Trowloshes

-The first trowloshe was Jagur, whom Oderac wrought by singing to the stone of the gate of his great hall beneath the mountain-which-is-not-mountain, and after Oderac had sung upon the stone, and shaped it, he breathed knowledge into the form of Jagur, singing, “Thou I hast wrought as tool for my forge, so that ye make take part in the forging of others. Know that, though mine hand be the forger, yea, and also mine song be in the forged, even as it is in ye, yet the earth that shall be also in the forged, even as it is in ye, is not mine. So shall the forged be thy kin in stone, and the making shall be yours.” And Jagur did then step forth from the gate into the roots of the mountain-which-is-not-mountain, and sang to the stones about him in the dark places, in which the blood of Oderac was flowing, calling out the names of the first trowloshes to be. “Mamre and Gellar” he did name, “and Fadil and Tiltli” he did name, and so they rose from the stone and knew themselves. These four did Jagur make from the blood of Oderac, but no more.-

Trowloshè (pl: trowloshes adj.:trowloshéwé)

Beliefs: dual creator gods, ascendancy of mortal beings, ancient enmity with komorae

In trowloshewe mythos, Oderac, the father (aspects: fate, earth, permanence) and Korkal, the mother (aspects: mania, sky, change) gave birth to the realm and the two races, trowloshes, which were the favorite of Oderac, and komorae, much loved by Korkal. They split over disagreements in philosophy and in competition between their children, and divided the realm between themselves. Oderac had foreseen this outcome, and so, when he and Korkal created metal, which both coveted greatly, though Oderac primarily for its strength and utility, and Korkal for its beauty, he had imbued it with great weight, so that when the realm was divided, it sunk down into the earth, his own domain. Korkal, desirous of the shiny stuff, but unwilling to put her favorite creation to work, created humans for her komorae to use as slaves, digging down into the earth for metal to offer to Korkal in tribute. A great war was begun between komorae and trowloshes then, a dark time of destruction and powerful magics which obliterated all, even the graven memories of the trowloshéwé lineages. Eventually, Oderac and Korkal made truce, Korkal agreeing to use only what metals she could scrounge from the surface, and Oderac agreeing that his people would bear only dull metal above ground, in order to avoid tempting Korkal with their subterranean riches. Trowloshes honor this structure by wearing jewelry and tools with matte finishes above ground.

The trowloshes believe that the gods of the land are ascendant beings, the heroic and powerful ancestors of elves and dwarves who elevated themselves to the status of Demigods through worship and feats of might and magic. Accordingly, they believe that mild-mannered or otherwise useful gods were once trowloshes, and the more destructive, malicious ones komorae. If one does not ascend during their lifetime, trowloshe believe that the spirits of the dead go to the realms of one of the two gods, to eternally feast with Oderac in his halls of stone, or to be put to some nefarious use in the realm of Korkal. Komorae nearly always go to Korkal, of course, for though trowloséwé doctrine does not specifically prohibit particularly virtuous komorae from dwelling in the hall of Oderac, a Komora is much more likely to ascend through great deeds than to live properly.

Biology: long-lived, back spines, hunched, muscular, excellent hearing, large chest cavity housing four lungs, limited night vision, pale, neutral-toned flesh.

Trowloshe are short, yet incredibly stout humanoids whose backs, from scalp to tailbone, bristle with thick, spike-like quills, similar to those of a hedgehog. They are hunched in stature, causing them to be apparently shorter than humans, though their actual hight is of a match. Trowloshe have long, well-muscled arms with massive hands at their ends, and their legs and torsos are shorter in proportion. Neither males nor females have hair, but males sometimes grow “beards” of thinner, more flexible spines. Most humans would consider trowloshewe brutish and ugly, but trowloshewe visual art seems to suggest that trowloshes revel in the espressiveness their oversized facial features, often depicting them as larger than life.

Values: duty, utility, creativity, beauty

Mating and family: marriage within social castes, few children, large families, ancestral worship.

Language: highly intoned. Written form has two alphabets, one for intonation, one syllabic.

Customs/games: birthday celebrations, even for the deceased; art competitions, especially poetry and music;

Government and law: demotion in caste is a common punishment, as is reparative fines to be payed in service or donation of wealth. The highest form of punishment is demotion to the lowest caste, the “unheard” which usually results in exile or slavery.

Technology/magic: most advanced metallurgy in the realm, sturdy masonry, excellent craftsmanship of instruments and tools.

Art/clothing: complex music, fine jewelry, ornamental trinkets worn on spines and arms. Apron-like clothing made from a variety of materials, many of which must be traded for, highly decorated with various metals.

Trowloshe love jewelry, and decorate their spines with rings, or else drill small holes through them to dangle various other metal baubles. They eschew such decorations upon their hands and forearms in favor of colorful tattoos, which are used to delineate clan and trade. Trowloshe are also fond of music, and Trowloshan instruments are almost as sought after as their bronze.