Satyrs

Of all the sentient races known to Elothninian scholars, the most mysterious are the satyrs. They are seldom seen together, and no satyr villages have been found and recorded by human explorers. Post-mortem study of satyrs has shown that they do not possess Flumpert lobes, and are therefore presumed to be mundayne creatures who have evolved through magical influences.

Some scholars, tracing their migratory routes and taking their physical adaptations into account, speculate that satyrs originially evolved high in the Klevarcht Mountains. They point to the satyr's unusually pale coloring, extreme tolerance to the cold, and goat-like legs as indicators that they are perfectly adapted to the high elevations of the mountains. Some suspect that enclaves of satyrs still live at these altitudes, out of reach of the humans and dwarves below. However, this remains speculation and should be taken as such. Similarly, no consensus has been reached on how and why satyrs evolved as bipedal creatures with goats' legs.

Satyrs have played a small but highly visible role in Elothninian culture since the beginning of the Otellian Calendar. It is thought that prior to Otellian's explorations into this land the red elves and satyrs populated the countryside. Today, red elves and satyrs band together still: often, red elf play-actors travel with satyr bards and dancers. Satyrs also wander the land alone, literally singing for their supper, and their musical abilities are unsurpassed. In recent times, the satyrs have returned to singing old folk songs and ballads (sometimes even in variants of elvish), the meanings of which are difficult to decipher.

Those who interact with satyrs report that they are warm and personable, with a witty sense of humor, but also give the impression of being worldly and bemused - as if they are privy to some sort of secret knowledge. They are also extremely insular, and are able to deftly deflect questions about their race quite effectively. Some have likened their demeanor to a cross between mages and red elves. Though the satyrs have been pursued by scholars in the last few hundred years, we still have no firm understanding of their ways, politics, physiology or history and the answers do not appear to be forthcoming.