Sins of the Father
The Wejei are distant cousins of the Danic elves (Guatha), though their hereditary relationship with the other ethnic groups is vague. According to legend the Elder God Ta'Nahir descended in avatar form and seduced an elf maiden, planting his seed within her and forcing her to bear the first of his mortal offspring. Whether or not this occurred pre- or post-humanity is subject to considerable debate, though if the latter is true then this divine conception must have occurred before humans congregated into the first of their civilizations. The reasons for divine conception are largely unknown, yet some Sali scholars believe Ta'Nahir was aware that a new age was on the horizon and thus he sired a new species—one with which he had a direct connection—ensuring his continued existence. Whatever the reasons, the progeneration of the Wejei guaranteed Ta'Nahir would endure.
Wejei are unique in a number of ways other than the fact the first generation was directly descended from an Elder God. For starters, the species is almost entirely female. No males have ever been discovered and it is believed that the females lay eggs which are later fertilized by a single male or a very small number of males. What's more is evidence suggests that these few males do not live within the Wejei social system, perhaps by choice or perhaps not.
Another unique trait of the Wejei is the ability to alter their appearance physiologically to a limited extent. The average Wejei can slightly alter her bone structure, eye color, and other physiological conditions to appear as a male or female human or elf of the same physical proportions. It is not believed this ability is the same as a doppelganger's, who, through magic, is capable of mimicking the physiology of another humanoid within a limited size range. Instead the Wejei can simply appear as a different humanoid species relative to her own height and weight. Unlike doppelgangers this ability is not magical but natural (physiological), thus a Wejei could not appear as an orc or Edgaarð dwarf, nor could she alter her appearance in such a way to mimic a specific person. This ability is theorized but not confirmed to be a result of a bone structure similar to a serpent's, especially in the face. Thousands of tiny bones can restrict and contract insomuch to change the placement and definition of cheek bones and jaw lines. It is doubtful they are capable of becoming taller or shorter and weight is a factor—a Wejei cannot make herself naturally more muscular, fatter, or thinner for the purposes of blending in as a different species. Lastly, the Wejei appear to have innate elemental magic abilities, such as casting a restricted number of spells related to the elements of fire and water/ice. The strength of these spells is probably limited, likely to merely supplement their combat abilities by providing distractions.
Physical Description
Because the Wejei can easily blend into any society by posing as a common species, it is difficult to describe their natural appearance for few if any people have seen it. Due to their elvish heritage, they probably resemble Ithuet or Salir, with high cheek bones, almond-shaped eyes, small physical builds, and elongated, pointy ears. Their eyes are said to be completely yellow with little to no sign of irises or pupils. They probably stand on average at 5'4-5" and weigh no more than 110 pounds. Their natural hair color is unknown, but some scholars believe it is a lighter hue of brown, a neutral color that can easily appear brunette or dirty blond (assuming the Wejei are capable of altering their hair color). Again, the Wejei are strictly female (although there is at least one male, that male may not be classified as a Wejei) and thus their natural physical state may include some similar humanoid features, such as breasts. Because they breed by laying eggs and a male fertilizes them, their nether organs probably do not look like other humanoids—in essence, although it may appear to the contrary, they certainly would not have [functional] female genitalia. If their natural physical state does include breasts, it is likely they are not functional mamma, meaning they do not produce milk for feeding their young.
Ecology
Wejei ecology is almost completely mysterious. If not for attacks led by Wejei in Tardesche, scholars would assume they acted more akin to amphibians, mostly solitary until a mating period. Attacks led by Wejei in the past in Tardesche lead scholars to believe that they are organized and thus probably live in social groups, perhaps in various underground colonies. The Ithuet zoologist S'cha Chay, currently a researcher of zoology and mythical Danic creatures at the University at Enoja-dai, believe the Wejei live together in a single colony which she calls a hive.
Wejei mating practices are all too similar to fish. A female lays unfertilized eggs and a male sweeps by the area and releases his seed. The result is most, though not all, eggs are fertilized and a gestation period follows. With the Wejei being all female, it is probable, though not confirmed without observational data, that they live in hives like certain insects, namely the bee. This type of colonial social construct leads me to believe there is likely a queen Wejei who is responsible for propagating the species. This female monarch may not set social standards and enforce laws as our monarchs do, but is chosen to lay eggs and propagate the species. Fundamentally, the queen is the acting mother of the species.
A vague report submitted by the Daylic Church at the end of the 13th century confirms in part S'cha Chay's theory regarding breeding practices. In this report an anonymous survivor of a Wejei attack in northern Tardesche mentions seeing a number of egg-shaped objects protected by a moss-like blanket or canopy that resembled fine shrubbery attached to the outside wall of a man-made structure. Within two days of discovering this anomalistic vegetation a monstrous guardian appeared on the scene, a humanoid creature vaguely resembling "a bat-winged female Ithuet." The creature did not seem to act as if intelligent but more akin to an animal protecting her young. She did not chase anyone down but aggressively attacked anyone coming near the "mossy eggs." S'cha Chay has only briefly mentioned such guardians in one of her limited publications.
I call them "the Maidens." They are similar to midwives, but their sole purpose is to protect the eggs until they hatch. Once hatched the Maidens probably feed the hatchlings before delivering them to the Hive. The Maidens, although related to Wejei, are probably restricted to smaller numbers, just enough to protect eggs until they hatch. I wager the number of Maidens is somehow proportionate to the number of fertilized eggs requiring protection.
Behavior
Characterizing Wejei behavior is nearly impossible without extensive data. S'Cha Chay has compiled a number of theories revolving around Wejei behavior, yet she admits "it is all speculation without confirmation." Chay has said that all of her theories are connected insomuch that, if any hold merit, they revolve around breeding practices. She posits that a Wejei's ability to alter her appearance may simply exist to provide her with the ability to easily gather information regarding surface-dweller activities in order to establish safe hatcheries far away from populations.
We have to remember one thing: the Wejei, no matter how we interpret their motives or society, is a population that has been driven to the fringes of, if not beyond, civilization, not so dissimilar to the orc tribes. Maybe not now, maybe not tomorrow, but eventually, as long as they remain a viable collective species, the Wejei will attempt to fight back and reclaim the world from which they were displaced. And when they decide to fight that war, it will not be conducted on a traditional battlefield. They will attempt to overcome us like a plague that devours the ranks, one piece at a time.