Mousefolk
Keepers of the hearth, refugees of Losthome
History
The mousefolk avoid history. It is full of trouble. Is it not enough to live warm and full together? Worries about who came first, or what happened in the distant past, cloud your mind. Sit down and have a delicious meal.
Stature
Mousefolk are short, fuzzy, and adorable. The average mousefolk stands three to three and a half feet tall (excluding ears) with a tail half as long as their body. Common fur colors are brown, white, and grey; occasionally a child is born with unusual coloration like ginger red, spotted black, or tabby orange even though these colors are not found in terrestrial mice.
They have four fingers with small claws. Their tails can manipulate and hold small objects.
When among the folk, mousefolk tend to wear loose, soft clothes that amplify their air of plumpness. In their own dens, most wear half-dress: only a shirt, cloak or sash.
Mousefolk bear small litters with triplets being the norm. Their young mature swiftly, physically independent by five years old and full grown by fifteen. This accelerated childhood leaves little time for the leisurely Aloran course of study, and mousefolk children usually study their letters and trades in the burrows. They are encouraged, however, to mingle with the larger folk, and many mousefolk nannies will bring their own brood to play with their Aloran wards.
Adolescent mousefolk are often struck by a wanderlust known as the Grief and join caravans to explore Seln. For most, this is the only significant travel they undertake in their lives. Most settle into a den by 20 and accept a profession for the rest of their days.
Mousefolk typically live into their fifties; this marks them as the shortest-lived among the Kingdom.
Diplomacy
The Kingdom hardly ever thinks about “diplomacy” with the mousefolk. Indeed, the mousefolk have ingrained themselves so deeply into the Kingdom that most folk take their presence for granted.
The mousefolk insist that every discussion begin with your needs. Like a doting mother, a mousefolk negotiator wants to see you comfortable and fuzzy. Having seized the initiative on negotiations, the mousefolk then proceeds to gently suggest a few things that will later seem like your idea.
Once you suggest the notion, the mousefolk immediately agree and praise you for your insight!
In truth, the mousefolk understand they have no force of arms to command respect. Their livelihood depends on keen perception of the feelings and thoughts of everyone around them. They listen closely to everyone around them, piloting a quiet course behind the scenes.
In an ideal mousefolk negotiation, everyone gets what they want without the folk ever realizing the orchestration at all!
The mousefolk tongue is quiet and soft, whispered rather than shouted. However, mousefolk consider it rude to speak their own tongue in the presence of Kingdom folk, and they raise their young to speak the language of their hosts.
They politely refuse to teach their tongue to outsiders.
Trade
Seek:
- Permission to found their dens in the wards of a settlement, usually in a copse of trees or hillside
- Protection from threats large and small
- Support for efforts to reclaim Losthome
Offer:
- Labor and foodstuff
- Childcare and instruction
- Crafted goods. The mousefolk are industrious and skilled craftsmen
- A cheerful smile and a thank you!
Arts
The mousefolk embody the art of the Now. They embrace the current moment, not from ignorance but from the joy of living among clan and kin.
This contemplation of the world helps the mousefolk craft superlative goods. Mousefolk are particularly good at jewelry, sewing, and painting. A wise cultivator might learn from them in these arenas!
Another talent is in soothing interpersonal relationships. With a quiet, friendly demeanor and a quick snack, the mousefolk can disarm many threats without violence or argument. This is most commonly seen with children, but the mousefolk are perfectly capable of buttering up adults!
Secrets
Harmony hack
The mousefolk ability to soothe the folk has a little bite! Though not part of Harmony, the mousefolk know enough of it to pull at its strings. Exerting a sudden calming influence, they can hypnotize all present to seek a peaceful solution.
Of course, the folk don’t remember what happened after the fact.
Relation to the Izu
Many peasants assume the mousefolk are a branch of the Izu lineage. The traditional mousefolk response is, “We are honored to be considered.”
Moldy scrolls in the oldest Izu libraries, however, contain lists of the original clans with no mention of the mousefolk. If not Izuno…then who?
Other ancient writings, all but forgotten in Flora, have a similarly puzzling reference:
Know this. We pledge on this day to never separate you from your kin. Never to build our science from your bones. You will know peace in this place, and in peace reside.
This we swear.
Protectors in the night?
The mousefolk are a quiet and peaceful tribe. They rely on the goodwill of the Kingdom for protection. Domestic, cheerful, and disinclined to speak too much of their own troubles, the mousefolk are everyone’s friend.
Sometimes, though, someone leans on that friendship too hard. Debts are not repaid, favors are ignored, and a helping hand turns to abuse.
Sometimes, when that abuse becomes intolerable, somebody shows up dead, alone, in a locked room, without a mark on them.
The mousefolk are extremely careful to never acknowledge these twists of fate. They thank no one and look away.
If anyone was there to see, there might be a tall, narrow figure in a heavy cloak; a mousefolk quick, silent, and deadly. A shadow among the shadow, fading not just from sight but from memory.
Biding time and dreaming of Losthome.