GoCorral

Subraces

Humans have numerous subraces across the world. There are slight physical differences between the subraces, but they are separated by appearance and culture rather than ability. Only a few subraces are relevant in Cimmeria. The Cimmerians have the most population in the region, obviously. The Cimmerians are followed by the Aractrashans and Xorians who split off from the main group of humans to form larger kingdoms. Amazons come from outside of Cimmeria, but have gone native within the region. The only outsider subrace that frequently contacts people in Cimmeria are the Persians. Finally, Greeks do occasionally have contact with Cimmeria due to their shared deities.

Cimmerians: Cimmerians are the most numerous subrace of humans in Cimmeria. They have red, brown, or black hair and olive colored skin. They have eye colors of all kinds with darker eyes being slightly more common.

Cimmerians have no unified culture beyond their respect for the Olympians. With dozens of independent city-states and towns, each has its own traditions, rituals, and way of dressing. The people of Jipangu are absolutely foreign to those of Gazeara, who are foreign to those of Restnor’s Point. Cimmerians have a common language, and the food they cook is often similar, but little else is shared between this subrace.

Aractrashans: Aractrashans live in and around the Aractrashan Jungle of Cimmeria. With few variations, they have fair skin, blonde hair, blue eyes, and sharp facial features. Aractrash’s location on the Southeastern edge of Cimmeria puts them in a prime spot for trade with Eastern Persia. Numerous goods pass through Aractrashan hands as they move between Cimmeria and Persia. Aractrash also hosts a large slave market of sentient workers that are bought and sold alongside less sentient beasts of burden.

The people of Aractrash are inwardly focused. While they are happy to enrich themselves through trade with the outer world, they would rather stay in their jungle than develop real relationships with other people of Cimmeria. Within the Aractrash Jungle, Aractrashans are the civilizing force. The jungle was savage and unsettled even by the goblins before the Goblin War. The Aractrashan humans are consistently pushing deeper in the jungle to secure more land and resources for themselves.

Xorians: Xorians live in Western Cimmeria south of the Rarventataa River. They have short black hair and dark almond-shaped eyes. Their skin is yellow-gold in tone. Xorians have prominent cheek bones and the males have thin facial hair.

Until recently, Xorian culture was hierarchical. The Xorian King gave commands to the lords who gave commands to the burghers on down to the peasants and tradesmen. Each citizen knew their place and did what was required of them by their superiors. Decades of true tyranny under the dragovinians spoiled any hope of that continuing. The end of the Second Alliance War saw a series of riots and rebellions that targeted anyone possessing political power in the previous regime. In the aftermath Xorian society is stood on its head with new forms of government rising and falling constantly.

Xorians have a habit of expanding outwards. The Kingdom showcased this best with their conquests, but individual citizens have smaller habits that match the same trend. Xorians frequently look for ways to expand and improve their businesses. Whether in agriculture, industry, trade, or service, they always look forward instead of being satisfied with what they have.

Amazons: Amazons came to Cimmeria from Scythia, the region north of the Black Sea. Amazons stand a few inches taller than most other humans with a corresponding increase in weight as well. They typically have blond, black, or red curly hair. Their skin is a deep olive color and their eyes are brown, green, or hazel. Amazon facial features create a countenance that is either beautiful or terrifying.

Amazons are a matriarchal subrace with the Queen as the head of state and the mother as the head of household. Their society prizes martial prowess above all else, so much so that their ruler is chosen through a fighting tournament. Whenever the Amazon Queen dies a tournament is held to choose the next ruler, with the best combatant taking the crown.

The Amazons are a fierce and war-like race, always looking for another conflict to prove their valor in. They fought alongside the Xorians during the Second Alliance War, but with the structures of order breaking down in Western Cimmeria the Amazons are free to act on their own. They have begun pillaging and raiding towns and villages across the defunct Xorian Empire, as they did when they first came to the region centuries ago.

Persians: The great Empire of Persia lies to the south of Cimmeria. The people of Persia are varied in ethnicity themselves as the Empire spans across dozens of different tribes and cultures. The Persians themselves are taller than the average human with slight builds. They have dark eyes and hair. They have fair to light olive colored skin. Persian faces are typically dominated by large noses.

The current King of Kings of Persia is Artaxerxes II. His rule was challenged from the start by his brother’s claim to the throne and a number of revolts. His brother was slain in civil war and many of the revolts have been put down. Unfortunately, it seems that a new revolt occurs every time Artaxerxes defeats the previous one. Fortunately, trade has always remained strong throughout the Persian Empire. Goods from Cimmeria and India pass through Persia on their way west and goods from Africa and Europe pass through Persia on their way east. Either way, Persia profits on the trade, making it a wealthy empire and a wealthy populace as well. It’s no wonder that many of the richest merchants in Cimmeria are Persian or descended from Persians.

Greeks: Greeks are the original people of the Olympian gods. While the Olympians moved their mortal escapades to Cimmeria, the Greeks still hold a special place in the pantheon’s collective heart. Greeks have curly hair of red, brown, or black color. They have light olive skin and green or blue eyes. They have great constitution compared to other human subraces and can run for longer distances.

Greeks aren’t a common sight in Cimmeria. Even Grecian merchants rarely travel further east than Lydia. Those who go beyond the Anatolian Peninsula are typically official representatives from a city-state or noble. The occasional exiled Greek can also make their way to Cimmeria.