Aeworn

The Aeworn live on the outskirts of the Great Forest, among the turned earth and mud left in the wake of the traveling Gastwudu. Quite possibly the most peculiar of all the Banyari tribes, the Aeworn have traded the leafy vines and bark of the Verthod for a curious loamy flesh and thick woody roots. The Aeworn are almost as wide as they are tall, and they move slowly, placing each root-like foot carefully. Even more astonishing is that the body of each Aeworn is riddled with small holes, just big enough for what must be an entire colony of tiny Root Shrews to make their home. It is obvious that the Aeworn have developed an Overlight bond with the Root Shrews, but the nature of their partnership remains a mystery.

Much like their pointy-snouted hitchhikers, the Aeworn live in close-knit colonies, foraging for grubs and other small prey items in the dirt. They do not venture far from the perimeter of the forest, and indeed rely upon the upturned soil created by the Gastwudu. The soft mud provides the Aeworn with not only an easily harvested supply of food, but also temporary burrows in which to protect themselves from the cold weather that can unexpectedly sweep the shard when under the shadow. The Aeworn Hearthwood Tree is thought to be one of the many large, brown shrub-like trees that dot the landscape in the thinner parts of the forest.

The Aeworn are perhaps more intimately tied to their home shard than just about any other Folk. Any of their kind found out among the other shards is almost certainly Skyborn — as a short, stout Banyari with a throng of small hungry mammals to feed isn’t likely to find an easy way of things out in the world.