Cervan

Cervans have a robust physique and are rarely sick. They are one of the longest-lived races among the humblefolk. Though their wariness has earned them a reputation as timid, cervans are cautious because they remain active and alert, and generally prefer practice to contemplation. Cervans like to pursue skills independently in order to give themselves a sense of purpose. This striving is what propels some cervans to posi­tions of great import throughout the Wood. A happy cervan is one who is hard at work. 

One of the reasons cervans form such close-knit communi­ties is a mistrust of outsiders. Before the Treaty, vulpin raiders and mapach thieves were serious threats. These times have long since passed, but cervans still possess a wariness that makes it hard for others to gain their trust. After the implementation of the Humblefolk Treaty, many cervans continued to live by the old ways. However, some cervan villages have since started to contain the odd family of jerbeen, or a few lone hedges. Even under such circumstances, cervans have maintained positions of leadership and delegated responsibilities to make sure that villages are run in accordance with the old cervan teachings, ensuring that work necessary for survival in the most remote villages is accomplished, so that all its inhabitants may be kept healthy and happy. 

The ability to balance their innate caution with practical considerations is one of the cervans' greatest strengths. Cervans teach that the best means of survival in any situation is to remain calm and weigh one's options. The best cervan leaders favor this approach. 

Cervans have a unique ability to bounce back and survive a physical shock that might kill others. Occasionally, cervans who survive such traumas are granted mystical visions. Sometimes these are flashes of insight into the world around them, sometimes portents of doom, and other times visions of a far away future. Known among cervans as "The Sight", this phenomenon is elusive, and out of the control of mortals. Cervans who have seen visions in this way are known as "The Sighted", and afrer this initial event, some will suddenly find themselves receptive to visions of the past, present, and future. A cervan whose Sight has been triggered is encouraged to hone it, so that they might take on the role of a seer within their village. However, these efforts aren't always met with success. The Sight will sometimes visit a cervan only once in their lifetime, with no amount of training granting a glimpse of such visions again. This is believed to be for the best, as cervans acknowledge that those who are truly Sighted carry knowledge that can be both a blessing and a curse. 

While it's not unusual for some cervans to have small antlers or buds visible on their heads, only rarely is a cervan born who can grow a full set of antlers. These cervans are a different subrace -pronghorns- and are thought to be specially blessed by their Amaranthine Cairith, a sacred spirit of life and growth believed to watch over all cervans. Unlike other subraces, pronghorn and grove cervans are the same people. The arrival of a pronghorn cervan is an event to cele­brate, as it can occur only once in a generation.