The Grizzlekin are a hardy, fearsome people forged in the murk and chaos of the Mire — that shifting tangle of swamp, shipwrecks, and industrial runoff that stretches between the Deepwoods and Undertown. Descendants of outlaw skyfolk, swampborn alchemists, and scavengers twisted by the toxic influence of flystone residue and Mire-brewed elixirs, Grizzlekin are the edgewalkers of society — not quite accepted in the high towers of Sanctaphrax, and too dangerous to be welcome in simple woodland communities.

But they are survivors. Thick-skinned, sharp-eyed, and tougher than leather, the Grizzlekin don’t just endure the world of the Edge — they tear through it.

Appearance

Grizzlekin typically stand tall and imposing, between 5.5 to 7 feet, with rough, often scarred skin tones ranging from mossy green to bruise-purple and ash gray. Their features are often jagged or asymmetrical, marked by mutations: an extra knuckle, silvered pupils, thick fingernails, or vein-like scars that shimmer faintly with alchemical residue.

Hair is coarse, wiry, and often worn in practical styles or shaven entirely. Jewelry made from wreckage — bone, brass fittings, broken lensglass — is common.

Culture

Grizzlekin culture values grit, loyalty, and independence. Clan-like families often form around scavenger crews or shipwreck-holdings in the Mire, where leadership is earned through deed, not birthright. They are known to barter in favors, secrets, and salvage more often than coin.

Most are taught from a young age to fight, fix, and flee — to build from scrap, move unseen, and strike hard when cornered. Many become mercenaries, salvagers, or skyship riggers; others turn to piracy or outlaw alchemy. A few rare Grizzlekin rise through merit in the structured societies of Undertown or even Sanctaphrax, though they are viewed with suspicion and exotic fascination.