#candlefolk

heyyyyy so i saw @boxboi51 make a little something something for the culture and biology of glass dolls, i figured i’d make one for Candlefolk

CANDLEFOLK BIOLOGY:

they all start off as a barely-sentient cylinder. And no, they can’t exactly mold themselves into whatever appearance they want. Their wax has a natural position it likes to sit in, so even if they were to mold themselves to a desired shape, it’ll only be five ish minutes till they revert back to their original appearance

“Could Candlefolk theoretically live forever if you kept feeding them wax? “

Well, no. Their life force doesn’t come from the wax, it comes from their wick (which needs to be lit, in not they are in a unconscious, unmoving, dormant, coma until the wick is lit again) which is bound to their soul. Think of the wax as a tool to sustain the little flame.

Candlefolk also tend to have a shorter lifespan compared to other toons, but this is entirely voluntary. Most choose euthanasia after around 120 years.

Because even if they choose to continue living, life isn’t that great

Candlefolk are toons known for being surprisingly indestructible, even with toon logic applied. This is because of their wax bodies, witch can be easily repaired with some heat

But despite their seemingly indestructible bodies, they have one very damning weakness. If you were to cut their wick, anything below the cut is unusable. if you could but the little wick showing at the top of their head, you’ve effectively killed them. However, Candlefolk are aware of this, hence why the wick showing at the top is small and difficult to reach.

CANDLEFOLK CULTURE/TRADITIONS:

flower pressing:

Candlefolk can press dried flowers onto their body. This is usually done for coming-of-age ceremonies and having a flower pressed on you is a symbol of maturity. For that reason most of society looks down on children with flower-pressed skin.

Historically, flower pressing was a way for Candlefolk to recognize who was from what house.

In modern day, it is mostly done for fashion, though there are some traditionalists who still do it for the sake of well, tradition.

Candlefolk were also originally seen as living decoration and lighting for rich families, which is no longer widely practiced for obvious reasons.

Like regular fire, the little flame on the top of their heads can change colour based on what minerals are thrown in. It is popular with Candlefolk youth as a fashion trend. Its basically equivalent to dying your hair.

The flame can also be used to burn incense, which is much more popular than perfume among Candlefolk.

Most Candlefolk are middle class, having integrated into modern society, though there still are some prissy rich families who still like its the victorian era.

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Ive been thinking abt writing places being…”oddly human”, or having human emotion, but a little sideways.

Liminal spaces. The spaces that dont want you to stay. Spaces that have been forced to go on for way too long.

And the creatures born from such spaces.

The Candlefolk are borne from places abandoned. Do they carry the thoughts and emotions of the place itself?

They were created to ferry the souls left behind back home….but what comes after?

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Some, perhaps, are bitter that they were born from such desolation. That all they can see is death and decay…

Others, are delighted at their birth, as they believe that they make their own fate. They were born as a new wave, to clean and purify the ruin, for new life to take hold once more.

The Candlefolk come before the Ivy overtakes the corpse of a city. These fellas see themselves as tenders of that ivy, of rebirth.

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Maybe some Candlefolk will drive others away. Maybe at that point, the place does not want to be populated again, the place, angry at what sentient races have done to it. I guess, for the longest time, the ancient Fallen Kingdom (ala the ruins in Sky) was like so…

The kingdom was bitter, resentful, for centuries. The Candlefolk it bore served to protect it from outsiders. These werent friendly. They were large and did their best to make sure no one else comes close to the forsaken ruin. They did their best so that no one will remember what had transpired. The murals carved into stone be chipped, uninterpretable for ages to come. Archeologists especially, are not welcome. Let the ruins sleep.

Why was the kingdom born? Was it only ever a vessel of greed, or did it serve as a home for thousands? Why was it abandoned; slowly, like blood trickling out of a wound…why did no one patch it? Why was it left to die? Did it…not do good enough for its builders?

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The Candlefolk during those first thousand years probably drove remaining spirits en masse, literally chucking them to wherever they were going. The ruin is tired of their weeping. It does not want to remember them. It wants to forget what theyve done to it. It doesnt want to let others do it again.

As time passed, I assume the ruins started to allow new sentient beings in, but the feeling around the place was still not inviting.

Its hesitant, perhaps?

you can read the biology and hcs i have for candlefolk here

anyways here’s their oc!

she would definitely have been viewed as defective, born with a wick much too large.

When lit, it would cause her flame to burn much hotter and brighter than it should (and it makes sense! Blue flame= really hot), making it so her head could never properly form. So technically she wouldn’t be able to speak.

But one upside(?) is that since her flame is so hot, her wax doesn’t really have a natural resting position because its always so warm, so she can freely shape her body to any desired shape!

Candlefolk don’t really like to be in places that are too warm, since they are prone to melting