Grinataurs have inhabited the Forest of the Dead long before the Veil began sucking all of the life from the region. Grinataurs are highly intelligent creatures, and they quickly learned to adapt to the Unliving roaming the forest floor. They moved their homes inside of the freshly hollowed dead trees, and took care to obscure the entrances. The Grinataurs also discovered if they wore skulls and bones to mask their appearance, they could easily fool the soulless Unliving and walk among them.
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As one of the last few living creatures still residing underneath the canopy of the trees, Grinataurs are sought out by alchemists and tinkerers to collect rare ingredients only found within the Forest of the Dead. There are usually one or two members from each Grinataur family who are chosen as liaisons to the outside world. They surreptitiously leave the Forest and travel to nearby outposts to trade their rare items to anyone with valuable enough wares. Grinataurs rarely speak within the Forest, as sounds will alert the Unliving, who never speak but are forever listening. As a result, they have developed their own form of sign language to communicate unnoticed.
Physical Characteristics
Grinataurs are covered in a bristly fur ranging from lavender to deep purple. They wear dark clothing to mimic the monochromatic colors of the Forest. They tend to keep most items strapped to their backs to leave their hands free to sign with other Grinatuars. The masks they wear have become a second face, with each one being subtly marked in a unique way to portray its owner. They are only to be taken off when sleeping, and sometimes not even then.
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Photos by Keith May of May Photo