Ffolk
The Ffolk were the first humans of the Moonshae Isles, which they had come to share with their longtime enemies, the Northlanders. The Ffolk traditionally inhabited the southern parts of the Moonshaes, including Flamsterd, Moray, Snowdown, and Sunset, and the southern parts of Alaron and Gwynneth.
Naming Traditions
Feminine names
Common female names included Alicia, Gennifer, Meridith, Elaine, and Olivia.
Masculine names
Common Ffolk male names included Artur, Bern, Colin, Manfred, and Tristan.
Family names
Common surnames included Archer, Gareth, Leed, Morgan, and Waters.
Most noble or royal families of the Ffolk had names that were evolutions or perversions of the ancient dynastic name of Cymrych, including Cambridge, Carrathal, Cyric, Kendrick, Kimball, Kincaid, Riker, and Selkirk.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
The language of the Ffolk was Waelan. In this language, "the Ffolk" literally translated to "the People".
By the late 14th century DR, many Ffolk spoke Illuskan and employed the Thorass script. Waelan remained in use, especially among the druids of the Moonshaes, and by the late 15th century DR, many also spoke Chondathan and the Elven language.
Culture and cultural heritage
The first Ffolk were Talfiric refugees who settled the Moonshaes before adopting the name of "the Ffolk". However, modern Ffolk were almost entirely of Tethyrian origin, following a large Tethyrian immigration to the Moonshaes in the Year of Four Winds, 467 DR. This caused the Ffolk to lose much of their original ethnic heritage, although their culture remained quite distinct from their mainland cousins.
The Ffolk held to a strong druidic tradition that was distinct from that of the druids in mainland Faerûn. Their society was mainly agricultural and was ruled by a High King or Queen who resided in Caer Callidyrr, the capital of the Ffolk. They were isolationist and rejected any efforts by mainlanders to influence their culture. Rural Ffolk were known to reject what they saw as material excesses.
The Ffolk spent most of their time on peaceful pastimes such as farming, fishing, hunting, and trading. Ffolk crafters were known for their pottery, woolen textiles, steel weapons, and shipbuilding. Their shipwrights specialized in a type of ship that was slow but designed to withstand some of the roughest seas. Ffolk artists were renowned as far as Thay for designs resembling intricate knots.
Despite their mostly peaceful lifestyle, valor and strength in battle were highly respected traits among the Ffolk, even if they usually wished to see these skills put to use in pursuit of peace. It was not uncommon for them to train as fighters and to learn to wield a sword or longbow as part of their local militia. Ffolk warriors favored leather armor and were well-matched in skill to their Northmen rivals, but even a mob of Ffolk commoners could be brutal and bloodthirsty when faced with a hated enemy. It was not an uncommon practice to claim the heads or skulls of fallen enemies as trophies. A "warrior's death" in battle was regarded as the most honorable way to die. Some Ffolk honored and derived authority from their noble or martial ancestors, and their most respected champions could even summon long-dead ancestral defenders
Common Customs, traditions and rituals
Disputes of honor were not often settled with violence, but with contests of athletic ability or stamina. These might include logging competitions or races. Ffolk respected warriors who embodied quiet strength rather than overt violence.
The Ffolk worshiped the Earthmother, and venerated her and the land itself as one and the same; it is worth noting that she was an aspect of Chauntea, but the Ffolk would never admit to that. They had a deep reverence for nature and the land around them, always respecting the divine power in a misty forest, a rushing river, or a hidden pool. Rather than clerics and temples, the Earthmother was honored by druids at the moonwells scattered around the Moonshaes.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
The Ffolk were dark-haired and fair-skinned, although considered to have darker skin than that of the Northlanders. They were a stout and hardy people whose lifestyles favored physical strength and stamina over agile or intellectual pursuits. They favored tunics of earthy colors, sometimes decorated with embroidered patterns of repeating lines or symbols.
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