Though diminutive in stature, the mouslings of Ravenwood are an old and proud race. Their historians differ in opinion over just how they first came to the wood. Some believe that they were created by their Maker when the hills were first sculpted and the valleys first pressed into the woodland. Mousling intellectual debates can be intensive, and so their exact origins cannot be recorded in man or elf histories.
When the many different races first came to Ravenwood, the villages of mouslings in the Eastern glens of the forest already existed. The largest and most profitable of these is Erid Knoll, just a stroll from the town. Rather than finding offense at the first to arrive in the woods, the mouslings were hospitable and glad to begin trade with Big People – as we became in theirtongue. Big People could milk goats and farm fields with greater ease, and so they would trade for the herbs and seeds that the mouslings so prolifically collected.
In time, friendship between the two peoples was solidified. During the old scourge of wolves from the North, allies of all sorts were called in to defend the wood. To the surprise of many, mouslings become valiant warriors when provoked, and are perilous when armed with a needle. They heartily assisted the other races in the wood, and after the soil was blackened by both mousling and Big People blood, their allegiance became unbreakable.
Outside of wartime, mouslings are a quaint and typically friendly group. They ride sparrows and chickadees from place to place, and harvest nuts, mushrooms, and other difficult-to-reach produce, making them invaluable for trade. In a certain sense, they tend to be more superstitious than the Big People, yet also more wise about the forest. While a Big Person may be convinced to disbelieve their own eyes, a mousling never can be, and so their knowledge of Ravenwood is detailed and comprehensive. Additionally, they are easy to overlook, and so creatures that may be startled by the loud movements of Big People will not take note of them. There are numerous creatures and places in mousling texts that have not been quantified by Big People sources, but are believed without reservation by those that are wise.
A typical mousling woman fits into the palm of a man’s hand, while a mousling male is larger and may stand as tall as 8 in. on his hind legs. They come in myriad colors, anywhere between russet orange and tawny-grey, with any variation in between. Some in more rural communities sport colors such as black, blue, and white, though they are less often seen. The mouslingsoften clothe themselves in shades of reddish brown and green, and the men like best to wear little pointed hats when out and about. Their diet consists mainly of seeds, berries, nuts, and mushrooms. Mouslings marry for life, and rarely re-marry when widowed. When whelping, a mousling woman may have a litter of between five and seven pups, and this may occur multiple times a year. The mouslings are more numerous than many Big People anticipate because of this. Their villages often span great distances below ground or in the canopy to accommodate their numbers.
When engaging a mousling, proper etiquette is necessary. They prefer to be addressed formally at first, but will rapidly move to more informal speech once a degree of trust has been established by your politeness. They are hard workers and disapprove of laziness and dishonesty, which some mouslings attribute across the board to Big People. Once having proven yourself to be trustworthy and good-mannered, a mousling will quickly warm to you. To pick up or otherwise infantilize a mousling is the highest offense a Big Person can commit, and is not easily forgiven. In truth, once friendship is established, it is acceptable to offer to carry your mousling friend over distances. This is not recommended unless friendship has already been well-established, however.
I appreciate this heads-up on proper etiquette when interacting with Mouslings.