The Loyra

Home is found with people, not in places, and we carry it with us wherever we go

— a Loyran proverb

A wandering People

The Loyra are an ethnic group of selkies from the south. Unlike their northern counterpart, they have no fixed home and are instead wanderers of the Isles. They arrived in the Isles 50 years before The Great War and have stayed in the area ever since. They tend to be reclusive and are less sociable with humans and elves than the northern selkies.

People Not Homes

Despite their somewhat hostile approach to strangers, the Loyra value friendship and family above anything else. They devote their lives to each other, often romantically. For the Loyra, their and family and friends give them belonging and as long as they are together, they don't care where they are. This means as a people they are incredibly resourceful; making the best out of any situation and relying on their community to give aid when needed.

Tales of the Loyra

Although selkiefolk tend to favour oral history over written records, there are a few surviving tales of the first sightings of the Loyra to the Isles. They were often referred to a shadow-folk, because they are darker in skin than their northern cousins and no record can be found of them using their proper name. They often feature in tales as being mysterious figures with undefined purposes due to no-one knowing very much about them.

Naming Traditions

Family names

Because of their cultural rejection of individuality, the Loyra tend to give up their childhood names when they come of age and are instead only referred to by their family or community name.

Childhood

When they are born, Loyran selkies are given a childhood name by their parents. This is often something simple, such as an animal or flower and is used as the child is growing up. When the child is old enough to recognise that their community is more important than themselves, they give this name up and take on the name of their community.

Adulthood

All adults within a community share a name to signify their unity. This also means, that no person can individually called for and placed above the others. The only time they may be referred to by another name is if their significant other chooses to use their childhood name when there is no other company.

Ideals

Gender Ideals

Gender does not exist within Loyran society, making them significantly different from other selkies. They recognise their biological differences but it has no impact, on their behaviour, names, clothes or the position they have in society. Loyrans recognise themselves as one unified people rather than individuals meaning they see no need for this classification.
This is often confusing to those not a part of Loyran society but has become widely accepted by most other selkiefolk across the Isles. They look up to the Loyra for guidance and counsel, viewing them as wise and all-knowing.

You celebrate life as an individual where we celebrate life as a community. You pride yourselves on individuality and choice, but, for the Loyran, we do not see individuality. We are one people, one family and one community; what we do for others, we do for ourselves.

— A Loyran explaining their culture to a northern selkie

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