A couple more ideas:
Birton
A new small town that has grown from a sizeable farming community in the plains. The "town proper" of Birton is not large, constrained by the defensive walls that surround it. However, many of the populace of Birton (or rather, those under the rule of the Baron of Birton) live outside the walls of the town, tending to their farms (though they abandon the farms and seek refuge in the defended town during attacks).
Birton is a breadbasket of the region, but it is another product which lends its name to the town: beer. Birton (the end result of the evolution of "Beer-Town") is well known for the quality ales and lagers produced by the local monastery (which is a bit of a misnomer, since it is both a monastery and a nunnery). The local farmers brew their own brand of beers as well, and Birton has its fair share of producers of liquors and malt liquors as well; Birton is also renowned for its bakeries and unique breads. However, the "gleaming gold of old" that gave Birton its name is its most popular product. In fact, Birton's growth from a village to a town (and possible continued growth from a town to a city) is due to the high demand for their beers: almost a third of Birton's income is derived from exporting their beers to Gilport alone.
The Baron of Birton is a new position, necessitated by the sudden growth of the village. The first Baron of Birton was Egalarel Eberson, a mercenary whose loyalty and service were noticed by the sovereign. The current ruler, Lord Bekebroc, Fourth Baron of Birton, is Egalarel's great-grandson. Bekebroc maintains a long-standing alliance with the Birton Monastery, and many key servants in his employ are monks from the monastery (Bekebroc's grandmother was a nun from the monastery). The monastery itself is a place of knowledge and enlightenment, and many educated folk in Birton have either been educated by the monks or are/were members of the order who do not reside in the monastery. The local church has strong ties to the monastery, as well as a fledgling wizard's guild (both of which were established by fellow mercenaries of the first Baron).
Birton is a mostly human community, though it does have a few "outsiders" who live in the town, since most of the folk have a "live & let live" attitude. The notable monastery itself was founded centuries ago by an "outsider," the githzerai Zadok, and the first Baron of Birton was originally a mercenary from Gilport, so the town's history of accepting "outsiders" is well-established.
(Birton is an up-and-comign town. Also, any monks, multiclass monks, monk PrCs or multiclass monk PrCs would be suitable for members of the Birton Monastery.)
The Ice Folk
The Ice Folk are a small tribe of barbaric half-elves that dwell in the far-flung frozen lands. The Ice Folk are a relatively young elven group, formed by the elf Vindalf after he dwelled with human barbarian tribes for several decades. Vindalf befriended the tribe and was made one of them, but tragedy befell the tribe, and they were almost wiped out after an attack by a gnoll war party and their white dragon master. The few stragglers of the tribe followed Vindalf (who knew the elf since they were born), and Vindalf set about to rebuilding the tribe. Over time, the tribe grew into what it is today.
The most notable feature about the Ice Folk is that almost everyone in the tribe possesses albinism (with some very, very rare exceptions). Vindalf himself had albinism, and most of the survivors who followed him were his grandchildren and great-grandchildren who shared the trait. The tribe mostly consists of half-elves, with a few human and elven members. A few members of the tribe are half-silver dragon or have traces of silver dragon blood, the legacy of an old alliance between Vindalf and a silver dragon family that resides nearby. Every member of the tribe is expected to learn how to use a short bow and a short sword (the weapons favored by Vindalf himself), and the magical glassteel icy burst short sword of Vindalf has become the hereditary weapon of the Ice Folk chieftain (often referred to as the Cold King).
The tribe is semi-nomadic, wandering the cold realms in pursuit of the reindeer that sustains them. The Ice Folk are allied with the family of the silver dragon Kylmahopeinen (also called "Coldsilver" in Common), and with a benevolent Blavit tribe of frost giants in the area (the Ice Folk and the progeny of Coldsilver often aid the friendly giants against attacks from the typically larger and more sinister frost giant tribes).
Many Ice Folk adventurers tend toward professions typical of their tribe: barbarians, bards (skalds), druids, rangers, & scouts. A small group of Ice Folk adopted the arcane practices of the (water) wu jen; many Ice Folk spellcasters favor magics that relate to cold. Those few members with faint traces of silver dragon blood show some prowess with sorcery.
(The Ice Folk are supposed to have a slight Finno-Norse feel to them. The frost giant and silver dragon Bloodlines from Unearthed Arcana could work here for some of the members of the tribe. The Cryokineticist from Frostburn, or any other Frostburn stuff, could work here as well.)
Redhill
The savage town of Redhill, found in the heart of the badlands, is a rarity: a gnoll settlement. The gnolls of Redhill are not any less wicked than the wild packs of gnolls roaming the lands, but they seem to have created and maintained some semblance of a society.
Redhill is a rough-looking settlement on top of a bleak hill. Many of its structures are made from the red clay plentiful in the area, and the foul nature of their religion has the gnolls smearing blood on all of the structures.
The Guards of Redhill maintain the security of the town, while the Hunters leave the town and carry out attacks against enemy gnoll tribes and nearby non-gnoll settlements. Redhill does some farming, though they mainly sustain the town through raising goats and swine, raiding, and slavery. Many of unfortunate captives of the gnolls wind up as slaves, sacrifices for their religion, or as food.
The ruler of Redhill, the high priestess Gharashke, founded the town through conquest and alliance of other gnoll packs in the region. Her power and cunning make him capable of forging a gnoll nation in the region. She leads the nation both as the high priestess of the gnoll's religion and the undeclared "queen" of Redhill. Gharashke is rarely seen without her bloody spear, a symbol of her divine authority and lethal prowess in combat. Gharashke is often referred to by other gnolls as the Mother. Gharashke is grooming her eldest son, Khorgeshth, to take power once she is gone. Khorgeshth shows much promise, and more ambition--all it would take is for Khorgeshth to win the hearts of the people, and he will rip out his mother's throat and claim Redhill for himself.
And, here's a couple that you may or may not like.
The Dread Fleet
Foreigners from a far-off land, the Dread Fleet is actually a large roaming band of pirates from a distant land who search for anything to lay claim or lay waste to. They engage in all sorts of crimes, including piracy, smuggling, and slave trading.
Almost every member of the Dread Fleet are half-orcs (with very few humans and orcs among their number, and even fewer members of other races), originally hailing from a distant nation of half-orcs across the horizon. The Dread Fleet has claimed some uncharted islands for a homeland (with their families and slaves maintaining the uncharted ports), but most of the time, various ships of the Fleet are at sea, raiding the island and coastal towns they come across.
The Dread Fleet is organized by ships; each ship is, in its own right, a "tribe," though a few "tribes" consist of more than one ship. Each ship of the fleet is named after an aquatic beast: notable ships of the Dread Fleet include the Shark, the Sea Snake, the Ray, and the Barracuda. However, all ships of the Dread Fleet follow the Admiral, who rules from the flagship of the Dread Fleet, the Kraken. The Kraken is said to be a magical ship, and the Admiral's coat and cutlass are said to be potent magical items as well.
The current Admiral of the Dread Fleet, Mako, was the former captain of the Shark, who took over in a bloody coup that saw the destruction of the Chuul, the Dragon Turtle, and the Swordfish, and the death of the captains of the Ray and the Lacedon. Mako arguably has been the best Admiral of the Dread Fleet since the first Admiral, Orca. Mako forged an alliance with the sahuagin, has a powerful sea hag serving as his vizier, is protected by scrag bodyguards, and led the Dread Fleet to make several successful raids. The only blemish in his career as Admiral is the stalemate he received leading the Dread Fleet on a raid on Gilport.
(I know you wanted to avoid orcs, but I figured I'd throw in a twist and have them be foreign invaders rather than resident evils, if you will. Also wanted a nifty use of a pirate theme.)
Order of the Star
The Order of the Star is a unique order whose members roam the land fighting evil in its various forms. One notable trait about members of the Order of the Star is that all of them possess the ability to create a blade of psychic energy (known as soulknives by some). The purity and conviction of some members of the Order of the Star enable them to imbue their blades with positive energy.
Members of many races are represented in the Order of the Star, though a significant number of half-celestial and aasimar members make up the ranks. The members of the ORder of the Star are easily recognizable, wearing white and silver (and even mithral if available), bearing simple yet elegant star motifs.
(The epitomy of Lawful Good. I know you weren't that keen on psionics, but the soulknife class seems to be the most friendly psionic class that can be used. No power points or anything of the sort. Also set up for multiclass soulknives. Throwing paladins into the multiclassing mix would work well. And, in a way, it's a bit Jedi-like.)
The Fallen Flame
The Fallen Flame is the most notable foe of the Order of the Star, founded by a former member of the Order who fell from grace after temptation by the mysterious sorceress known as the Red Lady. However, unlike the Order of the Star, the order consists of a mix of soulknives and pyrokineticists. They work to undo the good deeds of the Order of the Star, and spread as much destruction and chaos as possible. Death and fire are the hallmarks of the Fallen Flame, and they will not stop until the entire world is but a charred husk.
Like the Order of the Star, members of many races are represented in the Fallen Flame, though a large number of half-fiends and tieflings are members. Though they keep hidden in public, when on a mission, agents of the Fallen Flame appear clad in various shades of red trimmed with gold and black, covered in flame motifs.
(The epitomy of Chaotic Evil. The opposite number for the Order of the Star; a bit Sith-like in concept. Set up for soulknives, pyrokineticts, soulknife/pyrokineticists, and multiclasses thereof. Throwing blackguards into the multiclassing mix would work well. Saw the Red Lady being someone with traces of succubus and red dragon lineage, who still "rules behind the throne.")
Well, what do you think?
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