Eiei

There are those who claim that the world of dreams and the world of reality are two utterly separate things, impossible to mix, like oil and water. Naturally, this is a quite reasonable thing to believe, considering that dreams are but something that living creatures imagine when they sleep. But in spite of this, there are a certain folk that challenges this idea, and puts it to the test. They go by the name of 'Eiei'.

The Eiei are a curious people, enigmatic and mysterious to the very bottom of their roots, and often a subject of much debate. They are a very small people, no more than knee-height of an average human, and thus not exactly the most intimidating of people. Furthermore, to emphasize this even more, they carry the head of a cat upon their necks, and stumpy bodies covered in a thin layer of fur. Most Eiei have a bit of a tummy and short legs to go with it - short even by their standards, that is. Not only do they look slightly amusing to strangers, but their language is rather curious to listen to as well; in the entire Eiei dictionary, there is not a single word that includes a consonant. The entire Eiei society is built on vowels, their names just as well (most Eiei are named something alike 'Ooa', 'Iaei', 'Aaey', etc) making it possible to converse with an Eiei without ever closing your mouth. Generally, most would consider the Eiei 'cute', but those claiming so would often be met by a torrent of reasons why that would not be true. For the Eiei, while short and unimposing, boast an efficiency with magic second to none.

The Eiei are said to be some of the strongest spellcasters in the entire Mortal Realm. With a natural talent for the arcane, many older Eiei have never had to fear about being unable to walk, as most simply use magic to carry themselves around. Throughout the history of Krov-Domoj, there have been quite a few schools and universities for magic, and more often than not, it is an Eiei who can boast the title of headmaster. The Krov will often look to the Eiei if they are in need of magical tutoring, and usually, the Eiei will be happy to oblige. Not only because the Eiei often strive to see the world grow to a greater understanding of everything, seen and unseen, but also because the Eiei and the Krov share quite a curious bond.

'Lonely' is a rough slur to call someone in Krov society, and for a good reason. The Krov and the Eiei share a bond that is far beyond mortal comprehension, and something that is truly, and quite literally divine. At a young age, the Krov and the Eiei alike will often have dreams about one another, even though they might never have met one another - most regularly it as at the age of 3 or 4 that the Krov and the Eiei in question will have dreamt so much about each other, that they could recognize one another at a glance. There is a lot of debate about what makes this happen, but most of those spiritually inclined will claim that it is Fate and Dream dancing a tango in the heads of these two people; one putting the thought of the other in their heads when they lay down to sleep at night, and the other making certain that they meet one another, sometime in life. And this is why 'lonely' is such a vulgar slur in Krov society, for it implies that not even Fate cares to complete the Krov or the Eiei in question. Other times, it is because the other one has died one way or another. The Krov may be morally vague and even cruel at times, but few have stood to mock those who have lost their Eiei, for losing an Eiei, means losing a great part of yourself.

History
There are many theories as to why it could be that the Eiei have been graced with such a natural talent for magic, but there is one that seems to prevail over all the others. The truth about the Eiei is that (unlike most creatures) the Eiei were never evolved from anything - they were simply dreamt about. In the year 244 ABT there was a young Krov boy by the name of Matvey Dobrynin, who fell into a deep slumber after his father used him as a bridge between the world of the living, and the world of the dead. Much to the surprise of himself and his peers, it worked. This was the first time that the Krov lay eyes upon their own realm of the dead: the fabled Bloodstream, where all Krov blood was contained, and from which all Krov were born. He described it as a great, barren land, stretching endlessly into the horizon, with nothing but the Bloodstream flowing around in a circle. Matvey's father had but a short window into the realm of the Bloodstream, and used it to plant a seed near the stream, in the dry, arid ground.

In the years that followed, Matvey dreamt about the Bloodstream every night, unable to dream about anything else. And in his dreams, he saw the seed grow. He described it as a beautiful white flower tenaciously setting roots in the inhospitable ground, drawing strength and nutrients from the Bloodstream. Years passed, but at the age of 22, Matvey dreamt about the flower blooming. He described it as bright as a second sun, and with a million seeds flying out from its beautiful white petals, settling around the Bloodstream to set roots of their own. And that morning, Matvey would awaken to see the very first Eiei in his lap, whom he promptly named after the first sound it made: Ooo.

Ever since the creation of the Eiei, the Krov began to dream about these curious creatures. Most saw this new race as vermin and something that had to be eradicated for invading something as personal as their own dreams, but in time, when it was discovered what peace it brought to be united with the Eiei of their dreams (literally), they were quickly accepted into their society. The Eiei quickly grew to become a natural part of Krov society, and seeing an Eiei sit atop the shoulder of the Krov to whom they are bound was soon a very common thing to see. It was in the year 256 ABT that the Eiei were no longer classified as 'weak-bloods', and thus equal with the Krov. To this day, Krov and Eiei have stood stalwart against flame and frost, as inseparable as the moon and the night sky.