Canu Gwerin

The Canu Gwerin, or "Singing Folk", are a nomadic culture of performers from various species, but mainly half-elves. In the days of the Elven Empire, many children were born between elves and their human slaves. They were spared from slavery due to their elven blood, but were also shunned by their elven relatives due to their "human taint"; as a result, many half-elves began to band together and roam the wild places of the world. During Maric's rebellion, many of these roaming bands gave aid to the astorians, and for this they were given special freedoms in the Astorian Empire when it was founded. It was after the formation of the Astorian Empire that the canu gwerin took up performance as their trade, allowing them the freedom of nomadic life and the joys of the arts that their elven spirits inevitably clung to. It is said by many that the canu gwerin know every song and story that has been told under the sky. The singing folk perform across the width and breadth of Eorel, though they rarely venture into the Northlands or into the depths of the dwarfholds.

Each band of canu gwerin chooses their own leader, though there is no unified government across all bands. A great majority of the canu gwerin are raised and trained as bards, but all bands keep at least a few warriors to ward off those with hostile intentions. One of the more famous canu gwerin is the bard Arliden, who with his wife Laurian composed a ballad on the elven legend of the stealing of the moon which is now played across Eorel.