Fájunn
First seen by human eyes at the onset of The Godswar, Fájunn are a highly intelligent, extremely cunning, and superlatively magical race 'born' of Kjás the Unmaker's twisting of life and creation. They are vicious and cruel, driven by a desire to further their creator's work of sowing chaos and destruction.
Once widespread in the north of Abhagan and Hrafnawyld, they are believed to exist only in the the Ravenfjords in the present day, where they have stubbornly persisted for over three-thousand years.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Fájunn have a vaguely humanoid shape but their 'anatomy' is utterly alien, being composed of a seemingly impossible blending of flesh and tree. They move on two powerful legs and possess two arms, all four limbs having identical, quite dexterous hands. They have a distinct head, typically with one to three pairs of black eyes, but no discernable mouth or nose. Their skin, however, is like tree's bark, hardening and thickening with time, and unlike near all other creatures, nothing short of dismembering a Fájunn and burning the remains will 'kill' or destroy it.
Genetics and Reproduction
As a seemingly direct affront to the Súðár goddess Reynja, Fájunn reproduce by corrupting the most ancient and venerable of beings, the ancient trees of Hrafnawyld's deep forests. As the process takes some eight weeks to complete and is exceedingly energy-consuming, only fully mature and elder Fájunn possess the strength for it, leading to slow population growth. Furthermore, this process is weakest and most difficult when attempted in the Spring and Summer months, when the living energy of the Súðárín is strongest.
Growth Rate & Stages
Maturity is reached at around 100 years of age, with the skin having hardened to a thick, bark-like texture. Fájunn are unlikely to be seen before this time, as they are most vulnerable in their youth. They are 'born' in the full of their size and shape, and so do not grow larger as they age, save for small horn- or branch-like protrusions on the head, torso, and limbs, that grow longer and more rigid with time.
Ecology and Habitats
Made through the corruption of living trees, Fájunn haunt the deep forests of Hrafnawyld's Ravenfjords Jórveif, occasionally striking out in swift raids against the nearest Wylden settlements. In the woods, a Fájunn 'nest' can be identified by the distinct sensation of dying and decay in the plants and trees in the area, whose living energy is fed upon by the creatures, as well as by their vile Fájunnborn creations.
Dietary Needs and Habits
The process by which Fájunn (and Fájunnborn) 'feed' is not well understood, but they are known to subsist off the living energy of natural beings, both floral and faunal.
Behaviour
Fájunn are incredibly intelligent and cunning; they are also prideful, somewhat impulsive, and completely aware of how powerful they are. As a result, while they are not territorial, strictly speaking, it is nonetheless rare to see more than a handful of any age cooperating for any length of time, and never more than three elders (five-hundred or more years of age).
To their Fájunnborn minions, they are the undisputed masters, with the Fájunnborn giving obedience first to whichever Fájunn created them, and second to any other that commands them.
Fighting against Fájunn is an extremely dangerous task, with even a young Fájunn (fewer than five centuries old) being deadly and exceedingly difficult to 'kill'. The mere appearance of the things is deeply unsettling and even terrifying to those who've not seen them, and the air of menace they project induces fear even in hardened foes. They are physically strong enough to rend human or beast with their bare hands, their skin is like armor, they seem mostly oblivious to pain or wounds, and they literally must be dismembered and burned to be destroyed. They are capable of producing sound, despite the lack of any visible mouth or vocal structures, and the sounds they emit can induce terror, physical illness, blinding rage, or crippling paranoia in victims within the range and path of the sound.
Even one Fájunn usually requires a party of at least four or five to destroy, and frequently more. In order to overwhelm the creature, ensnare it, and dismember it, most or all of the party will wield polearms of various sorts to keep it at a distance while they strive to tear it down and pin it. Once pinned, other members of the raiding party must close in and hack the limbs from the body using heavy wood axes in order to render it less deadly, then continue to hew the rest of the thing to pieces, which must then be burned to complete the destruction (the fumes from such a burning are highly toxic to practically all living things, and must be avoided). Thus a typical party for raiding a fájunn nest in the Ravenfjords will often contain from at least 15 to 50 individuals, often more, including rangers, hunters, and, since the time of Sæga Hrafnárí, Riverseers.
Additional Information
Average Intelligence
Though they share the chaotic nature of their 'maker', which can lead to impulsiveness, Fájunn are extremely intelligent, easily able to conceive and execute complex plans and strategies, particularly if they have built up a large following of Fájunnborn.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Fájunn see and hear exceptionally well at all times of day or night, but seem to lack any sense of smell. Though they also lack any visible mouth or vocal structure, they are capable of communicating easily with other Fájunn or Fájunnborn present, presumably through either some kind of mental connection, or through sound beyond the range of human hearing.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Only two Fájunn names have been known in all the history of Gæðí, Hákke and Rúðigann.
History
Rúðigann vanished at the end of the War, his whereabouts unknown.
After The Godswar, and the Cleaving that separated the present-day island of Hrafnawyld from the mainland of Abhagan, the remaining Fájunn on Abhagan were apparently extirpated, a process believed to have been completed by beginning of the second century ATC. In the Ravenfjords of Hrafnawyld, however, they persist to the present, stubbornly resisting three-thousand years of Wylden attempts to destroy them permanently.
At the end of The Godswar, the Únðár goddess Ísje, knowing it was only a matter of time before she too would be bound by the combined might of the Nostín and Súðárín, reached out and imprinted her sense of infinite patience upon Rúðigann, calming the chaotic and impulsive tendencies in his nature. The elder Fájunn in turn sought out the lesser Únðár Hvalðnír, master of terror, and merged with him, entering a state of hibernation as Rúðigann-Hvalðnír. He remains in this state to the present day...
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Fájunn view all living creatures as sustenance and fodder. Intelligent beings like humans and Dire Ravens are further viewed as playthings for their sadistic nature, and potentially useful for creating their vile minions, Fájunnborn.
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