Few of their kind remain, and fewer still choose to be involved in the unending war for survival lest their doom be made certain, but the many triumphs of the Eötnar across the ages are legendary to say the least. Those who do commit themselves to the cause in the North easily prove everything that has been said with little effort required.

Reduced to a remnant headcount believed to be in the dozens, each Eötnua now makes their own individualism and vitality a priority despite their shared embedded mantra continually telling them to follow the opposite path.

Physiology

With an appearance and stature which would make many fear them, the Eötnar possess what would be seen as more primitive features to those rare few unfamiliar with the tales about them. Most however recognise the power held, and that unless they have already forsaken the living, they are united in purpose.

Surpassing twice the size of most mortals, it is not just the breadth and pinnacle of their presence that is immediately discernible to those accorded to gaze upon their visage.

Strong broad double horns sprout from atop their heads, each unique to those of another, but completely identical to the bearer. Beneath, penetrating absolute white eyes glow within the darkness, and appear set as if stones, emitting an illuminating light not unlike that of freshly hewn steel.

Four grand fangs rest in the lower jaw protruding from their slightly open mouth, which reveals a subtle hint of an icy mist with every breath they take. From there, a realisation is made as to their coarse tough skin showing little signs of wear outside of time and hardship.

Freezing to the touch, gloves must be worn by the warm-blooded seeking to press themselves against the Eötnar for more than mere seconds, otherwise frost will swiftly bite back in response. Below the surface are vibrant blue veins, arranged in what resembles archaic runes.

Dualism of Matter and Mind

For the Eötnar, it is of utmost importance for their psyche to be as chiselled as their physique. It is through this the acumen from and for their craft comes.

The soul and senses are one whilst the matter and mind are another. Should either of the dual quintessences fall out of synchronicity, then the other will follow in due course.

A constant effort is required to maintain the performance their bodies demand, one unlike anything the Eljer or Erborn could possibly understand, but it is thankfully one they appreciate nonetheless.

Ene and Jol – the Twin Truths for the Unseen Cruxes – are ascribed and thanked as being responsible for the differing in connected aspects to those of others. Principles, routines, and practices are all led by the faith in them.

Development and Seasons

No longer able to procreate, the majority of the last living Eötnar are in the penultimate season of their lives; Fthinou, also known as Autumn. Some exceedingly venerable and hidden away beings are known to still live past this, and even less are acknowledged as being in an earlier period of life these days.

It is not actually known as to the real reason for why no more young may be sired, but the general belief is tied to the myth of the Epoch Amalgam. The sagas go that one of their Gods, Eot – thy Aperture's Sentry, Overseer to the Flux, Steward of the Wheel – was destroyed by the others previously part of the Cadence Hexad, or Wyth’Äen, causing a disruption to the cycle of life and rebirth.

Ánoi, or Spring, is the first part of life for a given Eötnua, where they spend between twenty and fifty years in a pre-adolescent state after birth. Growth is quick, but it is not until their horns finally reveal themselves that they move to their next stage.

Kalokaír, or Summer, is the second developmental state, in which maturity and balance is found as they seek their lot in life. It is not until harmony of spirit and substance manifests after fifty to one hundred years for them to progress further.

Fthínou, or Autumn, is the third and second to last phase, the longest and greatest leg in their journey. This lasts from as little as six hundred years, up to what has been said to be several millennia. The exact cause of moving past Fthínou is unknown as is most of their history, but the accepted idea is it happens once the dualistic nature ingrained is “satisfied”.

Vheimó, or Winter, is the final chapter in their story. When an Eötnua enters this, they tend to wander off into isolation for the rest of their days. What they do and what happens to them is not known to any, not even other Eötnar. Never has one been seen to die either in this condition, or before.

Population and Decline

As one of the longest-living and most remarkable of ancestries, plenty of folklore persists. The five act epic of Époleióviv, which has no direct translation for its title, is only comprehensible by those of Eötnar blood and tells of how they came to be, and hints at how they will cease to be.

Synploío, the kin ship, talks about the manifestation of the Cadence Hexad, and the Eötnar with them. Whether kept obscured by choice, or by different interpretations, the true origin for them varies by each retelling.

Áfxisi, the rapid rise, goes into how Eot allowed for their ascension, and gives early a glimpse into what is to come. A direct blessing was supposedly given from Eot’s core, providing the lasting ones with their years to come.

Idyáfxisis, the dyad of augmentation, explains about Ene and Jol and the propensity granted to offer purpose. Before this, there was confusion as to why they had been uplifted, with doubts as to whether the rapid rise was to be considered a boon or bane.

Avíasptósi, the unhurried fall, chronicles the extinguishing of Eot by what is now known as Zäv – the Sunless Sunderer to the Starless Stray, the Moonless Maker for the Lightless and the Rayless – the sole being of the Epoch Amalgam, created by three previously separate Gods from the Cadence Hexad; Zer, Äen, and Vor. When His light was snuffed out, it is believed the flicker within the Eötnar went with it, and the near-death Ene and Jol fled into hiding, now forming the Sacrosanct Dyad.

Ýstatostélosí, the ultimate end, foretells a great calamity, in which all of Kälran will die together as the world is wrapped up within the threads of fate. There will be no escape as all is crushed, slowly but surely, leaving nothing but the Celestial Triumvirate orbiting a cosmic field of dust and debris.

Disposition and Inclination

Early on, younger Ánoi and Kalokaír oft lean towards a drive for bloodshed and battle, and it is only once their thirst has been quenched that the futility of this is reckoned with internally.

The spark of creation is sacred, and so it is the discipline of their vocation which becomes their key. Renowned artificers with unmatched skill, none can even come close to the craft of the now phlegmatic Eötnua.

Some of the most highly regarded, still in their prime, and very much active are Ise and Galvan Einrüna, Eötnua of the Einrüna ancestry. Much of the innovations brought into use by the Glacial Knights were not only dreamt up by them, but forged and cast by them too. Magnificent armaments such as the almost weightless and kinetic Frost-Steel Aegis, outfitted to many of the regiments for both offence and defence; plus the empowering Sunstone Polearm, a weapon of significantly finer quality, capable of searing with the very might of Rae Herself.

Master Smith Erda Adalgandr is another, certainly remembered to be the most influential wright through their magnum opus, the relic Sakral Ära, now wielded by General Sondus Vajdorn. Once lost in a final confrontation, it was originally held by General Bjöw Peytfel, the first commander of the Glacial Knights.