4.9.28 Seyda

The Seyda are a vulpine race of fox-like humanoids created by Lleis, the Lady of Renewal, in ages past. Long thought to be all but extinct, with only scattered individuals remaining across Sapience, the Seyda population experienced a miraculous resurgence with the return of their ancestral village of Vimuna in the Year 12 AC.

The liberation of the Seyda came at a price, however. Old Witch Tala saved their minds from the madness of millennia-long imprisonment by drawing away their suffering and transferring it to their captor, Morvaethe. As a result, the Seyda possess only fragmented memories of their lives before the modern age, with gaps where the weight of centuries would have crushed their sanity. Their ages and birthdays have been adapted to the current era, so that a Seyda who might have been born thousands of years ago now celebrates a birthday merely decades past, their minds accepting this temporal adjustment as natural truth.

Vimuna itself had been captured in stasis by the ancient sorcerer Morvaethe, the Curator, who sought to preserve the village at the height of its prosperity. For uncounted ages, the Seyda of Vimuna remained frozen in time, unaware of the world's changes around them. Their release from this georamic enchantment has brought both joy and sorrow, for while their numbers have been restored, they must now adapt to a world where their beloved Goddess no longer walks among them as She once did.

Physical traits:
Eyes: amber, grey, black, hazel, light-green, mahogany, umber, silver, green
Ears: Large, triangular, and highly mobile, capable of swiveling to track sounds
Size: 4.5 - 5.5 feet / 1.4 - 1.7 metres
Fur: Highly varied - russet, silver, sable, golden, cinnamon, dark, snow, brindle, flame-colored
Tails: Long and bushy, highly expressive of emotional state

The Seyda are bipedal fox-folk with elongated, vulpine muzzles and dark noses. Their bodies are covered in fur of varying colors and patterns, with many displaying lighter coloration on ear tips, tail tips, and around the muzzle. They possess sharp claws on both hands and feet, though most keep them trimmed for daily life. Males often have slightly larger builds and may develop manes extending from head to shoulders, while females tend toward more slender frames.

Cultural Notes:
The Seyda culture is deeply intertwined with the worship of Lleis, the philosophy of the Cycle, and the eternal progression through spring (birth), summer (growth), autumn (harvest), and winter (death and renewal). Many Seyda associate themselves with a particular season that resonates with their personality and life path, though this association often changes throughout their lives as they embrace personal renewal.

Community is paramount to the Seyda. They eschew large, impersonal cities in favor of smaller settlements where every individual is known and valued. Their homes are often built into hillsides or woven seamlessly into forest environments, reflecting their desire to live in harmony with nature rather than dominating it.

Since their return from stasis, the Seyda have faced a spiritual crisis. Those who cannot accept that Lleis no longer walks among them have scattered to the winds, some even joining societies antithetical to their traditional values and religious beliefs. However, most maintain their faith through the simple acts of the seasons - planting in spring, tending in summer, harvesting in autumn, and resting in winter - and finding the divine in these activities.

Known settlements:
Vimuna
The ancestral home of the Seyda, located where the Aureliana Forest meets the Liruma Scrubland. This village existed during the Age of Despair as a thriving center of Llesian worship until it was captured in magical stasis. Now returned to the world, it serves as both a living museum of ancient Seyda culture and a beacon calling scattered Seyda home. The village exemplifies traditional Seyda values: communal gardens and kitchens, shared childcare, collective decision-making, and the practice of leaving offerings for those in need. Wooden charms and tokens are crafted and exchanged as expressions of community bonds, with these items often telling stories or marking important events.

Small Seyda communities
Prior to Vimuna's return, small pockets of Seyda could be found scattered across Sapience, often in forested regions or areas sacred to Lleis. These communities, never more than extended family groups, maintained what Lleisian traditions they could while adapting to survive in a world that had largely forgotten them.