Maelstrom Campaigns: Kaladians

The Human Races of Roil - The Kaladians

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The Human Races:
Belarans | Corlennians | Kaladians | Lornkirans | Tulmarians | Yindurins

The Dominant Native Kaladian Races:
Aututhans | Dautani | Matawi | Poun' Tahl | Sonhali

Kaladians are a mixture of many different human races. Belarans, Corlennians, Tulmarians, occasional Lornkiras, and other races of humans have come to the shores of Kaladia, and they have left their mark.; The human folk of Kaladia are quite likely to be of almost any build, complexion, and hair and eyes coloration. Their heritage is almost always mixed, and their new cultures have grown with the lands they now inhabit. They are the most diverse people of Roil, and each of the many countries of Kaladia has its own distinctive society and background.; Long before human or humanoid settlers left the other continents and came to Kaladia, tribes of human barbarians roamed its lands. As best as can be reckoned, these clans originated on Kaladia. Once the entire continent was dominated by the great barbarian hordes. But their lands and numbers have steadily dwindled as each new race of settlers came to Kaladia. Today, the barbarian tribes have scattered across the continent. They have interbred with the other races of humans who have come to Kaladia, so their once pure strains remain dominant only in isolated tribes. The primary barbarian tribes are:; Aside from the barbarians, there are two other major human (some would argue they are non-human) races indigenous to Kaladia: the Poun'Tahl and the Sonhali. Neither have established countries, nor do they claim regions of Kaladia as do the barbarians. Nonetheless, they are a prominent presence in many of the countries of humans and non-humans alike.

Aututhans: Aututhans are the barbarians who dwell in northern Kaladia. They are a savage and primitive people, prone to sudden violence and possessing strong superstitions of anything unfamiliar. Though they are very numerous, their clans do not often work together for a mutual benefit. They are a selfish, hateful people, distrustful of outsiders, with little semblance of a productive culture.; Most Aututhans have olive skin, red or black hair, and eyes colored hazel gray to green. The men average anywhere from five to over six feet in height, and weigh from 150 to 250 pounds. The women are typically slightly shorter than the men, and correspondingly weigh less.; The various Aututhan clans are very similar in physical appearance. While most of the Aututhans have inherently hostile natures, it is the distinct differences in their outlooks which divides them into two major clans: the Cucatha and the Ruthatu.; Cucatha are the largest clan of the Aututhans. They almost completely comprise the tribal "packs" of the White Wolves, the barbarian tribes which roam the upper portions of the northern steppes of Kaladia. Though the Cucatha clan is divided into many different tribes, they all have similar beliefs and values. While minor skirmishes between the Cucatha are common, major wars amongst the packs are rare. Most of the Cucatha are fickle, self-centered, and untrustworthy. But they are not openly evil, as are their Ruthatu brethren south of their lands.; Ruthatu are the second primary clan of the Aututhans. Most of these barbarians live along the northern edge of the Silverpeak Mountains. As a whole, they are an aggressive and despicably evil people prone to unexplainable and sudden violence against not only their own tribes, but neighboring states as well.
The Kaladian Races

Dautani: Dautani are the barbarians of southeast Kaladia. They are an aggressive people, headstrong but not narrow of vision or foolish. Their tribes are their strength, but rarely are their leaders strong enough to pull them together.; Dautani have dark copper-red skin, with long, naturally curly gray hair which lightens to pure white with age. Their eyes are usually either dark brown or black. The Dautani are shorter than most native Kaladians. The average height for the men is about five and a half feet, and women average only about five feet. They are also a very lean people, and rarely weigh more than 150 pounds, male or female.; The majority of the Dautani call themselves the Blue. Of the tribes, there are three dominant clans which inhabit the Wilds of the Blue: the Ataun, the Gautaun, and the Daitaun.; Atauns comprise the bulk of the tribes of the Wilds of the Blue. They are an unpredictable folk but tend to honor their agreements. Atauns rarely war outright with one another, but equally, they seldom cooperate together. The Atauns are a fiercely independent people who love their vast, open plains. Their lifestyle is harsh and primitive, but they are largely unwilling to forsake it for the comforts of the Tulmarian states.; Gautauns dwell along the southeastern coastal plains. Their characteristically impulsive and impetuous natures are very much like that of the Atauns, and they also share similar feelings of individuality and independence. But while the Atauns roam the great plains, the Gautauns cling to their beloved coast.; Daitauns are the smallest of the three major clans, and the most violent. Many of the Daitauns have sheared their bonds with the remainder of the Blue and live as the tribes of the Blood Moons in the plains west of the Sylvbriar Forest, removed from the Wilds. While they possess the strong desires of individual freedom which characterizes the Blue, the Daitauns are a ferocious people whose brutal culture promotes hatred of laws and organization.
The Kaladian Races

Matawi: Matawi are the barbarians of southwestern Kaladia. The Matawi are the most complacent and least hostile of Kaladia's barbarian hordes. As a whole, they are an inherently peaceful people who despise and avoid the contentious Aututhans and Dautani. With the exception of the Tautani, the Matawi tribes are also the least nomadic of Kaladia's barbarians. The tribes take great pride in the lands they claim, and all have strong territorial senses.; The Matawi as a whole, are a darkly tanned race whose deep brown to black skin pigmentation rivals the inky black of the Chaynir Corlennians. They are a tall, thin and wiry people. Most of the Matawi men and women average slightly over six feet in height, but rarely weigh over 150 pounds. They have very soft, fine scalp hair which is typically black in color. Their eyes are almost always bright green.; The Matawi are categorized as barbarians because much of their present society has been reduced to savagery. But they are an ancient people who, elven chronicles reveal, had erected their fabulous empire which spanned nearly all of southwestern Kaladia centuries before other human races ever reached its shores.; There is no explanation for the downfall of their ancient civilization, but the ruins of their massive cities are a silent testament to their once majestic empire. And though they are few, there are Matawi cities which were somehow spared from their empire's collapse. These Matawi comprise only a small portion of their entire race, but they are the only preserved remnants of their ancient empire.; Even with this irrefutable evidence, the Matawi are still referred to by most others as savages. And it is not altogether unsubstantiated, for most Matawi are primitive people. Nearly all of the Matawi have divided themselves into different tribes, which are themselves separated into three clans which call themselves the Daujoni, the Hagaki, and the Tautani.; Daujoni clans are the most common of the Matawi, and are found throughout southwestern Kaladia. Many of their number comprise the barbarian tribes which inhabit the dry plains along the eastern border of the Lyrmaddyn Desert. These Daujoni have forsaken the nomadic desert lifestyle for permanent settlements, and have interbred heavily with the Belarans of Nirinthine and Seychelo.; It is primarily the Daujoni who inhabit the ancient Matawi cities which survived their empire's collapse. Their attitudes are often drastically different from the majority of Dautani. Their tribes tend to be more organized and militaristic than the other Matawi clans, and their rich culture is as civilized as that of any race upon Kaladia. Theirs was an empire which once ruled most of southwestern Kaladia, and there are those of their number who want to reunite the Daujoni tribes and recover their lost era of glory.; Hagaki are the smallest of the three major tribes. Like the Daujoni, they too have left the deep desert to dwell in the more temperate plains bordering the Lyrmaddyn. But they retain their nomadic tendencies, and are the gypsies of the western Lyrmaddyn's outer fringes.; Tautani are the roving tribes who remain within the Lyrmaddyn Desert. They roam the vast wasteland, living their nomadic existence largely in exclusion of the Belaran nations and the other Matawi clans.
The Kaladian Races

Poun' Tahl: Poun' Tahl are a race whose society is comprised of countless small clans. Poun' Tahl are wanderers, gypsies and merchants. They are not a barbaric people, but they have never produced any actual form of organized government, nor claimed any land as a country.; They are a very short people who scarcely reach three feet. They are stocky, with misapportioned heads larger than appropriate for their bodies. The result, sadly, is an appearance perceived as comical by many other human races.; Being short and round, with little apparent muscle mass, the Poun' Tahl are nothing more than a race of clowns to cruel societies. Ruthless and sadistic cultures such as the Geaughee Corlennians often capture hapless Poun' Tahl, and enslave them as jesters. But the Poun' Tahl have an affinity with halflings and gnomes, and share a tangible, though somewhat distant, kinship with dwarves. They are also akin to the faerie folk, and are welcomed in all the forests and lands of the elves.; The Poun' Tahl are actually not an unattractive people. They have very fair complexions, their skin is a light cream color which rarely tans, and their features are surprisingly delicate. Young Poun' Tahl have thick scalp hair which often thins to balding with age. Their hair is usually blond to light brown, though red or black is not uncommon. Their eye colors range from brown or blue to hazel. Most Poun' Tahl men boast thick, full beards or moustaches.; The Poun' Tahl are typically a mild-mannered people who avoid trouble and confrontations when they can. They prefer the company of other Poun' Tahl to that of bigger people, though they are ever fond of halflings and gnomes. But Poun' Tahl cannot remain happily settled in one area for extended periods of time. So their little families wander the countries of "big" humans, and often become clans of travelling merchants.; Poun' Tahl rarely wear armor and do not often carry weapons. Metal armors and shields are virtually never used by Poun' Tahl. They preferring warm, temperate climates to the hot tropics or cold northern latitudes, and dress accordingly. The Poun' Tahl favor light cloth weaves dyed in colorful patterns and they greatly admire intricate embroidery.; The Poun' Tahl rely upon their wits, and their faith in the spirits to save them in hostile encounters. Though few Poun' Tahl worship any deities, nearly all of them venerate the spirits of Roil. In every family, at least one member can speak to the spirits, and implore a spirit for help if the need arises.
The Kaladian Races

Sonhali: Sonhali are considered human by most of the non-human and humanoid races. Most of the human races, however, do not readily agree. Indeed, their origins are something of a mystery to most sages and scholars. Sonhali are humanoid in form, but are exceedingly ugly by most human standards. They are usually obese, and have dull, olive-green, hairless skin. Their facial features are broad and prominent, with faded, yellow eyes that have no discernible iris. Instead of teeth, the Sonhali have a hard, sharp bone ridge protruding from the upper and lower gums within their elongated jaws. Their toenails and fingernails grow very slowly, but are exceedingly hard, and are usually sharpened for emergency use as weapons.; Sonhali appear to take great delight in their appearance, and the uneasy response they receive from most humans. They rarely wear clothing upon their upper torso, and frequently pierce their folds of fleshy skin with gold and ivory rings and studs. They enjoy promoting their reputations as uncouth animals, and they happily mock theatres, circuses and other "civilized" entertainments. But the Sonhali are rarely satisfied with meager existences, and they heavily indulge in material comforts, particularly fine clothing, food, drink, perfumes, scented oils, and tobacco (they prefer chewing to smoking).; Like the Poun'Tahl, the Sonhali do not settle long in any place and they have not ever sought to establish their own countries. The Sonhali are cunning, and their greed makes most into brigands, pirates, or dishonest, unsavory merchants. But the Sonhali have an excellent survivor's instinct. They seem to have an unerring ability to know when their lives are endangered. It is a gift they both need and exploit, for most are without decency or morals, and they tend to make enemies wherever they go.

The Kaladian Races

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