Pooka

Pookas
The Pooka, an unusual people similar in stature and appearance to the Hauflins, with the strange addition of animal features. The ears and tails of five animals mark out the Pookas from the Hauflins that are encountered on Orenda; dog, cat, fox, horse, and rabbit. These are Imagodai’s gardeners and caretakers. Perpetually upbeat, these Children of Spirit can become mischievous to malicious towards any who harm or interfere with their chosen charges.

History
The Pooka had an unusual origin, even less planned than any other of the of Fae Folk. Imagodai had no intention of creating a race of Hauflins with animal ears and tails. The Hauflins themselves impressed upon Imagodai the need for the Pookas. Their original purpose of the Pookas was as caretakers for Human young that were being collected by the Hauflin people in secret. The Hauflins requested that Imagodai give them help with dealing with wildlife, as they tended to not trust what to them looked like the beings who hunted them. Imagodai acquiesced to the request and provided the Hauflins with beings like unto themselves in general appearance, but gave them that aspects of certain animals that were seen as non-aggressive to most or at least not being an apex predator of their species. She gave the Pookas the most recognizable characteristics of most animals, their ears and tails.

While the Hauflins were given the name the "Little People" by the Aviarus and Elves, they were less kind to the Pookas. The Dweorhs and Elves were the first to notice that the Pookas had an overly clingy attitude towards Humans, observing that they seemed to almost pamper a race seen by the other Children of Elementals as nothing more than slightly smarter dogs or other farm animals. This led to them being called "Nannies" and eventually shortening to just "Nans". This appellation lost its history as the ages passed, becoming to be more like the Hauflins nickname of "Little People"

In the end, "Nans" were exactly what the Hauflins needed to help raise, nurture, and protect the Human young. Unintentionally, they were also exactly what they asked Imagodai for and became the deep-forest protectors of wildlife, as well as being the defenders of the farming homesteads they established for the Humans. While the Hauflins and Pookas created the homesteads in meadows and valleys deep within their woodlands, occasional groups of other non-human races would come along and find the farms and villages. When this occurred it was assumed by the other non-humans that the Humans were being raised for trade, like any other farm animal or beast of burden. The Hauflins and Pookas quickly dissuaded the groups, pointing out their mistake. Sometimes, the groups would leave with a shrug and wave of thanks for any supplies they had traded for, but there were times when the Pookas had to demonstrate that while they were smaller than most of the non-human races they were not cowards and could run off even the fiercest of opponents.The communities would be relocated whether or not the non-human strangers created problems or not. This created myths of vanishing farms and villages populated by the small Fae Folk, hiding stolen human children.

As the ages progressed the homesteads were left to the Humans to run on their own, the Pookas and Hauflins would then just through or settle nearby. When Partumis returned to the World of Orenda, it was these actions and intervention of the "Little People" and "Nans" on behalf of all the Children of the God Elementals that held his hand from banishing them with their progenitors. This was acknowledged by all, but the Sauropsidans. The other non-human races have since taken it upon themselves to support any Hauflin or Pooka that they come across or come into their communities. The Sauros, who continued to hold a grudge, always distrust the smaller Children of Spirit, as throughout the generations they "stole" from them or thwarted "restocking" raids.

Five archetypes of "Nans" exist in the Pooka families, no matter the pairing of Pooka parents a child's archetype is generally dictated by their personality not their parentage. Thus a Pupper couple can have a Kitt child.

Pooka Archetypes:


 * Coneys - These Pookas have the ears and tail of rabbits. Imagodai selected these Children of Spirit from the Aethers that were most comfortable with working with the element, Spirit. They are notorious for having skills connected to Spirit, such as; Martial Arts, Cajolery, Spirit magic, and the Sanitatem or "Healing faith".


 * Katts - These Pookas have the ears and tail of felines. Imagodai selected these Children of Spirit from the Aethers that were most comfortable with working with the element, Air. They are notorious for having skills connected to Air, such as; Archery, Evasion, Air magic, and Torquem Habet or the "Trap and Contain faith".


 * Puppers - These Pookas have the ears and tail of canines. Imagodai selected these Children of Spirit from the Aethers that were most comfortable with working with the element, Earth. They are notorious for having skills connected to Earth, such as; Armour, Stealth, Earth magic, and the Statuarius or "Sculptor (combat) faith".


 * Kitts - These Pookas have the ears and tail of foxes. Imagodai selected these Children of Spirit from the Aethers that were most comfortable with working with the element, Fire. They are notorious for having skills connected to Fire, such as; Marksmanship, Skullduggery, Fire magic, and the Praesidio or "Protection faith ".


 * Dobbins - These Pookas have the ears and tail of horses. Imagodai selected these Children of Spirit from the Aethers that were most comfortable with working with the element, Water. They are notorious for having skills connected to Water, such as; Hand-to-Hand (weapons), Athletics, Water magic, and the Imperium Tempus or "Time Control faith".

It is unclear why Imagodai did not create a sixth race of Pookas with an affinity for the element Creation. Imagodai will not answer questions about her motivations, beyond what is known by her progeny already. This is attributed to harsh feelings for Partumis, the God Elemental of Creation and her husband, whose return ushered in the banishment of the God Elementals of Air, Earth, Fire, and Water from Orenda.