remnants of the discarded
A werfling (WURF-leeng) is a sprite whose body is made up of discarded human-made materials, typically fabric. These spirits typically wander around abandoned buildings, junkyards, landfills, attics, basements, and other places where forgotten items might accumulate. Some werflings collect stashes of materials and items they find on their travels, which they use to create more werflings. Other werflings are not content to simply stay in one place, and prefer to travel wherever they like.
Werflings can be solitary, but tend to band together for safety, companionship, and to build upon their collections. Groups of werflings are called clutters.
Biology
Werflings are typically only 4-6 inches tall, and no taller than 10 inches. Their weight depends on the construction of their bodies.
Despite being mainly composed of non-biological materials, werflings have something like a vascular structure hidden beneath. In their torso is a membranous center containing the ichor that gives the werfling its ability to function. It comes in a variety of appearances, notably black, red, green, purple, and blue. All ichor has a thick, inky quality to it and can stain porous materials.
The ichor must dry up or be drained entirely for the werfling to become inanimate, but werflings can be reanimated with any other werfling's ichor. Werflings are continuously patching themselves up. They can also replace entire body parts, granted they don't 'bleed' out first.
Some werflings may be constructed more solidly than others, but they all tend to fear bodies of water, and more importantly, fire. They avoid animals like dogs and cats, though they have been known to befriend mice, small birds, and bugs.
Reproduction
The reproductive process is unusual and may involve only one werfling, or multiple. Solitary reproduction involves the werfling imbuing a constructed body with its own ichor. Multiple werflings may combine their ichor to a similar effect. Once the ichor takes hold (which can take days), the new werfling is "born." A werfling tends to carry on the personality traits of its parent(s). A werfling born of one parent may carry a very similar personality to that parent, while one with multiple parents will have a more distinct personality.
Werflings can reproduce up to three times before their ichor is no longer viable.
Behavior
Werflings are social creatures and have interpersonal relationships with one another. They have been known build nests that are similar to small, crudely-built towns in terms of structure. Werflings enjoy decorating their habitats with their preferred trinkets.
They sometimes wear clothing to protect their bodies, but clothes may also be used as a form of self-expression.
Werflings can have many different skills and specializations; some may be engineers, builders, tinkerers, clothiers, artisans, explorers, and so on...
Trivia
- Werfling bodies are cobbled together from mismatched materials - bits of fabric, metal scraps, broken glass, buttons, wood, and so on. Each one looks unique, like a walking collage.
- Despite their delicate appearance, they're surprisingly durable, able to withstand falls or rough handling because of their makeshift nature.
- Some werflings are skilled at engineering and may construct tiny, functional contraptions from scraps, like miniature windmills or bridges.
- They can mimic sounds they hear in their environment, like the creak of a door or the clink of glass, to communicate, or to confuse predators.
- Werfling towns have tiny marketplaces where they trade materials and trinkets.
- Some have wings made from paper, plastic, or found feathers, allowing them to glide or flutter short distances.
Adopts
Bases
Mini base
Premade
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