The People of the Flanaess
I am guessing some of you might be interested in the people of the Flanaess.
After all, you are representing them in this IR. These are the people who will fight your battles, raise the industrial revolution, and otherwise change the face of the world.
I typed all of this in, taking the time so you could see what these people are all about.
Humans
The Flannae
Members of the Flan race are accepted to be the first human inhabitants of eastern Oerik; hence the term Flanaess. Origianlly scattered nomads with no real settlements, the Flan were pushed to various areas of the continent just over a thousand years ago by the invading Suel and Oeridians.
The Flannae are recognizable by their bronze complexion and wavy or curly hair. Their skin tones range from a lighter coppery color to a deep brown. Flan eyes are most commonly dark brown or black, with brown or amber appearing less frequently. Their hair is usually black but also ranges through shades of brown-black, dark brown and brown.
The original Flan nomads of a millennium ago wore simple, utilitarian clothing including loincloths, capes and leather wrappings on their feet that served as shoes. They also wore brightly colored body paints, primarily vermillion and yellow ochre, in primitive patterns, a practice still common among the surviving Rovers of the Barrens. In civilized regions, Flan clothing tends to follow current fashion, though in solid, bright primary colors.
The ancient Flannae were a peaceful people who followed a regular pattern of seasonal migration. They lived off the land, hunting and gathering, and their population remained relatively steady. They had a strong view of nature as an entity, and the myths, legends andcultures all emphasized the importance and values of a close relationship with nature. All of the known druidic Gods are Flan in origin.
Some of the pureblooded Flannae still show characteristics of their ancestors. They tend to prefer open spaces to crowded cities, and they have an affinity for gardening (especially among those with no choice but to live in crowded conditions.) Some Flan are good with horses. The Flannae have a strong tradition for storytelling, and most families have a repertoire of legends and traditions passed down through the generations. They like to spend as much time as they can out of doors, and a favorite pastime during comfortable weather is to build an outdoor fire and gather the family around for an evening of stories.
A modern custom among the Flannae is to plant a tree at the doorway of their home. The tree helps to maintain the family's ties to nature and remind them to care for the Oerth mother Beory. Among some brances of the Flan, if the tree sickens or dies, this is taken as a sign that the family must move or perhaps bad luck or some evil influence. Trees and plants are often given as gifts to welcome a new baby or to greet a Flan family moving to a new home. For good luck, some Flannae keep a dried or pressed leaf from their home tree when traveling or adventuring.
The Oeridians
A millennium ago, the Oeridians moved from the west into the Flanaess, where the eventually took control of what is now Furyondy, Perrenland, the Shield Lands, the Great Kingdom of Northern Aerdi, the United Kingdom of Ahlissa, Onnwal, and Sunndi.
They are sometimes difficult to differentiate from other races, with skin ranging from tan to olive, hair varying in color from honey-blond to black (with brown and auburn being most common), and eyes of every common color, though most often brown or gray. Oeridians are recognized more easily through their choice of clothing. Favoring plaids and checks, sometimes with unusual variations such as diamond or lozenge patterns, the Oeridians are perhaps the flashiest dressers in the Flanaess. Their clothtng normally consists of close-fitting trousers and short tunics with capes or cloaks.
Historically, the Oeridians were fierce warriors and aggresssive about controlling land. They fought hard to maintain their borders and even harder to acquire lands they desired. Conquerors by nature, they are accustomed to thinking of themselves as the best humanity has to offer and thus destined to rule. They are prone to take charge, obey their superiors, and sacrifice for the good of whatever group they are in. All Oeridians suffer from bouts of temper, however, and those who can control their emotions and channel their energies into productive activity are regarded highly among all the races.
Oeridians have a talent for focusing their attention in combat, and this sometimes gives them the upper hand. They consider fighting a craft, and practice is taken very seriously. Some Oeridians practice acrobatics, tumbling, unarmed fighting and even dance as a part of their training. Because of the great amounts of time the warriors devote to practicing their art, Oeridians tend to be nimble.
The Oeridians are recongized for the superb weapons and armor they produce. They are always looking for ways to improve their odds in a battle, and that includes perfecting existing weapons and armor designs, and inventing new types of armor and weapons. They are also very inventive with developing magical armor and weapons and combat spells.
Oeridian custom requires that a gift be offered to a host or hostess when an overnight stay is anticipated. Traditionally, this gesture was meant to put the hosting family at ease and serve as a sign that the visitors had no designs on acquiring the host's land or property.
The Oeridian people feel deep ties to clan and are fiercely protective of both their immediate and extended family. A threat to an Oerdian's land or property is only slightly less important than a threat to his family.
The Rhennee
The Rhennee are truly the enigma among the races of Greyhawk. While the other four races can trace their histories to elsewhere on the continent, the Rhennee have separate origins. They are thought to have first appeared in the Flanaess in the area around the Adri Forest about 500 years, moving west to avoid harassment by Aerdy soldiers and citizens. The Rhennee increasingly left the land to become migrants on the central rivers, until comparatively few land-dwelling Rhennee now exist. They they rarely speak of this to outsiders, their legends claim that the race came to Oerth accidentally from their home world of Rhop. Although the Rhenn-folk have only a few ideas of what their home plane was like or how they got here, they know that it was quite different from the Flanaess.
Rhennee skin color ranges in the tan to olive shades and hair tends to be black or dark brown, and curly hair is most common. Their eyes are most often brown, gray or hazel, but blue or green eyes are not unusual. The Rhenne are wiry and short, with males averaging about 5 foot 6 inches, but they are exceptionally strong for their build.
The Rhennee live exclusively on the waterways, making their homes on large barges that average about 60 feet long and 15 feet wide. These sturdy barges are similar in style to a junk; they are capable of navigating the Nyr Dyv's often choppy waters and treacherous storms, as well as riverways. These ships may have one or two masts.
A single barge may be home to as many as 45 people, including a captain or chief, two to four guards, a wise woman, an advisor or two, 12 to 24 adults, and seven to twelve children (up to age 12). The guards may be male or female, but the advisors are always female. The wise woman is the matriarch of the group (although not all families on the barge are related): her role is to tell fortunes for land-dwellers and thus earn coin, and also to predict the weather, settle disputes and use her skills with herbalism for minor healing. The wise woman is the driving force in Rhennee society; not even a noble will knowingly contradict her.
In spite of the role of the wise woman and her advisors, Rhennee society is extremely chauvinistic. Other woman are treated as helpmeets and gain some respect from the men, but they are basically considered chattel. No formal rite of marriage exists, and barge captains and nobles may have as many wives as they can support. The men tend toward proud, aggressive behavior and are quick to issue a challenge to a non-Rhennee male who looks in the direction of one of their women.
The Rhennee earn their living primarily through transportation of goods and passengers, with some hunting, fishing, trading and craftwork on the side. Most will not work when they can steal and thus have the thieving proficiency, although they avoid stealing from each other. Some also have a skill for tinkering, but their reputations vary widely.
Most of these folk do not seem inclined toward good or evil, but instead learn toward neutrality. Some Rhennee have recently followed evil cults (for example, those of Vecna and Iuz), but this influence has been thrown off. The Rhennee follow a rather strict set of norms that has different standards for their own kind and for non-Rhennee. Many of their customs are baffling to outsiders, and the Rhennee seem to like it that way.
The Suloise
The Suel folk arrived in Oerik as refugees from land south and west of the Crystalmist and Hellfurnace Mountains. Escaping the wars in their homelands, the Suloise helped to displace the Flannae from their traditional lands and were themselves scattered far and wide.
No one is certain what the ancient Suloise Empire was like. Most of their former realm was destroyed by the Rain of Colorless Fire, leaving behind what is now called the Sea of Dust. Rumors abound of Suloise ruins and treasures buried in the Sea of Dust, but the climate there is so harsh that few dare to go looking for this wealth.
The Suloise are the fairest-skinned of Oerik's races, some being almost albino. Their eyes vary from pale blue and violet through deep blue and the occasional gray. Hair color ranges in the strawberry blondes, yellows and platinums. Wavy or kinky hair is seen as often as straight hair.
The Frost, Ice and Snow Barbarians are the best examples of pure Suel blood. Suel descendants are also predominant in the Dunchy of Urnst, the islands off the easten coast of the Flanaess, and the lands of the Scarlet Brotherhood on the Tilvanot Peninsula. Some Suloise settled in the Amedio Rainforest and Hepmonaland, where they became tanned and freckled.
Ancient Suloise wore wide-legged pantaloons and loose blouses. These styles are still popular but have been adapted for climate. In the north, these garments can be of fur of felted wool, worn with capes, furred boots and mittens. Those in the south sometimes wear a loose vest instead of a blouse, and babrics are lightweight. Solid colors aree preferred universally, with most folk having only one or two colors in the wardrobe. The Suloise also like to wear emblems and sovenir trinkets on their clothing. These ornaments are considered important items of family heritage. They can be passed down through generations.
The Suloise have a strong sense of the importance of ancestral and family ties. The fight more among themselves than other human groups because of these ancient allegiances.
The Suloise are not known for their patience and have a short way with disagreements, since they tend to be opinionated and convinced that their notions are the best. A popular saying in some parts of the Flanaess is when all the Suloise have left the table, meaning that nothing constructive will take place in a discussion until anyone unwilling to be open-minded is removed.
These folk are also known for their manual dexterity. They have a talent for all arts and crafts, especially those involving detailed work such as embroidery, sewing, leather tooling, sculpting and painting. Suloise weavers can demand the highest prices on the continent for their fabrics, both for the fine grain of their weaves and the extraordinary detail of their patterns.
The Suel have a long tradition of wizardry and magical research, and the ancient Suel Imperium produced many powerful magics, culminating in the Invoked Devastation that laid waste to the ancient Baklunish Empire. Even now many Suel become mages. Perhaps their dexterity gives them an advantage in manipulating spell components and gesticulations.
The Baklunish
The Baklunish are settled mainly in the northwestern regions of the Flanaess. Zeif, Ull, Ekbir and the Tiger Nomads are the best examples of pure Baklunish folk.
Their skin tends to be golden and eyes are most commonly green or grey-green, with gray and hzel less frequent. Hair color is always dark, ranging from blue-black to dark brown.
In the north, bright colors and gaudy patterns are typical of Baklunish custume, with gowns and robes favored, and short breeks with long coasts nearly as popular. Peasant folk in the north also wear gaudy fabrics, but tend toward a single long robe with whatever adornments are available. The southern Baklunish favor colors in the pastel ranges, with patterns also popular. Dress is complex and fancy with puffs, slashes and peplums. Ruffs might be seen at formal occasions. When at war, this fanciness is eschewed, and most soldiers wear rough fabrics, leathers and hides adorned with shields and coats of arms. They often carry banners displaying clan colors and systems.
All Baklunish are raised to esteem honor, piety, generosity, and family. Pursuit of these virtues is so consistent that for a Baklunish to kill his parents, for instance, is almost unthinkable.
The Baklunish have developed two distinct cultures. One group long ago developed a horse-base nomadic culture based on raiding, herding and trading the fine horses they breed. The settled Baklunish are traders and farmers who have achieved considerable power and built great cities and roads.
Like the Suel, the Baklunish are recognized for their magical skill. They are especially noted for inventing new elemental spells and using spellcasting in concert with others through cooperative magic. Even to this day their reputation is due in part to the Rain of Colorless Fire that the Baklunish brought down upon the Suloise Empire a thousand years ago.
Elves (called Olve, or Olvenfolk in Flan)
High elves tend to mix with other races most easily. they favor Highfolk, the Duchy of Ulek, the Archclericy of Veluna, and the Lendore Isles. The shortest of their race, high elves average only about 5 feet in height. They have pale complexions, dark hair and green eyes, and tend to dress in grays, greens and pastels.
Gray elves are reclusive and keep to themselves in Celene and Sunndi. They have silver hair and amber eyes or golden hair and violet eyes.
Sylvan elves, also known as wood elves, tend to be even more reclusive than the gray, avoiding even other elves when possible. They make their homes in Celene, the Duchy of Ulek, the ancient forests of the Flanaess and in Highfolk. Their skin is darker than that of the high elves and they dress in browns and greens.
Grugach, the wild elves, live in tiny, isolated bands in the temperate forests. They are short like the high elves and very pale, but otherwise resemble sylvan elves.
Valley elves are treated with suspicion by other elves for reasons not clear to humans. These unusually tall (up to six feet in height) elves live exclusively in the Valley of the Mage. They are known to practice unusual magic presumably taught to them by Jaran Krimeeah.
Aquatic elves breathe water as well as air, and have webbed fingers and toes. They prefer temperate and tropical oceans and seas. Near the Lendore Isles, the aquatic elves are allied with the high elves.
Dwarves
Dwarves (called Dwurfolk in Flan) are about four feet tall, broad-shouldered and muscular, with tan, gray or reddish bronw skin and brown or black eyes. Males and females both wear beards, though some females are known to be smooth-faced. Dwarves live long lives, though not as long as elves, and they reproduce slowly.
The stout, study folk of the mountains are considered by most to be the salt of the earth and the keepers of the realms below the surface. They prefer to live underground in vast caverns or tunnel systems where they mine precious metals and gems. They usually don't live in human cities for more than a few weeks at a time. Dwarves have a reputation for being taciturn and grumpy (which is partly deserved), but they make excellent allies in any type of battle or warfare, though it is hard to get them involved in conflicts among those they consider outsiders.
Hill dwarves are most populace in the Principality of Ulek and the Iron Hills. They are the most common type of dwarves in the Flanaess. They are cooperative with the other races and are especially valuable in battles against giants and humanoids.
Mountain dwarves are less common, taller, and paler than their hill-dwelling cousins. The AArchbarony of Ratik and the Principality of Ulek have the largest populations of mountain dwarves. These folk know secrets of the underground that other races cannot even guess at.
The dwarves have evil counterparts in the derro and duergar (gray dwarves). These races live deeper underground than the hill dwarrves. The secrets that they harbor are better left unknown.
Gnomes (Noniz in Flan)
Gnomes are believed by some to be related to dwarves, but aside from height, there are few similarities. Gnomes favor woodlands for their hmes, residing in burrows just below the surface in hilly country. gnomes are rarely taller than 3 and 1/2 feet, are moderately built, and have skin that resembles the color of wood (from light ahs to dark oak). They work well and enjoy merrymaking.
One important but scarce subrace, the deep gnomes (or svirfneblin) live far underground; these have gray, hairless skin and excellent heat-sensing vision, but little else is known of them. Svirfneblin are believed to be among the few good underground races.
Halflings (Hobriz in Flan)
So called because the stand half as tall as most humans, halflings are a cheerful race that make homes in burrows similar to the gnomes. Light hair covers most of their bodies, especially the backs of their hands and the tops of their feet. Halflings usually travel barefoot, their thick-soled feet protecting them from the pain others would feel stepping on briars and sharp stones. Most halflings build shallow burrow homes or cottages in grasslands, forests or hills.
Three subraces of halflings live in the Flanaess. The hairfeet are the most numerous, and many live among humans. The tallfellows about about six inches taller and compartively willowy in build, usually living near elves, and stouts are about six inches shorter and live among dwarves.
Halflings are quiet, retiring, and do not seek attention. They are farm folk, pastoral people who don't get excited about much. Basically good-natured, they have adapted many creature comforts used by humans, and like safe comfortable lives.
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