Fyiegne

The Fyiegne are a population of Halyric halflings who live to the east of mainland Halyren, in the various marshes, fens, and islands in the region. The Fyiegne are hardy, adaptable halflings who have generally lived in peace for thousands of years, being little-affected by either gnollish raids of cyclops conquests, aside from a small population in the nation of Mrubaza. Fyiegne have historically been fishermen, trappers, and hunters, making use of the natural resources of the marshes, fens, and seas they inhabit, and consequentially they have been slow in developing a centralized society. Much like the Ioehque, they retain a clan-based society and henceforth these ties are very important on a national and trans-national scale, with clan ties often determining alliances and wars. Unlike the Ioehque, whose many clans are scattered about a series of nations, the Fyiegnen clans typically make up the backbone of or are under one state, with split clans being rather rare; and if they occur they will typically be in opposition to one another.

The Fyiegne are generally split into four distinct subgroups, with each clan belonging to one. The smallest and most distinct of these groups are the Sufide, that southwards-dwelling group who remain under cyclops control. The Sufide have had their culture heavily influenced by the cyclops occupation, and this has made thriftiness, self-reliance, skulking, and family even more important, especially with the loss of many clan ties over the years. However, they remain close to their fellows and have retained cultural practices for many years, so there's little argument that they are a core part of the Fyiegne.

Moving northeast, the outlying islands are populated by the population of halflings who the Fyiegne broke off from many years ago- the Ieglyn. Sailors, seafarers, and skirmishers, the Ieglyn have control of the most fertile lands of any Fyiegne, but their lands are densely populated and therefore land is hard to come by. Famed for their stacked homes (being the halflings with both the deepest and tallest dwellings), the Ieglyn generally live in fairly cramped conditions. Ieglyn fishermen provide most of their diet's meat, as raising livestock when space is at a premium is inefficient. Ieglyn are also known for their underground farms, where mushrooms and other crops can be grown in low-light conditions to make up for the lack of land. Ieglyn states are constantly in conflict with one another over their limited resources, which may occasionally spill over to the rest of the the Fyiegne.

Deeper into the marsh than the Ieglyn, the Scolngo are the quintessential Fyiegne. Generally carving out a small amount of land for their clan to range through, hunt, and fish in, the Scolngo are excellent at maintaining the natural landscape while also increasing its fertility and yield through strategic cultivation of certain crops. They have a much lower population than the crowded Ieglyn, but possess a similar amount of land.

The final Fyiegne group are the Bynfore, who live on a small scattering of islands between the marsh homes of the Scolngo and gnome territory. The also share the northern, rockier end of the largest Ieglyn-populated island, as well as parts of the mainland which are more fertile. A gregarious and trade-focused people, they are the main intermediaries with halflings in the gnomish lands and those in halfling-controlled territories, as well as being the main traders between gnomes and halflings. They are also excellent fishermen, and adept at managing sailing in ports, sandbars, and regions with limited depth, making improvements to traditional halfling coracles.