Selvani

"Selvani" is the collective name for humans who live in the Selva. Unlike the Roth where the vast majority live in one city, the Selvani live in hundreds of different clans, towns and small villages scattered like stars across the jungle.

Keep Moving, Stay Alive
Traditionally, the Selvani are used to surviving on the fringes of the jungle, carving out small villages and always ready to move on when bigger and more powerful enemies come visiting. To be a human in the jungle is to be prey for a thousand predators, and the Selvani tactic of retreating to live another day is what has enabled them to survive. It has also led to close bonds within a clan or village group, as humans can only stand a chance of defending themselves if they work together.

This naturally has also led to a distrust of strangers, although Selvani people will always be respectful of a stranger in their midst, just in case it's a fairy wandering in disguise. Trade between villages and clans is always a diplomatic negotiation, and depends far more on goodwill between individuals than any signed treaties or agreements. Indeed many of the smaller tribes have no real need for written communication, preferring an oral history passed down from generation to generation.

At One with the Jungle
The appearance of the Selvani reflects their heritage of having lived long enough in its dark shadows to survive and adapt. Skin colour is nearly always dark brown, with some individuals tending into black. Green hair and eyes are another common variation, although this is more common in some villages than others.

The precarious nature of life in the Selva has also led to cultural changes, with one of the biggest being a deep understanding of the local spirits and fae. Many clans worship at the Fae Court, and even those that don't have a healthy awareness of the politics and nature of the fae that live around and among them. Similar to the Sylvans, many of the small acts of devotion towards the fae have become second-nature, superstition and folklore - a part of the culture that people practice without thinking too much about it.

Changing with the Times
The relatively recent success of the city of Amaroth in the last few hundred years has begun to change the culture of the Selvani people, as villages close to the city choose to tithe raw goods, agriculture, and man power in exchange for the protection of the Amaroth army. This has allowed what were previously small villages to put down roots and grow into thriving towns, in some cases doubling or even tripling their populations. But this change has not been entirely positive - many young people are choosing to travel to Amaroth for training and education, and brain drain is becoming a real issue in smaller villages. In addition, the forced conversion to the Hestan religion is erasing the culture and heritage that the Selvani have had for generations.

Change has also come from the influx of Orcish tribes, with one town in particular, Gareke, completely absorbing an entire Orcish tribe and becoming a blended Orcish/Human society. Gareke and its surrounding area now has a burgeoning population of Half-Orcs, creating their own culture out of the traditions of their parent families and striving for recognition and potentially independence from Amaroth.

Names
The names and naming conventions of the Selvani differ massively according to tribe and language. With the Selva being home to over 15 different human languages alone, some similar to others but some completely different, there is no guide to names. Speak with your GM to determine your home and native language. Humans usually have a personal name given at birth, along with a surname based on family lineage. Nicknames are also common, and a human may choose to adopt different names in different places.