Grimling

Profound and rooted as living stone, yet resolute as worked metal. They are the calm to the Otherworld storm of cultures and people…

- Professor Isolde Trelawny, Historian at the Royal Institute of Otherworld Studies

Grimlings are another of the species that arrived on Earth after the Crossing’s Fall disaster. Short but stout, grimlings are a mix of familiar human mannerisms and a calm, all too logical view of life. A pragmatic approach that is often considered a soothing balm in a dramatic world after Crossing’s Fall.

To outsiders, grimlings are often considered a plain-spoken people. Ones that are not known to mince words on any topic. They often shoulder work with a mild good humor and face the task head on. Willing to do what’s needed to solve the problem, or craft what’s needed. They aren’t rash and never rush in without a plan. But they are the first to admit that actions speak louder than words, especially with a person’s character.

Their blunt nature and traditions has sparked many debates concerning grimlings and ancient human myths. Many believe that grimlings were the inspiration for many myths around the world. For some, grimlings have a strong resemblance to craft-minded dwarves, gnomes, or even Neanderthals. Elsewhere, some say grimlings are more like the myth of boggarts or even the koropokkur from the Ainu people in Japan.

Cautious Appearance

After the Crossing’s Fall event, grimlings were one of the last species to make themselves known to humans. Unlike the rest from Otherworld, they suspected what caused the disaster. A theory, if correct, shouldn’t ever be discussed in public.

So, prudent as ever, grimling leaders decided to wait until the time was right, and the world was more prepared. Stay quiet and hidden until the initial shock of Crossing’s Fall wore off. They understood the trauma humans were going through. Adding to it would only make things worse. Life, however, isn’t always that kind or clean.

One of the more conquest-minded morasu Tomias, or noble houses, broke the grimling silence for them.

Tomia Vargoth staged an attack on the fishing village of Ogden Cove near St. John’s, Newfoundland. The intent was to capture the town before moving north to St. John’s, wiping out or driving off any human along the way. What the morasu didn’t know was that a new grimling town was in their path of conquest.

The grimlings could have kept silent. Stayed hidden until the invasion passed over them. But they refused to leave the humans at the mercy of Tomia Vargoth’s soldiers. Without a second thought, Maudra Irongran led the grimling townsfolk into Ogden Cove with a warning about the coming invasion. Along with that, they brought food, strategy, and ample strong backs to help.

Once the dust settled, the damage was done on all sides. Tomia Vargoth’s dreams of conquest went up in smoke. Both the fishing village and nearby grimling town were in ruins. Worst of all, the grimling policy of secrecy had shattered like so much glass. The ‘forgefolk’ had been exposed to the world, despite the grimling people’s best efforts. But, to this day, most grimlings agree it was the right thing to do.

Folk of the Forge

They look carved and crafted. But they are people to the core with depths that are almost without measure…

- Professor Isolde Trelawny, Historian at the Royal Institute of Otherworld Studies

Grimlings are humanoid, like all Otherworld species. They stand four to four and a half feet tall with a thick, broad muscular build. One that hints at immense strength and stamina as a people. The truth is that grimlings are quite strong, and are the strongest of all the Otherworld ancestries. They can, in fact, match most humans with raw lifting power.

Hair and beard color for grimlings is a diverse and captivating display. Colors range from rust, red, or black to moss green and ocean blue. Braids are common, especially in their beards. Various grimling cultures are known for having unique braiding patterns all their own. Grimling beards are always well-trimmed and neat, while also being quite thick.

Their eyes are deep-set with a metallic or gem-like shine. Polished steel, brushed copper, and bright sapphire are the most common colors. This is what lends to the power of a grimling’s unnerving, but captivating, gaze. With one silent expression, many grimlings can often communicate what takes others hundreds of spoken words.

Grimling complexion is almost human, with their skin having all the diversity of humanity. But, with grimlings, there is a bit more. Fine, glowing lines of metal or metal alloy run along and through their skin. Natural tattoo patterns that grimlings have from birth. The light from these tattoos isn’t intense. Instead, it’s hardly a glimmer. A soft light, no brighter than a faint candle.

Those colors are more than just natural markings. For a grimling, they are associated with families and history. Grimling families keep detailed records of their family’s lineage. Birth, death, marrages, and other historical accounts. A family’s ‘metal’ is also recorded and, for them, is one of the more important aspects. But while a metal may run in a family line, the patterns themselves do not.

Grimling designer by CB Ash *

Lifespan

110-170

Average Height

4 - 4.5 feet tall

Average Weight

160-220 lbs

Geographic Distribution

Primarily the North America region, Caribbean, British Isles, Afalon, and Newfoundland.

By Any Other Name

It’s said grimling names tell a story of their Sept and carry the weight of a family lineage. An echo of history that reverberates like a hammer against an anvil. Often rhythmic, common grimling names are of rare metals, gemstones, legendary crafters or heroes from a Sept.

Women

Arildis, Berylla, Garnet, Helja, Maudra

Men

Durnar, Ferrum, Klaen, Skaldi, Torbera, Paag

Surnames

Irongran, Dophu, Terrason, Orevein, Anvilson, Yorsteam

Grimlings and Humanity

Humans are the most delightful, and frustrating, people all at the same time for most grimlings. On one hand, grimlings admire human ingenuity. A burst of creativity that humans follow with a passion grimlings can appreciate.

But its humanity’s often reckless need to cobble a solution out of spare parts with no plan that frustrates many grimling folk. Despite that lack of planning, grimlings are always amazed at what humans create from half a plan, and a few spare parts in an emergency.

Despite this, collaborations between grimlings and humans have resulted in wondrous creations. Amazing inventions and advancements in mechanics, devices and more. A blend of the audacity of human spirit with meticulous grimling Sept craftsmanship.

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The metal lines in their skin are individual to each person. Those form at birth, then grow and alter over a grimling’s lifetime. As a grimling experiences life, their tattoos change to reflect times of stress, joy, or even moments of creation. Those patterns are as unique to each grimling as a fingerprint, but also reflect the history of that indivudual.

There is more to those metal-like tattoos than their color. A grimling’s tattoos, much like thayan wings, have a deep connection to magic. It’s little understood, even by grimlings, who simply say it’s just a part of who they are. Those metal-like lines are a physical link that glows brightly when a grimling works with magic or channels it into their crafting. A curious reaction that they explain only started once they arrived on Earth.

Senses

Grimling female alchemist by CB Ash *

Grimlings share the same type of senses as any other ancestry, from thayans to humans. Sight, hearing, taste, touch, they have the same basic senses. But while they are the same type, this isn’t to say two aspects of them are enhanced beyond what a human typically has. Specifically, this is their sense of touch and eyesight.

With touch, it isn’t that a grimling’s skin is more sensitive, it’s the opposite. Under the right conditions, a grimling’s skin is more durable and able to withstand more. In this case, it’s a tolerance of heat. One hot enough that it would quickly burn any other ancestry in seconds.

This grimling gift isn’t indefinite. Even they can be burned. A grimling is able to handle an object or be in a location with high temperatures for a short amount of time. Only up to a minute at most. But sixty seconds at a time is more than enough for a grimling to work with.

This talent makes them well-suited to work with molten metal, hot stones, or other high temperature crafting with ease. In some cases, this could be metal or glassworking, but also sculpting where a grimling shapes metal like a human does soft clay. Though not everyone is an artist. There are many grimlings that put this gift to use in other ways. Since their arrival on Earth, many grimlings use it when working as a Mechanist, Arcance Engineer, or even a ship’ mechanic.

A second gift is their eyesight. Back on Otherworld, grimling people made their homes in dim, underground crafthalls. Underground cathedrals with tunnels or cities in dark forests where it remained a perpetual twilight. There, the only light was forge fires, fireplaces, flameflowers and similar means. These dark places have gifted grimlings with the gift to see clearly in nearly dark conditions. For them, even the smallest thread of light is bright enough to work and see by.

But this doesn’t leave them incapacitated by daylight. Quite the opposite. Grimlings had long grown accustomed to moving between their dark homes and the bright day of Otherworld. Because many other ancestries from there preferred the day over the night. People that grimlings traded crafts and other goods with, and preferred to meet them openly. Which meant, in broad daylight.

Despite that, it isn’t uncommon for a grimling to carry with them a well-made set of tinted goggles. For just those moments when they need to step away from darkness and into the light quickly, but want to let their eyes adjust.

Dietary Habits

As for food, grimlings prefer spiced meats and other pungent foods. But most make a mistake that for this species, the hotter the better. The truth is anything but that. Grimlings relish the complexity of flavor in cuisine, not the raw heat or spice. Root vegetables, seasoned with black pepper, cumin, coriander, mint, cloves, and nutmeg are often a favorite combination.

Drinks tend toward the spiced flavors as well. Unlike other Otherworld ancestries, grimlings have no sensitivity to chocolate or coffee. In fact, most grimlings prefer their coffee or hot chocolate mixed with a liberal helping of cayenne powder. For hot mead, they add nutmeg, cinnamon, and peppermint spices. Ether way, it’s a complexity only one of the forgefolk can appreciate.

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Culture

Heritage. It’s that special mix of metals that makes the alloy of families as strong as the hardest steel. Provided you temper it with the right care, of course…

- Durnar Yorsteam of Tealioth Sept, Chief Engineer of the schooner Delorane

Grimlings are legendary for their calm nature, occasional boisterous laughter, and level-headed reason. Those are broken by long moments of intense focus and what appears to be a stern nature. Most make the mistake of believing that this means all grimling cultures share those behaviors. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Their cultures are as diverse and rich as any human culture, each with their social rules, guidelines, and traditions. Grimlings call them ‘Septs’, and on Otherworld there were dozens across the wide lands. Most were centered on their crafthold cities they called Burrowholds. A name taken from the fact that most ancient grimling cities were founded under mountains, tall hills, or in dark forests.

That changed when Crossing’s Fall shattered Otherworld and scattered the Septs. Many arrived at far-flung locations on Earth, which forced the survivors to adopt more human-like towns. At first this was in remote places until humans learned grimlings existed. After that, many grimlings took up residence in human towns and cities, or built their own close by.

As for the Septs that didn’t reach Earth, no one knows. Some believe they perished, while others wonder if they survived, living their lives on what is left of the Otherworld.

Surviving Septs of the Grimlings

Steelsire Sept

Steelsire is considered the master blacksmiths and metallurgists among the grimling people. There is certainly no other Sept on Earth that has such a complete knowledge of metals and how to shape them. Steeped in ancient forging techniques, their creations are renowned for withstanding the harshest conditions, be it armor, weapons, or the finest steam boilers.

For the Steelsire, the metal-smith’s forge is a sacred space. To signify passage to adulthood, young folk of this Sept undergo a rite of passage that involves crafting their first tool or device. One that calls to them and suggests their later direction in life, even if it leads away from the forge fires. Steelsire work is known for its attention to detail, often bearing a personal sigil or mark worked into the overall design.

Emberlair Sept

Members of Emberlair are known both near and far as grimlings with a close tie to fire, both metaphorically and literally. They are best known for their alchemy work, and possess uncanny control over fire. No matter if those flames are for metalworking or crafting fine cuisine. True to their association, Emberlair folk are more passionate and quick-tempered than most. But they also are just as quick to calm down as well.

It’s true that many great alchemists and surgeons have studied from Emberlair. But folk of this Sept are taught to cook from the youngest age as a step before learning any alchemy. From stews, soups, roast meats, and more, Emberlair folk constant work to refine even treasured traditional dishes.

Runehart Sept

The Runehart Sept is the most studious of all grimling Septs. More than one famous historian, archivist, and even magical scholars have come from the Runehart community. Students of ancient wisdom, magical texts, and long-standing traditions, they are often found as advisors to other Septs and, increasingly, to trading companies and universities on Earth.

From their studies of ancient traditions to learning the specialties of rune casting, many believe the Runehart folk to be stubborn. Resistant to change or new ideas. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Runeharts love to learn, be it new ideas or old. They understand the importance of tradition. But they’ve also seen what happens when people hold too tight to those traditions and refuse to embrace change until it’s too late. Many a Runehart took up exploration and cartography once they settled in on Earth.

Tealioth Sept

Last are the Tealioth Sept. Natural seafarers, they are renowned for their maritime skills. Both in navigation but especially in shipbuilding. Their ships are both sturdy and graceful, able to handle calm inland waters and rough open seas. Each ship is designed based on her “voice” the Tealioth shipwright hears while they design her. This results in elaborate carvings and intricate designs that add an aspect of visual elegance on top of sleek performance.

In addition, Tealioth folk are excellent fishermen and merchants. On Otherworld, they were known to watch the waves and read the sea to predict the weather. Now on Earth, they have learned to love these new seas and all their storming glory. As for their skill as merchants, they raise haggling to an art form. It’s said that if there is anything the Tealioth loves more than fishing, it would be haggling.

Minoko Sept

Of all the grimling Septs, Minoko is the one to whom others turn to for precise stonework and architecture techniques. In times past in Otherworld, it was the Minoko Sept that designed many of the larger Burrowholds. Especially those found in the Furata Mountains with its ample amounts of marble rock.

Minoko folk learn the principles of stonework and architecture from childhood. When someone comes of age, their rite of passage to adulthood is to design a unique piece of stonework. It can be a sculpture, but many times is a fountain, bridge or other practical piece. Often adults take up professions as architects or sculptors. Masterminds and strategists behind grand halls, city building, or military fortifications.

One unique ability common to most Minoko folk is what they call ‘hearing’ the stone. They believe, as do most who know the Minoko folk, that they can ‘listen’ to the stone and craft it into the form the stone is interested in. The result is always both functional and aesthetically pleasing when finished.

A grimling’s heart beats with the rhythm of a hammer striking an anvil. It’s a solid echo, a strong voice of their ancestors, that sing of the unyielding spirit of their people…

- Dr. Aiden Gallagher, Historian at the New World History Society