscape, creating an atmosphere that reflects the unique charm of the Pastel Prairie.
Moonlight Orbs: Floating orbs of light are placed throughout the town to create a dreamy, ethereal ambiance as the celebrations continue through the night.
Attire:
Traditional Outfits: Harengon wear loose, flowing garments made from lightweight fabrics in pastel colors that flutter as they move. These are often decorated with floral patterns, moon symbols, and glowing beads.
Accessories: Flower crowns and glowing bracelets are popular, made from the flora of the prairie, especially the Moonflowers gathered during the festival.
Special Highlights:
Blessing of the Hare: On the third day, the elders of the town perform a ritual blessing near the Silver Pond, where they offer thanks to the Moonlight Hare and ask for her continued protection and guidance for the coming year.
Artisan Market: The Jubilee includes a bustling market where Harengon artisans sell handmade crafts, including carved wooden figures of hares, woven baskets, and vibrant tapestries that depict scenes from Harengon folklore.
Sky Lantern Release: As the festival draws to a close, Harengon release sky lanterns, each carrying a wish for prosperity, love, or adventure. The lanterns float upwards to join the moonlight, symbolizing the connection between earth and sky.
Community Impact:
The Bouncelight Jubilee fosters a sense of unity and pride within the Harengon community of Prillock. It celebrates their natural agility and joyful approach to life while honoring their mythical heritage. Through the traditions of storytelling, dancing, and racing, the festival serves as a vibrant reminder of their connection to the pastel landscape they call home.
In Summary: The Bouncelight Jubilee is a playful, enchanting holiday that captures the essence of the Harengon in Prillock. With its mix of lively races, dances, and glowing celebrations, the festival reflects the community’s love for life, nature, and their ancestral ties to the Moonlight Hare.
Common Taboos
Harming Wild Hares: Due to their close connection to the species, killing a wild hare is deeply disrespectful and is believed to bring bad luck.
Refusing to Help Lost Travelers: Hospitality is a core value; turning away a lost traveler is frowned upon.
Abandoning Nature’s Balance: Overhunting or depleting resources is viewed as a betrayal of their Feywild heritage.
History
The Harengon were the explorers and artists of the Feywild, often travelling far and wide to spread their art.
Harengons were free-spirited travelers, They rarely stayed in one place for long, and preferred to journey by foot.
A harengon's world view and even personality were shaped by the company they kept. Those who travelled with heroes became brave and ambitious, those who travelled with brigands became mean and antagonistic, and those who travelled alone while leaving new friends in their wake became freedom-loving and peaceful. Those harengons who turned to banditry often travelled in small groups, preferring to ambush or extort traveling parties with fewer members than their own, and quickly fled when a fight turned against them.
While they took longer to find their way to Astrium than the other fey races, once they arrived around the year 820 after the 2nd Pandora War, they were quick to travel all over the world and establish their roots within the cultural world of Astrium.
Today, Harengon are highly skilled musicians, artist and dancers, but be wary fo travelling through the Pastel Prarie as many Harengon have a keen eye and will snipe you from over 300ft away with a crossbow.
Common Myths and Legends
- The Tale of the Lucky Paw: Harengons tell of a legendary rabbit spirit who grants luck to travelers that respect nature, often appearing in times of great need as a shimmering hare.
- The Phantom Tides: A story of how an enchanted river in the Feywild could carry Harengons to new realms, inspiring their boundless love of exploration.
- The Meadow Sentinel: Legend has it that a mystical, ancient Harengon warrior guards the Phantom Meadow, protecting travelers from the malevolent spirits that haunt it.
Scientific Name
Leporin Fabulorum
Lifespan
60 years
Average Height
3-4 feet
Average Weight
30-50 pounds
Average Physique
Harengons are agile and lightweight, with powerful hind legs for jumping and running.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Common fur colors include earth tones—gray, brown, white, and black. Some Harengons living in the Pastel Prairie develop unique markings in faint pastel colors, such as pink or lavender, which help them blend in with the local environment.
Geographic Distribution
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