Post by Rite on Nov 22, 2017 8:49:02 GMT
INTRODUCTION
Marea is a world that is old enough to have seen the rise and fall of countless ages, kings, peoples, races, and periods of both peace and unrest. The dirt of the planet has been graced and defiled by all manners of creations and abominations. In the current era, which is known as the 7th, the races of man are the predominant power in the world -- or at least they've spread far and wide enough to claim as such if only based upon sheer population.
Yet, while the sons and daughters of humanity may very well lay claim to the majority of the mainline continents of Marea, there may be entities that slither and scuffle by right under their noses, unseen, that might just have other ideas.
RACES OF THE SOWLANDS
The Sowlands are beautiful, forested, and temperate grasslands. What lurks in the shadows of the trees and boulders here is mostly unseen, however, and the land may be less picturesque than one may imagine at first glance. The people here tend to be organized and dependant upon the structure that political bodies can provide -- yet, each of the races and factions manifest this dependency in different ways.
Redics/Redicians:
The tanned residents of the fertile, game abundant, Westlands of the Sowlands. The Redicians are a free people, only bound by communal decree that guides their lords and by the desires of their communities. Work in the Westlands can be physically demanding, but the mainly agrarian economy there generally flourishes during most seasons -- except in the rare cases of droughts or famine -- making food and general employment relatively easy to secure, especially in the spring and summer months.
That said, many Redicians are relatively uneducated and all are, almost without exception, very well accustomed to the rights that they enjoy as free citizens of their respective city-states. This can make them somewhat suspicious of anyone whom they perceive as a threat to their right to personal sovereignty, or even just downright bigoted towards said peoples. The common folk can be quite unwelcoming to other cultures or races in certain parts of the country, with the exception of those in the melting pot that is Pe'Karan.
Of course, while social rank is not exclusively hereditary and the Redicians enjoy a great many privileges, there are unspoken class divides. The rich tend to be more well educated and thoughtful and focused on the more intellectual pursuits in life.
In general, it would be the landowners and politicians that make up the upper class of Redician society -- and yet even these higher positioned peoples always have to fear the partial or even open revolt of those below them.
It should also be noted that, even while there are ample rights provided to the average citizen and the people are allowed to cast their vote towards state decisions, the control of most of the cities in the Pact is still in the hands of a small collection of countesses and counts.
Still, it is only mildly difficult to raise your social standing within the kingdoms of The Redican Pact. With most of the available wealth being tied up in expensive land, it can be somewhat vexing to climb from the working class to the middle class or higher -- although it is definitely doable in a single lifetime.
Stat Boost: + 1 to Occupation OR Charisma
Swassians:
Tall and thinly muscled, the Swassians are a fair-haired people, with fire and sun-touched locks being most common among their number and with the lighter hues of possible eye colorings dominating their gene pool, at least for the most part.
Swassians are a strong-minded people, with a differing outlook on life from the Redicians. The Kingdom Of Swassia is, without a doubt, a totalitarian state. The Mage Lords of the region rule and micro-manage their holdings with as much, or as little, scrutiny as they deem fit at any given time. Additionally, over ninety-five percent of the Swassian population has very little wealth to call their own.
That said, the average Swassian generally lives at a much higher standard of living than the lower class of most other kingdoms do. While much of the profit from what they produce is taken from them, and personal liberties are limited, the Mage Lords do provide them with above-average food, shelter, and security -- for the most part and for most of the time.
Swassian peasants have a tendency towards being hardworking, orderly people, who are very family and community minded.
The Swassian nobility is another story. The younger among the Mage Lords are often very concerned with politics, wealth, luxuries, etc. However, the eldest among them tend towards being more morally absent and concerned with pursuits beyond what most people in Marea struggle towards.
There are also a select few peasants whom the Mage Lords have raised up to act as their vassals, stewards, etc, or what have you. This small class of lowborn aristocrats live, in varying degrees, lives of luxury and extravagance, but are always at the whims and mercy of their masters.
Stat Boost: + 1 to Intelligence OR Willpower (If you're playing a Swassian noble.)
Or/Orish:
Brown haired explorers and some of the foremost and richest merchants of the world, the Orish people of the south are a tenacious and free-spirited bunch.
The Ordician Orderistrate governs the Or at their behest and is a tight alliance forged between the coastal and river kingdoms of the southern portions of The Sowlands, which are known as the Riverlands. While the population of the Orderistrate is relatively low in comparison to that of the other political alliances and kingdoms in the region, the Ors have managed to hold their own for centuries against their neighboring cities and peoples.
This is in large part thanks to their superb sea-fairing and shipbuilding capabilities. With both the Swassians and the Redicians being either landlocked or sealed in on all sides by massive mountain ranges, only the Orish maintain anything even resembling a respectable navy. In their homeland, which is carved up by massive rivers and ocean inlets, this makes their maneuverability and defensive capability truly frighteningly ironclad, causing the prospect of invasion to often be a distasteful one in the minds of the Kingdom Of Swassia and the Redican Pact.
The Or have fought off such invasions with a complete refusal to falter, on numerous historic occasions, instilling in many of them a rich cultural identity that values individualism, Orish tradition, and a refusal to quit.
In peacetime, the Orish economy is also mainly centered around their sailing abilities. Trading with the Marns of the Kakarsin Dessert and the Harindanni Tribes of Harindash, their economy flourishes or fails depending on the health of the world's trade. They are even accepted within Swassia and the lands of the Redicians when there are no ongoing hostilities.
In their own homeland, the Or mainly govern themselves. Being somewhat tribalistic, depending on the part of the country, the Or submit their will to their ruling families, or their elected kings, and expect their leaders to carry out their wishes with respect and due haste.
All in all, the Or are a hardy, adventure loving, and tight-knit group of merchants and vagabonds -- with the occasional pirate among their bunch here or there.
Stat Boost: + 1 to Charisma OR + 1 Dexterity
RACES OF THE KAKARSIN WASTES
Dust, and black sand, and blood, and great canyons and rock structures. To the West and Southwest of the Sowlands. Known as Marn to the resident people, very little of the Kakarsin Wastes are held by any independent power.
Marjit/Marjitmen:
The brown-skinned and naturally imposing race of humanoid horse tribesmen that have been confined, by the Kakarnin Mountains, to the Northern Wastes of the West. The Marjit are larger and stronger than their Egite counterparts in the South, having evolved in an environment of constant conflict. For centuries, the Marjit have warred against their own number and with the Tartat, or dessert trolls as they are known by the other races of Marea. Additionally, the Marjit have traditionally shunned magic as a demonic and shamanistic tool of their enemies, the trolls, leaving them only with physical recourses towards their own protection -- thus it is very, very seldom that a child is born with a natural magic affinity within their lands as such hereditary gifts have all but been bred out.
This constant state of war and violence that they've lived in for time memorable, combined with the barren environment of their homeland, has turned the Marjit into a savage and utilitarian race. A race that has gone as far as to have traditionally worshiped no gods but their own strength.
For time innumerable, their tribes have been ruled by a co-rulership of an elder wise woman, known as an Ati or "grandmother" in Marjiti, and a Banto, or "war father".
In times past, it had been the Ati who had tempered the bloodlust and will to dominate of the Bantos. In this way, the bantos of the various clans were tempered by the atis' advice and concern for the good of the people.
However, the ancient order of things has recently been shattered by a man who has come to be known as Tibanto, or "clan father". As the political and war leader of the various horse tribes, all of which have now been united under his strength and fame, Cyrus Trollbane has the force of tens of thousands of experienced light and heavy cavalry at his command -- a legion of men that very well may be one of the overall strongest land armies in the known world.
Cyrus has also recently instituted a veneration of a defined set of Marjit ancestor spirits, despite the outcry of some who claim this to be a barbaric heresy. In any case, this had been a religious practice that had long since fallen out of practice before Cyrus' ascension to the rank of Tibanto.
Outside of the Northern Wastes, it is somewhat uncommon to see Marjit Wastelanders in the other kingdoms of The Sowlands; however, those who have been banished from the lands of their clans, or who have somehow made it onto the occasional ship that passes by the northern coastlines of the wastes, are not unknown of to the wider population of the outside world. In fact, Marjitmen often make excellent mercenaries due to their size and martial upbringing.
Stat Boost: + 1 Strength OR Martial Prowess
Tartat:
Known as dessert trolls, the Tartat are the ancient, sand-colored enemies of the Marjit. Through years of fighting with the extremely powerful trolls, the Marjit have been tempered into a race that towers above the other races of man. However, the Tartat are even larger and stronger than their enemies. The possess deceptively lithe and lanky limbs, legs, torsos that house the strength of multiple men. From their faces, long and crooked noses sprout.
The dessert trolls have lived under the sands of the Northern Wastes, in underground cities constructed from the bodies of giant insects, for as long as anyone can remember. Being a purely carnivorous race, they have always preyed upon the giant bugs of the surface and underground, along with the other races of the overworld. It is this brutal lack of a respect or recognition of anyone who isn't a Tartat that has brought the trolls into conflict with the Marjit.
It's not that the Tartat are beasts. They have their own language, culture, oral and written histories, and are known to produce some of the finest weapons in the world from the moonstone ore that they mine out from under the wastes; however, the gods of earth and possession that the trolls worship demand and teach that none other than the Tartat should be allowed supremacy over their lands and anything else that they desire. This makes them an altogether selfish and narcissistic race when it comes to relating to other sapient beings.
And, indeed, for thousands of years, it was the Tartat who held the real power in the northern wastes, venturing forth at will from their underground tribes to slay and devour any and all that they desired. However, in the year 813 of the Seventh Era, their numbers were decimated when they made the mistake of capturing a man by the name of Cyrus Trollbane. Through what has been said to have been a prisoner rebellion, Cyrus Trollbane decimated the numbers of the trolls in a single night and wiped out their largest clans; however, only Cyrus survived the rebellion that he led and no known trolls that stood before him during that night still yet breath, leaving perhaps only Cyrus to know what truly happened that night.
Currently, only pocket remnants of Tartat exist in hidden dwellings in the Kakarsin wastes. They are killed on sight by almost all Marjit and are actively hunted by Cyrus' elite Blood Riders. Because of this, the Tartat are barely surviving in the wastes and many are merely living hand to mouth, nursing their hatred of the Marjit under the guidance of their own shamans.
There are those Tartat who have ventured out into the world, however, both before and after the decimation of the dessert troll race. These adventurers and refugees are unlikely to find a home among any of the kingdoms of man, and would probably not even want to due to their bred-in racism towards humans, but they are sometimes welcomed by pirate crews, mercenaries, and in the lands of other beast folks.
Stat Boost: + 1 Dexterity Or + 1 Strength
Egite:
The Egite are an averagely sized group of copper-skinned traders and hunters. With crops being completely impossible to grow in the wastes, the Egite have resorted to the hunting and raising of certain, select creatures to feed themselves.
United under no singular banner, the Egite live in large tent cities, migrating freely when their needs demand it.
A caste system generally exists within the various tribes, with a council of elders presiding at the top of their society, followed by the priests, the warriors and hunters, and then the tradesmen. There are exceptions to this rule, however.
The Egite equip themselves with arms, armor, and clothing produced from the hard shells and byproducts of the creatures that skirt the black sands of the eastern and southern wastes. With portions of the south being highly unstable to traverse on foot, it is also not uncommon for the Egite to use certain species of the same insects to safely travel their lands. These same dangers of traveling also make visiting, or even invading, the lands of the Egite a highly dangerous thing to do for someone who is not in the know and who isn't able to spot the hazards of the Kakarsin Dessert, making the Egite somewhat unused to visitors.
Worshiping bug-headed and many-faced deities, the Egite faith is often seen as foreign and strange to the other men of Marea. That said, the faith itself merely puts forth a philosophy of conservation and ancestor veneration. In fact, it is the Egite who upkeep the massive city of the dead known as D'Min that rises high and expands out for miles in the Eastern Wastes -- it is there that the bones of their ancestors are incorporated into the structures of the city, forever reunited with the rest of the deceased Egite race. For an Egite, to have one's remains lost, destroyed, desecrated, or otherwise not incorporated into D'Min is the equivalent of the assured destruction of the soul.
While their gods teach them to survive in their harsh environment, in the faith of the Egite there is the concept of another, darker entity that is known as Sidrid. Sidrid is sometimes simply referred to as "the adversary" -- or by any other number of names. To the Egite, it is Sidrid who tempts and tests their goodness; however, it is also Sidrid who will corrupt their souls into broken shades of their former selves if their families and comrades fail to properly secure their bones in the sacred city of the dead.
Stat Boost: + 1 Dexterity OR + 1 Endurance
RACES OF THE DARK MOOR
The semi-dry swamps to the East of the Sowlands. A land that is wreathed in folklore and shrouded in mystery, what lurks under the dark pines that rise over the Moor may very well be the stuff of legends -- but only those who have dared to walk here will be able to sort the lies from the truth.
Morseet:
The Morseet are known to the rest of the world as swamp trolls. The average morseet is larger even than a dessert troll and stands at around eight or nine feet in height. To put it plainly, a swamp troll is a massive, muscled predator. From their mouth full of fanged teeth to their dark skin that blends in perfectly with the black pines of the Dark Moor, all the way to their clawed hands, the swamp trolls are deadly, deadly creatures.
Unlike their dessert dwelling cousins, swamp trolls do not live in packs, instead, they are solitary, territorial creatures. Morseet tend to be very, very aggressive and antisocial -- even going as far as to abandon their children and mating partners after their offspring are spawned.
A swamp troll will eat anything, including other trolls of the same gender that enter their territory. The stronger the troll, the larger the swathe of territory that they are generally able to claim.
The Black Moor is a continent in of itself and there are many, many Morseet lurking within and under its trees; although, when put up against the other races of Marea their population is relatively low.
The Morseet worship no gods and it is very seldom that they are seen outside of The Dark Moor -- and when they are the kingdoms of the Sowlands often hunt them mercilessly as monsters. Even the Kershet are known to band together to kill the swamp trolls, but only when the trolls are directly threatening them.
Note: Negative skill points are treated as having a score of 0 as far roleplay is concerned; additionally, negative skill points may be removed for the price of one skill point per negative point.
Stat Boost: + 5 Strength OR + 5 Dexterity AND - 7 Intelligence
Kershet:
A green-skinned, little more than waist tall race, that are known as goblins to the rest of the known world. The Kersheet are an omnivorous, agile, and dexterous collection of farmers, hunters, smugglers, and vagabonds.
Your average Kershet is not that strong of a creature. They have muscled and gnarled bodies that are relatively thin and lanky; however, they are not able to produce very much force with their well-muscled forms -- that said, they are a naturally balanced race, with an innate sense of their placement in the physical world, and they make excellent acrobats and rogues because of this inborn trait.
Goblins are known to farm within the dryer areas of the Dark Moors and to raise and breed the fish-like creatures that dwell under the waters of their native swamps. With others of their kind being pirates and treasure hunters.
The Kershet are actually somewhat accepted in the lands of the humans; although, while they are allowed into them most times, they are often not permitted to live within the city limits of human towns.
The goblin mindset is one of personal choice, wrapped up in a feeling of something that seems to be like a primal and inborn loyalty towards their kinsmen. They often run in gang-like groups and create settlements that are run by unspoken social structures. While not outright malicious, goblins have a tendency to simply not to agree with human laws and customs that do not permit the reign of personal choice. Don't do drugs? Why, I like drugs and I can control myself, and if my neighbor can't do so as well, well, I'm sure he doesn't mind being whacked out all the time -- and if he does, he can ask for help, or it can just be his problem!
Acting as guides and even as members of the organizations themselves, it is the goblins that often assist the under-the-table smuggling and slaving operations that are known to operate within the Dark Moor.
Stat Boost: + 1 Dexterity OR + 1 Charisma
RACES OF THE AMBER ISLES
The Amber Isles are a closely grouped chain of islands that lie just before the Island Of Harindash when one ventures off the coast of The Kakarsin Wastes. The islands are home to a number of local tribes of beast men. However, in the case of Free Harbor, there are a great many foreigners present as well.
The Kershan:
Known as sea or island goblins to the rest of the world, the Kershan are a race of about waist tall, highly-muscled, blue-skinned, anarchist, and carnivorous pirates and criminals.
The sea goblins live in a society that is run through strength, power, and greed. There are no lords or kings among the sea goblins, merely crime bosses, pirate and mercenary captains, kingpins and other group leaders.
The Kershan run ramshackle merchant and pirate crews that harass and trade along the routes of the southern seas. They are also the founders of the anarchist shanty town that is Free Bay -- a city of driftwood cottages that is filled with what in other places would often be considered illegal, or hard to get, goods and paraphilia.
To outsiders who are not well-acquainted with Kershan culture, the government and social structure of sea goblin society is an intertwining mix of random power plays and unspoken social contracts. To the Kerhsan it is merely life and it should be noted that to cross Kershan society is to be putting oneself at odds with numerous groups of lawless vagabonds that are much, much stronger than they look.
Stat Boost: + 1 Strength
The Hoondaesh:
The peaceful, but closed off, goat men of the three large and semi-tropical islands of the Triad Of Hoondae.
The Hoondaesh are tall, around seven foot or so, and boast flowing manes that sprout out from their large and long faces. Their legs are covered in thick, shaggy fur, and their feet are hoofed like that of a goat -- and the males have horns of varying sizes and lengths to match their goat-like hooves. Physically, the musculature of the Hoondaesh only adds on to their physical prominence, as their race generally displays large and agile, lithely bulging physiques.
The females, conversely, possess bare and breasted chests which they often cover. There is also only a very thin, velvety layer of hair on a female Hoondaesh's legs.
Within their culture, the Hoondaesh are ruled by a pair of kings. These kings and their queens are expected to protect the mundane and spiritual lives of their people. One of these kings is elected and serves for life, whereas the other hails from what is touted as being a divine lineage.
The Hoondaesh worship their god of the in-between, Ashuri, whom they refer to as The Planewalker. Ashuri demands a respect for life and other peoples, along with prescribing a routine of meditation. The Hoondaesh's god, simply put, demands the mental and physical self-improvement of his disciples. It is the belief of the Hoondaesh, that if their minds and bodies are strong enough by the time of their death, that they shall ascend to the in-between with their god. For this reason, to preserve the strength of their dead's physical forms for this possible ascension, the Hoondaesh practice ritualized mummification and store their fallen deep within the cold earth.
It should also be noted, however, that while the Hoondaesh god may teach a surface level respect for all things, that Ashuri also teaches that conquest is the truest path to peace. This has colored the past of the Hoondaesh bleakly -- as, at one time, they shared their home islands with the Kershan, whom they have since driven off and exterminated from the Triad Of Hoondae.
And while the Hoondaesh will trade with and allow other races to moor their ships on their islands -- even with the sea goblins -- they will vehemently refuse to allow any other peoples to settle on their lands. Individual hoondaesh, however, are often allowed in the lands of the other races.
Militarily, the Hoondaesh create some of the most skilled spellblades in the world when it comes to users of the fortification school of magic.
Stat Boost: + 1 Strength OR + 1 Intelligence OR + 1 Willpower (abjuration)
The Kunvala:
Unlike most of the races of Marea, the Kunvala do not primarily live on the surface of the world. In fact, while they can live in the surface world, and they do indeed have surface structures built upon the largest island of the Amber Isles, most of Kunvala society is spread out over the ocean floor.
The Kunvala themselves are often referred to as fish-men. Their skin is rubbery and water resistant and their fingers and feet, despite being humanoid, are webbed. In a way that oftentimes proves to be offsetting to other races, the Kunvala have no eyes and instead operate off of what seems to be an innately magical version of sonar. The Kunvala also speak via this silent sonar ability, leading them to actually "feel" each other's words rather than to hear them.
When conversing with other races, the Kunvala are capable of speaking; although, the race has a distinctly singsong and melodious pronunciation style.
The fish men of the Amber Isles are generally welcome across the world as a peaceful race of beast men; although, they may be seen as monsters by the less educated.
The Kunvala worship innumerable spirits of the sea and certain dark and possibly mythical leviathans.
Their control over creation magic is nearly unmatched in general. This magical affinity hints at what the Kunvala tend to be, creators. A race of scholars, speakers, and explorers of reality, perhaps no other singular race understands the nature of the world better than they do.
The Kunvala welcome other races onto their islands where they have founded one of the finest bastions of magical and mundane study in the world; however, their university, known as the Coral Tower, is only open to the prodigies of the races.
It should be noted that the Kunvala do tend to be somewhat foreign in their ways of thinking when relating to the races of men, as they have evolved in a completely different environment and are much longer lived than men, often growing to at least five hundred years of age.
Stat Boost: + 1 Inteligence OR + 1 Willpower
RACES OF HARINDASH
Harindash is the home of the various, highly-advanced city-states of the grey elves, and to numerous more exploited local tribes.
Harindanni:
The various peoples of the continent of Harindash. They live in stone and straw cottages and cabins. However, any attempts by their people to form larger or military structures have been squashed by the Wiltrilese.
The various Harindanni clans all have legends dating back to a time to where their peoples held dominion over the entirety of the known world. They are a cultured people with ancient laws and gods, some of which are believed by some scholars to share qualities with a few of the deities of The Sowlands. However, with the grey-skinned elves refusing to allow them to establish any firm societal or cultural infrastructure -- while still curiously encouraging them to worship their own traditional gods -- the history of the Harindanni has fallen into the realm of long past myths and legends. That is, of course, if their grand era of imperialism ever really took place at all.
One thing is known, the legends of the Harindanni have an untold number of legends that speak of grey-skinned demons that are ominously close in description to that of their current oppressors.
In any case, currently the Harindanni are a clan-based society that live in various agrarian settlements that are inhabited and divided based upon heredity. Everything that the Harindanni produce is subject to heavy taxation and pilferage by their Witrilese overlords. That said, the Harindanni are a lawful and proud people and there are those among them that are merely waiting for a time where they may carry their race back to glory.
Stat boost: + 1 Strength OR + 1 Charisma
Witrilese:
Known as grey elves to the rest of the world, the Witrilese are a race of tall, long lived, narrow-shouldered, point ear'ed, and grey-skinned men and women. Living in their underground cities, the Wiltrilese elite are said to investigate and shape the fabric of reality with their mysterious high magics.
The average wiltrilese is an intellectual, highly curious, but also somewhat reserved and inaccessible person. Additionally, oftentimes, the higher they have risen in society the more amoral they have become.
Having been raised in a culture that heavily values education and the advancement of magic and technology, and that lives with luxuries beyond the scope of many other cultures, it is not uncommon for a grey elf to see other races as somewhat crude and crass.
It should also be noted that certain parts of witrilese society are snake beds of machiavellian manipulation -- and that this surely has an effect on the worldview of the members of the race.
It should be noted that there are no witrilese farmers, as they force the Harindanni to provide for their needs. Every single grey elf is raised from birth to either be an engineer, tradesman, wizard, or scholar -- the occupation of a witrilese is dependant on who they can find to mentor them in their desired field of study, leading them to have to impress the masters of their society if they wish to advance their station and studies.
The other races of the world often see the grey elves as possessing an elegant beauty and they are much more likely than most non-humans to find the other societies of Marea at least mildly accepting of their presence. It is actually somewhat common for the young adults among the grey elves to venture out into the overworld for a few decades or so to satiate their curiosity about the outside world. There are also a few witrilese mage towers in more isolated areas of the world.
Witrilese age at a speed that is equivalent to about 1/7th the speed of humans; however, they reach practical and reproductive maturity at around age twenty-two.
Stat Boost: + 1 Willpower OR + 1 Intelligence Or + Occupation
RACES OF MAKAVOR
Makavor is a land of mist and rolling hills and the home of the Makavoran people -- a tusked, brown-skinned, tall, and powerfully built race of bestial people who worship demigods of sky and air. The Rajtaren -- the bull men of Makavor -- also live under the thumb of the Makavoran here.
Makavoran:
The Makavoran claim to be the original inhabitants of Marea; however, most of the rest of the world just thinks of them as a race of beast folk, and refer to them as orcs. This view of them as a beast-like people is perhaps not a hard to understand one, as the Makavoran are a race of averagely tall, somewhat broad, tusked, and brown-skinned people.
Unlike with most of Marea's races who worship ethereal deities, the Makavoran pay tribute to a self-proclaimed living god. Siva -- their god of war, art, discipline, and sky -- sits in deliberation and rule far up in Makavor's frigid mountains, at the end of a path that is ceremoniously known as the thirty-thousand steps.
The Makavoran are a race that is physically built for war. They have long since wiped out all of the other races of their homeland, with the exception of the Rajtaren. All of the other creatures of Makavor have been dominated or domesticated by them, with the giant elephants that they ride and use as pack animals being a perfect example of this.
Their culture is one that values art and poetry, but that also wars against itself regularly, with the various warlords of their race constantly vying for greater swathes of lands and treasures to come under their control.
The Makavoran are generally welcomed by everyone but the grey elves, who kill them on sight. In return, the Makavoran generally allow others into their lands who can conform to their society -- or, at the very least, who won't cause any trouble.
The average Makavoran is a stoic individual, grizzled by the infighting of his people, but who also nurses a healthy but mostly unspoken of intellectual life within his mind.
Stat Boost: + 1 Martial Prowess OR + 1 Strength OR + 1 Endurance
Rajtaren:
The Rajtaren are a race of eight foot tall, horned, bull-headed, hooved, and furred men. They are known as minotaurs to the rest of the world.
Once the Rajtaren ruled the icy mountains of Makavor, leaving the hills and lush forests of the lowlands to the orcs. However, when the Rajtaren began to conquer the orcish people and enslave them, it was then that the groundwork for the downfall would be laid.
After years of subjugation, the orcish people rallied back behind a self-proclaimed god-king. With their demigod general leading the charge, the Rajtaren were all but wiped out. Only those Rajtaren who didn't directly participate in the war with the orcs, and who agreed to abandon their gods for the worship of Siva, were allowed to live.
Now the Rajtaren are a small race, numbering only in the hundreds. They keep to the mountains of Makavor, worshiping the god that decimated their race -- for they can only imagine the consequences that will come if Siva detects a lack of faith.
The Rajtaren are all but unheard of in the outside world and are a broken people.
Stat Boost: + 1 Strength
Marea is a world that is old enough to have seen the rise and fall of countless ages, kings, peoples, races, and periods of both peace and unrest. The dirt of the planet has been graced and defiled by all manners of creations and abominations. In the current era, which is known as the 7th, the races of man are the predominant power in the world -- or at least they've spread far and wide enough to claim as such if only based upon sheer population.
Yet, while the sons and daughters of humanity may very well lay claim to the majority of the mainline continents of Marea, there may be entities that slither and scuffle by right under their noses, unseen, that might just have other ideas.
RACES OF THE SOWLANDS
The Sowlands are beautiful, forested, and temperate grasslands. What lurks in the shadows of the trees and boulders here is mostly unseen, however, and the land may be less picturesque than one may imagine at first glance. The people here tend to be organized and dependant upon the structure that political bodies can provide -- yet, each of the races and factions manifest this dependency in different ways.
Redics/Redicians:
The tanned residents of the fertile, game abundant, Westlands of the Sowlands. The Redicians are a free people, only bound by communal decree that guides their lords and by the desires of their communities. Work in the Westlands can be physically demanding, but the mainly agrarian economy there generally flourishes during most seasons -- except in the rare cases of droughts or famine -- making food and general employment relatively easy to secure, especially in the spring and summer months.
That said, many Redicians are relatively uneducated and all are, almost without exception, very well accustomed to the rights that they enjoy as free citizens of their respective city-states. This can make them somewhat suspicious of anyone whom they perceive as a threat to their right to personal sovereignty, or even just downright bigoted towards said peoples. The common folk can be quite unwelcoming to other cultures or races in certain parts of the country, with the exception of those in the melting pot that is Pe'Karan.
Of course, while social rank is not exclusively hereditary and the Redicians enjoy a great many privileges, there are unspoken class divides. The rich tend to be more well educated and thoughtful and focused on the more intellectual pursuits in life.
In general, it would be the landowners and politicians that make up the upper class of Redician society -- and yet even these higher positioned peoples always have to fear the partial or even open revolt of those below them.
It should also be noted that, even while there are ample rights provided to the average citizen and the people are allowed to cast their vote towards state decisions, the control of most of the cities in the Pact is still in the hands of a small collection of countesses and counts.
Still, it is only mildly difficult to raise your social standing within the kingdoms of The Redican Pact. With most of the available wealth being tied up in expensive land, it can be somewhat vexing to climb from the working class to the middle class or higher -- although it is definitely doable in a single lifetime.
Stat Boost: + 1 to Occupation OR Charisma
Swassians:
Tall and thinly muscled, the Swassians are a fair-haired people, with fire and sun-touched locks being most common among their number and with the lighter hues of possible eye colorings dominating their gene pool, at least for the most part.
Swassians are a strong-minded people, with a differing outlook on life from the Redicians. The Kingdom Of Swassia is, without a doubt, a totalitarian state. The Mage Lords of the region rule and micro-manage their holdings with as much, or as little, scrutiny as they deem fit at any given time. Additionally, over ninety-five percent of the Swassian population has very little wealth to call their own.
That said, the average Swassian generally lives at a much higher standard of living than the lower class of most other kingdoms do. While much of the profit from what they produce is taken from them, and personal liberties are limited, the Mage Lords do provide them with above-average food, shelter, and security -- for the most part and for most of the time.
Swassian peasants have a tendency towards being hardworking, orderly people, who are very family and community minded.
The Swassian nobility is another story. The younger among the Mage Lords are often very concerned with politics, wealth, luxuries, etc. However, the eldest among them tend towards being more morally absent and concerned with pursuits beyond what most people in Marea struggle towards.
There are also a select few peasants whom the Mage Lords have raised up to act as their vassals, stewards, etc, or what have you. This small class of lowborn aristocrats live, in varying degrees, lives of luxury and extravagance, but are always at the whims and mercy of their masters.
Stat Boost: + 1 to Intelligence OR Willpower (If you're playing a Swassian noble.)
Or/Orish:
Brown haired explorers and some of the foremost and richest merchants of the world, the Orish people of the south are a tenacious and free-spirited bunch.
The Ordician Orderistrate governs the Or at their behest and is a tight alliance forged between the coastal and river kingdoms of the southern portions of The Sowlands, which are known as the Riverlands. While the population of the Orderistrate is relatively low in comparison to that of the other political alliances and kingdoms in the region, the Ors have managed to hold their own for centuries against their neighboring cities and peoples.
This is in large part thanks to their superb sea-fairing and shipbuilding capabilities. With both the Swassians and the Redicians being either landlocked or sealed in on all sides by massive mountain ranges, only the Orish maintain anything even resembling a respectable navy. In their homeland, which is carved up by massive rivers and ocean inlets, this makes their maneuverability and defensive capability truly frighteningly ironclad, causing the prospect of invasion to often be a distasteful one in the minds of the Kingdom Of Swassia and the Redican Pact.
The Or have fought off such invasions with a complete refusal to falter, on numerous historic occasions, instilling in many of them a rich cultural identity that values individualism, Orish tradition, and a refusal to quit.
In peacetime, the Orish economy is also mainly centered around their sailing abilities. Trading with the Marns of the Kakarsin Dessert and the Harindanni Tribes of Harindash, their economy flourishes or fails depending on the health of the world's trade. They are even accepted within Swassia and the lands of the Redicians when there are no ongoing hostilities.
In their own homeland, the Or mainly govern themselves. Being somewhat tribalistic, depending on the part of the country, the Or submit their will to their ruling families, or their elected kings, and expect their leaders to carry out their wishes with respect and due haste.
All in all, the Or are a hardy, adventure loving, and tight-knit group of merchants and vagabonds -- with the occasional pirate among their bunch here or there.
Stat Boost: + 1 to Charisma OR + 1 Dexterity
RACES OF THE KAKARSIN WASTES
Dust, and black sand, and blood, and great canyons and rock structures. To the West and Southwest of the Sowlands. Known as Marn to the resident people, very little of the Kakarsin Wastes are held by any independent power.
Marjit/Marjitmen:
The brown-skinned and naturally imposing race of humanoid horse tribesmen that have been confined, by the Kakarnin Mountains, to the Northern Wastes of the West. The Marjit are larger and stronger than their Egite counterparts in the South, having evolved in an environment of constant conflict. For centuries, the Marjit have warred against their own number and with the Tartat, or dessert trolls as they are known by the other races of Marea. Additionally, the Marjit have traditionally shunned magic as a demonic and shamanistic tool of their enemies, the trolls, leaving them only with physical recourses towards their own protection -- thus it is very, very seldom that a child is born with a natural magic affinity within their lands as such hereditary gifts have all but been bred out.
This constant state of war and violence that they've lived in for time memorable, combined with the barren environment of their homeland, has turned the Marjit into a savage and utilitarian race. A race that has gone as far as to have traditionally worshiped no gods but their own strength.
For time innumerable, their tribes have been ruled by a co-rulership of an elder wise woman, known as an Ati or "grandmother" in Marjiti, and a Banto, or "war father".
In times past, it had been the Ati who had tempered the bloodlust and will to dominate of the Bantos. In this way, the bantos of the various clans were tempered by the atis' advice and concern for the good of the people.
However, the ancient order of things has recently been shattered by a man who has come to be known as Tibanto, or "clan father". As the political and war leader of the various horse tribes, all of which have now been united under his strength and fame, Cyrus Trollbane has the force of tens of thousands of experienced light and heavy cavalry at his command -- a legion of men that very well may be one of the overall strongest land armies in the known world.
Cyrus has also recently instituted a veneration of a defined set of Marjit ancestor spirits, despite the outcry of some who claim this to be a barbaric heresy. In any case, this had been a religious practice that had long since fallen out of practice before Cyrus' ascension to the rank of Tibanto.
Outside of the Northern Wastes, it is somewhat uncommon to see Marjit Wastelanders in the other kingdoms of The Sowlands; however, those who have been banished from the lands of their clans, or who have somehow made it onto the occasional ship that passes by the northern coastlines of the wastes, are not unknown of to the wider population of the outside world. In fact, Marjitmen often make excellent mercenaries due to their size and martial upbringing.
Stat Boost: + 1 Strength OR Martial Prowess
Tartat:
Known as dessert trolls, the Tartat are the ancient, sand-colored enemies of the Marjit. Through years of fighting with the extremely powerful trolls, the Marjit have been tempered into a race that towers above the other races of man. However, the Tartat are even larger and stronger than their enemies. The possess deceptively lithe and lanky limbs, legs, torsos that house the strength of multiple men. From their faces, long and crooked noses sprout.
The dessert trolls have lived under the sands of the Northern Wastes, in underground cities constructed from the bodies of giant insects, for as long as anyone can remember. Being a purely carnivorous race, they have always preyed upon the giant bugs of the surface and underground, along with the other races of the overworld. It is this brutal lack of a respect or recognition of anyone who isn't a Tartat that has brought the trolls into conflict with the Marjit.
It's not that the Tartat are beasts. They have their own language, culture, oral and written histories, and are known to produce some of the finest weapons in the world from the moonstone ore that they mine out from under the wastes; however, the gods of earth and possession that the trolls worship demand and teach that none other than the Tartat should be allowed supremacy over their lands and anything else that they desire. This makes them an altogether selfish and narcissistic race when it comes to relating to other sapient beings.
And, indeed, for thousands of years, it was the Tartat who held the real power in the northern wastes, venturing forth at will from their underground tribes to slay and devour any and all that they desired. However, in the year 813 of the Seventh Era, their numbers were decimated when they made the mistake of capturing a man by the name of Cyrus Trollbane. Through what has been said to have been a prisoner rebellion, Cyrus Trollbane decimated the numbers of the trolls in a single night and wiped out their largest clans; however, only Cyrus survived the rebellion that he led and no known trolls that stood before him during that night still yet breath, leaving perhaps only Cyrus to know what truly happened that night.
Currently, only pocket remnants of Tartat exist in hidden dwellings in the Kakarsin wastes. They are killed on sight by almost all Marjit and are actively hunted by Cyrus' elite Blood Riders. Because of this, the Tartat are barely surviving in the wastes and many are merely living hand to mouth, nursing their hatred of the Marjit under the guidance of their own shamans.
There are those Tartat who have ventured out into the world, however, both before and after the decimation of the dessert troll race. These adventurers and refugees are unlikely to find a home among any of the kingdoms of man, and would probably not even want to due to their bred-in racism towards humans, but they are sometimes welcomed by pirate crews, mercenaries, and in the lands of other beast folks.
Stat Boost: + 1 Dexterity Or + 1 Strength
Egite:
The Egite are an averagely sized group of copper-skinned traders and hunters. With crops being completely impossible to grow in the wastes, the Egite have resorted to the hunting and raising of certain, select creatures to feed themselves.
United under no singular banner, the Egite live in large tent cities, migrating freely when their needs demand it.
A caste system generally exists within the various tribes, with a council of elders presiding at the top of their society, followed by the priests, the warriors and hunters, and then the tradesmen. There are exceptions to this rule, however.
The Egite equip themselves with arms, armor, and clothing produced from the hard shells and byproducts of the creatures that skirt the black sands of the eastern and southern wastes. With portions of the south being highly unstable to traverse on foot, it is also not uncommon for the Egite to use certain species of the same insects to safely travel their lands. These same dangers of traveling also make visiting, or even invading, the lands of the Egite a highly dangerous thing to do for someone who is not in the know and who isn't able to spot the hazards of the Kakarsin Dessert, making the Egite somewhat unused to visitors.
Worshiping bug-headed and many-faced deities, the Egite faith is often seen as foreign and strange to the other men of Marea. That said, the faith itself merely puts forth a philosophy of conservation and ancestor veneration. In fact, it is the Egite who upkeep the massive city of the dead known as D'Min that rises high and expands out for miles in the Eastern Wastes -- it is there that the bones of their ancestors are incorporated into the structures of the city, forever reunited with the rest of the deceased Egite race. For an Egite, to have one's remains lost, destroyed, desecrated, or otherwise not incorporated into D'Min is the equivalent of the assured destruction of the soul.
While their gods teach them to survive in their harsh environment, in the faith of the Egite there is the concept of another, darker entity that is known as Sidrid. Sidrid is sometimes simply referred to as "the adversary" -- or by any other number of names. To the Egite, it is Sidrid who tempts and tests their goodness; however, it is also Sidrid who will corrupt their souls into broken shades of their former selves if their families and comrades fail to properly secure their bones in the sacred city of the dead.
Stat Boost: + 1 Dexterity OR + 1 Endurance
RACES OF THE DARK MOOR
The semi-dry swamps to the East of the Sowlands. A land that is wreathed in folklore and shrouded in mystery, what lurks under the dark pines that rise over the Moor may very well be the stuff of legends -- but only those who have dared to walk here will be able to sort the lies from the truth.
Morseet:
The Morseet are known to the rest of the world as swamp trolls. The average morseet is larger even than a dessert troll and stands at around eight or nine feet in height. To put it plainly, a swamp troll is a massive, muscled predator. From their mouth full of fanged teeth to their dark skin that blends in perfectly with the black pines of the Dark Moor, all the way to their clawed hands, the swamp trolls are deadly, deadly creatures.
Unlike their dessert dwelling cousins, swamp trolls do not live in packs, instead, they are solitary, territorial creatures. Morseet tend to be very, very aggressive and antisocial -- even going as far as to abandon their children and mating partners after their offspring are spawned.
A swamp troll will eat anything, including other trolls of the same gender that enter their territory. The stronger the troll, the larger the swathe of territory that they are generally able to claim.
The Black Moor is a continent in of itself and there are many, many Morseet lurking within and under its trees; although, when put up against the other races of Marea their population is relatively low.
The Morseet worship no gods and it is very seldom that they are seen outside of The Dark Moor -- and when they are the kingdoms of the Sowlands often hunt them mercilessly as monsters. Even the Kershet are known to band together to kill the swamp trolls, but only when the trolls are directly threatening them.
Note: Negative skill points are treated as having a score of 0 as far roleplay is concerned; additionally, negative skill points may be removed for the price of one skill point per negative point.
Stat Boost: + 5 Strength OR + 5 Dexterity AND - 7 Intelligence
Kershet:
A green-skinned, little more than waist tall race, that are known as goblins to the rest of the known world. The Kersheet are an omnivorous, agile, and dexterous collection of farmers, hunters, smugglers, and vagabonds.
Your average Kershet is not that strong of a creature. They have muscled and gnarled bodies that are relatively thin and lanky; however, they are not able to produce very much force with their well-muscled forms -- that said, they are a naturally balanced race, with an innate sense of their placement in the physical world, and they make excellent acrobats and rogues because of this inborn trait.
Goblins are known to farm within the dryer areas of the Dark Moors and to raise and breed the fish-like creatures that dwell under the waters of their native swamps. With others of their kind being pirates and treasure hunters.
The Kershet are actually somewhat accepted in the lands of the humans; although, while they are allowed into them most times, they are often not permitted to live within the city limits of human towns.
The goblin mindset is one of personal choice, wrapped up in a feeling of something that seems to be like a primal and inborn loyalty towards their kinsmen. They often run in gang-like groups and create settlements that are run by unspoken social structures. While not outright malicious, goblins have a tendency to simply not to agree with human laws and customs that do not permit the reign of personal choice. Don't do drugs? Why, I like drugs and I can control myself, and if my neighbor can't do so as well, well, I'm sure he doesn't mind being whacked out all the time -- and if he does, he can ask for help, or it can just be his problem!
Acting as guides and even as members of the organizations themselves, it is the goblins that often assist the under-the-table smuggling and slaving operations that are known to operate within the Dark Moor.
Stat Boost: + 1 Dexterity OR + 1 Charisma
RACES OF THE AMBER ISLES
The Amber Isles are a closely grouped chain of islands that lie just before the Island Of Harindash when one ventures off the coast of The Kakarsin Wastes. The islands are home to a number of local tribes of beast men. However, in the case of Free Harbor, there are a great many foreigners present as well.
The Kershan:
Known as sea or island goblins to the rest of the world, the Kershan are a race of about waist tall, highly-muscled, blue-skinned, anarchist, and carnivorous pirates and criminals.
The sea goblins live in a society that is run through strength, power, and greed. There are no lords or kings among the sea goblins, merely crime bosses, pirate and mercenary captains, kingpins and other group leaders.
The Kershan run ramshackle merchant and pirate crews that harass and trade along the routes of the southern seas. They are also the founders of the anarchist shanty town that is Free Bay -- a city of driftwood cottages that is filled with what in other places would often be considered illegal, or hard to get, goods and paraphilia.
To outsiders who are not well-acquainted with Kershan culture, the government and social structure of sea goblin society is an intertwining mix of random power plays and unspoken social contracts. To the Kerhsan it is merely life and it should be noted that to cross Kershan society is to be putting oneself at odds with numerous groups of lawless vagabonds that are much, much stronger than they look.
Stat Boost: + 1 Strength
The Hoondaesh:
The peaceful, but closed off, goat men of the three large and semi-tropical islands of the Triad Of Hoondae.
The Hoondaesh are tall, around seven foot or so, and boast flowing manes that sprout out from their large and long faces. Their legs are covered in thick, shaggy fur, and their feet are hoofed like that of a goat -- and the males have horns of varying sizes and lengths to match their goat-like hooves. Physically, the musculature of the Hoondaesh only adds on to their physical prominence, as their race generally displays large and agile, lithely bulging physiques.
The females, conversely, possess bare and breasted chests which they often cover. There is also only a very thin, velvety layer of hair on a female Hoondaesh's legs.
Within their culture, the Hoondaesh are ruled by a pair of kings. These kings and their queens are expected to protect the mundane and spiritual lives of their people. One of these kings is elected and serves for life, whereas the other hails from what is touted as being a divine lineage.
The Hoondaesh worship their god of the in-between, Ashuri, whom they refer to as The Planewalker. Ashuri demands a respect for life and other peoples, along with prescribing a routine of meditation. The Hoondaesh's god, simply put, demands the mental and physical self-improvement of his disciples. It is the belief of the Hoondaesh, that if their minds and bodies are strong enough by the time of their death, that they shall ascend to the in-between with their god. For this reason, to preserve the strength of their dead's physical forms for this possible ascension, the Hoondaesh practice ritualized mummification and store their fallen deep within the cold earth.
It should also be noted, however, that while the Hoondaesh god may teach a surface level respect for all things, that Ashuri also teaches that conquest is the truest path to peace. This has colored the past of the Hoondaesh bleakly -- as, at one time, they shared their home islands with the Kershan, whom they have since driven off and exterminated from the Triad Of Hoondae.
And while the Hoondaesh will trade with and allow other races to moor their ships on their islands -- even with the sea goblins -- they will vehemently refuse to allow any other peoples to settle on their lands. Individual hoondaesh, however, are often allowed in the lands of the other races.
Militarily, the Hoondaesh create some of the most skilled spellblades in the world when it comes to users of the fortification school of magic.
Stat Boost: + 1 Strength OR + 1 Intelligence OR + 1 Willpower (abjuration)
The Kunvala:
Unlike most of the races of Marea, the Kunvala do not primarily live on the surface of the world. In fact, while they can live in the surface world, and they do indeed have surface structures built upon the largest island of the Amber Isles, most of Kunvala society is spread out over the ocean floor.
The Kunvala themselves are often referred to as fish-men. Their skin is rubbery and water resistant and their fingers and feet, despite being humanoid, are webbed. In a way that oftentimes proves to be offsetting to other races, the Kunvala have no eyes and instead operate off of what seems to be an innately magical version of sonar. The Kunvala also speak via this silent sonar ability, leading them to actually "feel" each other's words rather than to hear them.
When conversing with other races, the Kunvala are capable of speaking; although, the race has a distinctly singsong and melodious pronunciation style.
The fish men of the Amber Isles are generally welcome across the world as a peaceful race of beast men; although, they may be seen as monsters by the less educated.
The Kunvala worship innumerable spirits of the sea and certain dark and possibly mythical leviathans.
Their control over creation magic is nearly unmatched in general. This magical affinity hints at what the Kunvala tend to be, creators. A race of scholars, speakers, and explorers of reality, perhaps no other singular race understands the nature of the world better than they do.
The Kunvala welcome other races onto their islands where they have founded one of the finest bastions of magical and mundane study in the world; however, their university, known as the Coral Tower, is only open to the prodigies of the races.
It should be noted that the Kunvala do tend to be somewhat foreign in their ways of thinking when relating to the races of men, as they have evolved in a completely different environment and are much longer lived than men, often growing to at least five hundred years of age.
Stat Boost: + 1 Inteligence OR + 1 Willpower
RACES OF HARINDASH
Harindash is the home of the various, highly-advanced city-states of the grey elves, and to numerous more exploited local tribes.
Harindanni:
The various peoples of the continent of Harindash. They live in stone and straw cottages and cabins. However, any attempts by their people to form larger or military structures have been squashed by the Wiltrilese.
The various Harindanni clans all have legends dating back to a time to where their peoples held dominion over the entirety of the known world. They are a cultured people with ancient laws and gods, some of which are believed by some scholars to share qualities with a few of the deities of The Sowlands. However, with the grey-skinned elves refusing to allow them to establish any firm societal or cultural infrastructure -- while still curiously encouraging them to worship their own traditional gods -- the history of the Harindanni has fallen into the realm of long past myths and legends. That is, of course, if their grand era of imperialism ever really took place at all.
One thing is known, the legends of the Harindanni have an untold number of legends that speak of grey-skinned demons that are ominously close in description to that of their current oppressors.
In any case, currently the Harindanni are a clan-based society that live in various agrarian settlements that are inhabited and divided based upon heredity. Everything that the Harindanni produce is subject to heavy taxation and pilferage by their Witrilese overlords. That said, the Harindanni are a lawful and proud people and there are those among them that are merely waiting for a time where they may carry their race back to glory.
Stat boost: + 1 Strength OR + 1 Charisma
Witrilese:
Known as grey elves to the rest of the world, the Witrilese are a race of tall, long lived, narrow-shouldered, point ear'ed, and grey-skinned men and women. Living in their underground cities, the Wiltrilese elite are said to investigate and shape the fabric of reality with their mysterious high magics.
The average wiltrilese is an intellectual, highly curious, but also somewhat reserved and inaccessible person. Additionally, oftentimes, the higher they have risen in society the more amoral they have become.
Having been raised in a culture that heavily values education and the advancement of magic and technology, and that lives with luxuries beyond the scope of many other cultures, it is not uncommon for a grey elf to see other races as somewhat crude and crass.
It should also be noted that certain parts of witrilese society are snake beds of machiavellian manipulation -- and that this surely has an effect on the worldview of the members of the race.
It should be noted that there are no witrilese farmers, as they force the Harindanni to provide for their needs. Every single grey elf is raised from birth to either be an engineer, tradesman, wizard, or scholar -- the occupation of a witrilese is dependant on who they can find to mentor them in their desired field of study, leading them to have to impress the masters of their society if they wish to advance their station and studies.
The other races of the world often see the grey elves as possessing an elegant beauty and they are much more likely than most non-humans to find the other societies of Marea at least mildly accepting of their presence. It is actually somewhat common for the young adults among the grey elves to venture out into the overworld for a few decades or so to satiate their curiosity about the outside world. There are also a few witrilese mage towers in more isolated areas of the world.
Witrilese age at a speed that is equivalent to about 1/7th the speed of humans; however, they reach practical and reproductive maturity at around age twenty-two.
Stat Boost: + 1 Willpower OR + 1 Intelligence Or + Occupation
RACES OF MAKAVOR
Makavor is a land of mist and rolling hills and the home of the Makavoran people -- a tusked, brown-skinned, tall, and powerfully built race of bestial people who worship demigods of sky and air. The Rajtaren -- the bull men of Makavor -- also live under the thumb of the Makavoran here.
Makavoran:
The Makavoran claim to be the original inhabitants of Marea; however, most of the rest of the world just thinks of them as a race of beast folk, and refer to them as orcs. This view of them as a beast-like people is perhaps not a hard to understand one, as the Makavoran are a race of averagely tall, somewhat broad, tusked, and brown-skinned people.
Unlike with most of Marea's races who worship ethereal deities, the Makavoran pay tribute to a self-proclaimed living god. Siva -- their god of war, art, discipline, and sky -- sits in deliberation and rule far up in Makavor's frigid mountains, at the end of a path that is ceremoniously known as the thirty-thousand steps.
The Makavoran are a race that is physically built for war. They have long since wiped out all of the other races of their homeland, with the exception of the Rajtaren. All of the other creatures of Makavor have been dominated or domesticated by them, with the giant elephants that they ride and use as pack animals being a perfect example of this.
Their culture is one that values art and poetry, but that also wars against itself regularly, with the various warlords of their race constantly vying for greater swathes of lands and treasures to come under their control.
The Makavoran are generally welcomed by everyone but the grey elves, who kill them on sight. In return, the Makavoran generally allow others into their lands who can conform to their society -- or, at the very least, who won't cause any trouble.
The average Makavoran is a stoic individual, grizzled by the infighting of his people, but who also nurses a healthy but mostly unspoken of intellectual life within his mind.
Stat Boost: + 1 Martial Prowess OR + 1 Strength OR + 1 Endurance
Rajtaren:
The Rajtaren are a race of eight foot tall, horned, bull-headed, hooved, and furred men. They are known as minotaurs to the rest of the world.
Once the Rajtaren ruled the icy mountains of Makavor, leaving the hills and lush forests of the lowlands to the orcs. However, when the Rajtaren began to conquer the orcish people and enslave them, it was then that the groundwork for the downfall would be laid.
After years of subjugation, the orcish people rallied back behind a self-proclaimed god-king. With their demigod general leading the charge, the Rajtaren were all but wiped out. Only those Rajtaren who didn't directly participate in the war with the orcs, and who agreed to abandon their gods for the worship of Siva, were allowed to live.
Now the Rajtaren are a small race, numbering only in the hundreds. They keep to the mountains of Makavor, worshiping the god that decimated their race -- for they can only imagine the consequences that will come if Siva detects a lack of faith.
The Rajtaren are all but unheard of in the outside world and are a broken people.
Stat Boost: + 1 Strength