Solidar
Either fairer immigrants from the temperate north of Solidar Proper, or the dusky skinned tropical native mix of Solidar Minor humans who have lived closer to towns and cities and identify with the sovereignty of Karfax County. There is a bit of a social divide that separates the two, but whether or not this distinction plays any role depends on the specific area and economic class of the individual in question. Typically, but not exclusively, the ruling class in Karfax or Kismet is white, especially in the case of political houses with direct ties to Solidar Proper, while the sovereigns of Sapphire have mixed blood with the darker Sahili from the far south. As a generally good aligned nation bigotry is frowned upon. Solidar speak Common and know one or two other local languages.
[The slang pizado is a pejorative term white colonists refer to mixed heritage humans, or by mixed heritage Solidar to refer to Olvidar. The basic context is “idiot” or lesser person. Darker skinned Solidar originally from Minor sometimes colloquially refer to fairer skinned immigrants from Proper as extranjero, and depending on the context it can carry undertones of respect, envy, or derision.]
Olvidar
True natives of the lands that comprise Solidar Minor, their features are far more distinctive. They sport wiry dark hair, brown almond eyes, bronze to brown skin, and occasionally pronounced brows, full lips, or bulbous noses. The Olvidar of today are descendants of tribes that never progressed very far architecturally, technologically, or magically arcane, shunning most of the various sciences and preferring a simpler way of life. Perhaps it is because of the strange fate that befell their more advanced cousin race the Hyldavar, or simply because the most advanced among them already became so integrated into Solidar culture. There are still a few “wild” tribes of Olvidar that wander the forests and plains or seclude themselves in the mountains, but most Olvidar have migrated to the fringes of rural settlements and coexist with Solidar humans in satellite villages.
Many of the oldest, largest, and most powerful Olvidar tribes were assimilated into Solidar culture centuries ago when their chieftains and kings were absorbed into the political machine that is Solidar Proper; diluting whatever cultural identity was once there, and making them the dusky skinned modern denizens of Solidar Minor. Olvidar communities today try to retain as much of their ancient heritage as they can, but their traditions continuously shrink in the wake of the growing modern amalgam culture that Solidar Minor has created all on its own. Despite the good natured ways of most Solidar humans, it is hard to regard pureblood Olvidar as other than anachronistic, primitive barbarians, or outright slummy vagrants; the obstinate xenophobic and anti-intellectual teachings of the remaining Olvidar patriarchs does little to help bridge this cultural gap. Despite the radical differences of each Olvidar tribe, one thing universally binds them: in the wake of the progressive Solidar Minor economy, almost all Oldivar communities are completely destitute and marginalized.
Olvidar tribes speak one of a dozen unique languages, most of which share common characteristics with one of two root languages (Olvidaresh Orien or Olvidaresh Occede) and a pidgin mix of two or more other local languages depending on region: including Bastet (catfolk), Cyclops, Draconic, Garuda, Girtablilu (scorpionfolk), Gnoll, Grippli (frogfolk), Halflfing, Ignan (fire creatures), Orc, Sylvan, Terran (earth creatures), and Vanaran (monkeyfolk). Sufficient knowledge of the root language (Orien or Occede) or two or more of the constituent languages is enough for basic ideas, but nuanced communication requires training in the specific tribal dialect. All Olvidar tribes prefer oral histories to written works, have a limited set of pictograms instead of a lettered alphabet, and view reading and writing as taboo acts to be performed only when necessary and under the supervision of a holy person.
Hyldavar
Long ago, the Hyldavar ruled a vast Empire that connected their immense cities in Solidar Minor to places all across the Realm through advanced understanding of technological magic, artifice, and teleportation. The nuances of their Conjuration is still intensely studied today. According to stonework and hieroglyphs, they were a tall and gaunt human race, either hairless or preferring baldness. More than a thousand years ago, they all abruptly vanished, leaving behind marvelous ruins and an endless series of questions. For centuries, one of their colossal clockwork titans guarded the Pitchfork Pass, mindlessly slaying any who would cross the mountain river bridge between Solidar Proper and the lands now Solidar Minor, until the intervention of Sir Auratine and his troupe of heroes in 30 MD (almost 450 years ago). Over time, Olvidar humans, other demihumans, and various monstrous races have reclaimed some of their more prominent ancient city ruins as their own, while the rest of the Hyldavar architectural wonders were swallowed up again by the creeping jungles, sinking swamps, and whittled down to rubble by the ravaging winds of time. Because they were so adept at teleportation, remnants of Hyldavar settlments or massive gateway liths can be found anywhere in the Realm, even on continents far away unmentioned here. To this day, no archaeologists or scholars know exactly what actually happened to this prominent advanced culture.
Shivanti
The origins of the Shivanti are shrouded in mystery and contradictory oral histories; the Shivanti themselves deny it, but many Solidar and Friogris scholars trace their lineage to ancient Drakengard dragon-cult. They are now a nomadic people that can be found all across Solidar Minor & Proper, usually gravitating toward urban settlements of other humans and demihuman races, but always at its fringes. They often dress in an amalgam of all the exotic places they have travelled, creating an eclectic style all their own.
All Shivanti are thought to be skilled acrobats, jugglers, musicians, knife-fighters, and passionate lovers, with even the least magical among them possessing the power to see the future, channel the spirits of the dead, and sling deadly curses. Of course, these boastful stereotypes are mostly spread by the Shivanti themselves.
Shivanti act to outsiders as charismatic showman, alluring performers, and mystic peddlers of rare goods, often holding great feasts and festivals wherever their caravans make camp. Amongst themselves, they have a more secretive, insular, patriarchal society. Another Shivanti stereotype, one they try to eschew, is that they are career criminals, and do not believe stealing is wrong, but rather a religious obligation. Grandmothers & nursemaids often tell tales to their Solidar children that if they do not behave, the Shivanti will come and steal them in the night, selling them off to Sahili slavers. Shivanti regularly come into conflict with the Gitano, as they often show up in the same areas at the same times, and blame those halflings for their own less than flattering larcenous reputation. Shivanti can be heard speaking any language, even the most rare.
Sahili
These are black-skinned, almond-eyed, and wiry haired humans from far south of the Burning Sands. Their culture is radically different from Solidar, and they acknowledge none of its laws or gods. Their kingdoms are vast in the very far south, and their magics come from ancient pacts with the primordial Djinn.
They eat snakes and monkey brains, amass harems of twenty wives that they castrate, brand, and beat with regularity for the slightest offense, bugger young boys as a rite of passage and display of manly dominance, sever the limbs and genitals of heretics and slap the wrists of rapists, and scoff at the insignificant political machinations of the realms up north.
They revere math, architecture, and navigation, but abhor history, literature and art that does not specifically elevate their sworn sponsor sovereign (of which there are several in constant conflict). They speak harsh tongues completely different from any of your own Common, in which there are more than 100 words for ‘treachery’ (many of which have admirable connotations), and only 4 for ‘trust’ (3 of which share synonyms for childishness, foolishness, weakness, womanliness, or outright stupidity). Slavery is an integral part of their political economy.
They view you as the simple-minded barbaric outsider. Sahili are rarely encountered except in ships up and down the Eastern Coast, as they have occasional trade with Sapphire County, but rarely traverse the scorching wasteland of the Burning Sands and eschew any sort of diplomatic relations with Solidar Proper. They have a world of their own to contend with, and yours is rarely better than a whimsical laughing matter for them, filled with foolish dreamers, frivolous false taboos, and far too many actual taboos.
Seichi
Far further south of the Sahili Kingdoms are the Isles of Seichi, where paper-skinned almond-eyed humans practice the honor-bound ways of the samurai. The Seichi are but mere phantom legends as far north as Solidar Minor, and unknown to Solidar Proper; Sahili may be nightmare fever dreams, but the Seichi are misty whispers of ghosts upon those dreams. Few ever have traveled that far South, and those that did brought back stories that cannot be believed. It is like another Realm entirely. The Seichi hate the Sahili, giving them little reason to traverse through the vast Empire or pirate-filled seas of their sworn foes.
