"There are different Houses, and each of the Houses have a different culture. Most of them look wildly different, from each other and from humans. The Elben Mahr are the House that decided to back the Nazis in the War. They're..."

Fortescue chuckles and pours herself another small drink, shrugging.

"Well, they're bloody stuck up. Nocturnal. Slightly taller than most humans. They live in pocket spaces piggybacked to other objects, like trees, that they call Hollows. ...And they have this odd obsession with birds. Owls, in particular. Killing one in front of a Mahr is like killing a child in front of most people."