Welcome to Cheshire's Guidebook! Today I will be combing through the canopy to bring you all insights into the petite and crafty Kypiq!
Like my last guide, I will be attempting to show a close up perspective of the Kypiq and how they might fit your Elyrian dreams whether you find yourself a Kypiq by choice or circumstance. Don't think the Kypiq can hold their own in times of war? You'll be fleeing the forest in utter humiliation when the Kypiq send you packing without ever revealing themselves! Eyeing Kypiq gadgetry? Kypiq engineering and alchemical knowledge is the most advanced in Elyria! To the players of Elyria's smallest tribe, the possibilities are incredibly massive.
Build it and they will come
The first of the Kypiq theme tags is Commercial, a tag that implies a focus on making that money either through crafting or as travelling merchants. Kypiq aren't the best suited for life on the road, but they are brilliant inventors and highly skilled crafters. The marvels of engineering and alchemical concoctions the Kypiq can craft draw the interests (and coin!) of tribes far and wide. The Kypiq need not export good themselves, the other tribes of Mann will come to the Kypiq to get their hands on the latest and greatest Elyria has to offer. Focusing your time on pushing the limits of Kypiq tech and crafting gadgets of interest to the "Bigs" will never be a waste of time for the Kypiq!
The second theme of the Kypiq is Civic, the primary theme of the first tribe I talked about, the Waerd. As you may recall, Civic means the tribe has a focus on settlement building. Like the Waerd, the Kypiq also favor vertical cities, but rather than build them into the faces of cliffs, the Kypiq build their homes atop giant mushrooms and in the trees of the broadleaf forest. Kypiq make their settlements far off the forest floor for the purpose of survival. Being so small, Kypiq were once easy prey to hostile predators. The Kypiq found sanctuary up in the forest canopy, safely out of reach of the otterbears, cannis rabbits and hostile menn.
When laying out your Kypiq settlement, you will find that height typically means safety, but don't neglect the foreign merchants coming to purchase your goods! Making some place on or close to the forest floor to facilitate trade is something this humble bard would advise. Making this area sized for their comfort wouldn't be too much to ask either. However, for defense purposes, the Kypiq make their homes high off the forest floor for a reason. Keeping the village proper sized exclusively for Kypiq and high out of reach of threats is definitely the way to go!
The Kypiq's Secret Weapon: Nature
Speaking of defense, the Kypiq are surprisingly well suited for fighting defensively. The key is their native biome of the broadleaf forest. Nature itself is on the side of the Kypiq within their domain. Hiding themselves high overhead and camouflaging themselves by crafting their armor from the leaves around them, the Kypiq can maintain both the element of surprise as well as the high ground advantage in a fight. Utilizing their gadgets, alchemy and ranged weapons, the Kypiq can rain poisoned darts and then some down on any invading force that tarries too long where they aren't wanted.
Kypiq are incredibly stealthy thanks to their size and agility and it pays for their warriors and civilians alike to practice the art of remaining unseen. Not only are such skills useful for avoiding danger, they are also useful for avoiding retaliation even as you engage the enemies of the forest! Firing darts and the like from cover, it is entirely possible to engage a foe without ever letting them see you or your comrades!
But you know what helps in keeping your cover? A good ol' distraction! Kypiq are master trap makers and animal tamers. When invading Kypiq lands, one should be keep their eyes peeled for any sign of a potential trap, and keep their senses on alert, for you never know when that rustling of leaves could be your Kypiq opponent, the wind, a squirrel, or the first warning of an imminent otterbear charge... Using the terrain and traps, funneling intruders into ambushes should be, relatively speaking, a breeze!
Among the Kypiq, there is a special breed of warrior known as the Mokshin. Th Mokshin are Elyria's premier sappers, masters of sabotage! Whether sneaking into enemy camps to disable their siege equipment or poison their rations, the Mokshin are a deadly force to contend with, but they don't have to be. Keeping with their Faedinist beliefs, Kypiq much prefer to solve problems without violence or death and thus favor disabling their opponent's ability to fight rather than killing them. This isn't to say the Mokshin are afraid of getting their hands dirty though should the forest demand blood...
The Fairest Fae
No other Faedin worshiping tribe honors the spirits of plants, the Janoa and Brudvir exclusively honoring the spirits of animals. The Kypiq however value all life, whether it be mann, beast, or plant. With the forest being the greatest defense the Kypiq have, the Kypiq know the value in caring for the trees and other plants of their home. Conservation of the forest is so important to the Kypiq, that it actually falls as the responsibility of all Kypiq, from the Servants of the Forest (Commoners) all the way up to the Guardians of the Forest (Nobility). Everyone is expected to help in tending the forest in some manner!
Their reverence for all life has even led to a vow in their faith to kill no living thing if it can be helped, which has led to their people swearing off meat ages ago which now manifests today as an inability to break down animal proteins in their diet, so even those who don't hold to the vow will find that eating meat makes them lethargic. Kypiq still eat plant products but prefer to do so without killing the plant, such as harvesting its berries or nuts. As mentioned before when talking about the Mokshin, this has also led to a leaning towards sabotage rather than outright lethal warfare.
The Kypiq at Home
Is there any other kind? In all seriousness though, the Kypiq thrive in their element. Between their natural gifts at stealth and their forest kant, which mimics many of the natural sounds of a forest and its creatures, the Kypiq can afford to remain completely unseen by travelers and often use this to entertain themselves. The Kypiq make a game out of pranking travelers and do so without ever letting the traveler know a Kypiq was behind their misfortune.
These diminutive fae folk also have a flair for celebration! Playing with lighting in the forest by lighting decorative lanterns or shooting off a burst of fireworks, Kypiq parties are a sight to behold that put the less fantastical parties of other tribes to shame! You heard it here first folks! Kypiq are the party tribe of Elyria!
Besides pranking travelers and partying all night long, the Kypiq also enjoy many a technological marvel at home. Between the convenience such devices bring to every day life and their ever advancing nature, you will never be without comfort and entertainment.
The Kypiq Abroad
Yes, while Kypiq may be the most homebody tribe of mann, there are still those who choose to leave the safety of the forest in search of a more adventurous life abroad. What you give up in security, you gain in world experience and inspirations your brothers and sisters of the forests would never get sitting at home.The Kypiq also enjoy strong ties with the Neran, Elyria's most well traveled tribe. Between their good relations with the Neran and the other tribe's desire for more Kypiq ingenuity, a Kypiq abroad should have little trouble finding somewhere they're welcome.
As a Kypiq far from home, you also have value to the Bigs in that you are much smaller than they are! Kypiq can fit where other tribes can't and their skill at stealth isn't lost when leaving the forest. A daring Kypiq adventurer could potentially find themselves a hot commodity among adventurers and criminals alike. Play your cards right and you may return home a very rich and famous Kypiq indeed! Maybe if your story is particularly good, the Kypiq at home might just throw one of their famous parties in your honor!
In Conclusion
So ends my first pass at providing a perspective on the Kypiq that I hope will inspire Kypiq players and help them find how their goals might mesh with the Kypiq. For best results, practice some stealth skills whether you intend to engage in combat, crime, or a more peaceful profession. It can and will save your Kypiq booty one day!
What I have shared above may sound like a lot of roleplay, but like all lore in CoE, they are intended to be backed by mechanics. Take advantage of the Kypiq's size and unique forest kant language for survival and take advantage of that clever mind to advance research into a new age! The Kypiq are the tribe to play if you want to lead the tech race!
Live well my friends!
Cheshire
