String People

String People or Stringfolk are one of the Races of Innworld. They are native to Chandrar. Currently, their largest kingdoms are Nerrhavia's Fallen and the Empire of Sands.

Physiology

String People are unique in that their body parts are detailed pieces of cloth that become real flesh and blood when attached to their body. Stitch People can feel, smell and bleed like the other races, but if they think it’s a bother, they can remove their body parts until later use. That makes them formidable foes, although their species is deathly afraid of fire, which can mean a swift end. However all String People possess an life-thread, from which they are first made. Damage to that is fatal, and the body part that it resides in cannot ever be changed.

Unlike Dullahans, String People's detached body parts become inert and lose their life-like appearance. They become spare parts and only return to their flesh-like state when attached to a body again. This physiology allows String People to alter their body by adding or removing muscles. This complex process of changing their body requires expert knowledge of their body and can mess with their balance and other senses, so most String People don't alter themselves on a regular basis.

Appearance

Stitch People look exactly like Humans, with the exception of having stitch marks on various part of the body. Their bodies vary depending on the quality and craftsmanship of the cloth from which their parts are made. Poor-quality cloth means rough skin or deadened reflexes. On the other side of things, exceptional goods like silk can produce otherworldly results.

String People's bodies are basically very detailed copies of biological physiology: In case of Octavia's arm, for example, her 'bones' are stuffed yellow cotton, with woven/stitched 'muscles' and 'sinews' attached, and strings of red woven into the arm to resemble blood vessels, then covered by the cotton skin. This results in a overall solid and stable body much like a humans - except made from cloth. Stitch-folk skin still feels slightly like fabric even in its flesh state.

Physical Qualities

String People can't be killed by swords easily, even if they are cut in half. However, cutting them apart in fine enough pieces will results in their death, as will removing too much of a String Person's body. Their head is apparently most susceptible to damage, and the severed head of a String Person can still feel for five minutes before they die. The identity of a String Person is defined by the majority of the cloth they are 'made' of. The amount of cloth necessary to keep an intact identity has sparked philosophical debates among their kind.

It is implied that in wars, String People are cut up and rewoven often enough that their appearance and personality may change drastically. While it is possible to stitch String People together that resemble other creatures, things can apparently go horribly wrong, and Octavia heard horror stories on the topic.

Weaknesses

Fire

As String People are mostly made of cloth, they succumb to fire.

Water

While water is not technically a weakness, String People dislike getting wet that much as it makes their cloth rot or shrink.

Behavior and Culture

String People value their own highly. Still their society is caste-based, one of the few societies that practices such systems. Those who are made of rare cloth such as silk will quickly rise to the heights of society. Then common fabrics such as cotton, and finally and those that are made of lower cloth like Hemp, are at the lowest caste. Indeed, despite the ability to change limbs and even bodies, most String People cannot change their heads which will always reflect the caste in which they are born. The general population distribution among Stich-folk is a ten-to-one ratio of Hemp for every Cotton and Silk Stitch-folk.

In their society, calling someone a Stitch-Brother or Stitch-Sister, is a high compliment for a flesh-based person to receive.

String People cremate their dead, as they believe it will prevent the deceased from being tarnished.

In their native continent of Chandrar, Stitch-folk are more adventurous with themselves, such as dying their hair or skin a different color or looking like a half-Elf. However, in Izril, they choose to look Human in order to fit in better. Whether binding thread should be obvious or concealed is a contentious topic among Stitch-folk. Some argue that they should have bright stitches to make assert that they are Stitch-folk, while others try to blend in with humans. The latter are derogatorily called Fleshies.

Because String People can look however they please, their standards of beauty are much higher than other species. What is beautiful to humans, for example, will not impress a String Person.

Alterkinds

Alterkinds are a minority of Stitch-folk that take on non-human appearances and features, such as looking like Stitch-Drakes or stitching on wings. Because of their experimentation, they are even more knowledgeable in Stitch-folk body modification. It is often a phase. Stitch-folk societies discriminate against Alterkinds, some deeming them disgusting or profane, while others are tolerant of low-level alterations.

History

Origins

String People originated from Cloth Golems that were made by masters of the craft, such as [Golem Artificers], [Weavers], [High Mages] and [Witches], who would later be known as the Threadmakers. They had desired perfect servants, though they tried to avoid giving them too much of a mind. Over time, as more Cloth Golems were made, their limited intelligence were able to gather together, which eventually led to the creation of the lifestring, the root of what gave String People sentience. The first String Person to rebel was named Destre. Sixteen more tried and failed before Elucina succeeded, becoming the [Rebel of String]. The String People's recognition as a true species took centuries of war.

Trivia

• While Belavierr the Stitch Witch was not one of the Threadmakers, she did gave them something.