Darufae
A subspecies of Faer.
Darufae are the smallest of the Faer, marked by dark green skin tones with banded black patterns and particularly large ears and eyes. Most have brown or black hair. All Darufae possess green eyes.
Culture
Shared customary codes and values
Darufae value privacy and curiosity; two things which often clash.
Independent enclaves are secluded and well hidden, often made out of the reach of larger Faer subspecies and humans. Among each other Darufae tend to keep their affairs to themselves; enclaves don't share enclave business, families don't talk about family business, and individuals keep their personal affairs to themselves. While communal areas exist in enclaves and homes, each Daru has its own private space in which they spend the majority of their free time. These personal hideaways are often the only places where a Daru lets down their guard entirely, and where they are most free.
Perhaps as a result of their obsession with privacy, the Darufae are also intensely curious. Many stories feature Daru uncovering mysteries or secrets, particularly those that are being covered up by others. Collecting the unknown is a favorite past time of many a Daru, though it is rare that they share the entirety of what they learn with others. Humans view Darufae as secret bearers in their myths, many of which center around the motif of a hero capturing a Daru in order to learn a secret. In most cases, the captured Daru tells a half-truth which later causes trouble for, or dooms the hero.
The Darufae are naturally independent, though they appreciate family and close friends when they prove themselves trustworthy. Those that can maintain personal, familial, and enclave secrets are well respected, and are shared with much more frequently. Those who are not are often vilified and shut out, much to their chagrin. Such outcasts usually feed their curiosity through spying, eavesdropping, and thieving.
Common Etiquette rules
It is rude to ask what someone is doing, or where they are going.
If someone tells you their name, it is polite to only use it among their family, or in private conversation.
Common Dress code
Darufae of independent enclaves wear clothing that matches their environments to help them blend in, supplemented with furs and hides for warmth. Those enclaves in the core of New Caratha tend to wear spidersilks and fashionable pelts like those of the imperial elites.
Funerary and Memorial customs
The Darufae place their dead in carefully tended groves, amid either the roots of a great tree, or within a burial mound.
These groves are secluded, giving those who visit the dead their a quiet place to grieve away from the enclave.
Common Taboos
Never share any information that is given to you in confidence. To do so is a major breach of trust.
Related Organizations
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