Grolsaan

Summary

God

Kassora, Mistress of battle

Description

The Grolsaan are a tall, bipedal race native to Kessofare, and are well adjusted to the desert region in which they live. They are muscular and stand between 7 feet 9 inches and 9 feet tall, and have broad crocodilian heads. They are covered in thick scales that vary in color, with browns and forest greens being the most common and whitish greys and faint blues being much rarer. Some are even yellow-brown and khaki, particularly those in the dryer regions.
They have broad tails with stiff ridges across the edge. Their hands and feet are webbed, however the webbing is flexible enough to not harm their dexterity and heals quickly if torn in combat. Their eyes are typically yellow or brown, with tall black slits for pupils. They typically live for sixty five to eighty years, but are capable of living much longer (and becoming much larger) if they maintain themselves well. Their greatest combatants can live to over two hundred years, and grow to ten feet tall. The females are notably larger, often growing up to a foot taller than similarly aged males by the end of their lives, and as such 11 foot individuals are noted.

Cultures

They are a warrior people, and place a great emphasis on combat within their culture and are amongst the greatest close range combatants. They are not incapable of long term strategy, but are best suited for close range combat or short term strategy. The Grolsaan use a wide variety of handheld weapons, utilizing combat sickles, scimitars, pole-arms, axes and more. The variety of weapons is an important element of their culture, and an individuals choice in weaponry is seen as an extremely personal choice.
They are capable of great brutality, however they are not uncaring. They have a close friendship with the Kiari, and see themselves as protectors of their smaller friends. This friendship goes back to The Astral Crusade, where their complimentary natures of warrior and carer helped to build a mutual trust between the two people. Both cultures respect integrity, and personal responsibility is one of the largest bonds between the two peoples.
They tolerate the presence of pirates and slavers in the east, but most of these factions know better than to attempt to sell them a Kiari slave, as this will often enrage the Grolsaan. They do themselves partake in the act of slavery, however they differ from other cultures that still do so in that they generally fully intend to free their slaves after a short period of service (as long as it is of sufficient quality), and powerful individuals often grant their best slaves titles upon their release.

History

The Grolsaan were created by Kassora to serve as the vanguard of the gods armies during The Astral Crusade, and settled in Kessofare in east Tor'Saarn before the first age.