Humankind, Her Nations and Ethnic Groups

[Azuloth]

Players should use this handy guide to help immerse themselves and their characters into the world of Cruinthe.

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Races

The Humans

As far as people know within The Five Kingdoms of Humanity there is only one demographic of human. Most of those people are dark haired, dark or blue eyed European types. Most if not all are fair skinned. Blond hair is a rarity in the land and is usually remarked as a light blessed person. People with red hair are nearly non-existent. Many humans dye their hair as a sign of wealth or power. Tattooing is also reserved for the rich or powerful. Humans in The Five Kingdoms of Humanity do not pierce their skin or any other part of their body as they believe it compromises any sort of barrier against evil. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Humans are a hard working race on average, though their worst traits are selfishness and greed. Though they are known for banding together against a common foe, as soon as any external threat is eliminated they are known for fighting against each other. Despite their faults there are more than enough of them that try to make each other’s lives better.

Religion was outlawed in the Sovereign Kingdom of Cruinthe. It is blamed as a cause of much strife and degeneracy. Millions were slaughtered in several wars between the country and those that worshipped the dark gods and their terrible avatars and demons. As of the current era, no religious texts are known to have survived the purging and most that do practice a religion only worship the light or darkness on a general level.

Magical practice was institutionalized in the sovereign kingdom of Cruinthe, all those that are capable of wielding magic are sent to an academy and taken from their families at the age of six. They are fostered there until they are adults and then are forced into service of the crown’s mage battalions. Julgrava’s enforcers execute these and more draconian laws at the point of the sword. The truth is much uglier. Ninety percent of the foster children don't make it through the academy, and those that do, tend to block out the bloodier memories or are brainwashed to not remember them. These people serve as mage hunters for the crown, perpetuating the cycle.

Selbria is a province of the Sovereign Kingdom of Cruinthe, as are Cahalia, Fringoth, and Hek’Cruica. Though technically they are supposed to follow all of its laws, the local governors are more or less lenient on the laws surrounding religion and magical practice.

Human culture in the region varies. Where Hek’Cruica has a closed off society that favors modesty, sacrifice and conservatism. Cahalia is more liberal in their attitudes about tolerance in general. Selbria’s culture centrals around self-secrecy and a lack of emotional expression. People show their emotions to others only in complete privacy in a one on one setting. The Selbrians are traumatized and scarred from all they’ve been through, though they as a people don’t have a record of what exactly had transpired, all they know is that they were all betrayed, butchered, and nearly annihilated by their own allies. Fringoth is almost a direct mirror of Selbria except the people are outspoken about how they feel about outsiders and people of other races, which is not positive.

The people from The Sovereign Kingdom of Cruinthe are naturally xenophobic and do not allow others into their country without proper certification and trust. Usually only emissaries/diplomats, foreign lords and their cohorts, and traders are allowed into the country. Traders are only allowed as far as the merchant towns near the borders. Permanent residence in Cruinthe is hard to acquire if you were born in a foreign country, and usually comes with service to the crown in some fashion or another. Be that military service, or by providing some kind of trade skill or social benefit to the people.

The average lifespan of a human during these times is fifty or sixty years.

The Skaldi

The Skaldi are a race of lizard-people that have lived within the boundaries of The Five Kingdoms of Humanity since before humans were known to come to the lands according to their oral history. They are a tribal people that strive to exist in harmony with nature to better understand themselves and the world they live in. Normally they are a peaceful people of hunters and gatherers but for the past millennia or so they have been routinely hunted by the humans that have settled within the Five Kingdoms of Humanity.

This encroachment, violence, and undue racism towards them has caused them to shift from a society that would rather be left alone, to one that raids and carries out brutal violence. There are no Skaldi that are accepted within human civilization other than those that are enslaved and trafficked for their strength. Those that have been enslaved, have been so for generations. They are casually referred to by the free skaldi as “Gorklu” which is a slang term for “one who has given up his fighting spirit”.

The Skaldi clans are not as widespread as they used to be. Despite the lack of organized raids on their territory, and aggression with the humans, their numbers have been dwindling for the past two centuries. Only two clans remain in operation in The Sovereign Kingdom of Cruinthe, and one clan remains in Selbria.

Of the two clans, the Shadowscales are the more violent and territorial. They inhabit The Brakish Pits, a swampland in the eastern region of Verenald Plains. Their societal structure is based upon strength. The leader of the clan is always the most powerful Skaldi among them.

The Flametongues in the north are not known to stay long in one place, and tend to be more secretive. Rumor is that they have been nearly wiped out.

Elkagr

Elkagr are the oldest known race in the world. They are tall, fair of skin and hair, and typically have green or blue eyes. Their ears are pointed. They seek perfection in everything they do. The Elkagr are mostly a mystery to the humans of the world post fall of the old kingdom. A swath of barren lands called the bone wastes marks the boundaries of their empire. Humanity and all the other races within bounds of the Bone Wastes must remain within or die. Elkagr are rarely seen in Cruinthe, and usually they are part of an emissary’s household and guard. They are a passionate people, known for striking out at the slightest provocation with extreme violence, and going off on rants about the things that interest them to great length. To humans it seems that the Elkagr do everything and feel everything to a degree that is unheard of, especially emotions.

The Empire of the High Born, from which the Elkagr hail, lords over the Five Kingdoms of Humanity, and in truth subjugate them. As the rulers of the world, the Elkagr often commit senseless acts of violence or do as they please in general as they can do so with impunity. Elkagr believe that all other races are inferior to them, and as such do not care if the other races suffer or die.

Elkagr are immortal, and tend to never fall ill. Death is a meaningless word to them, and seeing the death of their own kind is overly traumatizing.

The Elkagr worship a trio of gods known only by their aspect names: Power, Wisdom, and Justice. Many religious Elkagr agree that the current age is their utopia, that history has ended in their ideology, and how things are now is how they were meant to be in the beginning.

In regards to their relationship with the Drokagr, there is none. They try to stay as far away from them as possible.

Drokagr

Drokagr are a bastard race that had derived from the Elkagr. Banished underground for an ancient transgression according to lesson, the Drokagr are the dark skinned cousins of the Elkagr. The only traits that they have maintained in connection with their fair skinned cousins are the pointed ears, and the color of their eyes. The Drokagr have since changed as a race, becoming white of hair entirely and able to see perfectly well in the darkness. Their skin is very much like the color of coal or a dirty ash to better blend in with the dark caverns under the Darthaks. Since their banishment the Drokagr have developed a language that functions on the same grammatical level as the Elkagr’s language, but has very different vocabulary. Their culture, similarly, has changed to one that values metals, matriarchal lineage, and personal redemption and journeys.

The Drokagr in Cruinthe live in an enclave in the eastern region. The area is known as Korasus, and the colony is 95% full blooded Drokagr. Though the elders have lived more than two hundred years, they do not discuss what happened before Julgrava ascended to the throne as they believe it is the past and only the future matters. Those half-breeds that live in the colony are usually left alone unless they make trouble for the rest.

A drokagr is only immortal so long as they are surrounded by their own people, contrary to the Elkagr who are immortal regardless of whether or not they are alone or among others. To express their individuality, many Drokagr dye their hair.

The practice of magic in Korasus is not illegal but also not encouraged either. Those that are magically inclined are steered towards theory, and academics, rather than mastery of the power.

The Drokagr are religious only to a certain deity they call Azuloth, the Redeemer. They also tend to steer clear of Elkagr as much as possible. They tend to pity humanity as well, and frequently launch charity missions.

Drakagr

The Drakagr have only been referenced vaguely in legends and lore. They are described as massive reptilian beasts that breathe fire and hoard treasures. According to legend, they live in mountains, caves, swamps, and deep lakes. No Drakagr, or in the common tongue: Dragon, has been seen in living memory.

Orkagr

A vaguely referenced group of people by the commoners of Cahalia and Selbria. They no longer exist. Legend says they were huge and brutish, as well as colored green and brown.

Half-Breed: Elkagr-Human:

The Half-Elkagr sits in an interesting space of Cruinthian Society. As half-elkagr, the humans around them tend to loathe them, where the elves look down on them as dirty blooded mutts. Unable to catch a break, most half-elkagr live their lives with others of their kind. Not nearly as emotionally unfettered as the elkagr, and not nearly as emotionally dull as humans, the half-breeds occupy a fine line between. The half-elkagr live a longer life than their human parents, but are still mortal. Their average life expectancy is around a hundred and twenty years.

Half-Breed: Drokagr-Human:

The Half-Drokagr can, according to legend, trace their lineage back to a single man and woman. This is unlikely but not disproven. Half-drokagr are similar to Drokagr in that they can see perfectly well in the dark, have pointed ears, and have naturally white hair. Their skin is typically an ashen gray color, though very few have paler skin more like humans. Almost all of them have a family tattoo, the majority of which have the Zig-zag pattern which starts long at the top and ends at a point at the bottom. Some half-breeds have mutated a little, either with demi-fangs, or black sclera and elliptical eyes, which are also family identifiers.

The Half-drokagr sit on the edges of Drokagr society, typically left alone by their pure blooded brethren.

[Azuloth]

Fringoth, the Kingdom of Dichotomy

On one hand, Fringoth trades in beautiful wares. Raw luxury metals like silver and gold. Amulets, jewels, jewelry, and clothing entirely made out of these high value items. Korasus is a huge trading partner by sea routes for raw materials in both directions. The country is swimming in wealth, skill, and at the same time, prickly temperament.

Fringoth is a country full of people that couldn't give a damn about anyone's opinion. They express this lack of empathy for you and yours with great passion, routinely telling foreigners and each other to violate oneself. They regard the Selbrians as spineless for not expressing themselves. They regard the Cruinthians as meddlers. The Hek'Cruicans to the Fringothans are religious nutballs. The Cahalians are tree-hugging deer-lovers to a Fringothan. Skaldi are, surprisingly, well received as being true to themselves and their nature. The Darthaki are regarded as long lost kin, who couldn't find their way home, and decided to freeze their skin off. There is never a phrase uttered by a Fringothan that paints any Elkagr in any kind of positive way. Indifferent is how the Fringothans feel about the Drokagr, curious about how most of the people from that race they encounter seem to be women, not very curious about finding out what those various exotic weapons are all about.

To be Fringothan is to be fluent in sarcasm, rude gestures, and aggressive language. To be Fringothan is to be all about flipping a table, smashing a mug of ale over a friend's head, and then crying about the loss of ale. To be Fringothan is to love shiny things, love working with them, and trading them for other shiny things. The Fringothans love the city, the seas, the oceans, the mountains, the forests, the plains, and everything around them. Until they sober up.

As you can imagine, most of their commercial agriculture is devoted to making various types of alcoholic beverages. The country's internal economy relies entirely upon that trade.

Geography

The Creeping river cuts from The Creeping Crag towards the south, then goes underground after traveling over land through most of the country. The capital of Fringoth, Amerith, lies on its banks near the end of the river's run. To the northwest of the city is the great mountain Kaldrang, where much of the country's metal goods come from. To the southeast of the city is another great mountain Dalkrang, where the other half of the country's metal goods originate. The forests of Fringoth are sparse. They have one port city on the coast just north of Dalkrang called Innsmort.

-Amerith: A great city of wealth. Much of the country's population is spread along this metropolis which sprawls in an ellipse from the northwest to the southeast, with the road going through it in that direction as well. It is a city where gold, silver, gemstones, and other luxurious goods are in great abundance.

-Innsmort: A great fortified seaside town and harbor. Innsmort provides quick access to Cruinthe and Selbria through available charters. It is also the base of the Fringothan Merchant Marines, the only organized military force in Fringoth. The Merchant Marines provide trade security for the entire coast, from the Darthaks down to the bone wastes, as to keep the Imperials from meddling in trade.

[Azuloth]

Cahallia, The Great Forest Kingdom

Cahallia is a large country that is mostly covered in dense forests. The major source of water in the country comes from natural springs and lakes. Three large mountains provide variation to the landscape. Mount Arasker, the central mountain. Arechi Peaks, the eastern mountain. Keh'Yah Peaks, the western mountain. The Orear Lake is the central feature of Cahallia's geography. It's two cities, which are more like large villages were built along its tributaries.

The people of Cahallia are famous hunters and tanners. Recent competition with the Selbrians in this industry has forced some of the less fortunate hunters to seek employment elsewhere, either as mercenaries for the Hek'Cruicans, or trade merchants, shuttling goods too and from Cruinthe. The Cahalians also make good smugglers, as most of their criminal population engage in smuggling goods from the Empire of the High Born to other groups.

Cahalians are a very tolerant people, they tend to not judge people of other races or cultures on first meeting. There are very few prevailing stereotypes. They maintain a good relationship with the local Skaldi tribes. Most of their resources come from the forest, other resources like metals, stone, and luxury items are scarce. They enjoy a simple life of gathering, hunting, and farming. Very few go into the scholarly pursuits. Cahalians are much like Cruinthians when it comes to religion, in that they don't follow any particular beliefs. They enjoy drinking, eating, and dancing as past times. Hunting competitions are commonplace among the various rural towns and major villages.

Major Villages

Erilon Village -- This is the larger village in Cahallia. It is north of Orear Lake. Here is the Provincial governor's castle. He rules over the vast swath of Cahallia's land alone, as an absolute ruler. Erilon Village is the trade hub for the kingdom. A majority of Cahallia's population resides here.

Ratroc Fortress -- This is the village to the southeast of lake Orear. It is settled around an older fortress that was rumored to defend against southern invaders many centuries ago. It is no longer occupied. The village itself is scarcely populated.

Cahalians and the Forest

Cahalians revere the forest, they tend to try not to kill more than they need, unless for a competition, and they tend to try to leave things in the forest as they are. Their reverence stems from old legends about druids and forest spirits, such as faeries and wendigos. They took many of their cues on how to treat the land from the Skaldi.

[Azuloth]

Selbria

Selbria is the country located in the southeastern region of the five kingdoms of Humanity. Its southern border is as far south as any human is allowed to tread. In fact almost a third of the country is covered in the wasteland known as the Bone Wastes. Despite the fact that the country's borders go beyond those wastelands, none tread through it. It is a dangerous land, and no Selbrian in their right mind volunteers to go out there. The Mallon River cuts the country nearly in half, after joining up with another tributary in Hek'Cruica, a country who Selbria shares a border. Most of Selbria's Northeastern border is with Fringoth, and its western border is with Cahalia. It shares no borders with the Sovereign Kingdom of Cruinthe.

What isn't wasteland is generally forest. There are very few open plains in the north of Selbria, and one large mountain in the western reaches of the country. Most Selbrians live in the Capitol, New Vaortum, which is near the center of the country, or along the route to their only seaport, the city of Montegorri.

The forests of Selbria bear the ancient name of Cahala, while the mountain was once called Eastern Claw, now it is referred to simply as The Claw.

Selbrian Society & Culture

Selbrian society is generally closed off to foreigners, they do not like visitors and tend to stay away from them or try not to speak to them. Their lives center around hunting the plentiful game in Cahala, and making leather goods and tools. Due to the lack of arable land, their population hasn't gotten much higher than 24,000 people. Most of the Selbrian diet consists of foraged foods from the forests, and various meats. Their clothing tends to consist mostly of leather and furs. Their music and lyric poetry center around the lifestyle of hunting. Most Selbrians that are not hunters are involved in the various trades centered around hunting, like tanning, leather working, furrier, and shipping those goods.

Selbria's a country that relies little on others, and likes to keep it that way. They export their goods to the Sovereign Kingdom of Cruinthe, and import money. The Selbria Traders are the only major trade guild operating inside of Selbria as a whole. Their economy focuses entirely around this group. Selbrians are a productive people, focusing on the perfection of the days work from sunrise to sunset.

Selbria and the Sea

Selbria's seaport Montegorri sees much daily traffic in the way of ships coming and going, as well as trade carriages. Most traffic coming to the port from New Vaortum leaves by ship as cargo in one manner or another. Most visitors to the city are there to buy goods, and depart for a port in Fringoth, or Delta City in the Sovereign Kingdom of Cruinthe. Occasionally, an Elkagr warship will dock in Montegorri, but that is a rare occurrence.

Though Selbria has one seaport, there are many coves along the shores of the bone wastes which harbor nothing other than pirates and marauders. If hunting and industry related to hunting is the main employer of honest Selbrians, the main criminal element of Selbria consists mostly of pirates. Selbrian pirate ships will raid all along the east coast of the continent.

[Azuloth]

Hek'Cruican Social Structure

Hek'Cruica is broken into three distinct classes, the Lords, the Clergy, and the Serfs.

Lords -- The Lords of Hek'Cruica are land holders and business owners that are not only wealthy, but well protected militarily. Each tend to have their own private military force to protect their interests, typically not numbering more than three hundred men. Hek'Cruican fighters pride themselves on their individuality, and as a fighting force they are usually superior to a mob of poorly armed serfs, though inferior to a standard and trained military. The Lords themselves hold little power in Hek'Cruican politics, though they command respect in every day society.

The Clergy -- The Chesuan Faith is the true power in Hek'Cruica. They have held onto power by keeping the Serfs and Lords afraid of divine retribution. The clergy are an untouchable part of society. They can commit no crimes due to their righteousness, and therefore their retribution for crimes against them is not only swift, but violently out of proportion. The Chesuan Faith preaches unity, love, and kindness for all. Happiness is not part of the equation. Their god, a nameless diety of light, is said to be always watching all peoples. A chief tenant of their faith is that infidels must die or repent and convert. The enforces of the tenants of the Chesuan Faith are known as the Templar.

Serfs -- The serfs are the common people of Hek'Cruica. They are employed by both the Lords and the Clergy in every aspect of life. They amount to nothing more than second class citizens that were made to serve their betters. Any serf that does not abide by their masters rules are usually disposed of and replaced. Serfs do not have rights. They can not leave their employment unless told to by their masters. All serfs have a master.

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The Chesuan Faith

Chief Tenants of the Chesuan Faith

-Love the God of Light, there are no other Gods but the God of Light.
-Defend the God of Light, those who speak ill of the God of Light deserve punishment.
-The God of Light is above all, and those who serve him are above those who serve them and so on.
-Treat everyone with kindness, for they may be your true master.
-Those who do not believe in the God of Light must die, or repent and convert.
-Support your betters, for they are your masters, and they protect you from the world of evil that does not follow the God of Light.

The Chesuan Faith's hierarchy is structured as follows:

-High Priestess
-High Cleric
-Lord Commander of the Templar
-Bishops
-Priests
-Soldiers of the Faith

Most Hek'Cruicans believe that the Drokagr God Azuloth is their God's mortal enemy.

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Hek'Cruican Foreign Relations

Hek'Cruica enjoys favorable treatment from the Sovereign Kingdom of Cruinthe through trade and financial support. The Hek'Cruican Traders are a chief agricultural resource to Cruinthe. Their goods consist almost entirely of food both common and luxury. The wine country in the northern region of the country produces some of the finest wines in the Southern Kingdoms. As they ship their goods en masse throughout the region, their coffers increase in size greatly. They are susceptible to bandit attacks, and trade sanctions for supplying illicit groups. However, most Cruinthian officials look the other way so long as there's something in it for them.

Militarily Hek'Cruica is left alone, so long as trade is not disrupted. They have been able to build up sizable forces that would come to the aid of the Sovereign Kingdom of Cruinthe if necessary. Their military alliance is quite strong.

Those members of the Clergy in Cruinthe tend to look the other way when it comes to Cruinthian's atheism in an official capacity. Unofficially there are many missionaries attempting to convert Cruinthians to the Chesuan Faith.

Hek'Cruicans tend to dislike Cahalians, Fringothans, and Selbrians as a rule. They dislike the Cahalians and their free spirited ways, as well as their liberal attitudes towards most things. Selbrians are too secretive, and are depicted as cowards plotting assassinations and thefts. Fringothans are disliked and viewed as braggarts and uncivilized.

Hek'Cruicans hate Skaldi, as many Skaldi clans still exist in the southern kingdoms, and those clans do not take kindly to the slavery of their kin. Therefore the Skaldi and the Hek'Cruicans are constantly fighting each other.

Hek'Cruicans enjoy Elkagr company, despite the religious issues, because they believe that the Elkagr are more civilized than they are, and wish to follow their example. On the other hand, the Elkagr treat them like any other human.

When it comes to the Drokagr, Hek'Cruicans take a harsh and typically violent stance. As most Drokagr worship the God Azuloth.

[Azuloth]

The Darthaks & Their Tribes

Cold mountain ranges of sheer crags. Black rock under white ice and snow for thousands of miles. Few valleys are hospitable in these wastes. There are four in particular within the whole of Cruinthe's borders. Each valley has its own tribe, and these tribes do not have the tendency to work together. For the majority of their history they have traded blows with one another. One blood feud started a thousand years ago is still being fought today. Allies were enlisted, and the cycle of blood feud continued.

There are many things that are common among the tribes. Such as long houses, a love for hardy ale and mead, a love for fighting, and rites into adulthood.

Grossejager -- One of the largest tribes in the Darthaks, these men and women pride themselves on being able to subjugate the most terrifying of animals, monsters, and all manner of beasts. They wear something from their kills. Their most fearsome warriors are draped from head to toe in trophies. Upon reaching puberty each member of the tribe is stripped of the clothing their parents had given them during their childhood. From that day forth, to survive they must clothe themselves with their own kills, no longer under their parents protection.

Blotaxt -- This tribe's source of great pride is one on one combat. Upon coming of age, each member of the tribe must kill another member in single combat. There are rules to this however. They must be of the same age, and they must be of the same sex. Therefore there are no questions about cowardice or strength. Once they have been bathed in the blood of their kin, they believe that they will be fearless in battle. This tribe is few in number, for obvious reasons, but those that make it far into adulthood are forces to be reckoned with, much like a storm.Often they contract themselves out as mercenaries, only returning to their home valley to have children.

Weltwand -- This tribe's people send their young out into the world at the onset of adulthood. Their mission is to go and find something of great value and bring it back. This thing of value is to be determined by the youth, and it may take them many years or even decades to return to their tribe with something worthwhile. Some never return at all. Those that do however, are known as great sages. In recent times this tradition has been limited by the bone wastes and the Alamanthine Ocean. Once these wanderers return they enjoy the fruits of their labors, improving the lives of their fellow tribesmen.

Andrui -- This tribe's people send their children out into the wild to climb to the top of a mountain. There they must spend three days on the mountaintop communing with the sky and the earth. It is there they believe they find themselves. When they return to their tribe they are considered adults, and enjoy full rights and take up a trade.

[Azuloth]

The Helmistani People
Warriors of the Desert and Barrens

The Helmistani are a dark skinned people that have a rich cultural history. Originally their people settled the banks of the Mallon River in the great desert to the south of the five kingdoms of humanity. The land around the river was quite fertile, and gave rise to a proud civilization of people. The civilization considered itself very safe, as the outside world was cut off from them by the great desert. Only the occasional ship from the north would cross into their territory. Due to their isolation, they grew more advanced than most cultures during their golden ages, some several thousand years ago. The land was called Purshayani, or in Cruic: Purshya.

This civilization grew until a great evil wiped it from the face of the earth. The survivors fled north or west, as the evil had come from the south. Those hardy people that survived the trek across the great desert settled in the Helmking mountains, close to the borders of what used to be the Zetegnean Empire and the Empire of the Highborn.

The Helmistani people held onto their cultural roots while living in the mountains, but railed against magic in all its forms. Instead focusing on religion. Mage children were typically put to death, and many men went to serve their clerics in support of gods that walk the earth, such as the great Tarrasque that crosses the desert on a bi-annual trip from one sea to an ocean. As a culture they value music, dance, art, and modesty. They tend to give their children four names, the first two from their mother, and the second two from their father.

Currently the Helmistani homeland is occupied by the Empire of the High Born. What remained of their people have more or less relocated to Cahalia and the Sovereign Kingdom of Cruinthe. They are very few in number, having suffered through two genocides.

There is a strong warrior culture among the Helmistani, and they are very supportive of someone that saves their life. At times even going so far as to enter servitude under that person.

[Azuloth]

The Damjou Ansai
Travelers of the Seas

The Damjou Ansai are largely a mystery to most of the cruic peoples. Their first arrival was by ship in Selbria, then in Fringoth, followed by Delta. The Damjou Ansai that came ashore during those landings managed to communicate that their people have been at sea for several generations, belonging to a great fleet of ships that have traveled the worlds oceans. They are a maritime people where even ordinary metals are precious, such as iron. Other than the things listed here only their general appearance is known. Their skin has a slight off-tan tinge to it. Their hair is always black, and their eyes are usually very dark.

Their weapons largely consist of slashing blades, arrows, and staves. Their navy has weaponry that is largely magical, which explains how they've managed to elude the Imperial fleets for so long. Armored Ansai warriors are usually clad in leathers at the heaviest.

As far as their culture goes, a strict devotion and discipline to everything they do is extremely common, no matter what the subject is. Laziness is not tolerated by any means, neither is selfishness. Being part of the fleet meant being a part of something bigger than oneself. Those that do not contribute to the fleet are cast out or executed. Naming structure is generally simple. A first name, followed by the name of the ship the individual was born on. It is not uncommon for people to be born on military or administrative ships.

Their language has no Cruic base, and in written form consists mostly of symbols or iconography. Where one symbol may have several pronunciations, and definitions.

The fleet itself is very mobile, and rarely makes berth at any of the human ports. Usually only two ships are sent, one trade vessel and one cruiser or corvette as an escort. Most transactions are quick and then the ship is gone from port, vanishing with little trace.

Some Ansai have been left behind in the ports for unknown reasons.

[Azuloth]

Zetegnea, The Empire that Once Was

Zetegnea as a nation used to exist where the western bone wastes are today. It bordered Helmistan, the Darthaks, the Empire of the High Born, Cahalia, and Hek'Cruica. Its only shared border with Cruinthe was through a small mountain pass through the Darthaks that led to the Havenaild region, a treacherous march to be sure. Through snow and ice refugees would travel to Cruinthe. Some followed in the very footsteps of their last known emperor, the Prince Karnath Zetegnea. Any Zetegnean knows that he traveled to Cruinthe during his time to ask for the monarch at the time's hand in marriage, and shortly after he went missing. No one can agree on which Monarch he offered marriage, or when this occurred. Yet it is commonly agreed to that was the beginning of the end of the Zetegnean Empire.

The Zetegneans were known for ingenuity in a time of adversity. They lacked a great population like the other human kingdoms, and instead supplemented their armies with soldiers powered by clockwork.

Currently the few and far between Zetegneans occupying the five kingdoms of humanity are well mixed in with the other populations. The only vestiges of the old empire left in them is their blond hair, uncanny ability to trudge through the snow and ice unhindered, better than a Darthaki Barbarian, and a knack for constructing contraptions and machines.