Smallfolk

The Smallfolk are, as the name implies, a race of short stature and short lives. They mainly inhabit the northernmost islands, above the continent Aedul. They also have many small outposts along coastal trade routes and the islands dotting the oceans of Deuban. They mainly are split across two groupings, the Trádáil and the Cogadh.

Society
Smallfolks society varies from island to island, and outpost to outpost. The Trádáil tend to be explorers and traders, and are rumored to have outposts on every continent and trade with every race that will let them. Filled with curiosity, they are always on the lookout for new adventures, new companions, and new experiences. Despite their short stature, they are hard workers, and excellent sailors.

Trádáil smallfolk tend to have family groups spread out across multiple islands and outposts, and maintain constant contact with each outpost via a never-ending stream of messagers, traders, visitors and explorers crisscrossing the oceans of Deuban.

Cogadh Smallfolk, however, are in many ways a contrast to Trádáil. A fierce warlike people, they are contained almost entirely on the two northernmost islands, north of Aedul. These two islands are Tírdhreach and Ioslainn. During the summer years, they till their meager plots of land and prepare their ships for the coming raids. When autumn comes, they depart on raids, ranging far and wide but mostly raiding the northern realms of the humans and ignoring their Trádáil smallfolk brethren.

Religion
The Smallfolk worship a set of primordial spirits they call the Seánaan. They believe these spirits formed their island homes, taught them how to make sails, ships and forge metal and grow crops. They worship a pantheon of these spirits that they claim watch over them.

They also believe in the Leidha, the siblings to the Seánaan. The Leidha range from mischievous to outright malicious. They are haughty and must regularly be appeased, lest they withdraw their support. They being storms, still winds, bring draught and sickness.

The Trádáil worship the Seánaan, deifying specific ones that they hold responsible for portfolios such as the Seas, the Earth, the Hearth, the Winds and so on. They seek to appease the Leidha, attempting to supplicate them with prayers, promises, oaths, songs or material goods such as seeds, goods or fruits. Material goods they are offering them are either left outside the limits of the outpost, thrown into the sea on the shore of their islands, or thrown into the wake of their ships as they sail.

The Cogadh, however, pay no heed to the Seánaan, seeking only to appease and emulate the Leidha. They hold ceremonies before each raids, swearing oaths of sacrifices in exchange for good luck and a fortuitous raid. After a successful raid, they sacrifice a portion of goods to the Leidha. If they swore an oath to give herd animals, gold or other goods, they drown these creatures or throw these good in the sea.