Human Ethnicities

Hey fores/tg/oblins,

I'm looking to get some feedback on these descriptions of my setting's different human peoples (of the !notEurope region).

I've posted this recently, but would like to again for more feedback. Each group will have its own post because I can't fit them all here.

How do these strike you? Are they one-dimensional, overly-derivative or offensive? Please let me know your thoughts.

>See image for reference to the different areas that are mentioned.

Brecian – a minority group of Espius and Zelkand, and the majority in the small nation of Brecia. A small but notably shrewd and opulent group, the nation of Brecia itself is almost an aristocratic enclave of sorts. Brecians tend to be master politickers and consider winning the hard-earned trust of other powerful people.

• Society Level: 5 (Late Feudal)
• Stereotypes: Insular but wealthy – lords, traders, businessmen, socialites, courtiers
• PHB Analogs: None
• Real world analogs: Balkan, Greek
• Native Tongue: Espusian

Espusian – majority ethnicity of Espius. They are a well-civilized people with a storied, well-recorded history, and a visible appreciation for arts and craftsmanship of all kinds, revering beauty in many forms. While they show an heir of sophistication, they have a reputation of being passionate, expressive, spontaneous extroverts with fiery tempers.

• Society Level: 6 (Modernistic)
• Stereotype: Impulsive but cultured – merchants, artisans, explorers, privateers
• PHB Analogs: None
• Real world analogs: Iberian, Italian
• Native Tongue: Espusian

Harther – the proprietary culture and majority ethnicity of the Harthese Empire. Their cultural identity and sensibilities are largely informed by a tempering of both elfish and dwarfish influences. They are known to be very orderly and community-minded, but are a diverse group nonetheless.

Harthers tend to live in the most technologically sophisticated human society. The establishment and growth of their Empire has lead their government’s nationalism and jingoism to rub off on many of them, but it has also lead to them to become quite worldly. The majority of people in Ilcron have learned to speak their language due to their culture’s large sphere of influence.

• Society Level: 6 (Modernistic)
• Stereotype: Hawkish but conscientious – soldiers, politicians, academics, settlers
• PHB Analogs: Chondathan
• Real world analogs: Briton, Germanic
• Native Tongue: “Imperial Common” (Harthese)

Kirr – people of the small hill nations of Dwen and Stoncemir. Mostly considered a minor and unremarkable group by others. They live simple lives and usually work hard, those who don’t are members of wandering raider clans.

• Society Level: 2-3 (Agrarian - Civil)
• Stereotype: Crude but pragmatic – raiders, miners, lumberjacks, hunters
• PHB Analogs: None
• Real world analogs: Dark Age Western Europeans
• Native Tongue: Zelkish (Kirrick dialect)

Tarzelk – a relatively unassuming group that is not a majority populace in nearly any region but one province of the Empire, otherwise small communities can be found in smaller numbers throughout Middle Ilcron. Mostly noted for their thinkers and artisans. Trades and passions are practiced passionately and meticulously, and are carefully but devotedly passed down from one generation to the next.

• Society Level: 5 (Late Feudal)
• Stereotype: Obscure but creative –artists, writers, philosophers, musicians
• PHB Analogs: Chondathan/Tethyrian
• Real world analogs: Alpine European
• Native Tongue: Zelkish (Tarzelk dialect)

Vaulner – majority ethnicity of Vauln and several provinces in the northern Harthese Empire. Considered unpleasant and uncultured, they are sometimes given due for keeping goblinoids at bay, if nothing else. They live sparsely across a wide swath of harsh land, and live very diverse lives. Some barely eke out survival in arctic hinterlands, some live and die in the unending war against the goblinoids, others closer to urban centres have ‘civilized’ (to a relative extent).

Unifying traits among the Vaulner culture is holding strength and fearlessness amongst the highest of personal qualities, and possessing tribal markings to indicate the details of their lineage, birth, kinship, and allegiances.

• Society Level: 2-4 (Agrarian – Civil – Early Feudal)
• Stereotype: Savage but tough – berserkers, rangers, hunters, nomads
• PHB Analogs: Damaran/Illuskan
• Real world analogs: Russian, Scandinavian
• Native Tongue: Vaulnese

Zelk – majority ethnicity of Zelkland. The longstanding reputation of Zelk people is that they are romantic traditionalists that hold notions of chivalry and religious devotion in high esteem. They tend to wear their selfless attitude they practice in regard towards their communities, nation and God as a badges of pride, but are known to be mistrustful of new ideas and other cultures, or outsiders.

This leads to a perception of the Zelk people to be arrogant, regressive, and xenophobic. On the other hand, a Zelk that errs on the side of outright dismissal and/or hostility, over moderation and calculation when placed in a new or strange situation, is purportedly rare. Still, Zelks have a preference of what is familiar over the different.

• Society Level: 5 (Late Feudal)
• Stereotype: Stubborn but spiritual – farmers, fishermen, knights, clergymen, sailors
• PHB Analogs: Tethyrian
• Real world analogs: French
• Native Tongue: Zelkish

Other Ilcronean Humans - Not all Ilcronean humans belong to the above groups. Some are mixed heritage, especially within parts of the Empire and along certain borders. Others may be permanent residents and even natives of the continent, but are of a heritage from across the sea.

There are also numerous other smaller native groups than the seven listed above, many tend to fall under the umbrella term of the “Gleamers”, which describes the members of wandering, nomadic tribes, a term basically analogous to the term ‘gypsy’.

>---Fin---

There we go, that's it. Descriptions are kept short to hopefully give players and newbs to my setting a good overview of the different people on the continent.

>Also fyi. Cass-Duhr, Skaaras and Aulukoris are the dwarfish, goblinoid and elfish nations respectively, but not getting into those groups just yet.

doin a bump