Origin and History

Satyrs are benevolent creatures who attend to their forests and those living inside and around them with great care. Once regular Quigars, they have ascended to the position of forest deity through incredible time and dedication tending to plants, animals, bodies of water, and even human residents. Their connection with the natural world around them seems to be deeper than any other creature on Merlot, and due to their heightened senses and empathy are the easiest to approach when there are questions to ask or trouble afoot in their domain. Humans have even seemed to take a liking to them and their presence, though often still keep their distance out of respect. The forest seems to be so deeply linked with them that parts of their body have developed barkskin, or limbs and protrustions have been entirely replaced with wood and plant growth.

Treatment in society

Unlike their Quigar cousins, Satyrs are typically capable of clear speech and communication between other species inhabiting their biomes. Though they originally developed such a capability out of their desire to negotiate with intruders and encroaching building and forestry developments, they now use it to speak to other Quigars and Merlotians in order to foster friendships. They are revered, not as gods or demigods, but as guardians of the natural world. Some may create shrines or offerings for them, though whether those are accepted or not depend on the individual. Humans view them in a relatively positive manner compared to regular Quigars and Revenants. The only thing that seems to upset them is the destruction of natural growths or creatures, which draws out retaliation.

Appearance and anatomy

Satyrs stand upright or on all fours, appearing more like bears than regular knuckle-walking Quigars. They have a large torso with short but strong plantigrade legs, and long, shaggy manes that may be braided or laced with flowers and plant growth. They may sport elongated cheek hair similar to a beard, and their faces are usually fully-furred. Wooden growths may take up the place of their usual horns, and some limbs or other parts of their bodies may be replaced with wooden materials as well.

The unique anatomy of this subtype is  their upright body with a plantigrade stance. This is required and cannot be substituted.

• Satyrs possess a more bipedal stance, like that of a bear standing upright. They are fully capable of walking on two legs for long periods of time without tiring, and are adapted for this lifestyle.
  • Like regular quigars, they are capable of walking on their knuckles, or on all fours, however this gait proves more uncomfortable for them.
• They may also stand on their tippy-toes (digitigrade), though this places more stress on their joints, so they can only walk like this for short periods of time. For most of the time, they appear flat-footed (plantigrade) and walk as such.
• Satyrs may optioanlly have bear paws for free.

I was abandoned in a burned down village. I was a member of a merchant group, who fled and left me behind after the smoke filled my lungs and filled my eyes with tears. I can't remember what happened, or why everything was burning, but I knew it was something sinister. I couldn't see for days, let alone move without wheezing horribly. I subsisted on some unidentified substance in a leather pouch that I found on the ground. When it started to snow, I swore it would be my end. I let my body go limp as I stared up into the great nothingness occupying my vision.

Then, things changed. A huge cloud cast a shadow over me, and it scooped me up, carrying me away from what I thought was my final resting place. My nostrils filled with the scent of herbs and spices, and I was gently set down on a surface rippling with soft fabric. In what seemed like seconds liquid splashed against my eyes and ignited colors and shapes in my vision again. It was almost overwhelming, and I cried that moment for another reason. I wanted to drop a knee and bow that moment to the creature before me, some incredibly tall bearish being with three eyes and a warm smile, but I could not when my body was still so weak.

"Thank you for saving me," I murmured, sitting up, "I wouldn't be here without you."

"Of course you wouldn't, silly, I carried you here. Make yourself at home. You'll need some time to recover," they reply in a booming voice, "luckily I had a pot of soup on, so you'll be better in no time. Hope you like mushrooms!"

They nursed me back to health for the next week. They stitched up my clothes and brushed the knots out of my hair. I left with a flower tucked behind my ear, one they had carefully grown in a pot by their windowsill when I was there.

"What's your name?"

"You don't need to know that. Just know if you're in trouble I will find my way to you."