Waifs

Waifs are thin, pale creatures with large eyes and ears. Their heads are disproportionally large compared to their bodies, with eyes and ears being even more disproportionate. All waifs are bald, as they have no hair growth anywhere on their bodies, though they do have fleshy whiskers on their faces. These whiskers are a magical apparatus which allows them to use telepathy and speak to one another without making sound. While a common myth, waifs are not able to read minds naturally, though they display a remarkable affinity for this type of magic. Waifs are typically Nocturnal and are therefore very sensitive to bright light and large sounds. Their dislike of loud sounds and bright light leads them to prefer telepathic means of communication, and though they are sometimes willing to converse verbally, they rarely do so unless forced to. Because of the waif dislike of noise and light, the different sub races have all developed different methods of mitigating this issue. One method, used by the Marble Waifs and Hill Waifs is to keep well-shaded and quiet communities. The Night Waifs instead live solitary lives and hide in caves and under trees during the daytime. Taking this one step further, Deep Waifs live exclusively underground, rarely, if ever, emerging. In order to protect their delicate skin and eyes, waifs always wear extensive and usually baggy clothing such as robes when they venture out during the day. Waifs who need to go into bustling cities and loud environments usually need to bind their ears and/or plug them in order to avoid being deafened.
Waifs as a whole are rather skilled at magic, especially when used in combination with their mind-reading and telepathic abilities. This skill using magic as well as their general isolationism has them filling a role rather similar to that of Elves in the old world, especially for Marble Waifs. Despite their magical services being in demand, waifs do not interact with outsiders much, rarely straying from their island. Waifs are also highly intelligent, with their brains using vast amounts of energy. Thus, in order to cool down their bodies, waifs are completely hairless. This hairlessness allows them to sweat more effectively than perhaps any race, giving them a surprising amount of endurance considering their small stature. Although it would normally not be advantageous to have no hair on one's body, their jungle habitat is well shaded and protects them from direct UV radiation, which means there was no evolutionary reason for hair to exist.
Most waifs, being poor fighters, abstain from direct conflict. Assassination, extortion, and other forms of intrigue are tyically utilized when conflicts between nations arise. When these disputes grow into direct conflict, waifs prefer weapons such as blowguns, slings, darts, and knives which can be used to attack from range without testing their strength. Even the more physically powerful hill waifs rarely utilize swords, preferring lighter weapons such as spears. When swords are used by a waif, it is usually a rapier, or rarely a shortsword. Only the Iscyhobat clan of the hill waifs have ever made use of broadswords, which are the hereditary weapon of the elite, who train their bodies extensively. Still, these waifs could never match the power of a stronger race. This lack of heavy weaponry means that armor as a whole is rather light, which makes sense considering that heavy armor would weigh waifs down and prevent them from making use of their natural gifts. Usually made from cloth or leather, with studded leather being used by some hill waifs, their armor also must account for their large ears. During battle, most prefer to bind their ears down the back of their neck so they aren't in the way.

Magical Aptitude
High
Physical Strength
Low
Societal Organization
Above Average
Birth Rate
Low
Lifespan Classification
High
Technological Progress
Average