The People and Cultures of Stonegate
Within
the land area of the Kingdom of Stonegate as well as on its borders exist many sub-cultures. Below is a listing of several native people and the
commonly known traits of each of them.
A few small clans of Biata inhabit the Wastes of
Amiron in southern Dyllaria. They
are tribal and barbaric in nature. Their
culture consists primarily of hunting and gathering activities, and tribal clan
mothers dominate this matriarchal society.
Burrow
Gnomes
This elusive race is commonly thought to be mere
legend by most Dyllarian commoners. They
reside east of the Ogre’s Den in a small chain of foothills that border the
Plains of Hadran. The Burrow Gnomes
get their name from their resemblance to a race of extra-planar beings.
This community is actually composed of several clans of Mole Scavenger,
and they live primarily underground within an extensive complex of tunnels and
caverns.
This group is easily the most important race in the
region’s history. Dyllaria is
named for an early Dwarven prospector who supposedly discovered True Silver in
the Beard Mounds. These people
inhabit the Beard Mounds and are known for their mining, smithing, and drinking
of strong ale. Dyllarian Dwarves
are often cranky, sometimes greedy, but always willing to fight against evil and
chaos. Their history with the
Erlunn Elves has been streaky at best, and many Dyllarian Dwarves are
distrustful and sometimes downright mean toward Elves in general.
Emuri
These Aboriginal tribesmen were apparently the
original human inhabitants of Dyllaria and Emuria.
They are hunter/gatherer communities and most call the Forest of Tears
their home. Some clans also also
migrated into the Trun Wood many years ago, and a few still reside there today.
In recent years they have dwindled to such small numbers that it is rare
to find them outside of the deepest part of the forest.
They often call other humans “Death Speakers”.
The North Wood has been the traditional home of
this proud and noble nation of Elves, but the recent magical changes in the area
have caused this woodland to cease to exist.
It has now become a southern outcropping of the Forest of Shadows, and
the Erlunn have spread northward into this larger forest.
Renowned magic-users, the Erlunn have played an important role throughout
Dyllaria’s history. The recent Horde War has seen much change in their
culture. King Pylarius III sacrificed himself and much of his family
in order to help defeat the Dark Horde, leaving the Erlunn Crown unclaimed.
The return of a long-dead Prince and a forgotten heir to vie for the
inheritance of the throne has made the Erlunn re-evaluate their place in
Dyllaria. They have recently become
a little more open to outsiders and change than in the past.
Fallandran
Dwarves
These Dwarves are more commonly called Dark
Dwarves, or Dark Brethren. They are
relatively few in number, but they are quick to join any effort that is against
the Dyllarian Dwarves. Fallandrans
are more driven by greed and hatred than their cousins, and are accordingly
mistrusted by most. They live
beneath the earth in caves. The largest population of Fallandran Dwarves comes
from the Green Mountain area.
Gandielean
Cyclopes
The Cyclopes of the Gandiel Valley are a small group of farmers and herders. These people have descended from a clan of one-eyed Half-Ogres, and after years of isolation have developed as a distinct stock. Less than a dozen small villages of Cyclopes dot the valley, and each of these send representatives to sit on a yearly council of leaders. The council sets the laws of the region and passes judgment in matters of extreme importance. Overall the Gandieleans are very distrusting of outsiders, and many visitors will often be turned away from their valley. They have reportedly been able to refine a special type of crystal by means of a secret process. The properties of this crystal are widely exaggerated, and it is often reported to be exceptional in several different ways.
The people known as Gimmonites are actually a small
community of Goat Scavengers that can be found within the foothills near the
Emurian town of Vargus. These
mild-mannered herders live within familial clans and are extremely docile and
non-violent. Most Gimmonites have difficulty using weapons because their hands
resemble cloven hooves. Only about
one in every six can actually wield weapons, and those that can are generally
looked upon as potential clan leaders. Although
violence is not in their nature, the Gimmonites are quite capable of defending
themselves, and they can become downright nasty if pushed beyond their boiling
point. It is commonly said among
Emurians that it is easier to teach a Kobold to read than it is to appease an
angry Gimmonite.
Throughout the Kingdom there are several different clans of gypsies that roam freely. These people often live on the fringes of society, observing their own laws, and meting out their own punishments.
Highlanders
Within the bounds of Dyllaria and Emuria are several
clans of Highlanders. The largest
of these in Dyllaria are the Green Mountain MacLaggats who make their home west
of the Khala Sarr village north and west of River’s End, and the MacInnit and
Whiteshadow clans that reside within the northern section of the Ogre’s Den
near the Red Vale. In Emuria, there
are a group of Highlanders living within an area known as Sarum.
The Sarum Highlanders are composed of many small clans, and a king rules
them.
A
small community of Hoblings occupies the area around Lumberton Shire.
The Hoblings have no permanent site and roam around the northern part of
the Forest of Tears lumbering. They
have a long-standing treaty with Stonegate Keep that pre-dates the Kingdom.
As part of this treaty the Hoblings maintain their autonomy, and they
will provide lumber to the people of Stonegate in return for protection.
Iridanian
Half-Ogres
This extremely small group resides in the southern
Ogre’s Den. They are constantly
battling their neighbors to stay alive. They claim a small territory known as Iridan.
This group is very warlike, and their small towns and villages more often
than not resemble armed forts.
Ja’Nat
The Ja’Nat are a large group of Rat Scavengers
that live in underground caverns in the area around Galavast.
The Ja’Nat are notorious raiders and they attack nearby communities
under the cover of night. They do not trade, but instead get all of their goods from
this raiding activity. They prefer
alchemy as a primary form of attack, and are rumored to use several odd types of
gasses.
Dyllaria’s close proximity to Myrr, the Sarr
homeland, makes the occurrence of this small community not unusual.
This group is small and secluded. They
trade only with their neighbors, and they do not generally involve themselves in
politics. Rumor tells that they
practice necromancy as a primary form of battle magic.
Since this group is autonomous, their homeland rests outside of the scope
of Kingdom law.
The Marobai are a secretive and very magical group
of humans that live in the Green Mountains in the north-central part of Emuria.
The Marobai culture is based on a familial caste system, and each family
specializes in its own form of magic. Marobai
have special tattoos that mark their family ties, and each member of the culture
must wear these markings exposed so that all will know their place.
Members of this group have also spent time studying the Valley of the
Stars, and Marobai sages are often considered experts on both the nature and
history of this mystical place.
Minotaurs
Dyllarian Minotaurs make their home on the southern Battle Plains, just
north and east of the Pass of the Blade. These
humanoids appear as stout men and women with the head of a bull.
They are a crude warlike people who prey upon their neighbors
mercilessly. They are widely
renowned as the most aggressive and combatant race in Dyllaria.
They are excellent warriors, but rarely do any of them cast magic or use
alchemy in combat. Horned heads mark the males of this culture, while females
generally have comparatively small horns.
The Dark Elves who inhabit the Slavers’ Peaks are
known to be slavers and thieves. They generally conduct raids on the Biata and Plains
Barbarians, and have hunted the Emuri into near extinction. Despite their less than reputable image and habits, this
group is also known for their honor-bound ways, as are all Dark Elves.
The Kingdom of Miydranda (my-id-ran-dah) predates the settlement of Lord
Garic within the realm of Dyllaria, and the Miydrandans themselves are very
secretive. Their society is
thought to be controlled by a rigid caste system that dictates the rights and
privileges of each and every individual.
The Battle Plains are home to several small
Barbarian tribes. Most exist as
hunter/gatherer groups, but a few are herders.
These sporadic clans are at war with each other constantly.
They have played a part in most Dyllarian wars, and have sided
inconsistently throughout these conflicts.
Similarly, the Karani Barbarians have existed on the fringe of civilized
culture as well. In the past, the various Karani clans have been bullied and
bent to the will of powerful masters such as the Tarandok and the Empire of
Emuria. Both of these peoples have
managed to maintain a culture that has changed little in the last one
hundred years or more.
Shanduin
Humans
Shanduin Humans inhabit much of north central and
western Dyllaria, as well as northeast Emuria.
The Erlunn gave this name to them long ago and it has stuck.
They are the descendants of immigrants who came into these lands from the
east many years ago. Many of them
can trace their bloodlines back to the original settlers who arrived with Sir
Garic Lorne. Their characteristics
and personality types are widely varied, and they adapt to adverse conditions
well, as most humans are prone to do.
Sha-Raad
The Sha-Raad (shah-rod) are a group of Horse Scavengers who live as nomadic hunters within a sprawling grassland known as the Sha-Raad Steppe. Named for one of the culture's first leaders, members of this group are renowned for their fighting prowess and their running ability. A common thread among the Sha-Raad clans is the ceremony for coming of age. When the time is right, the young must battle and race against the oldest of the clan's members. Those youths that lose are outcast forever, leaving the clan in utter disgrace. Many such outcasts choose to take their own lives rather than face living apart from their people. About one in every ten Sha-Raad child born has hooves instead of hands. When such a child is born it is killed immediately rather than force it to grow up as an inferior to the other Sha-Raad of its age. Hoofed feet are viewed as lucky however, and when a child is born with this trait it is considered a promising sign.
Stone
Deep Dwarves
The Stone Deep Dwarves of Emuria can be found
living within the Valley of the Stars. A relatively small community, this group is thought to have
originally started as a colony of the Dyllarian Dwarves that gradually lost
contact over the years. Ruled by a
council of elders, these people make their home in a great underground city along the shore
of the Lake of Stars beneath the enormous and beautiful Hammerhandt Citadel.
This great fortress is built of stone from the surrounding valley, and it
shines with an eerie glow at night. Even
more taciturn and isolationist than their eastern cousins, this group does not
look kindly upon outsiders. They are easily recognizable by their tanned,
glittery skin tone.
Tarandok
The Tarandok are a group of primitive Drae that
reside in the southern part of Emuria. The main economic activity of this culture is raiding the
eastern and western tradeways near Freeport along the Khala River.
The ruling body of this group is known as the Tarandok Coucil, and the
society is very loosely organized into a sort of clan-oriented confederation.
The Whispering Woods of Emuria are home to many
small tribal communities of Wild Elves. These groups are collectively known as Trun (troon) Elves, and they
exist in a sort of communal hunting and gathering state. War between clans is not unheard of, but in general these
people are very peaceful and the clans get along well with one another.