The Eens are an ancient race of people, having lived in the world since the old days, when magic still danced on the wind. Eens come in many shapes and sizes, though it is safe to say that they are mostly small, mostly friendly, and—mostly of all—afraid of the big outside world.

In the time of Kendra Kandlestar, Eens were not likely to venture past the magic curtain that protected the Land of Een. The curtain protected the Eens from the prying eyes of the outside world. Of those Eens who journeyed to the outside world, many did not returned.

Some scholars think Eens are related to gnomes or elves, but this is mostly because Eens have pointed ears and are adept at using magic. They can talk to animals and, indeed, many an Een town is populated with all sorts of Een animals.

Eens live in a structured society, where each citizen has a role. Many Eens choose simple occupations such as cobbling, tailoring, or farming, though others choose more intellectual or inventive pursuits—or the study of wizardry.

Eens do not easily produce children and, as such, generally have small families. A very young Een (under the age of five) is often called an Eenlet, while an older Een child is known as an Eenling. It is not uncommon for Een children to have only one sibling—or none at all. Nor is it uncommon for there to be large gaps (ten or twenty years or more) between siblings. Eenlings attend school until the age of twelve, at which time they are apprenticed to a master to study a particular craft. Teenaged Eens are normally referred to as “Teenlings.”

Another peculiar aspect of Eens is that they have a sing-song quality to their names, with the sound of their first and last names matching. As such, when Eens marry, they will change their first name, if necessary, to match the last name of their partner. For example, when Gayla Griffinskitch married Krimson Kandlestar, she changed her first name to Kayla, and she became Kayla Kandlestar. There are no gender rules for this, and an Een man will often change his names to match that of his wife.

The Land of Een is governed by a council of seven elders, most of whom are extremely old and well-practiced in magic.

Eens are know for their braiding ability, and each and every Een wears at least a single braid, a tradition that hearkens back to Leemus Longbraids, the Een wizard who lived in the Days of Een. It is said that he was the first Een to ever wear braids.