The Lapinae throughout history have been both regarded as being either menacing or beneficial to those that surround them. Though they are a mysterious group of Fae, they are by all counts as natural as the world around them. The Pictish Wildlands is a place of great mystery and shamanistic beliefs. Though the Lapinae come from what the Pict’s would refer to as the Spiritworld, they do appear from time to time to walk among humans, either as a watchful rabbit spirit teaching a young hunter a safe route through a particularly dangerous part of the wildlands, or appearing as their true form, fighting those that wrong the spirits and nature.
Regardless, they are an odd bunch. Often tricksters, fighters, those that find themselves with the ire of a Lapinae often live long, but very miserable lives, or short, and violent ones. Lapinae are affixed in Pictish legend, as both bringer of good tidings, and fertility, but also an omen of possible conflict as to where the rabbit roams, a wolf is sure to follow. However, outside of the Pictish wildlands, the Lapinae are regarded as Good Luck Charms, and always beneficial to have as they have a knack for finding valuable items in their travels.
The Lapinae are deft shapeshifters, capable of assuming both a spirit form, either a hare or a rabbit, or their more humanoid figure at a moment's notice. The Lapinae come in all shapes and sizes, large and small, curved to toned, lithe, and bulky. They have a variety of different hair colours, though always having large rabbit ears sprouting from the top of their heads, and less often a small tail, either longer or simply small like rabbits. Sometimes even having additional fur around their collar depending on the age of the Lapinae. Though they do not age as you would expect those of the natural world may, the Lapinae are by all counts Fae spirits, and as such they no longer age past a certain point, but the older they are, additional growth can be noted, be it height or otherwise.
Lapinae choose to often clothe themselves to best fit into a situation, though their ears stick out. When mingling with the Pict, they would ultimately wear things similar to them, from warpaints to furs and leathers, but rarely metal as iron harms them, as such their weapons are often made of more natural materials, from stone to obsidian, or metal with no traces of iron. Lapinae in the end are beings of the wilds but are also ones that understand the world as they have seen and watched the Pict and surroundings nations fight for centuries, as such they understand the value of coin, and some Lapinae may even be dressed in much finer attires to reflect this, but they ultimately remain wild.
There is little known about the Lapinae society and culture as they often blend into the majority of the culture where they choose to roam. As such, they are truly creatures of the Fae. As such, their typical way of handling things is often split down the middle. The Lapinae though often benevolent towards humans, will fiercely defend themselves when necessary, and though they tend to have large families, the average Lapinae wishes to be free and wander, explore and find their own path. Some tend to wander around in their spirit form for countless years, acting as a guide, and others remain in the Spiritworld, while the odd ones out enjoy the finer side of life when exposed to gold. Lapinae are often revered by other cultures when seen outside of the Pictish Wildlands to be a walking Good Luck charm, as they often do find themselves stumbling upon wealth in their travels and spreading it to the world.
The Lapinae tend to avoid using metal for numerous reasons, opting to only touch certain precious metals due to their properties, while others like Iron and Steel, can burn them. Ultimately the Lapinae tend to mingle amongst one another more than they would with humans or other such races, but this does not mean they will outright avoid individuals. They are a friendly Fae spirit, and an integral part of the natural world as in some cases, the Lapinae become guardians of certain locations and even choose Pictish tribes that choose to settle in their lands.
The Lapinae are as you would expect from Rabbits, but with the ability to wield weapons. They will fight, and they will give to whatever threatens them when necessary, but often their natural way is to avoid it. They are not cowards, but they understand that fighting is not their way but this does not mean they are weak. They avoid, often choosing to often aid or assist rather than to kill another. Seeing as they are shorter than the average person, they are at a distinct disadvantage and choose to fight with hit and run tactics rather than an all-out brawl. As they do come in all shapes and sizes no Lapinae will ever look the same as another, even siblings and twins. Their similarities will always be that of their spirit form, but their human-esque appearance is always as what they deem it to be. They are ultimately the masters of shapeshifting, but once they have chosen their human form once they have arrived in the Pictish Wildlands, they are forever bound to that form until they choose to return to their spirit form and take the shape of a rabbit or hare.
They share a kinship with the Pict, though they do not harbor the same hostilities as they are adept at commerce and understand the greed of man is hard to abate, as such they aid in soothing such things, be it someone starving to death in the wild and leading them to edible berries and other foliage, to showing those who ask and offer tribute the location of golds and other items of value.
Though they are often tricksters by nature, they will not outright harm an individual while playing their games. They are an unapologetic people with their views of the world as they feel themselves to be true children of nature, but this does not go to their heads as they are simply living in a world with many others who too came from nature. The Lapinae do have two sides though, as they are not constantly always about aiding others. They have made war in the past, and many such Lapinae are adept in carrying out swift but brutal tactics in order to dispatch a threat to their people and lands. As such, they are a feared force when multiple descend upon an unknowing troupe that has come to burn their homes. As such they will fight, kill as many as they can, and flee leaving no one behind, dead or alive. The Lapinae have the Power of human speech, though often they will opt to gesture, and nod to things in a pinch.
The Lapinae are, in the end, good-natured, and willing to work with anyone, as long as they do not mistreat the Lapinae and their family.