Parvus

Overview
Parvus are the diminuitive Cat-men of the desert regions, and find their homes in the most arid locations. Possessed of a very isolationist nature, the Parvus caravans stop normally once or twice a year in the main cities to load up on dried meat supplies and other luxuries for their journey, often trading exquisite beaded jewelry and other fine crafts for their stake. Their economy is built on the ores that can be found in the desert, and the beads made from the shells of creatures that they hunt, out in the arid wastelands. Parvus often speak with a lilting, sing song accent that, when pleased has been emulated to a pleasant purring. Although they are well mannered and normally polite, they are showmen as much as they are traders.

A Parvus caravan in town normally brings with it a performance team, to demonstrate incredible feats of acrobatics and skill, Parvus males dress in long, flowing clothes, building pyramids of each other, or making shows of daring bravery and aerobatics from high places. They demonstrate their exceptional climbing skills through a ritualistic sport involving a smooth wooden pole and only their bare hands. Parvus females often dress in loose, flowing silk garments and demonstrate extremely complex and synchronized dances, to the sound of panpipes and sitars of exquisite make.

Parvus males are often called upon by their elders to demonstrate their bravery and usefulness to the Caravan, and until they do so, often behave with a very cavalier, 'Tom-cat' sort of attitude.

Statistics
Parvus are shorter, around 3-4 feet tall, and very light, although they are incredibly flexible and acrobatic. Generally living to the age of 50 or so, their lives are not well extended, but they are a ritual and nomadic people, who enjoy hunting, and performing. They are often armed with scimitars and draped in flowing clothes that breathe well in the wastes, and allow them their flexibility.

Advantages
It is difficult to keep a Parvus in custody for very long. Unless they are tied tightly, and wrapped up in full body binds, they are likely to slip their bonds and get free.

Parvus have extremely good night vision that they can use at will. They see at least as well in pitch darkness as they do at noon.

Disadvantages
Due to their light frames, it is difficult for Parvus to carry heavy loads, and they rely a lot on their pack animals for heavy lifting.

Parvus need to be light on their feet, and oftentimes, a Parvus wearing heavier armor will be marked by his peers as a coward for needing to 'protect' himself.

Presence in the Shatterstorms
The Parvus were originally members of a very small number of strings in the infinite stream, being a very small,niche race. It is recalled in their legends that once, there was the greatest of all sandstorms, that covered the world and swallowed all of the hunting game. Stripped the water from the Oasis and wore the flesh from the bones if exposed long enough. Fenestran scholars estimate that this was the first of the Shatterstorms to strike their worlds, blowing across their realities and scattering their worlds far. The caravans that found their way out of the Great Sandstorm were lost, starving, and found their way to the cities of Fenestra, somehow. By some miracle they were delivered to the realm, and by some miracle, or strange fortune, here they remain.