" candelae salticus nebulai "
Raunen are one of many elemental spirit folks residents in Nehre, a small kingdom in the realm of Nonei. These cat-sized creatures, which are covered in many layers of carefully draped fabric were discovered by accident, or better to say summoned, by a member of the Lun'e merchant's guild many centuries ago. When they were trying to find a way to summon a light spirit as an aid for travelling through the winters’ never-ending darkness. The spirits they found are only part of a light element, but still, they become loyal companions and friends to the guild.
Raunen are very gregarious, social creatures, even if a bit cheeky at times – at least among their own kind and those which are accepted as part of their family "hive". They usually stay within the hive they've been created into. It used to be an alliance for a lifetime. So it's not uncommon that hives are forwarded over generations in Lun'e families. Since Raunen can grow much older than their caretaker’s lifespan - in case they've been handled with care!
Behaviour
One reason why Raunen are handled as a fairytale is the fact that they barely show them-self to strangers. Which doesn't mean that they're shy. Not at all Raunen are very curious, cheeky little creatures, which enjoy fooling around with people and their belongings. It seems like they like to try the other one's patience before deciding if they're someone to trust. So it can happen that meeting Raunen feels a bit like playing hide and seek. On the other hand, they care about hospitality very much and become miffed quite easily if a visitor doesn't appreciate or notice ...
Like most spirits they don’t have any kind of biological-based anatomy, there is just elemental essence - some would refer to it as the essence of magic. Everything they eat will be simply dissolved into energy. which can cause great trouble if its an object with a conflicting element. It's recommended to feed them by all kinds of herbs, which are used to make tea or medicine. But Raunen often tends to have a sweet tooth, too – a passion for sweets, candy and fruits are quite normal.
Light spirits are very closely related to fire spirits and share some of their weaknesses. Even if the chances are high that they'd just feel a bit unwell for a while, a Raunen should be kept away from food made of a huge amount of water, like ice cream or watermelon's – no matter how much they’d love to give it a try.
Like most light spirits Raunen are actually very difficult to spot without their shell of fabric, even if they are right in front of you. The usually semi-transparent little creatures blend in perfectly with their environment. A silhouette like looking through the frosted glass with a small shooting star splitter in their chest - that’s all you might notice during bright daylight.
They're made from pure elemental essence covered by a soft skin, which is extremely durable regarding squishing and such, but it’s sensitive to cuts and everything that's a bit sharper than a child’s first paper scissors. Which is part of the reason they wear a shell of sort. This goes for all spirits in this realm by the way. Their shells are made of materials that can be found in their natural environments such as wood, blossom petals or rocks usually. Raunen were created in a developed area, so their choice of material is a bit different...
A Raunens fabric shell can be inspired by nearly each style. Nevertheless, it seems like eastern, comfy and sweet styles are most popular. Always combined with a scarf, hood or other fluffy collar covering their neck. It's easy to assume that it's to protect this frail area, but it's likely to be for fashion reasons as well.
Other Design Notes
Overgrown Raunen
" candelae floradi nebulai "
There is a saying in Nehre, which goes like “Spring is a treasure chest, you just need to open your eyes!”. One could believe this refers to the awakening of nature only. These beautiful flowers you can only see during these very few weeks of the year and how everything is slowly awakening from a long slumber. But there is so much more to these words, even in their literal meaning. Taking a closer look, the melting snow reveals long lost treasures. Seemingly sleeping calmly, slightly covered in green and remains of snow, but still visible if pay a little attention to your surroundings. Old keys. A single shoe. A lantern. Once it’s light faded away, over time it'll get overgrown by small flowers, herbs, and moss. The magic which gave it a soul is long gone, but this doesn’t mean it can’t come back. Raunen summoned with such rare findings are often admired. Instead of fur, they tend to have flowers grown on them – all year long.
Having an Overgrown Raun join your team is considered a sign of good fortune usually, but one often forgets that they’re a bit special indeed. An overgrown soul’s sight to this world can be strange and difficult to follow at times – even for themself. From time to time, they seem to be so far away, like sleepwalking while old memories stored in the object they're made of awakening. Like a short vision. Not memory anymore, just a blurry picture. At least that’s what people say. They don’t talk much about this “gift”…