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Playable Races: at a glance

The residents of the Iron Kingdoms are as diverse as any other - from the boisterous Trollkin of the United Kriels, the bitter descendants of the Khardic empire to the north or their neighbours the Rhulic Dwarves and Ogrun, or the cunning Scharde Isle pirates and servants of Toruk in the southwest. Here's a quick overview:  

Humans and their Nations:

  The humans of the Iron Kingdoms (as defined by the Corvis Treaties) include Khador, Llael, Ord, Cygnar, and later recognise the Protectorate of Menoth. Other humans like the Idrian Marchfolk and Cryxians are also playable. All have their own stats and subraces, found in the book and page reference outlined.    

Cygnaran (IK:R - p.59)

  Basically: think WW1 England, complete with bustling railways, trams, and all that post-industrial loveliness, but with tesla coils. And steamjacks. And magic. Cosmopolitan, industrially accomplished, diverse, and generally quite nice.   Cygnar is a diverse nation with a robust education system, and is the most industrialised of all nations in the Iron Kingdoms. Many of the technological advancements of the last century have been made by Cygnarans, its citizens and military familiar with modern manufacturing and is the birthplace of Storm Chamber technology. Cygnarans are by and large welcoming and cosmopolitan, and cities bustle with citizens of other races, espeically Gobbers.   In the aftermath of The Claiming, the nation is experiencing a rennaisance in both technology and culture, and an already cosmopolitan nation has become moreso. King Julius Raelthorne has also made a decree of religious tolerance, forbidding the persecution of others based on faith - the only nation in the Iron Kingdoms to explicitly do so. Since then, Thamarites and Cyrissists have grown, but Morrowans have remained in majority.    

Protectorate/Menite (IK:R - p.61)

  Basically: think of the crusades in the the middle east and a mad theocracy. But add in flamethrowers and steamjacks. Moses-level divine intervention is not unheard of, but magic outside of the priesthood will get you wracked (basically crucifixion) or enslaved, forced to build weapons and steamjacks.   More culturally and ethnically homogeneous than other nations, the Protectorate of Menoth is a product of a religious civil war with Cygnar. The country’s arid climes, proximity to the Bloodstone Marches and the zealous religious faith of its people contribute to the hardiness of its inhabitants.   Following The Claiming and the pilgrimage of Tristan Durant and his followers, the Heirarchy of the Church of Menoth clings to power with only a skeleton clergy. Those attending sermons dwindle daily, and the Protectorate's borders are maintained only on maps. Today, the few Protectorate citizens who remain are subjected to a ruling priesthood that has become increasingly paranoid as it searches for the next threat to energize the ailing theocracy.    

Idrian Marchfolk (Borderlands & Beyond - p.62)

  Basically: Aesthetically American Indian mixed with desert nomads of the middle east. Desert survivalists and trackers. The art makes them also look a little bit like Conan the Barbarian but with guns.   The Bloodstone Marches have always bred hardy folk but none more so than the nomadic tribes of the Idrian Marchfolk. After the crusade of Heirarch Luctine in 504 AR, a great earthquake decimated the Idrians while leaving the Sul-Menites untouched. Recognizing the hand of the divine, many Idrians converted, but other tribes adhered to their belief, and continued their traditional worship of Dhunia, the Wurm, or their ancestors. For over a century, these tribes evaded the scrutators, allowing the priesthood to believe them extinct, forgotten by civilization.   After the Claiming, Menites of Idrian descent found themselves under the scrutiny of an increasingly paranoid priesthood. More and more Idrians stole away in the night to escape purges and make the perilous journey east to their ancestral homelands.   The Marchfolk are, above all else, survivors adapted to a sparse, nomadic existence. Among them are horsemen who ride as if born in the saddle, and expert hunters and trackers, allowing the Marchfolk to endure in a harsh environment with few resources.    

Khadoran (IK:R - p.62)

  Basically: Think steam powered Soviet Russian army, but with Tsarist Russian aristocracy as it gets closer to the 1918 revolution. Fur ushankas, freezing cold, military might, red paint, and civil unrest.   Vast, combative, and possessed of fervent nationalism, the empire of Khador has been at the heart of most conflicts in the Iron Kingdoms over the past six centuries. Khador’s history of military conquest and martial excellence may be proud, but much of it is as dark as the northern winters, and darker still is the empire's pursuit of sorcerous power.   During the Claiming, highly placed members of the Khadoran court revealed themselves to be infernalist traitors. The Great Princess Regna Gravnoy, ruler of one of Khador’s most forbidding territories, a member of Empress Ayn Vanar's court, and known as the “Winter Queen” to her subjects revealed herself to be one of them. Revelation of infernalists in the highest ranks of government threw Khador into disarray, and the empire declined drasticaly following the Claiming. Worker strikes were put down with brutal military suppression, and the empress struggled to hold onto power. To do so, she appealed to two things that had always unified the Khadoran people: love of the Motherland and military conquest. As other nations enjoy a renaissance of technology and culture, Khador prepares once again for war.   Born of harsh northern winters and a history of conquest and war, Khadorans are generally severe, rugged, and possess fervent nationalism reinforced by mandatory military service. They are also culturally diverse, with small villages on the fringes of the empire keeping to the old ways - the Umbreans in the east practice folk rituals and customs predating the Khardic Empire (pre-Khador), while the Skirovs and Kossites adhered to the traditions of their old faiths. Although the Morrowan faith had long been the official religion of the state, Khador was always home to a massive population of Old Faith Menites.      

Llaelese (IK:R - p.63)

  Basically: Think French resistance, and a mix of French and Italian culture. Nobility and ancestry holds a lot of sway, fiercely proud and independant, and duelling over trifles is not unheard of. Half the country is still held by Khador, and the Llaelese resistance are still active.   A proud realm with a complex history, Llael has perhaps suffered more than any other nation in the Iron Kingdomsin recent years. Occupation and war in Llael - between Khador, the Protectorate's northern crusade, Cygnar, and their own resistance forces - have proven to be a great leveler for its people. Fortunes, lands, and ancestral power were lost in its wake, forcing aristocrats to eke out an existence alongside the lowest laborers. As the country was rebuilt, even the most destitute Llaelese retained a bearing and sense of value that set them apart from the downtrodden of other kingdoms.   Despite recent setbacks, many Llaelese still take pride in their cultural heritage, knowledge of ancestry, and greater appreciation for many aspects of life. In keeping with that pride (and their history under occupation), Llael possesses a robust duelling code and citizens are expected to be able to defend themselves and their honour. Llael is home to three main groups: the Ryn, Umbreans, and Tordorans. Llael also is the birthplace of the Order of the Golden Crucible (ancient alchemical order) and several orders of gun mages.    

Ordic (IK:R - p.64)

  Basically: Spain and the Spanish navy during their supremacy mixed with seedy dockside towns, pirat- I mean privateers, mercanary companies abound, and plenty of alchemists about the place because the Order of the Golden Crucible set up shop in Ord after the occupation of Llael.   The people of Ord are at home on the oceans and waterways of western Immoren, often finding their first employment as part of a ship’s crew. Those who don’t make a living sailing are just as likely to be employed in ports or engaged in other professions related to the sea. For those who resist the call of the sea, Ord also possesses a strong mercenary tradition, providing the nation with wealth and experienced soldiers while remaining a vested interest for both Cygnar to the south, and Khador to the north. Remaining neutral between the two powers while supplying arms and troops to both ensured the country's survival during centuries of war. There are two major cultural groups in Ord: the Thurians and the Tordorans.    

Cryxian (IK:R - p.65)

  Basically: I feel that the description below is best. Cryx is full of d(r)ead pirates, cultists, necromancers, dragonblighted folk, evil frankensteinian nightmare creations, ghosts, liches, and everyone else just struggling to survive. And at the top, is the Dragonfather Toruk - the first dragon, big enough to fit warships in his mouth. They're not well recieved in the Iron Kingdoms but those who aren't too heavily blighted can just lie about where they're from.   Over time, as wars consumed western Immoren and great civilizations rose and fell, countless people were driven from their former homes. Many of these refugees sought shelter in the far corners of the continent, and a great number fled west to the Scharde Islands. The people living there today are thought to be the descendants of those who once hailed from Morrdh, Tordor, and Thuria, as well as those once counted among the Molgur.   Cryx is an unforgiving land surrounded by tempestuous seas, plagued by the corrupting blight of the great dragon Toruk, and infested with legions of the Dragonfather’s undead minions. Life is cheap in the Nightmare Empire, and its inhabitants are forced to fight for every paltry scrap.   Over time, Toruk’s powerful blight has seeped into every part of the Scharde Islands, transforming the people and the land. The generations spawned by the survivors of Toruk’s arrival and the rise of Cryx have been irrevocably tainted by the presence of the Dragonfather. These people, now called the Scharde, are easily recognized by their ritual scars, tattoos, and bone piercings. Some, however, bear the taint of draconic blight more obviously. Solid-black eyes, razorsharp teeth, scaled skin, and other deformations are common among Cryx’s inhabitants. Even the less blatantly corrupted have been influenced by the dragon’s proximity, and the Scharde are largely a cruel and violent people.      

Other human groups

Several other smaller cultures call the Iron Kingdoms home. The dark-skinned Radiz and the Sinari are found across the southern kingdoms. Some of these nomadic people live in caravans that trek across western and central Cygnar. Both groups have dwindled over the centuries as families have abandoned the old ways and integrated with those of other cultures, bringing greater diversity to the Thurians, Midlunders, and Caspians in particular. Pocket groups in Cygnar include the Gnasir and the Arjun, both of whom shun contact with outsiders and speak their own somewhat incomprehensible dialects. Northern Khador is home to a number of isolated groups who once contended with the Skirov and the Kossites for resources. These include the Vindol, the Ruscar, the Bolotov, and the Yhari-Umbreans. Some of these people live in tribes little changed since the days of the Molgur and still proudly display totemic emblems of the wolf, the bear, and the raven.  

Nonhumans of the Iron Kingdoms

The Children of Dhunia, Elves, Ogrun, and Dwarves  

Bogrin (Borderlands & Beyond - p.59)

  Basically: The wilder, more "gobliny" goblinoids. Sneaky, crafty, smart, and well, gobliny.   These clever goblinoids are tougher and more ferocious than their gobber cousins. Able to thrive in the harshest environments, they are a common sight in the Bloodstone Marches, mountains, and forests of the borderlands. Most citizens of the Iron Kingdoms are only aware of the diminutive people known collectively as gobbers. But there are, in fact, two goblin species - Gobbers being the smaller of the two. Sneaky and, by human standards, more civilized, gobbers are found throughout the Iron Kingdoms. Bogrin are stronger and much more aggressive, but just as opportunistic.   Bogrin, like many of Dhunia’s children, form tribes and kriels in the wilderness, but some make a life within the cities of the Iron Kingdoms, most notably in the pirate city Five Fingers. Bogrins are tenacious, loyal, and team-focused, and are adept at deception and trickery. Rarely do they attack their targets and enemies head-on, choosing instead to lure them into well-laid traps, bottlenecks, and dead ends. Tribes are still led by the strongest and most devious members, who enjoy the best cuts of meat and have the first choice of the spoils of battle.   They are practiced in bushcraft, alchemical arts, and skinning, and despite their aggression they happily trade their wares and trinkets with outsiders. Bogrin still follow their spoken traditions and myths, praying to the Devourer Wurm and Dhunia and looking for their guidance and blessings in acts of bloodshed and healing, respectively. Such is their faith in the Great Mother that bogrin often establish settlements where their mystics find the strongest spiritual connection to the goddess—caves, waterfalls, mines, and natural rockformations.   Like their gobber cousins, bogrin names (see Gobbers below) are a single long name that combines a personal name with their parents’ names and a final descriptive nickname. Bogrin use gobber names but often favor those with harsher consonants.  

Farrow (Borderlands & Beyond - p.60)

  Basically: Pig-men! They're good with their nose, and disturbingly great cooks, just don't ask where they got the ingredients! They're opportunistic, tribal, but cunning and crafty; able to use scraps to make something out of anything.   A hardy species of a porcine nature, the farrow have existed at the fringes of the Iron Kingdoms and many tribes are found in the Bloodstone Marches where they eke out a life consuming the scraps left by other peoples of western Immoren and lead savage raids upon caravans and isolated communities. While they are hardy and brutal, they are also always looking for opportunity and an easy meal.   Even hunched over, farrow stand as tall, if not taller, than humans. Their faces are boar-like, ending in wet snouts from under which curl prominent tusks. With broad hands terminating in just three fingers and legs ending in cloven hoofs, they are built for physical exertion and endurance. These tough boar-men can live in places even trollkin would shy from.   While the farrow are not above eating carrion and rancid offcuts, they are also not just brutish animals (and are even seemingly excellent cooks). The farrow have a society, of sorts, dominated by strength and cunning. Like many of the other peoples in the wilds, the farrow are the children of Dhunia. And while Dhunian shamans exist among the farrow, the farrow have no written history or even oral traditions that explain their origins   Farrow villages can be found from the heights of the Dragonspine Peaks to the depths of the Thornwood Forest and across the Bloodstone Marches. Their hovels, and nearly everything of farrow life, is made from the scraps and detritus that the farrow steal, plunder, and dig up. Nothing is wasted, not even their dead—farrow have no taboos regarding cannibalism.   Such ingenuity even allows the farrow to fashion crude firearms, and artisans and craftsmen gain elevated status for arming the tribal raiding parties. The very bottom of their society is thus composed of the weak, dimwitted, and ostracized, who toil away while being savagely beaten into submission. Much to the surprise of humans and Iosans, the farrow even have a language known as Grun. Cobbled together from words in ancient Caspian, the odd intelligible Cygnaran verbiage, Molgur-Trul, and even some Gobberish, the language sounds half-garbled, punctuated with grunts and squeals.    

Gobbers (IK:R - p.57)

  Basically: Goblins with Joblins! They're adorable little weirdos who are great with tinkering and have a loose understanding of the term "ownership". Basically a hybrid of D&D goblins and rock gnomes. Their naming system is also rad.   Gobbers are an amiable and curious people inclined to violence only as a last resort, which differentiates them from their wilder cousins, known as bogrin. They have had considerable success integrating into human society in both rural and urban areas. Gobbers find work as astute traders, skilled laborers, and innovative thinkers with a natural affinity for alchemy and engineering   Slender and wiry, gobbers are a diminutive people. Their hairless skin is generally a mottled green-grey. This coloration can change drastically—often in response to a gobber’s mood—and some gobbers can even control this hue to a limited degree. They also possess wide-set eyes, big pointed ears, overly large feet, quick hands, and a protrusive mug featuring a wide mouth full of teeth.   Despite being half the size of humans, gobbers have found a niche among the civilizations of the Iron Kingdoms and within the expansive wilderness of western Immoren. Although some face prejudice from intolerant humans, they have still managed to integrate themselves into nearly every human society. Among wilder folk, gobbers often find a place as traders of goods manufactured in cities or sell their skills as tinkerers and bodgers.   Gobbers are one of the three major races that worship the mother-goddess Dhunia, although religion is not a major aspect of their lives. Indeed, they seem irreverent and lacking in solemnity to members of some cultures, but this is merely an extension of their curiosity and general disregard for social barriers. Gobber society has little regimentation or hierarchy, and all gobbers are expected to speak frankly and contribute to the general well-being of their family and closest friends.   Gobbers who work and live together fall into a communal relationship in which ownership of items such as tools and weapons becomes meaningless, a behavior they may also exhibit with friends and colleagues of other races. Although they do not consider taking another’s belongings under such circumstances to be theft, those who live in human society understand human norms and are not allowed to plead ignorance as a means of evading punishment for such crimes. Small in stature and naturally skilled at evading notice, gobbers make exceptional thieves, but their success in this field has led to unfortunate stereotypes. Most gobbers prefer to create things of lasting value by the skill of their hands and equally nimble minds than to survive by pilfering.   That said, they are often exploited in low-paying jobs, with many living in poverty and sometimes turning to criminal professions as an alternative. Others live as seminomadic junkers, a respectable trade among gobbers, and travel from town to town salvaging broken and discarded items to repair and resell.   A gobber’s name is often a long single name that combines a personal name, the mother’s and father’s names, and some nickname or descriptor. These descriptors often hold a double meaning, with positive and negative elements. A gobber’s component names are usually short and seldom longer than a single syllable. When addressing gobbers, members of other cultures often use nicknames or names that are more appropriate for the kingdom’s naming traditions. For example, a male gobber named Az born to parents named Mog and Rala might be named Azralamoggamun but go by “Az” among his non-gobber companions.    

Iosan (IK:R - p.66)

  Basically: Xenophobic and secretive (mostly depressed) elves with dead gods, many of whom blame the death of their gods on human arcanists - and so the best mage hunters are all Iosan. Aloof, long lived, magically adept, and technologically potent.   The learned and physically graceful people of Ios are the remnants of a once-vast elven empire that has long since collapsed. For many centuries, their former strength as a nation has dwindled, as have their numbers, leaving their forested cities a twilight kingdom of empty relics and unoccupied streets with only a fraction of their former numbers to inhabit them.   Iosans are physically similar to humans, with males and females standing 6 feet tall on average, with long, pointed ears. They tend to have a slenderer build than humans but are nearly as robust. Iosans live considerably longer than most races, which has given rise to a reputation for agelessness. Many enjoy lives over two centuries long, for they are not prone to disease and rarely show the ravages of time, even in their advanced years. Given the imminent doom their race faces, their longevity is not seen as a great advantage. Not many non-Iosans know it, but the few Iosans they encounter are part of a dwindling generation facing the prospect of an extinction that might occur within their lifetimes. This existential crisis has led to xenophobia and extreme secrecy among most Iosans. Outsiders who come to know Iosans soon realize they are an intelligent and skilled people equally well versed in combat and the arcane arts. Iosans are deeply private about religious matters, but when they discuss such topics, they do so with a mixture of deep devotion and great sadness.   Iosans have been reticent for as long as humanity can remember, but their isolationism has taken an extreme turn in the last few decades, during which the nation of Ios has closed its borders and cut off all trade with foreigners. Its forests are a strange and silent place from which no Iosans emerge, and intruders who venture beyond its borders are never seen again. Rumors circulate of some great downfall, perhaps matching the Cataclysm of ancient days, but neither scholars nor treasure hunters have returned to confirm the truth.   Despite all this, a number of Iosans live among the human kingdoms. These tend to be exiles, pilgrims, or well-armed agents serving vital missions. Two Iosan religious sects have specific reasons to be abroad in human lands: the Seekers and the Retribution of Scyrah, with the former tending to be much friendlier to humans than the latter.  

The Nyss (IK:R - p.67)

  Basically: See the Iosans above, but more tribal. These guys are frozen wilderness survivalists and physically strong. Chased out of their homeland by the dragon Everblight.   The Nyss are a rugged race of elves that once inhabited the frozen north amid the imposing peaks of the Shard Spires—a region so inhospitable that even the hardy Khadorans ceded it to them. They lived there as seminomadic tribes with permanent structures reserved for houses of worship to their god, Nyssor. Driven from their home by betrayal and corruption by the dragon Everblight, they have been forced to live among the Iron Kingdoms as refugees. Although Nyss walk a difficult road, few others possess their strength of will.   Physically, Nyss are somewhat reminiscent of Iosans, but there is no mistaking the two. Nyss are tall—taller than Iosans—with skin to match their snowy realm and stark hair that's either jet black or very pale. Their eyes are like ice, cold and blue or sometimes violet. Nyss mark themselves with intricate tattoos called siyaeric, or “letters of the skin,” which relate to traditions that mark an individual as a member of a particular “shard,” or tribe. Additional modifications to these tattoos express personal convictions, family history, noteworthy deeds, or religious, magical, or spiritual beliefs.   The Nyss were once more similar to the Iosans and lived alongside them, although they were never as xenophobic or insular as their cousins. Centuries ago, they undertook a spiritual exodus to the frozen wilds and adopted a new way of life, forever changing them. They adapted to the frozen peaks of the Shard Spires and became accustomed to snow and ice. They lived in small tribal villages, protecting their mountain homes from the intrusions of northern trollkin, wild human tribes, and opportunistic bogrin.The Nyss are a tribal people who live close to the land as superlative hunters, trackers, archers, and swordsmen.   Inheritors of a long and ancient line, they have mastered the forging of superior weapons and the crafting of supple leather armor. Considered the chosen people of the winter god Nyssor, the Nyss have an affinity for cold. Sorcery is common among them and is seen as a blessing that allows them to manifest the power of cold against their enemies.   The Nyss were traditionally a strongly devout people, but their culture was recently shattered by the arrival of the dragon Everblight, who worked through his minions to enslave most of the Nyss as part of his legion. The few who escaped the dragon’s blight fled south as refugees to eke out livings as mercenaries, hunters, or criminals. Even as they tried to preserve their old ways, they relied on other peoples to ensure their survival. The recovery and return of the god Nyssor to Ios has caused many Nyss to return to their former homeland. They still live as outsiders among the Iosans, gathering in smaller communities in the forests, but some have chosen to see it as a homecoming. Those who have not returned to Ios still live among the kingdoms of humanity, doing what they must to survive.    

Ogrun (IK:R - p.68)

  Basically: Lawful-as-fuck half-ogre looking guys. They spend their lives pursuing a vision quest to find their Korune - someone worthy of swearing themselves to for the remainder of their lives. Stalwart to a fault, and severe in everything from religion to making tea. Those in Rhulic society are considered full citizens and have a symbiotic relationship with the Dwarves, though tribal ogrun still exist.   Ogrun are fierce-looking, formidable creatures who tower over most other races and are capable of remarkable feats of strength. They are also a tremendously honorable people who have earned a place for themselves in the Iron Kingdoms, primarily as laborers and peerless warriors. Ogrun are known for their size. With most standing at least 7 feet tall, their broad frames of burly muscle have given them a reputation as brutal warriors and skilled laborers.   Ogrun skin ranges in color from pale hues to deep black. Many have a ruddy, brownish skin. Their hair is typically dark and bristly, although males typically lack hair on their heads and prefer to wear rugged beards or other facial hair.   Ogrun are one of the major Dhunian races, and they remain a spiritual people despite the changes their society has undergone within Rhul. Traditional ogrun culture is rooted in a simple but effective system of feudalism whereby young warriors called bokurs must eventually find worthy leaders to serve. Elder ogrun in turn hope to prove worthy enough to earn the binding oaths of young bokurs, for whom they then carry a certain responsibility. The ogrun in the leadership position is a korune—a lord—and there can be multiple layers of vassalage in an ogrun tribe, with the leader being whoever boasts the largest chain of subordinates. General obligations are secondary to personal oaths, and even Rhulic ogrun feel the urge to find a worthy korune, generally after an extended period of wandering and self-testing   Scattered tribes of ogrun still exist in isolated pockets, but most have integrated into the cultures of the kingdoms of western Immoren. The largest concentration of ogrun is found in Rhul, where ogrun are counted as full members of the dwarven clans to whom they have sworn fealty. Ogrunloyalty is legendary, and they have a reputation for being among the most dedicated and fiercest bodyguards in western Immoren. Mercenary ogrun are deemed more trustworthy and reliable than other sell-swords and can command a premium wage.   Rhulic ogrun have adopted many of the beliefs and priorities of dwarven society, including taking great pride in their work. While most ogrun choose to master the combat arts, there are many accomplished ogrun smiths, masons, and mechanics who tackle these professions with the same dedication as a bokur mastering his battle-glaive.  

Pygs (Pygmy Trollkin) (Borderlands & Beyond - p.63)

  Basically: Pygmy trollkin! Smaller, quicker, more agile, still have regenerative capabilities. Not as strong, but better with a gun.   More commonly known as pygs, pygmy trolls are small—very small. Once, they lived on the fringe of the trollkin society, but the recent struggles of the trollkin kriels have allowed pygs to earn a larger place with the trollkin. Their natural talent for scavenging and knack with firearms has garnered them respect and even prestige within the United Kriels. Much like their larger kin, pygs tend toward pale gray skin tinged with blue and green. Pygs have four fingers and toes as well as the typical spiny protrusions on the backs of their heads and necks. Their adaptability and eagerness are allowing pygs to find their own place in the larger world While the trollkin have often lived with their clans, called kith, and neighboring communities, called kriel, these concepts are relatively new to the pygmy trolls. Having lived on the fringes of trollkin society, the pygs had some rudimentary understanding of kith and kriel, but they now are rapidly learning how they fit into those social structures. The United Kriels have rapidly added the adaptable pygs to their armed forces, giving the pygs traditions of their own, such as the bushwhackers and the Northkin lookouts. Like their larger Trollkin cousins, Their ethnic groups consist of Northkin and Woodland trollkin, but the sorcerous albinos rarely if ever manifest in Pygs.      

Rhulfolk (IK:R - p.70)

  Basically: Dwarves! Beards not mandatory, though. The oldest civilisation on Caen, and have been around before even the elves came. Everything (from personal life to war) is done by a code laid down by the Great Fathers (who they believe they're direct descendants of). Master traders, miners, and their steamjacks are among the most dependable in Immoren. Generally spend their lives pursuing mastery of a trade. Very lawful aligned   Western Immoren has been the home of both men and dwarves since before written history, when only word of mouth and song recorded their deeds. The Rhulfolk—so named after their long-standing kingdom—settled the northern mountains and assembled into a single nation long before mankind had risen from tribal barbarity. They are fittingly chronicled as the first civilization of the west, making theirs the longest unbroken culture of all the settled races. Indeed, when the elves first appeared in western Immoren as the refugees of a shattered empire, the dwarves were already a fixture in the mountains and valleys of Rhul.   Dwarves are equally stalwart in body and demeanor. They have a great lust for life, strong religious convictions, and rich codes of honor and law. Their culture is as distinct and substantial as the mountains they call home. It is common among humans to think of Rhulfolk as fixed and unchanging, but this is not true. They are highly adaptable and have a firm grasp of the changing times. The dwarves of today are much the same as their ancestors, yet very different.   Engineers without peer, Rhulfolk readily embrace the advances of mechanika, the conveniences of steam power, and the improvement of all things manufactured. They once stood alone and isolated in far-flung Rhul, content to disregard the backward races teeming in the south, but the rapacious Orgoth taught them that they could not ignore humanity. Rather than view all humans as encroaching warmongers, however, the pragmatic Rhulfolk somehow accepted that man was every bit as varied and complex as any dwarf.   In time, a new sense of curiosity about the wider world swept the people of Rhul, and recent generations have learned to look outward from their stone halls, even opening their arms in friendship to the kingdoms of mankind. Many dwarves have now settled outside of Rhul to live among the human kingdoms, but today’s dwarves remain wary of ensnaring themselves in the politics of other races. They realize that humanity is always on the brink of a great conflict, and most dwarves are hesitant to be drawn into these disputes.   Dwarven culture defies an easy explanation. Clan rivalry is a way of life. Dwarves apparently enjoy fighting grim duels over minor insults, and bloody feuds have been known to last for generations. Dwarven clans battle openly to resolve their disputes, laying siege to their rivals over such things as the right to build on a plot of land. Yet this bloodshed is meted out alongside strict codes of law passed down through the ages, and clans carry out these campaigns with a sense of honor and propriety that seems alien to the human practice of war. Large numbers of dwarves now live in Cygnar and Khador and have endured the hostilities between these rival nations, as well as the consequences of the Claiming.   Feuding clans have been known to put aside their differences at the first sign of an outside threat, and most dwarves who have been reared outside of Rhul would drop everything in a trice to defend their homeland. The dwarven way is to preserve and build, not destroy. For all their mastery of the art of war and their combat prowess, Rhulfolk strive to leave a legacy that will last through the ages. Sieges are conducted to win territory or prove mettle, never to pillage or plunder. Indeed, some dwarves have been found guilty of such crimes, for dishonor, treachery, banditry, and greed are not altogether unknown to them. Yet the desire to create monuments that long outlast a dwarf’s lifetime is intrinsic to their nature, and even the villains among them are not immune to the urge to be remembered once they are gone.  

Soulless Iosans (Borderlands & Beyond - p.65)

  Basically: Soulless elves. Iosans who were born without souls, neither feel nor understand emotions, and negate magic around them. Basically they're walking voids born from the deaths of the Iosan gods   Much like their soul-having kin, soulless are similar to humans in build, reaching upward of six feet tall. Physically, the soulless are similar to the Iosans: willowy yet vigorous. Soulless generally don’t live as long as their Iosan relatives, typically no more than 100 years. While rumors persist there have been soulless that have lived beyond of 200 years, that has yet to be seen. Soulless are pale like a common Iosan and may have various shades of hair color, but it is not uncommon for them to be bald. Tattoos that cover much of their body are a holdover from their time serving the Retribution of Scyrah. Since the Sundering, it is unknown if those traditions have persisted among the soulless. Unlike the Iosans, all soulless have eyes of pure black that appear as oily pools of nothingness, yet they see as normal Iosans would. The typical xenophobia and secret-keeping of the Iosans applies to the soulless as well. However, after the Sundering, these traits seem magnified or heightened.   No one in western Immoren has kept secrets better than the Iosans. They tightly patrol their borders and expel or outright kill any unwanted guests. Thus, little is known of the nation of Ios, much less of their people and ongoing plight. While once a rarity, the soulless are now the majority and one of the darkest secrets kept by the Iosan people. Starting not long after the Rivening and the return of the goddess Scyrah, Iosan births were marred with the unique circumstance of infants born without souls. With the death of the goddess Ayisla, Suzerain of the Fallen, Iosan souls could no longer be reincarnated into a new vessel. The result of which has finally come full circle with the Sundering: the assassination of the remaining Iosan gods, Nyssor and Scyrah. Partnered with their eldritch allies, the soulless are now the only living Iosans within the nation of Ios. Those coming to the edge of the borders of Ios—or worse, beyond its borders—are likely to find the last things they see are a pair of onyx eyes and a blade edge. Prior to the Sundering, Iosans were rarely seen outside of their homeland. Soulless, by comparison, are nearly nonexistent outside of Ios. Those that are living abroad are either agents of the Retribution of Scyrah or former agents of the Retribution that never returned home. Since the Sundering, soulless have been seen more and more as they work tasks their eldritch allies cannot.    

Trollkin (IK:R - p.71)

  Basically: Braveheart trolls! Big, muscular, blue-skinned, tartan-wearing trolls fond of eating, drinking, fighting, drinking, eating, drinking, and singing. All trollkin voices are deep, powerful, and melodic, and almost all are natural singers. Some are so good in fact, they can Dovahkin shout. That's a thing. Kith and Kriel are central to them, oaths are taken seriously, and they revere Dhunia as they consider themselves her children. Recently, the trollkin have pushed back against civilisation to establish the United Kriels.   Savage trolls once roamed all the forests and plains of Immoren, but as time passed they assembled into tribes, which branched into clan families, and soon enough trolls came in a variety of shapes, sizes, and eating habits. The latter is perhaps the greatest distinction that sets trollkin apart from other trolls, allowing the other races of western Immoren to experience their peculiarities firsthand without fear of becoming their next meal. Trollkin still retain a nighinsatiable hunger and are known for their feasts—which often consist of awfully undercooked foods by human standards—but intelligent races no longer tend to make the menu.   Trollkin are large—very large. The smallest of them are on par with the largest human, and they stand roughly a head shorter than a hefty ogrun, but they cannot be mistaken for either. Their thick, freckled skin is pale gray, touched blue and green in places, and their irises are so pale that their eyes appear stark white. Trollkin have large three-fingered hands, three-toed feet, and spiny protrusions on the backs of their heads and necks, and their sonorous voices are not easily misjudged. Indeed, they are captivating singers, and some are so powerful they can utilize their articulations as actual weapons. Others among them have been born with sorcerous abilities. These “blessed” trollkin sorcerers are easily identified by their smaller size and stark white skin, and they are held in high regard among their people.   For trollkin, the tribal way of life has never faded. Every trollkin is a member of a tightly knit clan called a kith, who are often related by blood, and neighboring kith are considered a kriel, a word in Molgur that essentially translates as “people.” It is believed that as many as two hundred kriels once existed throughout western Immoren. The elder kith of a kriel are called the Circle of Stones, and they regulate and establish trollkin customs, laws, and religion. Indeed, trollkin culture is lavish in its colors and decorations, and every kith has a quitari, a tartan pattern that distinguishes the kith and is sometimes worn as a sash around the waist or over the shoulder and incorporated into banners and pennons. In fact, trollkin are skilled weavers and dyers. They take great pride in complex and elaborate patterns that boggle most viewers, especially non-trollkin, and this skill is certainly one of their inroads into human communities.   Trollkin are unrestrained in their music and dance and just as unrestrained in acting on their belief that all naturalphenomena are born of Dhunia and have souls. Spirits dominate everything they do, and it is customary, in honor of Dhunia, to offer fruits and flowers to others as a token of goodwill or to make amends. Like the soul, blood and bloodline are extremely important to all trollkin, and dismissing or disrespecting either is considered a grave offense. Most trollkin adherents of Dhunia believe that all things come from and return to the earth to be reborn. “Deep and true as blood and bone” is a trollkin vow that literally means “all things” or “all that I am,” which encompasses every life a trollkin has lived, as well as the lives of all relatives and ancestors. It is a somber phrase used only when trollkin speak the truth or make an oath.   Because they are so close-knit, trollkin are sometimes considered aloof, or even hostile, by other races. This may have something to do with their bias against creatures they consider “weak blooded,” but they try not to hold this too personally against those who lack the good fortune to have been born a trollkin. Indeed, some have even been heard to say that some of their associates of other races “must have been trollkin in a former life” or that “there’s always the next life” for their comrades to be reborn as trollkin.   Trollkin have 2 major ethnic and cultural groups: Northkin, and Woodland trollkin. Albino trollkin may be born of either.  
Western Immoren Base Map Image

Western Immoren and the Iron Kingdoms


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