The Races of the Flanaess
[Human] [Elf]
[Dwarf] [Gnome]
[Halfling] [Goblinoid]
Six major races of humans dwell in the Flanaess.
[Baklunish] [Flan]
[Oeridian] [Olman]
[Rhenee] [Suloise]
The Baklunish people are mostly the northwestern regions of the
Flanaess in Zeif, Ull, Ekbir and the Tiger Nomads. Their skin is golden and
their eyes are most commonly green or gray-green with gray and hazel less
frequent. They are split into two major groups. Nomadic herdsmen and farmers and
traders.
The Baklunish, unlike the Suloise, retained most of their
culture after the two cataclysms destroyed the home-lands of both peoples.
Honor, family, generosity, and piety are all fundamental virtues of the
Baklunish
The Baklunish are renowned for their skill at wizardry,
with experts in the fields of elemental magic, divination and summoning/binding
magicks. Their reputation for magic is due to the Rain of Colorless Fire that
the Baklunish loosed upon the Suel Imperium a millennium ago.
Settled Baklunish people prefer bright patterns and gaudy
colours in their clothing. Typically wearing gowns and robes, or long
coats with short breeches. The lower classes favour the same colours, but
with a long one-piece garment supplemented by other clothing.
Nomadic Baklunish prefer pastel colours instead, enjoying fancy
garments enhanced with puffs, slashes on the sleeves, and the like which can
show contrasting colours underneath, and with superfluous and decorative
trim. When traveling or at war, however, the nomads instead wear
utilitarian attire of leather, hide or cloth.
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The Flannae
(Native American)
These are considered the original peoples of eastern Oerik. This
is where the term Flanaess has come from. This group of people were
originally nomads with no known permanent cities. They were scattered
throughout the Flanaess by the Suel and Oeridians a thousand years ago. Most
Flan are bronze in skin tone and have dark wavy or curly hair. Their
complexions can be from a lighter coppery color to deep brown and their hair is
usually black but also can be dark brown or brown.
Nations and states that identify with Flan heritage are the Duchy of Tenh (which
claim to be pure Flan and immensely proud of that fact), Geoff, Sterich, Rovers
of the Barrens, Stonehold, and the Theocracy of the Pale. The early Flann
peoples were peaceful nomads and travelled the land seasonally. They lived off
the land and held nature in high regard. Today some of the pureblooded
Flan show many characteristics of their ancestors. They prefer the open
outdoors to cities and tend to have habits such as planting a tree next to the
door of their home. If that tree should die or fall sick it could mean the
family should move or some sort of evil influence is about.
Flan wizards normally work in harmony with nature, and avoid
destructive and violent magicks. A few, however, delve into the dark
secrets of the ancient Ur-Flan, the necromantic arts. Such activities are
frowned upon by respectable folk, however.
Modern flan usually dress in whatever style is currently
fashionable, but favour bring primary colours in solid arrangements.
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The Oeridians
(Western European)
When the Oeridian came to the Flanaess from the west they
eventually took what is now Furyondy, Perrenland, the Shield Lands, the Great
Kingdom of North Aerdy, the United Kingdom of Ahlissa, Onnwal and Sunndi.
They are harder to distinguish from other races since their skin
ranges from tan to olive and hair from honey- blonde to black. Brown and auburn
are the most commonly seen colors of hair and their eyes can be of every known
color, but mostly brown or gray. What makes the Oeridians notable is their
choice of clothing. They like things such as plaid and checks and
such.
The Oeridians were fierce warriors and conquerors by nature. They tend to
take charge and follow orders even willing to sacrifice everything for the cause
they are currently involved in. They put much emphasis on combat and are
always striving to better tactics by improving weapons and armor as well as
inventing new types of arms, magical armor and magical combat spells. The
Oeridian skill at warfare is unsurpassed, and in peacetime they are practical,
hard working folk who are not inclined to intellectual pursuites.
The Oeridians prefer short tunic and close-fitting trousers with
cape or cloak for attire, tailored for ease of movement. Aerdi and
Nyrondal Oeridians prefer plaids or checkered patterns, with ovals or diamonds
popular in the south and west. At one time, the colours and patters were
to show clan-allegiance, put this practice has faded in favour of personal
preferences.
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The Olman
(tribes of South-America and Africa)
The Olman dwell primarily in the jungles of Hepmonaland, the
Amedio, and the Olman Isles. Once possessing of great civilizations and
city-states amid the jungles of Hepmonaland, centuries of internal warfare as
well as war with the Tuov caused them to abondon their cities and sink quietly
into the jungles, reverting to their barbaric past.
Olman skin tone is a rich red-brown to dark brown colour.
Their hair is always straight and black, and their eyes are dark as well, from a
medium shade of brown, to black. They have high cheekbones and high bridge
noses, although this train is less common in those of low-birth. Many
nobles still flatten the heads of their children, producing a high, sloping
shape which is considered beautiful by the Olman.
Olman have a tribal culture, with a cleric or chief leading each
tribe, and many still practice annual human sacrifices to the dimly remembered
'Sky Gods' while lesser ceremonies require simple bloodletting or animal and
plant sacrifices.
Their practice of warfare focuses on stealhty raids and ambushes
against their enemies. The warfare of the Olman is highly ritualized, and
may tribes collect heads or animate corpses.
The Scarlet Brotherhood holds sway in some Olman lands, and
where this is true, the Olmans have been enslaved by the Suloise.
The Olman prefer direct, visible, damaging magic and divination
spells. Magicks to protect or heal others is very, very rare.
Olman clothing tends to be simple and monocolor, such as split
skirts, loincloths, or shawl-type upper garments. They have a fantastic
sense of the decorative, however, and the simple clothing is made beautiful with
accessories of beads, stones, feathers, bones, metal and wood.
Particularly impressive are the elaborate head-dresses they produce.
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The Rhennee
(Gypsies)
The Rhennee are a group of people that supposedly aren't even
native to Oerth. They may have come to the land from another plane although they
cannot remember what it was like only that it was vastly different than the
Flanaess in a place called Rhop.
At first they could be taken as Oeridians since they have much
of the same physical appearance with tan to olive skin and black to dark brown
hair. Their eyes are usually brown, gray or hazel. They are a small built
people, males rarely averaging above 5'6", but are strong.
They live on the waterways mostly with whole clans of families living on barges.
They tend make their living by transporting goods and people. The head of a
family is a matriarch, but all other women are looked at a bit lower. The
matriarch is usually a fortune teller and predictor of weather. There is no
formal marriage in Rhennee society so men usually have many wives. The men tend
to be proud and aggressive to a non-Rhennee male that would look favorably
toward one of his women. Very rarely do Rhennee mix outside of their race.
The customs they keep tend to be a bit strange to outsiders and the Rhennee
don't seem to mind. They tend to walk more along the lines of neutrality than to
any good or evil, but recently some have taken up with evil cults such as Vecna
and Iuz.
Only the female students of 'wise women' practice magic in this
culture, favouring charms and divination, as well as spells which decieve and
confuse.
The Rhenee dress in muted colors, and each adult male has a set
of leather armor of good quality. They cut and style their clothing in
simple and functional manner, finding the fashion-minded concerns of the other
races almost laughable. They produce exceptional leatherwork.
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The Suloise
(Aryan type people, some with Eastern-type
culture)
No one knows what the ancient homeland of the Suel was like. It
was destroyed by the Rain of Colorless Fire turning it into the desert called
the Sea of Dust. They say there is treasure of the ancient cities of the Suel
there, but the climate is unpleasant, at best.
These are the fairest skinned of all the races of the Flanaess, almost being
albino. Their eyes can be from pale blue and violet through deep blue and
sometimes gray. Their hair ranges in the strawberry blondes, yellows and
platinum. The barbarians to the north, Ice, Frost and Snow are examples of
perfect Suel blood. They are also located in the Duchy of Urnst, islands off the
coast of the Flannaess, and the Scarlet Brotherhood on the Tilvanot
Peninsula.
The Suel have strong family ties as well as a strong bond for ancestral
heritage. They are short tempered and opinionated to the point that there is a
popular saying the Flanaess that says, "when all the Suloise have left the
table," meaning nothing will get accomplished until everyone has an opened
mind with the matter at hand.
They tend to be very dexterous and most tend toward magic. The Suel have a long
line of wizardry and production of powerful magic such as producing the Invoked
Devastation that destroyed the Baklunish Empire from the Suel Imperium.
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Elves (called olve in Flan) come in as many varieties as the
humans. All elves are fair-skinned and slight of stature and build, but
eye and hair colours, as well as cultural bent, vary by kindred.
High elves, the most common type of elf found in non-elf lands, are usually
dark-haried and have green eys. The noble gray elves most frequently have
silvery hair and amber-coloured eyes, or pale-golden hair with violet eyes
(often called fairy or fey elves). Wood elves have hair ranging from
yellow to coppery-red, with eyes of hazel or green. Wild elves, the
smallest of the kindred, otherwise resemble wood elves. And lastly, the
Valley elves, secretive and secluded in their valley, resemble the Gray elves,
but are much taller, nearly averaging human-height.
Elves most frequently wear pale forest hues, though they will wear much more
intense colouring when in urban environments. Males usually wear a
blouselike shirt over close-fitting hose, shod with soft boots or shoes.
Females favor frocks with a sash, or a blouse with skirt of ample length. Gray
elves wear gown and flowing robes of white, yellow, silver and/or gold, offset
with polished leather of contrasting colours, all accented with fine jewelry.
Wild Elves war kilts, boots, and shirt. All elves prefer cloaks,
especially when travelling, typically of gray or grayish-green. Elves are
also famous for their star-light fabric, of grayish black which sparkles like
the starlit sky when it moves.
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Known as the dwur in Flan, dwarves have two racial divisions.
The more common are the hill dwarves, with complexions of deep tan to light
brown, and hair of brown, black or gray. Eye colour ranges across all
spectrums, except blue. The mountain dwarves are somewhat taller than
their more common brethren, and have lighter coloration.
Traditional dwarven garb consists of wollen trousers and a belted tunic of
linen, with a hooded cloak or cape over both. Dwarves prefer earth-tone
colours, mixed with loud, checkered hues. Of course, for accoutrements,
they favour as many jewels and precious metals as possible.
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Gnomes, called the noniz in Flan, have two major sub-groups. The
rock gnome, which is the most typically seen gnome, and the deep gnome, who live
far, far beneath the earth. Rock gnomes possess brown skin, and are
most frequently blue-eyed, with ligth hair and a tendency toward male-pattern
baldness.
Rock gnomes usually dress in dark colors, preferring earth tones, with
stripes. Brightly died hats, belts and boots are very popular. Males
most often wear high collared shirts with trousers and boots, while females wear
high-necked blouses, ruffled skirts, and aprons.
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Called hobniz by the Flan, halflings come in several varieties.
The lightfoot is the typical halfling, and are ruddy of complexion with hair and
eyes running the various shades of brown. Stouts are slightly shorter with
broad features, but otherwise resemble their lightfoot cousins. Lastly,
the tallfellows are taller and slimmer, and have lighter complexions than do
their cousins. All halflings have hair which goes to curl or waviness.
Halfling most commonly attire themselves in knee-britches and tunics, with
vests. Males will wear a coat and high collared shirt for formal events,
whereas females will dress in a bodice-covered shift and long-skirt. They
often stripe shirts and britches in alternating bright-dark colour patterns.
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Foul humanoid races are all too common in the Flannaess. Just a few of
the evil humanoid races which hunt the lands are summarized here (most are not
true goblinoid races, but merely the more common humanoid types of the Flan).
Gnolls - Called kell in Flan, are large hyena-headed
scavengers, filthy and vile.
Hobgoblins - Known as hock-jebline by the Flan, are large,
disciplined goblinoids of an incredibly war-like culture.
Orcs - The euroz, as the flan call them, are all too
common. They are an undisciplined, bestial, and savage tribal people.
Goblins - The jebli are insidious night-time raiders,
usually dominated and controlled by more powerful creatures, though all swear
loyalty to a local 'goblin-king.'
Kobolds - Known as celbit in Flan, these small and vicious
reptilian scavengers are picked on and pushed around by every larger race (which
is most races..). They are a cunning and well-organized race, however, so
it is best not to underestimate them.
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