Bright-Folk

“People of the Center” / “The Majority” / “Children of the Sun”

“We’re the ones who kept going. Who built new lives on the fragments. Who refused to give up. That’s what it means to be Bright-Folk: stubborn hope.”
—Elder Mira Thornwell

Quick Reference

The Bright-Folk - Children of the Center

Overview

The Bright-Folk are the majority population of the Aetherium, descended from the central continental peoples of Terrum Solidus. They are characterized by their pragmatic merchant culture, their dominance in major settlements and the Sky-Guild, and their stubborn optimism despite living in a dying world. When people think of “typical” Aetherium citizens, they’re usually thinking of Bright-Folk.

Pre-Shattering, the Bright-Folk’s ancestors inhabited the central regions of Terrum Solidus—the fertile plains, river valleys, and coastal areas where the great cities and trade networks flourished. They were merchants, farmers, craftsmen, and administrators who built the economic foundation of pre-Shattering civilization. When the world shattered, they were the ones who adapted most successfully, rebuilding trade networks, establishing settlements, and creating the economic and social structures that define the current age.

Post-Shattering, Bright-Folk have become the cultural majority. They dominate the Sky-Guild, control most major settlements, and their values—pragmatism, commerce, community—shape Aetherium society. They’re the ones who built Skyport Eos, who established trade routes, who created the systems that keep humanity alive. They’re not the strongest (that’s Iron-Blood), not the most mystical (that’s Veil-Born), not the most adaptable (that’s Sun-Touched), but they’re the most numerous and the most organized.

Physical Characteristics

Appearance

Skin: Olive to light brown, range of tones, Mediterranean-like

Hair: Dark (brown to black), straight or wavy, thick

Eyes: Brown (most common), hazel, dark green

Build: Medium (neither stocky nor tall), practical proportions

Height: Average 165-175cm (men 170-180cm, women 160-170cm)

Features: Varied (mixed ancestry), no single “look”

Aging: Moderate (visible aging by 40s, gray hair by 50s)

History and Origins

Pre-Shattering

Ancestral Homeland: Central Terrum Solidus - Fertile plains, river valleys, coastal regions - Temperate climate, abundant resources - Major cities, trade hubs - Heart of civilization

Culture: - Merchant-oriented - City-builders - Pragmatic, adaptable - Dominated Luminar Council - Economic powerhouse

Population: Majority (60-70% of pre-Shattering humanity)

The Shattering

Impact: - Lost 70% (same as general population) - Cities destroyed - Trade networks collapsed - Survivors scattered

Advantages: - Large population (more survivors) - Widespread distribution (found everywhere) - Adaptability (merchant mindset) - Organizational skills (rebuilt quickly)

Post-Shattering Adaptation (0-287 S.)

Rebuilding: - Established Skyport Eos (first major trade hub) - Founded Sky-Guild (economic organization) - Created Common Tongue (unified language) - Rebuilt civilization (practical focus)

Dominance: - Numerical majority - Economic control (Sky-Guild) - Cultural influence (Common Tongue, trade customs) - Political power (Elder Councils)

Current Status: Majority population, dominant culture, facing challenges (Rot, refugees, resource scarcity)

Culture and Values

Core Values

Pragmatism: - What works matters more than what’s ideal - Practical solutions over philosophical purity - Results over intentions - “Good enough” is acceptable

Commerce: - Trade is lifeblood - Everything has price - Negotiation is art form - Economic thinking dominant

Community: - Collective good over individual - Help neighbors (enlightened self-interest) - Strong social bonds - “We survive together”

Tradition: - Respect for past (but not bound by it) - Maintain customs (when practical) - Pass knowledge to children - Balance old and new

Hope: - Stubborn optimism - Belief in better future - Refuse to surrender to despair - “We’ve survived this long”

Adaptability: - Change when necessary - Learn from experience - Flexible thinking - Survival trait

Social Structure

Family: - Nuclear families (parents + children) - Extended family ties (strong) - Multi-generational homes (common) - Family businesses (traditional)

Community: - Elder Councils (governance) - Consensus-based decisions - Community gatherings (regular) - Mutual aid networks

Class: - Merchants (upper-middle) - Craftsmen (middle) - Laborers (lower) - Mobility possible (through work)

Gender: - Egalitarian (post-Shattering necessity) - Women work, lead, fight - Practical equality - Some traditional holdouts

Daily Life

Typical Day

Dawn: - Wake early - Breakfast (simple) - Morning prayers (for faithful) - Begin work

Morning: - Work (trade, farming, crafting) - Market activity (buying, selling) - Social interaction (business and pleasure)

Midday: - Brief meal - Continue work - Hottest part of day

Afternoon: - Work continues - Children play (supervised) - Elders socialize

Evening: - Family meal (important) - Community gathering (frequent) - Stories, music, conversation - Early to bed (work tomorrow)

Work

Occupations: - Merchants (20%) - Farmers (25%) - Craftsmen (20%) - Laborers (20%) - Administrators (5%) - Other (10%)

Work Ethic: - Hard work valued - Laziness condemned - Success through effort - Pride in craft

Business: - Family businesses common - Apprenticeships (learn trade) - Guild memberships (Sky-Guild) - Reputation matters

Relationship with Other Peoples

With Veil-Born

Respect: For mystical knowledge

Wariness: Find them strange, unsettling

Distance: Don’t integrate well

Trade: Minimal (Veil-Born not merchant-minded)

With Iron-Blood

Cooperation: Strong (economic-military alliance)

Tension: Bright-Folk value freedom, Iron-Blood value order

Intermarriage: Common (especially in Ironhold)

Respect: Mutual (different strengths)

With Sun-Touched

Affinity: Both adaptable, both widespread

Competition: Sometimes (trade, resources)

Intermarriage: Very common (similar cultures)

Blending: Many Bright-Folk have Sun-Touched ancestry

With Void-Kin

Curiosity: About post-Shattering generation

Concern: About their differences

Hope: That they’re humanity’s future

Tension: Generational (old vs. new)

In Major Settlements

Skyport Eos

Majority: 70% of population

Roles: Merchants, administrators, craftsmen

Culture: Defines settlement character

Leadership: Elder Council (mostly Bright-Folk)

Ironhold

Minority: 40% of population (Iron-Blood majority)

Roles: Merchants, Guild officials, craftsmen

Culture: Adapted to military environment

Tension: With Iron-Blood authoritarianism

Windmere Farms

Majority: 80% of population

Roles: Farmers, laborers

Culture: Rural Bright-Folk traditions

Life: Simpler, more traditional

Cultural Contributions

Language

Common Tongue: - Bright-Folk primary speakers - Shaped its development - Merchant vocabulary dominant - Simplified grammar (for trade)

Economics

Sky-Guild: - Founded and dominated by Bright-Folk - Merchant culture embedded - Trade practices standardized - Economic thinking

Governance

Elder Councils: - Bright-Folk political model - Consensus-based - Practical, slow, stable - Adopted by many settlements

Religion

Orthodox Clergy: - Bright-Folk dominate clergy - Traditional worship - Conservative theology - Mainstream religion

Stereotypes

How Others See Them

Positive: - Practical, reliable, hardworking - Good at trade, building, organizing - Optimistic, hopeful - Majority (normal)

Negative: - Naive (about dangers) - Soft (compared to Murk dwellers) - Greedy (merchant culture) - Boring (compared to others)

How They See Themselves

Positive: - Survivors, builders, hope-keepers - Practical, adaptable, successful - Foundation of civilization - Reason humanity survives

Negative: - Sometimes too cautious - Sometimes too focused on profit - Sometimes miss bigger picture - But trying their best

Challenges and Future

Current Challenges

Refugee Crisis: - Influx overwhelming - Resources strained - Compassion vs. capacity - Difficult decisions

Economic Pressure: - Resources scarce - Prices rising - Trade disrupted (Rot) - Sustainability concerns

Cultural Erosion: - Mixing with other peoples - Traditions fading - Identity less distinct - Not necessarily bad but changing

The Rot: - Threatening settlements - Disrupting trade - Killing people - Existential threat

Future Prospects

Optimistic View: - Bright-Folk will adapt (always have) - Rebuild (always do) - Survive (track record good) - Lead humanity forward

Pessimistic View: - Too comfortable (unprepared for crisis) - Too optimistic (ignoring reality) - Too numerous (more to lose) - Extinction coming

Realistic View: - Will survive (probably) - Will change (definitely) - Will lead (likely) - Will suffer (certainly)

Related Topics

• Skyport Eos - Primary settlement
• Sky-Guild - Dominated by Bright-Folk
• Elder Mira Thornwell - Bright-Folk leader
• Common Tongue - Their language
• Veil-Born - Other ethnic group
• Iron-Blood - Other ethnic group
• Sun-Touched - Other ethnic group
• Void-Kin - New generation

In-World Documents

Bright-Folk Saying

“We’re not the strongest. We’re not the smartest. We’re not the bravest.
But we’re still here.
That counts for something.”

Elder’s Teaching

What does it mean to be Bright-Folk?

It means we came from the center. The heart of the old world. The cities, the trade, the civilization.

When the world broke, we broke with it. We lost everything.

But we rebuilt. We adapted. We created new trade, new cities, new civilization.

We’re not special. We’re not chosen. We’re just… persistent.

We keep going. We keep building. We keep hoping.

That’s what Bright-Folk do. That’s what we’ve always done.

And that’s what we’ll keep doing until the last island falls.

“Bright-Folk are the Aetherium’s backbone—not the strongest or most interesting, but the most numerous and most organized. They’re the merchants who keep trade flowing, the farmers who keep people fed, the craftsmen who keep civilization functioning. They’re practical, optimistic, and stubborn. They’re the reason humanity didn’t collapse completely after the Shattering. They’re not heroes. They’re just people doing their best in impossible circumstances. And somehow, that’s enough.”
—From Peoples of the Aetherium by Historian Elias Stormchaser