The Peoples of the Realms:
The Roan:
The most numerous and powerful race in most lands, the Roan seem like an unremarkable people at first glance. With no outstanding attributes, and no significant weaknesses, they seem like they would amount to little. But that would only be the case were it not for their gods. The Roani gods are quite physical, unlike most spirits; titanic figures that walk among the people they rule, and the soldiers they fight alongside. In almost every war that the Roani wage, the enemy's forces are utterly destroyed. None survive the debilitating wrath of the god-kings, and this sheer, overwhelming power has elevated them to great status in any land they tread upon. But this power comes with a price. Mankind eats the fruit of the land, plants and animals, for he is a mortal and this is his position. But the gods are above man, and so they cannot subsist on such lowly sustenance. No, the gods can subsist on but one thing. The flesh of humans.
The process for this is quite simple. One simply brews ambrosia (speaking sacred words over butchered flesh encasing a silver bar) and gets the sacrifice to drink it. He will turn white as a ghost, and if he doesn't keel over and die moments later, he ought to be dispatched by any guards on hand. The product is then butchered, prepared into lavish meals (you best do this, lest you incur their wrath) and served to the gods. The Roan view being chosen as a sacrifice to be a great honor, yet for some reason sacrifices are most often the poor, cripped, old, or unwanted. Indeed, it is a great way for the society to rid itself of undesirable elements, so any settlement that hosts a god would do well to choose its sacrifices wisely. It goes without saying, of course, that to let your god die would be a great insult and massive blow to the wellbeing of your people. Plenty of nations would love nothing more than to see the Roan and their gods stamped out, and one less protector would certainly be celebrated.
The Parsaens:
A race found primarily in the tropics (save for the cactus sages and their desert cities), the Parsaens are known for two things. Their exotic skin and eyes, like pastel parchment studded with vibrant jewels, and their skill with the bow. This people has long warred with the Roani and developed massive bows to wound their gods, though even these are but pinpricks to them. Still, these powerful weapons along with a mastery of war elephants allow them to survive and retain their independence. For now.
The Durhariens:
An ancient people found in caves and mountain fortresses, the Durharians are an enigma. For all their barbarism, they are one of the very few sources of iron and steel, the secrets of smelting such materials a well-kept secret among their race. However, their unwillingness to expand may prove to be their undoing, as one by one the fortresses and lairs of the Durha tribes are winking out, and with them may go the secrets of the highly-sought-after metals they trade and raid with.
The Jin:
They say they came from a land below the sea, but few know the truth, or even what that means. Their own people don't seem to know either, and the idea is certainly preposterous, especially considering the oceans are so full of monsters that few if any are foolish enough to risk the open waters as the Jin claim to have done. While their coming is a mystery, their presence is certainly real enough. Their coastal kingdoms dominate trade and their wealth can match even the Roani coffers from time to time. Due to the importance of trade in tin and copper, they too survive, usually.
The Borza:
A people from lands beyond what is known, some question whether the Borza are actually human at all. Hulking brutes with slate gray hair and eyes, skin the color of yellow clay, this people makes up for in size what they lack in leatherworking, an important trait given their lack of metalsmithing industries keeps them stuck using leather armor, though they can make or scavenge metal weapons easily enough. Uncommon and unarmored, the Borza are a people few expect to last the coming centuries.
The Echubites:
A swamp-dwelling folk, their poor environment and primitive living conditions lead them to remain a primarily copper-based race, though they are certainly a hardy people. One would wonder why they have not been subjugated by others, and the reason for this is their golems. The Echubites are protected by powerful clay constructs in the shape of men and the size of elephants, who accompany them into battle. Even the gods hesitate to attack a few dozen beasts fully half of their size, and so the Echubites survive another day.
The Azryans:
One of the most enigmatic peoples of the known world, the Azryans are loathed as much as they are envied. It is the philosophy of the Azryans that the mind is sacred, but the flesh is a tool to be molded. This runs contrary to the popular conception that flesh and mind are interlinked, and to tamper with one is to taint the other (and to elevate one is to elevate the other). So the Azryans and their alchemical horrors are despised in polite society. But behind closed doors, some can't help but wonder at the origins of the race, and wonder further if they and the living metal they worship and fuse themselves with could be a powerful weapon against the Roani empires.
The Barbarous Folk:
A motley collection of cave-dwellers and savages, the barbarous folk comprise the primitive races of man, savages and brutes which oppose civilization. Most notable are the horse-bodied centaurs and the dog-headed cynocephali, who are reknowned for their brutality. Most skulk in the shadows, but be ever-wary for the day they choose to attack head-on.
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Topic: Dwarf Fortress: Realms of the Gods 0.2 (Alpha) (Read 6603 times)