Gathlain

The small, immature fey known as gathlain have a curious place in society, living alongside the lashunta despite their extensively different outlooks. Their fate bound to a small stretch of forest bordering Deadlands by the lives of their kin, their race is under constant threat.

Physical Description:

In their true form, gathlain are easily distinguished by their relatively large wings, which are always draped with foliage over tough, barklike skin. Standing just under four feet tall, they otherwise outwardly resemble humanoids. They have flowering grasses in place of hair, which are various shades of green for younger gathlain but turn bright gold as they age. Other than these flowers, there are no physical differences between male and female gathlain, and while some imitate customarily gendered hairstyles, more disregard them.
Gathlain also have a limited ability to shapeshift, taking the form of elven children. Several prefer to do so to interact with lashunta or other races, knowing their natural appearance sets others less at ease.
Gathlain as most folk know them are children by the standards of their own race. Upon reaching maturity at a little over a hundred years old, the accomplishments of their youth are celebrated in a day-long party, then the gathlain is buried with a number of favorite keepsakes. To other races, it could easily be mistaken for a death rite. But within a few years, their adult form emerges from the soil they were laid to rest in; a golden-leaved tree, capable of telepathic communication with other gathlains and retaining all of their original memories and personality.
Initially, the sapling tree is guarded by younger gathlain, but grows to a sturdy height within a decade. Gathsara trees can live another several centuries in this way before their sentience fades and they become mindless plants like any other, a dulling of their color signaling this change. At this time, gathlain custom is to cut down the ancient tree, fashioning clan jewelry and planting coffins for their descendants from the sacred wood.
Gathlain infants are born from large egg-like seeds, which fall to the lower branches of their mother tree for the young gathlain to feed off dew and sap as they grow, until leaving the tree at around twenty years old once their wings are strong enough.

Society:

Gathlain were said to have originally lived primarily in Goldboughs, but with the corruption of Deadlands encroaching further into their ancestral home, they are a common sight in more urban regions of Aelinar, some even spending decades there. Most gathlain spend every other few years in the Aelinari army to guard their home and ancestors, though, and watchpost towns are scattered throughout the forest.
Gathlain usually wear minimal clothing of woven vines while among other races, as an accommodation of the Aelinari expectation that they be clothed while in elf form. In contrast to their preference for nudity, gathlain love jewelry of all kinds. Most significantly, all gathlain wear one or more ornaments of some kind with an emblem representing their family. Usually in the form of an armband, pendant, or earring, these pieces are made from gathsara wood and carved with the personal symbol chosen by the gathlain's mother; many incorporate knotwork designs and animals.
Despite their otherwise irreverent attitude, gathlains show extreme respect for the elders of their kind. Few disregard the words of a gathsara tree, many of which are several centuries old. The ancient fey can be cryptic at times, but rarely foolish.
Gathlain have difficulty understanding money, although some might collect currency out of an interest in its visual appearance. To accommodate them, locally jobs favored by gathlain are frequently compensated at least in part directly with basic necessities or vouchers for such. Outside of Aelinar, traveling gathlain often end up relying on their skills in the wild.

Relations:

Gathlain are, for the most part, fond of the lashunta in a mutually patronizing way, regarding them as a little stuck-up and in need of guidance but good at heart. The two races collaborate extensively in guarding the gathlains' ancestral forest, a fact even the most mischievous gathlain value highly at heart. Gnomes they see as kindred spirits, and some of the older gathsara trees fondly speak of tales that gnomes once lived in the forests in their grandparents' time. Gathlain do not have the wariness of hobgoblins many other races do, or the derision for humans and their kin. They provide a passionate voice for the legacy of the elves, to this day remembering them as close allies and friends.

Alignment and Religion:

Most gathlains with an interest in faith follow Milena, appreciating the goddess's message of looking to the future. In contrast, many of the elven goddess Evendiel's remaining worshippers are older gathsara trees, and a few of their more eccentric children.
Gathlain are more often than not chaotic, and rarely act truly selflessly or maliciously.

Naming Conventions:

Gathlain use a single given name; representations of lineage are limited entirely to visual symbols. Names are nongendered, and usually only one or two syllables long. In the infrequent event two gathlains share a name, they most often rely on nicknames instead, usually ones that poke fun at each other's mannerisms.
Examples: Niva, Selke, Kymle, Dain, Ayn, Bryn, Cale, Elys, Kai, Tiern

Lifespan

660-850

Average Height

3'7" - 4'01"

Average Weight

32 - 38 lbs