Creatures of the Moonvale - The Ihrnbri

In the perpetual twilight of Moonvale dwell perhaps the most enigmatic creatures documented by Veylins: the Ihrnbri.

These diminutive folk stand no taller than a human’s waist, their slender forms moving with an ethereal grace. Their mouse-like features are both delicate and alert, with large, round ears that twitch at the slightest sound and eyes that gleam like jewels in the starlight—some the warm amber of autumn leaves, others the deep blue of midnight pools, and still others black as polished obsidian.

Their fur, ranges from pristine white that rivals the pale leaves of their forest home to subtle shades of silver and gray that help them meld seamlessly with the twilight shadows. But it is their attire that truly marks them as beings of refinement and mystery. Each Ihrnbri crafts their own magnificent cloak, woven from fibers that catch and hold light in intricate patterns. These garments seem to shift and flow like liquid shadow, their colors dancing between deep purples, midnight blues, and silver-gray and forest green.

Most distinctive of all are their wide-brimmed hats, masterworks of both function and artistry. These impressive headpieces, carefully designed with openings for their sensitive ears, serve as both protection from the occasional Starglint shower and as canvases for their artistic expression. Some are adorned with tiny bells that chime softly as they move, while others bear emblems or gilded brims.

Their Ihrnbri settlements exist in perfect harmony with the white-leafed forests, their dwellings carved into the massive trunks of ancient trees or nestled in carefully hollowed root systems. These communities are so skillfully concealed that even the most experienced travelers might pass within arm’s reach without detecting their presence. Their architecture follows the natural curves and flows of the forest, with bridges of woven starlight-thread connecting tree to tree, and windows that glow with a soft, warm light that suggest a comforting, warm interior.

The necessity for such secrecy becomes clear when one considers the Vallestalf—the spectral stalkers that drift through the deeper parts of the Moonvale like fragments of nightmare given form. These wraithlike predators hunt by sensing life and warmth, making the Ihrnbri’s ability to blend with their surroundings not merely a cultural preference but a survival skill passed down through countless generations.

The Ihrnbri are also master artisans, and can create textiles of exquisite beauty. Their looms produce fabrics that shimmer with an inner light, and their needlework is said to be so fine that it rivals the delicate frost patterns that sometimes form on the white leaves during the coldest nights. Each piece tells a story, whether it be a cloak that depicts starglint in dancing patterns, or a tapestry that preserves the memory of a particularly beautiful aurora that once graced their night sky.

The few Veylins Seekers who claim to have encountered the Ihrnbri speak of beings of remarkable courtesy and wisdom, though these meetings are always brief and leave more questions than answers. The Ihrnbri seem to appear and disappear at will, their voices like whispers carried on the night wind, their words cryptic yet somehow profoundly meaningful.

Whether there exist other populations of Ihrnbri beyond Moonvale remains one of the great mysteries of the world. Some theorize that the Moonvale Ihrnbri are merely one branch of a far more widespread people, perhaps adapted specifically to their unique environment. Others suggest that they may be the last of their kind, making their preservation all the more precious. But, as they are so adept at hiding, the truth remains a mystery.

The stories of their heroic interventions add another layer to their mystique. Travelers speak of narrow escapes from Moonvale’s more dangerous denizens, claiming they caught glimpses of small, cloaked figures darting between the trees, their presence somehow driving away the threats. Yet these tales remain unverified, as the Ihrnbri seem to vanish before any gratitude can be expressed or questions asked.

Perhaps this is the greatest magic of the Ihrnbri—not just their ability to remain hidden, but their talent for existing at the very edge of legend, where fact and folklore intertwine like the silver threads they weave. In a realm where the boundary between the possible and impossible grows thin as starlight, the Ihrnbri have found their perfect home, guardians of secrets beneath the eternal stars, watchers in the endless night, masters of the art of being almost seen...