History

This page has been reserved for explaining what these creatures (that I have named "the Boetheri") are, and where they came from.

First, a brief description of the characteristics of the race, then their history in the timeline of this comic that I'm planning.

Description

The Boetheri are a strange, furred race, most closely associated with the elves. From the waist up, they appear almost human: the structure of their face and shoulders is humanoid and cannot be considered animal-like. They have pointed ears, but the shape of these is not similar to an animals either, looking more like furred elf ears than anything. They also have hands, but their hands are thick, with claws at the tip of each finger, so they are not suited for delicate work.

From the waist down, the appearance of these creatures becomes much more beast-like. Their long, powerful legs and large, clawed, paw-like feet are well suited for running climbing and fighting. These creatures also have tails which serve to aid their balance during more strenuous work, and allow them to move in ways that their elven counterparts can not.

History

No one knows the true origins of the Boetheri, not even the Boetheri themselves. Because of their association with the elves, however, many believe that they are related to the elves, either than they share a common ancestry, or that they are some sort of construct of elven magic. In either case, they became a vital part of the elven society. Though they were generally considered to be of a lower class than the elves, they still held pride in what they did, and were treated with respect by the elves that they worked for. They were most often used to accomplish tasks that the elves could not do, those that involved a lot of climbing and running, feats which the Boetheri surpassed all others in. In this capacity, the Boetheri happily accepted their role serving the elves. They were treated respectfully, and grew accustomed to the place that they held.

When the humans arrived in elven society, however, they misunderstood the role of the Boetheri. They saw only that the elves had strange animals serving them. When the war between the humans and the elves finally concluded, and the elven society was destroyed, the human victors saw it as their right to take the elves' servants for their own. The respect that the Boetheri had earned among the elves was lost among the humans and their role in the human world quickly degenerated to that of slaves. They were merely another commodity to be bought and sold.

Name

For a quick explination, the name "Boetheri" was actually constructed from two greek words. "boethos" meaning helper, and "peri" meaning follower. And there is the origin of the Boetheri's name.