| 08-06-2010, 10:25 PM | #1 |
| 08-06-2010, 10:26 PM | #2 |
Races Humans: Humans are a sentient bipedal race that lives throughout Ermarian. They are notable for their territorial instincts, their great resourcefulness and capacity for tool use. Their versatile skills in almost any area are only matched by their self-confidence often bordering on arrogance. They are prone to aggression. We all know 'em, some of 'em are good, some of 'em are bad, some of 'em just really want to be left alone. Humans have, during much of their history, held a xenophobic attitude toward other races. They fought wars of extermination against non-humans, among them Giants, Nephilim, Troglodytes, and Goblins. In more recent times, they have made peace with many of the races they once fought, notably the Nephilim and the Slithzerikai, under the reign of King Micah. Nephilim: Nephilim are commonly a bit shorter than humans. They are lithe and weigh far less than the average human, which gives them their speed and their nimbleness. As a feline race, they are covered with fur and have heads shaped like a cat's. A nephil's ability to see in the dark is renowned, and their sharp vision alone makes them skilled scouts and archers. Nephilim have an average lifespan of close to 40 years and rarely live more than half a century. Some shamans have been said to live even longer than humans, which may be due to their familiarity with alchemy and medicine.  Society/Habitat Nephilim are at home on the surface, mainly in forested regions but also taking shelter in smaller caves. This makes them very adaptable to life in Exile. Nephilim from the caves have met up with large settlements in southeastern Valorim, where they hope to live undisturbed. Other Nephilim have integrated into human society, where they are most often found as fletchers. They are fierce warriors and have a strong tribal structure. However, clans often engage in raids on each other, stopping just short of outright warfare. Two tribes will not live together unless the situation necessitates it. Nephilim clans live in isolation, which keeps them from achieving the great societies that humans have formed (with the exception of the Ratbane Clan). They were once common on the surface world, until the Empire began a campaign of extermination and deportation against them. Now, with the recent reconciliation between the two nations, Nephilim have begun to return to the surface in force. Nephilim are extremely nimble, and they excel at archery, lockpicking, and disarming traps, which makes them excellent adventurers. While not particularly adept at magic, every tribe does have its own shamans, who advise the chief. It is interesting to note that there have been no Nephil archmagi worthy of mention, despite there being many shamans. Diet Nephilim are natural hunters and carnivores, who hunt mainly rodents, but other wild animals as well. While the Nephilim are a warlike race, they rarely hunt large or ferocious creatures, using their prowess in battle almost exclusively for defense or in tribal conflicts. Clothing Contrary to a certain human hypothesis, the Nephilim did not adopt clothing only upon their integration into human culture. Evidence of this is the nearly universal custom of clothing seen among the hostile tribes of Nephilim in Exile, who are only fleetingly familiar with human culture, and have never adopted their ways. On formal occasions, the Nephilim cover their fur with cloaks sewn from a rough cloth spun from flax. Such clothing is not common and likely a luxury item. In everyday life, light leather armor is customary for adults as well as adolescents. Shamans and alchemists are usually dressed formally, indicating both their wealth and their status within the tribal hierarchy. Weaponry: The longbow has long been the cultural weapon of choice of the Nephilim like the gigantic two-tined spear is for the Slithzerikai. When ranged combat, their preferred style, is not practical, the more advanced tribes use light blades forged of iron or even steel, and the more primitive resort to blunt weapons, stone cudgels and bronze maces. Language Possibly one of the most tragical results of the long campaign of extinction that the Empire waged on the Nephilim race is the loss of their native tongue. Today, next to none of the Nephilim living among humans still speak the ancestral language of their people, and many of the tribes in Exile - even those who have no dealings with humans - use the human tongue or a very removed dialect thereof. This creole that is also termed Nephilian on occasion has only passing resemblance to the original Mmh'rrur, and owes nearly as much to human speech. Mmh'rrur itself is still known to the wise and learned among the Nephilim (and even a few human scholars), but it is hardly spoken outside of ceremonial or academic use nowadays. Slithzerikai: Slithzerikai, or sliths, are a strong and intelligent race of lizard-people. They originated in the caves below Exile. They first encountered humans during the First Expedition, and the results were violent and bloody. Since then, there have been two major Slith wars, creatively referred to as the First Slith War and the Second Slith War. Most sliths seen outside of the Bahssikava, excluding those from Gnass, are violent and hostile to humans.  Appearance: Slithzerikai are reptiles with humanoid characteristics. They have five clawed fingers on each hand and five clawed toes on each foot. They have scaly skin and their eyes are usually colored red (although some have blue eyes.) All sliths have a tail for balance. Growing to a height of far over two meters (surpassing even three meters in some cases), the slithzerikai are the largest humanoid race in Ermarian apart from the Giants. Sliths have a life expectancy notably beyond human standards 150 years or more would be a reasonable estimate. It has been suggested that, like dragons, they never cease to grow; however, their growth rate slows down once they reach about two meters, and only a few live long enough to grow to enormous sizes (such gigantic Sliths are known to exist, however). Physical Traits: In combat, the great advantage of the sliths is their great size and strength. Their tough skin makes them clumsy and slow, but it also provides them with natural armor against enemy blades. Only a very strong (or very foolish) human would dare to take on a slith in hand-to-hand combat alone. Their weapon of choice is a gigantic two-tined iron spear about two meters long, that requires enormous strength to wield. That makes it the most efficient in slith hands, allowing their physical advantages to really come into their own.  As reptiles, the sliths are cold-blooded creatures and therefore require much warmth to live. In cold environments, they slow down severely. They become more susceptible to illness when cold, and may even go into a torpor. As a whole, the slithzerikai are extremely intelligent, and they have a great talent for magic, especially clerical magic. However, intelligence can vary greatly from slith to slith, and a large minority of sliths are raised as utter simpletons. Language: Sliths, like most sentient species, have developed their own language, fully independent from Imperial Standard, called Slithzerikaiis. Another language, known as Classical Slith or Homeland Slith, is spoken by the Sliths of Bahssikava, and is independent of Slithzerikaiis. History Not much is known of the mysterious race of the slithzerikai. Most Slithzerikai who lived in Exile originally were evil demon-worshippers, hostile to humans and all other races. They were themselves banished from their true homeland, and how it came to this is a long story only the rough details of which have been related to humans. The Rebellion of Sss-Thoss Legends tell of a holy empire, where the slithzerikai live in an advanced civilization of peace, knowledge and spirituality. Their homes are not built, but hewn as caverns into the solid bedrock, and their cities reach deep beneath the cave floor. The slithzerikai worshipped many different deities in ancient rituals of meditation and tranquility, and they carved statues in their likeness and honor. Then, a slith named Sss-Thoss became apostate, and began to serve demons and other darker powers, that commanded him to stir up strife among his race. Through promises of power and wealth, he was able to persuade many others to follow him, and a small civil war ensued. Sss-Thoss was defeated, and he and his followers were exiled from the slith homeland. They were sent up to the caverns that we now call Exile, and the tunnel they passed through was barred with a steel gate that could not be penetrated by any force. The Slithzerikai in Exile Some of the exiled slithzerikai continued to follow Sss-Thoss and his sons after him, and they fought the exiled humans many years later. Their leader Sss-Thsss, grandson of Sss-Thoss, was killed by the humans, and their power has greatly diminished since, although they still threaten humans every once in a while. The other slithzerikai repented, and sought to regain their right to live in the homeland by whatever means possible. These slithzerikai founded several settlements in Exile, most famously the city of Gnass and Lost Bahssikava. They were fought by the other slithzerikai, who they called Darklings for their worship of the darker powers. The reformed slithzerikai are at peace with humans, and have many times aided them against the Darklings. A few of the Darkling sliths found their way to the surface, attacking and conquering several mines, most notably near Golddale in Karnold Province, Valorim. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Character Roster
Slot 1: Slot 2: Slot 3: Slot 4: Slot 5? |