In our world, things change; that is the nature of things, and of all things, one’s mind is the most malleable. Hence, it is natural for a world contained within one mind to change as one mulls over its facets and edges. The Feengrenze is slowly evolving, becoming more defined and definite, like a dungeon one slowly maps as they move through it. Ideas that made sense are being reworked, including my original species. Foremost on my mind lately are the Knochenvolk, the bone folk, the Burtonesque weirdos born of wyrd magic. Certain aspects of the Knochenvolk do not make sense anymore, including their origins, so here I am reworking and solidifying the lore around them
The Knochenvolk
They go by many names: Knochenvolk, the daoine cnámh, the bone people, and other labels less fit for polite company. They linger in towns big enough to fade into the crowd, where they pass as just another eccentric shopkeeper on a backstreet peddling strange goods. And how they grin—always grinning—as they seem to walk on air, moving through the world without a care, their heads full of a jumble of conflicting thoughts and memories.
The Knochenvolk are the strange children of the wyrd: born of wyrd magic and the bones of the dead, beholden to no gods and to no masters they did not choose.
Their Weird Appearance
A Knochenvolk’s body is the fleshless skeleton of someone who perished in the Wyrdlands. Most identify with the gender of their skeleton’s original owner, though there are no physical distinctions between the “sexes” of the Knochenvolk. Their only unmistakable feature is the eyes: sockets glowing with a swirling, technicolored light.
Aside from that, clothing is the quickest giveaway. Knochenvolk almost always try to dress according to the “ideas” in their heads. Their fashion sense is incongruent with local culture, rarely subtle, often flamboyant, and generally bizarre. Many favor styles from the last two centuries of our world, while others embody outdated stereotypes of foreign peoples as imagined by 19th–20th century Britain or America.
The Orphans of the Wyrd
Knochenvolk are formed in the wake of whimwhirls. Wyrd magic twists everything it touches—living or dead—and the bones of the long-dead are no exception. Sometimes, when a skeleton is caught in such a storm, wyrd magic endows it with new life, and a Knochenvolk is “born.”
At birth, their heads brim with conflicting ideas, concepts, languages, and memories. Where these come from is a mystery, though most are disturbingly modern when compared to the medieval fantasy world of the Feengrenze. To those aware of the land’s darker purposes, these fragments are believed to be echoes of Faolan the Mad’s fractured mind, carried outward by wyrd magic.
Their “infancy,” if it can be called that, lasts only a few hours. Until a coherent sense of self emerges, they behave much like toddlers—curious, clumsy, and wide-eyed. But soon, without fail, they begin walking toward the nearest settlement. How they know where to go is yet another mystery.
Knochenvolk Society
The Knochenvolk have no true society of their own—indeed, they can barely find a place in the societies of others. They are scattered and rare; many go decades without meeting another of their kind. Most communities will not tolerate their presence. Isolated enclaves fear them as undead (understandably, given their appearance), while others view them as dangerous agitators carrying disruptive ideas. More often than not, discovery means exile.
For this reason, most Knochenvolk gather in large cities where their eccentricities are tolerated or overlooked. There, they operate small businesses—alchemy shops, repair stalls, print works, junk stores—where they can quietly experiment with whatever notion has taken root in their skulls.
Every Knochenvolk is born with at least one “out-of-place” idea—an innovation, reform, or invention from elsewhere—and feels compelled to act on it. Often, these schemes end poorly, driving them from town beneath a hail of angry mobs. But every now and then, something sticks. Powell Two People introduced journalism and The Sliberberg Sentinel. Friendly Otto became known for repairing both musical and bodily organs. And rumors persist that the first printing press in the Feengrenze was the gift (or accident) of some long-forgotten Knochenvolk.
The Knochenvolk Mindset
The greatest misconception about the Knochenvolk is that they are mad or feebleminded. This is false. A Knochenvolk is as sane as anyone else—they simply live in a reality that does not quite align with ours.
Their borrowed memories implant ideas as plain, commonplace truths: light boxes showing moving pictures, trains racing along rails, little glass bricks that send words across the world. They rarely have the practical knowledge to build such things, but that hardly matters; they are compelled to share, to explain, or to try anyway.
Knochenvolk also struggle with the invisible structures of society. They speak over others, crack jokes at inappropriate times, ignore protocol, and remain baffled by social hierarchies. When told they’ve broken a rule, they ask innocent, probing questions about why the rule exists—questions most people cannot answer without revealing how fragile such norms truly are.
And yet, the strangest thing of all is their joy. A Knochenvolk is always happy. No matter how dire the situation, no matter the cruelty inflicted on them, they radiate cheer and good humor. Many scholars believe this stems from their unnatural state: they neither eat nor sleep, and they see all hardship as temporary. Inquiries among the Knochenvolk themselves reveal that they rarely hold grudges. To them, pain is a passing weather, and patience is infinite.
Roleplaying a Knochenvolk
When playing a Knochenvolk, lean into their cheerful eccentricity and borrowed perspective. They filter the world through mismatched, secondhand memories and rarely understand why others take things so seriously.
Roleplay Prompts:
- You see the world as fundamentally funny, even in tragedy.
- You are endlessly curious about customs but never follow them.
- You feel compelled to share or act on the “idea” you were born with.
- You assume everything will eventually work out fine.
- You struggle to understand why others aren’t laughing.
Knochenvolk Traits
Creature Type: Fey
Size: Medium or Small
Speed: 30 ft.
Life Span: No Knochenvolk has ever died of old age.
Unfleshly Resilience. You have resistance to necrotic damage and advantage on saving throws against poison and disease. You do not require food or drink to survive, though you may consume them if you wish.
Wyrdborn Knowledge. You possess an out-of-place idea from elsewhere. Express it in two sentences or fewer as if it were perfectly commonplace. You gain advantage on checks related to your idea (DM’s discretion).
Disarticulate. As a reaction or bonus action, you can detach part of your body (such as a hand, arm, or head) and control it independently for up to 1 minute within 30 feet. The part has AC 10 and 1 hit point. If destroyed, it crumbles but reforms when reattached. You can use this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest.
Wyrdborn Quirks
Every Knochenvolk manifests their oddness differently. Roll a d6 or choose one:
- You whistle tunelessly whenever you think.
- You forget personal space and stand far too close.
- You lapse into other languages mid-sentence.
- You hoard “useful” junk: nails, teacups, bottles.
- You laugh at your own jokes before telling them.
- You give people inappropriate nicknames and stick to them.
Example Wyrdborn Ideas
If you don’t want to make your own, here are some examples:
- “The light box shows moving pictures every evening. Everyone in the village gathers to watch them.”
- “A train is just a very long wagon that runs on rails and moves faster than a horse.”
- “You can send words to someone far away by pressing buttons on a little glass brick.”
- “If you put food in a cold white box, it will last longer without spoiling.”
- “People used to fly across the world inside giant metal birds.”
- “Everyone has a number, and with the right machine you can take coins directly from their number.”
The feengrenze historia 
Leave a comment