Introduction
This article explores human peoples of Aestis and the strengths (and weaknesses) they possess based on where they come from. When playing a party of adventurers in the Arclands world setting it's important to remember how diverse the world is. Most Swithicks have probably never met an Olorian. most Arclanders consider the world beyond the shores of the Greater Arc Sea to be irrelevant at best, barbaric at worst. Veskans and Ghothars hate each other, period. Few human characters will have encountered a Half Firg and very few will have encountered a Half Fey. almost none will have encountered an Chorale or a
The Jaraki . these complexities and conflicts will make the role play that much richer however.
Arcites
As a citizen of the wealthiest and still the mightiest city state on the continent, a Daughter or Son of Arc has knowledge and confidence on their side. Most Arcites are completely unaware that even across the rest of the Arclands they are resented and seen as arrogant and out of touch. The city is so vast that most Arcites never leave it and speak fondly of it wherever they go. An adventurer from Arc might not always come from the top tier of society, but even the very poor are considered to be citizens. Wherever an Arcite goes, be they rich or poor, they are entitled to the protection the city offers. The rulers of Arc, the Protectors, gave this vow to all Arcites when citizenship was extended to all. This means that in towns and cities and nations allied to Arc an Arcite with an arrum (an object, normally a ring or a coin, marked with the guarantee of the protector) can access whatever help can be spared (+3 on a persuade roll).
Appearance: Arcites are generally taller than most Arclanders. It is a highly diverse city with identity based on citizenship, not ethnic background. Arcites can be fair skinned and blonde northern Arclanders, more olive skinned southern Arclanders, or dark skinned Arcites of Del Marahan origin. Their clothes are invariably of high quality and are a sign of their status overseas. They avoid ostentatious displays of wealth, leaving that to the more vulgar peoples of the east.
Dranians
Dran was founded as a military outpost that Arc hoped would help it project its power into the east. However, Arc made a critical misjudgement and instead produced an ambitious and warlike city state, desperate to eclipse the Arc Empire. Dranians are brought up to fight as mercenaries - not as brawlers and thugs, but as soldiers. They understand order, discipline, honour and duty. Their masters are frequently duplicitous and scheming, but ordinary Dranians, whilst tough, are often fair. Above all they honour the unspoken bond of all soldiers and will salute opponents who are courageous and fight well. They dislike Arcites and do not see Arc's status as the most powerful city in the Greater Arc Sea as deserved. They look on Arcites as decadent and lazy, living on unearned wealth and not the simple honesty of the sword. Dranians are loyal to one of the six Great Houses of the city and will normally fight to the death for their lords. Dran is also a slave owning city and many Dranians are brutalised from an early age to see slavery as a natural part of life and to be unconcerned with the suffering of subjugated peoples.
Appearance: Like their well fed cousins in Arc, Dranians are tall, but more ethnically homogenous. They are fair skinned with dark eyes and hair that ranges from jet black to sandy blond. A Dranian who ventures overseas will invariably and proudly wear the armour of their city and the crest of their House. Unlike the poorer Ghothars, a Dranian will keep their armour immaculate and will resent hiding their crest, even when discretion demands it.
Harenians
Harenians tend not to indulge in the petty rivalries between cities, seeing this pageantry as ludicrous. Harenis and the scholars it breeds is used as a resource by other Arcland cities and Harenians have long understood that their only power comes from knowledge. Most Harenians are neither wealthy nor poor, and they know that when travelling across Aestis their education can open a lot of doors. Harenians are divided between those who hope to use knowledge to advance themselves and gain power, and those who see learning and understanding the world as an end in itself. The latter seek to preserve the Great Library of Harenis and add to its canon of knowledge and wisdom.
Appearance: Southern Arclanders like Harenians have olive skin and refined features, with brown hair and are more slight than their northern counterparts. In Harenis - a hot and storm-battered city - lose robes, sandals and tunics are the easiest way of keeping cool.
Taeorians
Taeorians once hoped that their city would rival Arc as a centre of trade, but it always came a distant second. Instead, it is a centre for trade in anything stolen, hidden and secret and Taeorians like to claim that anything that can be sold in Aestis, is sold in Taeor. Taeorians are an anarchic people and they only value what can be bought, sold or stolen. There are few principles or morals aside from this that they view as sacred. Taeorians have something of an inferiority complex when dealing with other Arclanders; they know they lack the power and authority of Arcites and the strength of Dranians, and they are acutely aware they lack the knowledge and education of Harenians. Instead they use the skills of the marketplace to deal, barter, beg and bully. Criminal syndicates and networks across Aestis either originate in Taeor or have strong connections there. Taeorians can be vicious scrappers and learn from an early age to survive using their wits on the tough streets of their home city.
Appearance: Like Harenians, Taeorians are a smaller, sleighter and olive skinned folk, the dusty conditions of the city require its inhabitants to wear a scarf that protects the face called a huurk. These are often used by thieves and assassins to protect their identity.
Wardenhalers
Wardenhal is one of the few cities where both humans and Firg interact. The city, like many of the cities along the Greater Arc Sea, was originally built by the Firg and is still a source of Firg ships, swords and armour. The taciturn yet unexpectedly fiery nature of the Firg has been passed to the humans who come from the city too. Many humans have learned some of the crafting techniques that their giant neighbours were able to teach and both humans and Firg have stood side by side in battle when the city has been under threat. Wardenhalers are often careful, patient and dedicated people who think in the long term and focus on what they can do to improve what they build and make. They like to be paid fairly for their work, but few are deeply motivated by accumulating wealth; when your city makes most of the things that are worthwhile owning, what do you need money for?. Wardenhal is one of the most overlooked of the Great Cities but when its ships and steel are needed, Wardenhalers can suddenly find themselves in demand. Wardenhalers pride themselves on staying out of wars, but like to think that the best weapons on both sides are made by them. A Haal hammer, the Thurung, is a revered item and should not be raised in anger - those that use Thurung for violence are cast out of the city. Haal also refers to the local dialect, officially known as Wardenhaalese, but referred to colloquially as Haal.
Appearance: Wardenhalers are large, stocky men and women, often with some Firg ancestry. Many Half Firg live among them. Study practical clothing in this colder Arcland city helps Wardenhalers to work in the many workshops, shipyards and furnaces. Many of the craftsmen in the city wear the thick gloves and leather aprons of the city’s craft guilds. Wardenhalers adventuring in the Arclands and beyond often use items like this as leather armour.
Skarisi
When the White Temple in Arc, the ancient home of the Aruhvian Religion went into decline , Skaris was quick to seize the mantle of 'City of Purity'. Skarisi hate to be reminded that their forefathers originated from Hothis (see below). For them, the mystical rival city to their west is an example of all that is rotten in Aestis. Instead, Skarisi consider themselves to be high or pure Aruhvians, the last bastion of true faith in Aestis. They are dedicated to the cause of the now absent god, the Keeper, and the theocratic Chamber of Purity that rules the city argue that true faith in a god is at its height when that god is absent. Skarisi who leave the ‘city of the pure’ to travel the Arclands and beyond often view what they see with contempt. For them, the immoral ways of the Faithless are intolerable. Some Skarisi who leave the city for several years receive a frosty welcome when they return, as it is believed they have been tainted by worldliness. Skarisi who do return must undergo purging rituals and penitence to return them to their status as 'one of the pure.'
Appearance: Skarisi are famed for their palid complexion, their hair is either shaved off or pulled back tight in a knot. Some Skarisi carry a penance pin (a long metal pin inserted in their flesh to cause constant pain, to atone for sin) others have several of them. They dress in simple white cotton clothing, as dying cloth is considered a sin. The higher ranks of the faithful seem to be exempt from the Keeper’s wrath when it comes to clothing and can be seen in robes and cloaks of blood crimson, a reminder of the Skarisi obsession with sacrifice and suffering.
Hothians
Hothians and Skarisi share the same section of coastline but effectively inhabit different worlds. The city of Hothis , built around the edges of a mysterious forest called the Heart, is the home of mystics, poets, misfits and dreamers. It is a place of song and thought. Hothians reject the religious certainties and zeal of their neighbours in Skaris; Free thought and expression are values that Hothians champion, along with a desire to explore life's mysteries. All retain a healthy respect for and wariness of the Heart, the magical forest at the centre of the city. Many Hothians are often drawn to it and magical places like it, but they also have deep fears of that which is mystical as well. When encountering other races, Hothians are most likely to accept Others and Half Fey, though they are most likely to be treated as outsiders and outcasts by their fellow Arclanders. In truth, few Arclanders understand Hothians and it is in their nature to shun what they do not understand.
Appearance: Hothians are similar in appearance to the Skarisi though in no way as austere or humourless. Instead of creams, they opt for greens, olives and tan colours - resembling the colours of the Heart Forest in their city. They adorn themselves with trinkets and self-made jewellery.
Dancarians
There are far fewer Dancarians than the inhabitants of any of the other cities excluding the ruined city of Gol. in Dancare, the living are outnumbered many times over by the dead. The city was created by the ancient Vannic peoples as a final resting place for the dead of the great noble families of Aestis. It is tended by a small community of Dancarians who live in the vast empty halls and by the great mausoleums. Dancarians are often silent or softly spoken; they have little fear of death and see it as part of the eternal cycle of being. Once Dancarians would have been devout Aruhvians, seeing themselves as stewards of the dead, guiding them to the keeper's side. since the sundering, fewer Dancarians believe in the tenets that used to drive them. This loss of purpose has brought about a great melancholy within them. Younger Dancarians seek to escape the silence and solitude of their home and experience life, not live in the constant shadow of death.
Appearance: Often mistaken for taking less pride in their appearance, Dancarian clothing is made from thick, rough cloth to keep them warm in the chill of the stone halls. Like Skarisi, they wear darker clothes and in Dancare will opt for robes. Women and men who are members of the Order of the Crypts (see page **) have ritual tattooing across their body to signify this and to protect them.
Golans
The city of Gol is a flooded, overgrown ruin but there are still those who have made it their home, however it is often assumed by other Arclanders that no one lives in Gol; it's hard for them to understand why anyone would. It is a silent and mysterious place that is a haven for outcasts, adventurers, scholars and rogues. Gol’s strange arcane architecture and the frequently unexplained events in the city have given Golans who adventure further afield an open mind about magic and the arcane. Whereas many in Harenis or Arc would dismiss the existence of magic outright, in Gol it is accepted as part and parcel of reality. Golans have a natural affinity to other outcasts such as Half Fey and Others and have little time for Arcites or Dranians, who they see as arrogant and misguided. Golans will often keep their origins and identity secret, especially from Taeorians, who like to send raiding parties to the ruins of Gol to loot the city of its ancient treasures. Whilst many Golans have little understanding of what existed in Gol centuries ago, they are protective of its artefacts and secrets and seek to preserve what they can. They defend the ruins against looters and much Golan blood has been shed in the process.
Appearance: Golans have no specific ethnicity as peoples from all over Aestis have made it their home. Most have a weather beaten look about them from too much exposure to the sun, wind and rain.
Del'Marahans
Del'Marahans are a dark-skinned people from the south of Aestis whose empire once stretched all the way from the Vire to the Molvar peninsula and Karezi lands. Del’Marah is still a powerful nation and its inhabitants are deeply proud of the achievements of the empire, but there is a sense among many of them that the nation’s glory days need to be revived. Del’Marah was a client of the Arc Empire and it was a bloody revolt against its Dranian administrators that enabled the Del’Marahans to break away. Del’Marah has grown fabulously wealthy from the silk trade, silver mining and a versatile sweet root vegetable called the Dupra that is used for food, dye and making a rum that is commonly drank across Aestis. Del’Marah still retains some of the culture of the Vannic peoples but most of its culture is drawn from the alliance of Kingdoms that expelled the Dran, especially centered on the Pheffist religion. Del’Marahans have an imperialist attitude and remain ever confident that their very old civilization will outlive the upstarts around it. The only Arclanders they have much time for are Teorians, their main trading partner on the Arc sea.
Appearance: The Del Marahans have dark skin and tight curled hair that is either worn short or in long dreadlocked braids. Del Marahan soldiers pride themselves on the immaculate nature of their armour and those without prefer loose fitting, flowing robes
Del'Vettans
Del’Vettor and her sister kingdom Del’Mudir were once two peaceful plains kingdoms named Virish and Drinn. They were conquered by the Arc Empire before eventually being subsumed by the then nascent Empire of Del’Marah as it swept west towards the Molvar. The founder of modern Del’Vettor was the former Del’Marahan regional governor, Edik Kettyn. Around 30 years after The Sundering Kettyn used an invading Pelonastrian army under King Samuel as a weapon against the imperial army headed by the emperor himself. At the battle of Samerse Valley, he held back his relief force leading the imperial army being surrounded and the emperor killed. Kettyn then decimated the exhausted Pelonastrian force and declared the Del’Vettor an independent state. The founding of Del’Vettor changed the region forever. Del’Marah would take decades to recover, Karezi rebels fighting with King Samuel went on to overthrew Del’Marahi rule on the Molvar and Pelonastrius would never again be a power to contend with.
In the years following Sam’s March, as the invasion became known, Del’Vettor has become a dynamic successor state eventually reconciling diplomatically with Del’Marah and invading portions of the Molvar peninsula. The current ruler, Malhek Kettyn has waged a continuing low key war with Karezi and Molvaria hampered only by the nearly impassable terrain of the northern peninsula. Del’Vettans have become accustomed to the fact that no other nation is their friend, and they are skeptical and cynical about the intentions of outsiders as a result.
Appearance: Generally Dark-skinned like their Del’Marahan neighbours though there are more olive skinned Del'Vettans who are similar to the Molvarian peoples to the west.
Ghothars
The Ghothars are a proud, warlike but impoverished people living in the bleak and barren north east of Aestis. Their home is the kingdom of
Ghotharand and its neighbouring sparse kingdom Ulrand, which dwells between three mountains rising from the Gotun Plains. Ghothar armies are egalitarian, based on necessity, with both men and women fighting on the front line. Ghothar women view their menfolk with veiled contempt, seeing them as arrogant and lazy, they are, and knowing that a daughter of Ghotharand must fight twice as hard to survive. Ghothars also hate Veskans, seeing them as crafty and sly. Most Ghothars believe they were cheated out of settling in the fertile lands that became Veska centuries earlier. Ghothars are quick to remind any of the nations east of Arc that in the year 55 they destroyed an army from Mordikhaan at the Battle of the Crow River that marched eastwards and threatened to engulf the lands beyond the Arching Mountains. They often ignore the number of times Ghotharand has waged its own wars in the East and instead see themselves as the saviours of lesser, ungrateful people.
Appearance: Ghothars are tall and muscular, both men and women fight in King Roharradh’s armies and wear their hair tightly drawn back and shaved on the sides. A Ghothar will often have old, battered armour and few other possessions of any worth.
Haatchi
The word Haatchi in their tongue just means 'the people'. The Haatchi are a semi nomadic tribal people whose first loyalty is to each other; their second loyalty is to their horses and a Haatchi is skilled in fighting from the saddle. Their pride as warriors and riders lead them to look down on their neighbours, the Swithicks, who don't seem to do much fighting at all. There are seven Haatchi tribes, an eighth, the Rao Haatchi, have not been seen or heard of in centuries. The Haatchi tribes have been disunited for centuries, however, and the Swithick leaders of the Mill Lands have been able to play them off against each other. Far sighted Haatchi lords have since tried to unite the tribes but with limited effectiveness. Haatchi are looked down upon by Swithicks, who see them as savage barbarians, but in return the Haatchi see Swithicks as a people too weak to defend their own country. Haatchi can be found outside of their own territory mainly in the Mill lands and sometimes as far as Del Vettor and Del Marah.
Appearance: The Haatchi are a tall, physically striking people with dark hair and eyes. They combine their traditional dress with armour and prize good riding boots above all things.
Karezim
The Karezim people occupy the highland region of the Molvar peninsula which bears the official title of the Serene Republic of Karezi. However, it is almost always called the Vertical Republic due to its mountainous hinterland that acts as a labyrinthine natural fortress. A thin slice of lowland along its eastern coast accounts for most of its growing land and population. It is believed the Karezim are the result of proto-Haatchi tribes intermingling with native Molvarians. The internal tribal regions are ruled by a Viceroy at the capital and sole city, Oadryfe. The Viceroy’s title is a leftover from when the Peninsula was occupied by the empire of Del’Marah before they were ejected by Karezi rebels under the fabled leader Neyan Terahk.
In recent years the Vertical Republic has surpassed the Del’Marahi navy in the Kouric sea and the wealth it has afforded them has raised their status somewhat, though maybe at the expense of their small overstretched land army. The Karezim practice Ezrazad, a religion based on the fire eagle Ezrara and bird feathers adorn everything they create from their armour to their ships, there is still a significant minority of Del’Marahi Phefists in the capital who are often persecuted. Karezi see themselves as romantic rebels, they are passionate and loyal, fond of a skin of wine and a doomed cause, fun to be around unless you are a Del’Marahan.
Appearance: Generally short, olive skinned and brown eyed, more cosmopolitan in the lowlands. Lowlanders wear loose fitted clothes suitable for sailing, silk if you’re rich and cotton if not. Highlanders wear more leather and wool. Both decorate their clothes and hair with dyed and stylized feathers.
Molvari
Molvar is commonly called the Horizontal Republic much to the irritation of its inhabitants, the Molvari peoples. The name is misleading, as there are no republics in the southern Molvar, only a collection of petty Kingdoms that are occasionally organised into loose confederations against their neighbours, either the Vertical Republic or Del’Vettor.
The largest petty Kingdom goes by the lofty title The Kingdom of Molvar or more commonly the Horizontal Republic. Other petty kingdoms include Molvar Wyn Molvar Vad, Ayollim, Doumin and Purnik. The peoples of Molvar are skilled sailors and their ships are the fastest and most dangerous in the Dorling Sea. As such, Molvari can be found captaining ships across Aestis. While they are some of the last practitioners of Aruhvianism in Aestis, many also follow the Phefist religion. Many Molvari are aware that at the heart of their country lies a mysterious circular chasm, close to the town of Oullier, known only as God’s Vault. This great hole at the heart of the Kingdom of Molvar has produced as many explanations as there are Molvari. It is both a source of fascination and mystery to them and the Molvari believe it is evidence that their lands are special and blessed by the Keeper.
Appearance: With olive skin and brown hair they are generally similar in appearance to the Karezi though Southerners tend to be darker skinned and those on the west coast are generally fairer and sometimes blue eyed.
Mordikhaani
Mordikhaani are the lowest of the low. For several centuries the mysterious ruler of Mordikhaan has welcomed every cut throat, blackmailer, thief and deserter to her realm. The population of tribesmen that existed in Mordikhaan before her arrival have all but been forced out of their traditional lands by this horde of flotsam. A Mordikhaani normally has a past somewhere else in Aestis. They are outcasts and their only remaining home in the rain soaked, cold and brutal land to the north. Some find that amid the violence and corruption they thrive and become wealthy and powerful. Many others are presented with stark and deadly choices; do the Khul's dirty work or go back to your homelands, where you will hang. On the border of Mordikhaan are the three Black Republics, territories conquered by the Khul, where unspeakable horrors have been unleashed. most Mordikhaani try their best to stay away from here. Mordikhaani found beyond the borders of the Khul's realm are either engaged in her secret missions to destabilise Aaestis, or are on the run from her wrath.
Appearance: Mordikhaani are incredibly diverse, there are few ‘original’ peoples of Mordikhaan in the Khul’s armies. Those who are in the Khul’s favour and who live in slightly more comfortable conditions sport the black steel armour and crimson cloaks of her elite troops. For the rest, whatever clothes or armour they fled from the Arlcands wearing will have to make do.
Olorians
The people of the vast rainforests of Oloris live in a complex series of inter-related tribes that descend from the Khota, the mythical Olorian first family. Olorians venerate their ancestors and worship the Khota-Mar, or the saints of the first family, who's souls they believe inhabit the birds, beasts and fish of the Olorian delta. Olorians are often mocked or derided as backward or simple in the Arclands, but they are deeply connected to the land, skilled trackers and hunters and fierce warriors. Olorians value family but are also famed for their hospitality to strangers and will repay kindness shown to them by another with intense loyalty. They often look on the more self centred ways of Arclanders, Swithicks and Ghothars with confusion. Olorians rarely value money over family, friends and the natural world. Olorians have excellent memories and are often steeped in the lore of their own people. They live in large extended families and clans and migrate around Oloris’s vast river networks in boats and barges in an attempt to visit holy shrines and sacred places. Pilgrimage to holy shrines and sacred places is a large part of Olorian culture and is often done in family units or even entire tribes.
Appearance: Olorians are a dark skinned people with delicate features, dark hair and eyes. They pride themselves on their ornate red robes and cloaks; their traditional armour is woven from treated roots and is much like leather armour in function. many have tribal tattoos to ward away the darker spirits of the great Olorian delta, those of the Koti Mar who it is believed fell into darkness when they entered the spirit realm.
Swithicks
Mill Landers are drawn from an ethnic group not too distant in looks from Ghothars and Veskans known as Swithicks. Ghothar lore has it that they were a lesser and lowly tribe from the Tzyan who crossed the ocean millenia ago and were considered unworthy of both the Ghothars and Veskans. Instead of settling in the Eastern Lands, they travelled to the west and established trading and farming settlements along the Shay Valley, steadily encroaching on the divided Haatchi tribes. Swithicks are traders and farmers by nature. Following the Sundering and the collapse of their kingdom, a widespread apathy and cynicism exists amongst them. Swithicks have relied for too long on the Firg to the north to protect them and as a result the Mill Lands are a weak and increasingly ungoverned place. The Swithick people produce excellent craftsmen, scholars but no small number of rogues. They live well and have benefitted from trading with the less savvy Haatchi peoples, who they are nonetheless anxious not to anger.
Appearance: Swithicks are on average slightly shorter than Ghothars, they are fair with mainly dark, brown or auburn hair. Many will sport a traditional short cloak and on average, they are better fed and more prosperous than most of the peoples ‘west of Dancare’.
Veskans
Veskans are a people who see themselves as living under permanent siege due to several invasions from the Ghothars and the ever present threat of Gorins (see page $$) on the great plains to the east. As such, Veskans can often give off a mixture of confidence and defensiveness. They pride themselves on having repelled their enemies but fear that one day their kingdom might not be so lucky. Veskans are cousins of Ghothars; both peoples came to Aestis from the northern continent of Tzyan centuries ago and have been locked in a bitter dispute over territory ever since. Veskans control the most fertile land in the east and their produce feeds much of the peoples between the Arching mountains and the oceans. Veskans found adventuring often feel like exiles from their homeland. The fierce paranoia that Veskan culture has embraced has led to rumours that there are deep, hidden forces at work within the kingdom and that the throne has not truly ruled Veska for many years. Those that repeat this rumour find themselves shunned or in some cases forced to leave the country. Veskans defend their lands from Gorins using ancient rune inscribed Gorin Stones and many have runes tattooed or scarred into their bodies to protect against the creatures. Those Veskans who have heard about the rumoured powers of Others to disperse Gorins are fearful of them and see the Others as a threat to Veska - after all, Gorins make an excellent unnatural barrier against the Ghothars and other would-be invaders.
Appearance: Veskan men are traditionally broad shouldered and stocky, and Veskan women are full figured and strong. Both are famed for their flame red hair. Veskans of the border lands often sport runic tattooing as a ward against Gorins.
Virefolk
The most inhospitable, wildest and remote part of Aestis is the Vire. To those unfamiliar with these lands they appear to be a barren icy tundra, but to the Virefolk they are home. The ethnic people of the Vire originate from Sindhi, the icebound continent to the south. the frozen seas during the long winter months created an ice bridge to Aestis for the Virefolk and they brought the traditions and language of the frozen lands to the south with them. The warrior class of the Virefolk is the Ember Legion, an army of exiles from Sindhi who have left the south in ever greater numbers in the last few decades. whilst many Virefolk are happy to remain in the Vire, hunting and fishing, the Ember Legions dream of returning south to reclaim ancient kingdoms built under the dying volcanoes of the Sindhan Mountains. the Virefolk exist on the very edge of Del’Marah and have faced constant invasion by the Del’Marahan emperor's armies throughout their history. Though no Del Marahan army has ever successfully conquered the Vire.
Appearance: The Virefolk are a short and stocky people with jet black hair ruddy complexions and dark almond eyes. Gold teeth are seen as a sign of wealth and prosperity among them, as are hunting dogs (which they are rarely without).
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