Selkie

The Selkies are agile and rugged thrill seekers with neither borders nor boundaries. Nomadic by nature, their quick fingers and diminished sense of territory has earned them a reputation as thieves, con artists, and outlaws. Even in these harmonious times, they remain society's scapegoats, and rarely can find permanent homes among the other tribes.

Their main settlement of Leuda on the barren Lynari Isle depends heavily on trade with the main land and the income of its adventurers and Caravan, though the other Tribes suspect the Selkies supplement their needs through piracy. Most make honest livings as traveling merchants, mercenaries, hitching rides with Caravans to cross the Miasma. Others lend truth to tribal prejudices with sleights of hand and silver tongues. Some few have found their calling as scholars.

Appearance and Physiology
Selkies strongly resemble Clavats in their proportions, but they're easily identified by their hair. Selkic hair is sturdy and dense, and when not trimmed to spikey short styles, can rapidly reach waist-length. Its natural colors are usually muted tones of hues ranging from green to violet, but usually appears silver at a glance. This makes it very easy to dye by natural methods, and young Selkies commonly express themselves with bright color gradients.

While Selkie physiques can vary as widely as Clavats, they tend to be naturally attractive. They wear fur-trimmed hide garments styled with almost no regard for modesty, often to highlight their athletic builds and tribal tattoos. Female attire usually consists of short skirts and tube tops to expose their midriff, while male Selkies may opt for little more than ornate suspenders over their otherwise-bare chests.

Selkies are best known for their acrobatics and dexterity, but their natural charisma occasionally lends itself to politics. In the rare instance that a Selkie fails to avoid capture, they may talk their way from a prison cell into a King's inner circle, only to vanish with the crown jewels. They are also extraordinary dancers and gymnasts, able to somersault from a standing position with little effort.

Less known is their ability to swim and hold their breath for several minutes underwater, as the chemical interactions between water and Miasma allow very few opportunities to utilize this advantage.

They are able to interbreed with Clavats and Lilties with limited success, though social tensions with the latter have made Selkie-Lilty pairings almost non-existent. A half-Clavat girl named Chime, ward of the Clavat King Epitav, would later become Chancellor when his son, Prince Leo, succeeds him as the King of Padarak.

History and Culture
Selkies have a rich culture of storytelling, and many of their legends are centuries-old. However, the facts of their history are difficult to define, as they've been warped over centuries of poetic license. One legend in particular suggests that they were once oceanic mammals akin to Earth's seals who migrated to shore and shed their animal forms to walk among the other Tribes, and foretells that one day they will return to the sea as animals again. Yukish scholars generally don't take this story literally, but agree that the Selkies were likely once a nomadic seafaring Tribe, a theory reinforced by their ability to swim.

Regardless of the specifics of their arrival, one might infer by their behavior and social standing that the Selkies were once an entirely egalitarian society never before exposed to the concepts of property or territory. Their disregard for material ownership or geographic boundaries impeded their assimilation to the monarchic civilizations of the main land. Many Liltian attempts to subjugate or eradicate the Selkies ended in failure, and echoes of these events still perpetuate tensions between these two tribes long after the Lilties' conquest ended. The Selkies have taken to comparing Lilties to onions as a derogatory gesture.

Beyond the western Miasma Stream and perilously near the mysterious Fifth Stream, it was during a time of ostracization that a party of Selkic pioneers sought to cross the swamps of Conall Curach, hoping to find a hospitable new home on the main land. They terraformed deep into the swamp with wooden walkways and floating bridges, carving Selkic records of their expedition in rocky outcrops, but their journey and their lives ended violently in an encounter with a Zombie Dragon.

The other two Tribes have easier relationships with the Selkies. The Clavats, typically ambivalent about most things, are more susceptible to the seductive wiles of their silver-haired counterparts, and Selkie-Clavat pairings are not uncommon. And as the Selkies have cautiously reintegrated into a relatively more inclusive world, their legends and artifacts have gained popularity among Yukish scholars seeking to unravel forgotten mysteries, such as the origins of Miasma or the existence of a fifth crystal element. A few Selkies have taken residence in Shella as professors of literature and anthropology, sharing their folklore and customs, or as field researchers like the Miasmologist, De Nam.

Selkies behave somewhat differently in their island home of Leuda. They can be unfriendly to non-Selkie visitors regardless of Tribe, and would even steal from a Caravanner if it suits their mood. They are proud and protective of their cultural heritage, and reject any outside influences.