Loran RPG: Race = Man

Humans

Humans are everywhere. They built the cities of the central plains and hunt snow-worm up by Ice Wall, they live in the forests, the mountains, the hills and the tundra. They are the most populous of the Land's many people. Wherever you travel, you are likely to find humans already living there.

Humanity in The Land is generally divided into three major groups and several minor groups:

Civilised

The Sun People or City Builders;

These people represent the height of civilisation in The Land. They dwell mainly in the city states and surrounding farmland of the central plains.They are ruled by three great nations, the Loran Federation, The Alexan Sun Kingdom and the Lascar City States. All three nations share a common language, religion and much of their culture.

They are builders, farmers, artisans, soldiers and traders. Sun Tongue is the common language for trade throughout The Land. The Sun People count their calendar from their arrival in The Land and the founding of the first cities nearly four hundred years ago.

The Sun People are based rather loosely on early middle-eastern people like the Summerians, Assyrians and Babylonians. The Sun People are mainly a Semitic race, light skinned with dark curly hair. They also include minorities of other races that have settled in the cities.

The Toltacs or Corn People;

The corn or maize people first started to appear in the Land nearly two hundred years ago. Their initial settlements in Chakris and around Toltorac were fairly peaceful. They had a well developed agricultural system and were able to trade and co-operate with the neighbouring peoples. Around eighty years ago, a second wave of maize people burst through Chakris out onto the plains. These were led by the Toltac Fire cult. In six years of savage fighting, they took over or destroyed all the existing maize people settlements and attacked neighbouring provinces, capturing and destroying the Alexandran city of Karlak. Many groups of corn people fled the Toltac take-over and now dwell fairly amicably in exile among the Sun People.

The Toltac Empire is a severely regimented caste system. The largest group; peasants are little more than slaves spending the whole of their lives apart from religious holy-days labouring in the fields. The city dwelling Artisan classes have more wealth but little freedom. Warriors and merchants have more freedom and can travel between cities in the empire but all classes, even the nobles are subject to the priests.

The Corn People are based on Pre-Columbian Central American cultures such as the Aztecs or Mayans. Typically Corn People are reddish skinned with black hair and dark eyes.

Necros;

The city now called Necros pre-existed Human settlement in the Land by many centuries. When the Sun People arrived in the Land, Necros was already occupied by a race of tall dark skinned people. The people of Necros are most noted for their prowess at magic. They are civilised folk whose lives are governed by ritual and ceremony. The Necrotians are still few in number, but individuals may be found among the city folk.

Barbarians;

The term Barbarian has come to mean anyone 'not of the city'. The so-called Barbarian nations include the Kantaurs, Thuria and the Fishers, the Ice Folk and the Sea People as well as other troublesome groups of upwardly mobile ruffians.

Barbarians are of many diverse cultures, typically tribal people pre-existing the City Builders and dwelling in isolated communities in the wilder regions of the Land. Barbarians are skilled at survival in their harsh homelands and have a reputation as savage warriors but are unlikely to have many of the 'civilised' talents.

The Kantaurs or Horse Folk;

The Horse people are nomadic hunters and herders dwelling on the northern plains and beyond the Yedan Gap. The Kantaur nation comprises many small clans and tribes, they have few fixed settlements but move instead following the migrations of the great herds from the tundra, down into the grassy plains and back again.

Physically the Kantaurs are a small people, bow-legged from their constant life on horseback and toughened by exposure to the elements. They are a hardy folk, adept with the Horse bow and lasso.

Thuria

The Thurians are a mountain people and have become the most influential force in the south western regions. Thuria is a mountain province on the south western border of the Land. It's inhabitants are wild tribes of men, orcs, saurians and goblins, plus a few smaller clans of Trolls and Gargoyles. The Gargoyles provide Thuria with a rudimentary airforce.

Their main homeland is in the mountains of Thuria, from where they control the adjacent provinces of Peshtan and Gob. A Thurian fleet once attacked the islands of the Sea People and captured the pirate town of Ferris.

The Fishers

The Fishers are a confederation of barbarian tribes occupying the wilder forested areas of south west Loran. Their main homeland is in the great forest of Dihad. Mainly human forest tribes, the Fisher Nation includes groups of Reptilemen, Orcs and Goblins, as well as a few weirder forest inhabitants. The Fishers are typically of slight build with pale skin and dark hair. They are noted for stealth and keen senses. Some are said to be green skinned, but whether this is due to mixing blood with goblin or the use of body paint is unknown.

Sea People

A new race in the Land. The island homes of the Sea People appeared in the southern ocean following winter storms many years ago. The Sea People's new home lands are the islands of Pharos and Ennis as well as the city of Ysane. Pirates and traders, the Sea People have made their presence felt by raiding coastal provinces and up the main rivers. They have sacked the cities of Baracus and Necros, and attacked other provinces.

The Sea People are said to be Bull worshipers and Axe-weilders. Their skin is tanned and weathered from constant exposure to the sea, their eyes are pale, often green and their hair is tawny.

Ice Folk

Little is known of the Ice Folk, inhabitants of the frozen waste around Hibraxia and Vafnir. Their kingdom was destroyed and occupied by the Dwarves. Folowing the Toltac and Kantaur war against the Dwarves, remnants of the Ice Folk rose against their former masters to hunt down the few Dwarven survivors.

They are men of great stature with blue eyes and manes of wild hair like a lion. They are extremely hardy, dressing in the furs of wild beasts and rough woolens. Their men-folk have a great fondness for gold ornament and bright colours.

HUMANS;

ST 8 Dex 8 IQ 8 Adds +8 MA 10

BACKGROUND; 1; Barbarian, Outcast, 2,3; Rural, 4,5; Town, 6; Craftsman, Gentry

FREQUENCY; Very Common, found everywhere, Dominant race.

RACIAL ADVANTAGE; Accepted everywhere.

RACIAL DISADVANTAGE; None.

RACE RELATIONS; Dominant race, tolerated by most other races.

This page is owned and managed by Chris Nicole,
Page created; Tuesday, 4 December 2001 , last updated; Thursday, 27 May 2004 .