Full Description
Derevo come in different tribes that inhabit the forests of the world. Mainly a forest dwelling race, most of the tribes prefer to stay in their woodland surroundings throughout their life. Occasionally a few tribal members will leave their protective home and venture out into the civilized lands of the other races.

All of the tribes have a number of special abilities given to them because of their relationship with their surroundings. While all of them have some form of an infravison, it is how the tribes use them that are different. They all speak the same form of language that is basic between the four different tribes yet accents vary from region to region and tribe to tribe.

The Novotie are the ageless thinkers. Content with their life roaming the wilderness in search of their enlightened sense of responsibility.

The Yakaram are less patient and closer to a human in mentality. They require action and response. They are very segregated and take stock of who is speaking before deciding whether to believe it or not.

Additional Information
There are two more sub-races of the Derevo only available in the Creature Compendium as NPC character races. These two sub races are unusual to their brethren and have a more demented outlook of the world. They are more demanding and physically minded.

The Sladiva are more sinister and conniving in their ways. Finding ways to punish their brethren for pushing them out of their homelands and creating a rift between their fellow people. Regardless of fault, they feel they were judged wrongly, but continue to hound the world and their other tribes with vicious assaults.

The Gretalia are deeply insane. Their judgement took a hard toll on their minds and they have secluded themselves away from centuries, warping their mentality till no sanity remained. They have turned cannibal in their solitude and hunt down those of their past tribes for retribution.

Race      : Gison   
Appearance   : Hairless, coal black eyes, granite stone colored skin tone. Small eyes and ears
Average Height   : 5’ 
Average Weight   : 205 lbs
Average Lifespan   : 350 years
Typical Climate   : Any region near mountains, but mainly Temperate and Tropical.

Description : They have an average height of around 5’ tall, but have a stocky and thick body that makes up for their size. They are thick and solid, sometimes weighing twice what they should normally weigh because of their short stature. Even though they average 5’, they weight in at about 200 - 210 lbs and are seldom out of shape. They are longer lived than humans, averaging about 350 years of age before they feel a pulling to a distant place. When this happens, they leave family and friends behind and wander off to this pulling desire. No one knows where this place is because no one has returned from it. Everyone that has tried to follow has failed to return with the location of where they go.

Distinguished Traits : Having lived in their dark mountain homes for so long they have come accustomed to very dark places. They have developed a dark vision that is devoid of color yet allows them to see in total darkness. Their dark vison allows them to see in total darkness up to 50’, however it is a greyscale and can not distinguish specific color. Now in daylight, their vision is poor as the bright lights tend to bother them. Fires and torches do not bother them as they still use those in their daily lives, and the burning coals in their forges are always burning hot. Also because of living for so long in their mountain homes, they have developed an attunement with the world. The always know where due north is located.

Their skin has taken on similar properties of the stone of their homes. Each clan having a different pattern of skin tone associated with a different granite pattern. Dark colors are common with light colored spots or veins. All looks to be similar to real granite. While theya re not made from the stone, they do have a distinct look, and their skin feels and looks like granite.

Personality : They are very family social by nature and it pleases them more to be around brethren than anyone else, however, they will travel with anyone they trust. While wary, they still drink and tell lies and stories with the best of them, but still have distrusting idea about everyone not of their clans. Once their trust is gained however, it is gained for life. They are wary of non-family yet when their trust is won, it is won for life of their family, not just the trust of one individual. If someone in their clan trusts someone, then they are accepted throughout the entire clan.

Home : Their social structure is based on families that have been formed into clans. Each clan has all of its family members in it. From the head of the clan to their parents, and grandparents, and children and so forth. Sometimes clans will split and form newer clans, but it is rare and only happens when there is simply no more room left in their mountain homes and fortresses. The tend to build their homes either on, in, or under the mountains as it provides the best protection from outsiders. They are very xenophobic of people they do not know, but will fight to the very end to defend it regardless of the enemy they face.

Relations : While very family oriented, they also understand the meaning of the strongest will prevail. They protect their family to the end, yet those not willing to at least try to protect themselves are not worthy of their help. They have a structured way of life that has work and play combined into one aspect. They will do little work unless they enjoy it, and any work that produces an end result worthy of work is went to with a purpose. They trust little in the outside world because of past confrontations with the other races. Their only real hatred is for the Sladiva who reside in the mountains with them.

Religion : While they respect all the Gods fully, they only worship the Brother-Gods Gotruis and Pertium. They have worshiped them since their ancestors days and claim to continue to worship them until they are no more. Their priests are highly respected in the clans regardless of what family they come from. They are very devote followers of both Deities and will come to blows if one of them is insulted in front of them.

Language : They have a very deep and rumbling type of spoken language that seems to roll of their tongue like a boulder down a mountainside. It is very difficult to learn from anyone not of their race. They view Traders Common as a difficult yet necessary nuisance and use it only to make their dealings with merchants easier, yet will find little use for it outside of making money. Their writing is a basic form of runic symbols similar to that of the Keirn, which no one can figure out why. It is a very blocky type script that has symbols that have different meanings when paired with alternate runes.

Favored Profession : Their race is well know as the best craftsmen and weapon smiths in the known world. All of their kind love working with their hands and creating something of lasting value. Male and female alike do this, no one is better or seen as different than the others in the clans. The are protectors of friends and family and will not hesitate in hoisting a weapon in the protection or defense of someone in their clan or someone they call friend. They are all fierce warriors and respected priests.

History
They came to this world (Hewdamia) as orphans from a burned out husk of a planet. Brought by Kasal, the God of Darkness and Death, of the Cold and Vastness of Beyond. He brought the spirits of those who had perished on this planet. (Could have been a mass war, could have been natural disaster. Only Kasal knows) He brought the souls to this new world and the other Gods gave them form. Enter the races of Hewdamia.

When the gison were young they looked like everyone else, bipedal humanoids. Nothing different about them. Then the War of Brothers changed everything. If you read up on the history of Hewdamia in the first era the Gison went to war against each other over the twin brother Gods. When brother killed brother, father killed son, things changed. A horror was unleashed on the entire race of the gison.

In their shame they went into hiding to keep their shame from the face of others. They went ‘Under Mountain’ for centuries. With all the magic energies spent during the war it changed their bodies, minds, and soul. When they reemerged from their stone prisons they had changed, as did much of the world.

In their self exile they adapted their life to that of nature, to the beat of the world. They blended their society with it and became one with it. Over these centuries they adapted to become what they are today. Their skin while it looks like the granite stone of their homes it is not the same. They do have a hardened skin, tougher than a rhino but not by much.

Before their self exile, they were friendly and carefree. Willing to enjoy life to the fullest. Now they are more zen-like in their attitudes and beliefs.

Description:
They stand at roughly 5’ 3”, the shortest of the derevo tribes. They have dark skin and angular features, at times seeming gaunt and in ill health. While their skin is dark, tanned from exposure to the sun, it occasionally has an ashy appearance to it. This is associated with a powder, similar to talc, that the find in the islands caverns. Their eyes are small and uniformly grey with dark hair. Their teeth are filed to points in a ceremony of age, when the youths are fully accepted into the clan as family.

History:
When they were cast out of their ancestral homes they fled the wrath of their cousins and went east, to the coast and beyond. Vamiar-Gretalia took his people to their new home with the hope of building up their tribe strong enough to return and take what he felt was rightfully theirs. They built small, shallow boats and fled to the isolated islands off the coast. There they spent many years in seclusion that led to their first attempts at cannibalism to survive. Part of this change was due to the lack of edible food on the island as well as the hidden secret they unearthed in their search of their new home.

The island where they chose as their new home weren’t as deserted as once thought. There were abandoned temples dotting the islands expanse, large stone temples hidden by the overgrowth of the forest as if nature itself tried vainly to hide their existence. They searched the island yet found no one. Nothing moved on the island except the occasional biting insect and the occasional lizard and wild boar. One of the dangers of the island is the Burrow Dragons, a large lizard like creature that digs its home in the ground to wait for passing prey. The emptiness is the main reason they began resorting to cannibalism. The temples were not deserted however, not all of them.

The largest temple on the island was positioned at the top of the centermost peak. The cool air kept the gretalia at bay for only so long until they could not hold their curiosity in any more. When Vamiar entered the temple with his protective guard what they found was never spoken of again. The temple enclosed about them like a tomb, the entrance closed off to them completely. No light broke through a single crack in the stone walls, it even seemed as if sound itself was denied entry as their voices were soft and dull, stopping long before a usual echo. They traveled through the corridors with a single vine taunt branch used as a torch. They traveled until the torch was completely gone and then traveled by touch.

When fear began breaking their hearts, they fell into a room alight with treasures and warmth. The diffuse light had no source, but was everywhere at once. The glitter of gold was unimportant to them; the artwork fell on dead eyes as they couldn’t find the beauty in them. What gathered their attention and horded it, was a dais of bone and blood. Erected in the center of the treasure, blood could be seen draping off the edges and on to the gold beneath it. What was not seen were six upright tombs held open by a dusted skeleton, fallen to the age of time.

Vamiar knelt before the alter of bone and began praying a prayer that had never crossed his or any of his peoples lips before. It bespoke of power and age, of strength and blood. The six guards that followed Vamiar into the temple also knelt, only they encircled him as if in reverence and began a low hum to echo his prayers. A voice spoke in the heads of the guards, telling them to follow their leader to the grave, that the rewards of the afterlife would surpass that of the flesh. To accept this they took their Khanjar daggers from their waist and sliced their own tongues, lest they speak of their pact and betray their leader.

Vamiar also heard a voice. It was booming in his head, encompassing. It threatened to separate his skull in two yet it soothed his ills and his fears at the same time. It learned his sorrows, his fears, his loss, but most of all; his hatred. It took this in and used it. Learned from it, and gave it back to Vamiar. He told him of his rightful place of power was at It’s side, as the Hand of Redemption, the Caller of Ash, and the Taker of Blood. It showed him the truth of power and the way to gain it through the blood and soul of ones enemy.

As eager as Vamiar was to get this power and gain his revenge on his cousins, the voice spoke of patience. To build their strength so their enemies would not be able to repel them. Reluctantly he agreed, but as he listened to the voice he began to see it had the truth he had been searching for when leaving his banished home with his kin. The worship of the Lost God had begun anew and It’s power increase with ever sacrifice, every poor soul who washed up on the beach from a ship wreck or sailed searching for treasure from the stony temples, all fell before the tribal rituals of the gretalia and Vamiar. Ages have past since their arrival; they have used their boats and those stolen from those who were foolish enough to come to their home. They reach out to other coastal towns, raiding for the flesh. Sacrifices and for food, all is needed in their venture for revenge. One thing has not changed in the many years of their banishment, Vamiar and his six guards still walk the island preaching their practice and calling out that the Coming of Blood is near.

Religion:
They practice a form of tribal religion based on their beliefs that the temple gods decree. They found these abandoned temples in the jungles and began learning the script, deciphering the rituals and incantations written on the stone walls. What they didn’t know is, the temples were prisons built to house demons and the religion of Caedmon. The main temple within the islands center has a Demon Gate below it. The voice Vamiar heard in his head was that of the Dark Lord, one of the four faces of Ishchali. It used the Demon Gate as a way to enter Vamiar’s mind and alter his beliefs.

(This write up is by no means special in any way, but it does give the mindset for the humans in Hewdamia. Humans are basic and average.)

Race      : Human   
Appearance   : Humans are diverse and can have nearly every natural hair, eye, and skin color. 
Average Height   : 5’ 10” 
Average Weight   : 160 lbs
Average Lifespan   : 75 years  
Typical Climate   : Humans live and prosper in nearly climate but prefer Temperate to Sub-Tropical.

Description : Humans have an unusual amount of diversity in their race. No two ever looking alike unless born twins. Humans are one of the main races on the planet of Hewdamia since they can repopulate quickly. They range in heights and weights and have a variety of appearances, so no two look alike. They can max to about 110 years old, but at this age they are feeble and dependant upon others. They average around 150 - 170 lbs.

Distinguished Traits : They have no real advantages over the other races though, as they can not see in the dark and can not speak with animals unless trained for many years. They are the average stock of the world, but they tend to overrun it with numbers since they can procreate faster than any other race. Their shorter life span is the cause of their over population and restlessness. As it drives them into a faster paced life. They do have a zeal for life sometimes that allows them to surpass other races in their advancement, but this is not a frequent event.

Personality : Humans are as diverse as they come, always trying to be better than the other. They have a high sense of competition and can be unpredictable and sometimes uncaring of others. Their shorter life span makes them very ambitious and often reckless or careless in their lives. Most care about little more than self advancement and wealth, while others simply do not care or strive for anything but the next day. They come with every sort of personality known and then can even create some if the time arises. Because Humans are short lived, they are restless and sometimes chaotic and irresponsible. They are an adventurous lot, with little regard for others if they get in the way of their lifes goal. Other intelligent races view them as being chaotic and impatient that has given them a bad reputation in the world of mortals.

Home : Humans have no real specific place to call home. There are human kingdoms dotting the land but they will create a town, city, or community where ever they see fit to do so. They have such a diverse sense of home that they have no real home that is solely theirs. In nearly every city that is of human make, the other races populate it as well, unlike most of the other races tend to be a little xenophobic and only allow choice individual people from certain races access to live in their homes.

Relations : Humans are not single minded beings. They have many different types of ideals within their race that seem radical to even them at times. Humans are probably by far the most confusing of the bunch. They change their minds quickly and sporadically so no one never really knows what they intend to do next. Some embrace honor and family, while others only embrace their basic needs. Either way, no way is set for the human race, each individual chooses their own mind and path.

Religion : Just like the rest of their culture, they are not religion specific. Some people are fanatics about the Gods, while others refuse to admit that Deities exist. Religion is on a case by individual case basis.

Language : Humans are the inventors of the traders language, called Traders Common. They found some of the other racial languages difficult to understand at first so they came up with a universal language that everyone could understand and employ. Oddly enough, the other races seemed to accept this with an open arms type ideal and have had great acceptance of its use. While they can learn other languages, most are lazy and only choose to learn what the need to absolutely know. Their written language is very basic with having a single symbol for each letter in their alphabet.

Favored Profession : As diverse as they come, they have no set ideal on what they should or should not do as a profession, although there has been a majority of them looking toward the easier way of life and choosing Rogue like professions.

Race      : Keirn
Appearance   : Normally blond or red hair with blue/ green eyes, weathered tan skin. 
Average Height   : 6’ 5” 
Average Weight   : 225 lbs
Average Lifespan   : 230 years
Typical Climate   : They can be found nearly anywhere but prefer the Highlands, Temperate.

Description : Because of their hard lifestyles and their love of meat and mead at every meal, they have a healthy yet thick and stocky nature. They average about 6’5” tall, with many of them being taller still, and can live to be about 230 years of age. They average at about 220 - 230 lbs at an adult age. They are a rough and rugged people who, by living in the northern plains and coastlines have become strong and nearly as unforgiving as the land around them. They all have a weathered and worn look about them as their daily lives are mostly always spent outdoors, and their

Distinguished Traits : Because of their physical lifestyle, they gain a few bonuses that the other races may not. The gain an additional health as well as higher healing rate, allowing them to heal naturally faster. They are also all naturally resistant to colder temperature, not immune.

Personality : The are a proud, honorable, and generally law abiding culture who value personal honor, warfare, and a high personal reputation. They not afraid of death itself but are very fearful of what comes after they die without honor. They fear that if they die with no honor then they are not allowed to travel to their ancestors homeland. They are very naive of most other cultures as they have an isolationalist type culture where they are wary of anything or anyone not of their culture. They are very strong willed and adept in the ways of warring and are strong fisherman with their great sea going vessels that are surpassed by none. They are a naive race however and therefore get caught up in the scheming of the other races often. They are strong warriors, and will often resort to single combat to defend their honor, but they are caring and respectful individuals that have a deep sense of morals and family.

Home : Most of the tribes have settled down now and given up their nomadic ways after learning how to farm and raise cattle. Those who have settled down have built sturdy towns and villages that scatter up the northern coastal way and the northern plains. Their houses are constructed of wood and mainly stone and are mostly long houses that can room an entire family. Some of the coastal buildings are often two stories to protect them from inclement weather and roaming beats. The roofs of most of the homes if not slates were made of thatch, turfed, or covered in wooden shingles depending on the location of resources.

The tribes who are still nomadic, following the herds during the winter are becoming fewer and fewer as the idea of shelter is more prominent. They have animal hides bound together coated in whale fat to make them water proof. These tribes do not have a use for farming or herding domesticated animal as their constant moving doesn’t allow it. If any of the keirn are found to be raiding coastal settlements, then it is more than likely these roving tribes. They constantly are fighting with the weather as well as the Corrupted that populate the northern reaches.

Relations : In the world of the Keirn everyone has equal rights, but it is more up to the men to provide for the family and the community. The women work in the home and raise the children, teaching them the basics of family life, and help the men in the fields. They are very family bound, and once married they stay married to the same person until death and rarely remarry. Each man is in charge of his home and the members in it. If someone does something that breaks one of their laws then the man in charge of his home is held responsible.

Each tribe is a different family ruled by a Chief that runs the villages daily business. They are highly respected in their society, even among the different tribes. The rulers of each village are chosen every three years at the Hodgemead, a gathering of everyone in the tribes to celebrate. During these Hodgemead all grievances are forgiven and all debts are paid. The leader of each village who wishes to retain their status must defend it against anyone willing to take it from them. They must fight only wearing shorts using no weapons but hands. The first to give in loses and the winner holds the title as chief of the village. Now there is a High Chief that has rule over all the tribes. They are chosen every six years at the Hodgemead and must defend their status the same as would a village chief.

Religion : They are a very religious group of individuals, and while they have no set Deity whom them actively worship, Berakas, Gotruis, and Pertium are the more common Deities whom they pray to. Yet there are priests and priestesses in every village that actively worship every Deity. They have special holidays throughout the year that celebrate certain aspects of the Deities.

Language : While their language seems like an offshoot of the traditional traders language, it varies greatly in the inflections. Their writing is a basic form of runic symbols similar to that of the Conochas spells yet hold no mystical power that anyone has been able to determine thus far.

Favored Profession : Keirn have no real favored profession. They are all warriors by natural trade as survival in the harsh winters, from the corrupted that try to raid their villages for food, is necessary. They have a diverse outlook however and are readily acceptable doing anything as long as they can help with their tribe or village. The few that follow down a more darker or sinister path tend to not last long in the village setting as punishment for stealing, and such is very extreme. They are very wary of magic however that does not come from their Priests or Shamans.

Race      : Lemiean
Appearance   : Ebony skin, pale blue or green eyes, pale yellow or white hair. 
Average Height   : 6’ 8” 
Average Weight   : 255 lbs
Average Lifespan   : 170 years
Typical Climate   : Arid/ Desert     

Description : Lemiean are a desert people with two different and different societies within their culture. They have ebony dark skin that gleams in the darkness and the palest colored hair that anyone has ever seen. They average to be about 6’8” tall and can average to be about 170 years old. Both societies are warlike and hard like the land that shaped them. Because of their height, they look slim, but the are about 250 - 260 lbs. There is little difference between the two cultures within the Lemiean race. They are both from the same desert tough stock. They look the same, trying to tell one from the other is impossible, they even dress in a similar manner. If you confuse them however, prepare to defend your life as they do not take kindly to being to being insulted like that.

Distinguished Traits : Having spent their lives in the sandy waste of the Etoilin Desert, they have developed ways to survive where no one else should. Their bodies retain water rather well allowing them to go without liquids for a number of weeks instead of days. And due to the constant blowing sands they have developed a membrane around their eyes that act as a shield from debris. This is a second layer of transparent skin that covers their eyes when they wish to keep out the sand and dust allowing them to see. They can not keep this membrane on their eyes for more than a few minutes, but it is effective enough to see a destination or to find quick cover from a storm.

Personality : The Lemiean’s are broken into two distinctive groups, those who have gave up their nomadic ways and settled in the steppes and cliff faces of Nydale Cliffs. The others are those who continue their traditional calling and forever travel the sandy wastelands of the desert. Given their differences however, they both are from very hardy stock and are unsurpassed in surviving in the arid drylands and the desert. The settled Lemiean’s tend to be more friendly toward outsiders and willing to trade or make friends with someone new, where those who are nomadic are very territorial and kill on site most of the people whom the do not know just because they are not in their roving tribe. Both believe in honor to the fullest however and take someone’s word as a blood oath. Anyone giving their word is bound to keep it lest they be banished to the arid deserts and or be staked in the hot sun until they die.

The nomadic tribes sometimes trade with merchants from other kingdoms the wondrous treasures that they find in and beyond the borders of the desert. This is a rare instance and the person they are trading with must be a member of their tribe. Whether it is a member who left to gain trade or a person who is seen worthy in their cultures eyes. Most people will not venture out as far as they will into the desert, so these items are valued. They will never trade with their city dwelling brethren however, preferring to raid their settlements for what they need instead.

Home : The first and major group in their culture are the Lemiean’s that have given up their nomadic ways and built cities of adobe, brick and wood against mountain sides and crannies or near the edges of an oasis. Their society has grown into a trading culture. Trading the rare and unusual items of their mysterious lands. Coming out of their nomadic ways they are becoming a set culture. They have agriculture where it is allowed by the lands, trade with other cities and cultures and are even privileged to be Ambassadors to some larger Kingdoms where their newer outlook on the world is refreshing.

The other cultural group are the nomadic tribes of the desert. They have not given up their nomadic ways to the more suitable and stable society of their brethren. They travel from oasis to oasis to survive in the harsh and unforgiving climate of the desert. They keep the secrets of survival in the desert a mystery and will rarely tell anyone outside their nomadic tribes.

Relations : They are very family protective. They live in single family dwellings inside their cliff faces or their desert tents and lead average lives in their culture. The settled Lemiean’s choose a single leader among their people every year. It can be anyone in their community that has not been chosen for at least three years. For those who have kept their nomadic lifestyle, they have a hereditary title of leadership. Only those from the hereditary leading family may rule the tribes.

For both of the two separate cultures, they have a similar set of laws that require everyone to follow the same rules and laws as no one is above them. The do not abide thievery, murder, and lies. To do any of those is punishable by being staked out in the sun over a Ka’tshar mound. They farm where there is good land, they raise small goats and desert trained horses, and are unmistakably the best pottery makers in the known lands.

Religion : The Lemiean’s who still embrace their nomadic lifestyle worship Idehund nearly exclusively. Feeling that since it was by her grace alone that they are here and able to survive, they feel she is a goddess worth any warriors cries. Those who have settled worship an array of Gods, but Idehund is still seen as first and foremost in their worship, having special days for celebration in her honor, where the other Gods they do not. Idehund is not a malicious Deity to them as she has a fondness for their culture.

Language : They have a very distinctive spoken language that is a series of clicks and high pitches syllables within. Their language is not impossible to learn, but for someone who is not a linguist it is difficult at best. Their written language is very script like and flowing, seeming to be more of an artistic pleasure than any form of basic writing. Like any other race, they have no problems learning any other language. They do learn the traders common however to make it easier on those who wish to do business within their borders.

Favored Profession : It is a very common thing for the men to be the protectors and warrior caste in their culture, as in most cultures the men protect the women and children. The women however, are called to a different purpose. Women who do not stay bound to home and family get a personal calling and become a Priestess of Idehund. No male can become a priest as Idehund would not allow it as she sees the culture to have certain functions and boundaries, this being one of them. The women are not malicious, nor do they look down on their men, they just claim a certain closeness to their Goddess that makes them special.

Their entire culture is still very fierce and combative and no matter what Order or part of society that they come from, they are all warriors and protectors of their culture and race. They will fight like a cornered badger if pushed to far, but will go out of their way to help another that they see as worthy. They are not murders by birth, they view strength and honor as foremost in their culture. They just see their brethren that left the wandering way as traitors to the Way of Life and therefore not worthy. They view the warrior as a highly respected individual, as they keep close to their traditional ways when the strongest in their tribes, lead the whole tribe.

Race : Olwynn   
Appearance : Dark hair, silvered eyes and pale skin.
Average Height : 4’ 
Average Weight : 60 lbs
Average Lifespan : 210 years
Typical Climate : Coastal, moderate

Description : Olwynn are a small and diminutive race of tinkers and builders. Their eyes are the color of quicksilver and have no pupils. They have small slit for a nose and relatively small mouth. They stand about 4’ tall and average to be about 55 - 65 lbs. Everything about them is diminutive, their hands, facial features and bodies are small, all except their minds.

Distinguished Traits : Because of their high intellect and nearly perfect blend of Psionics into their culture, they all receive a higher draw on their mental abilities. Nearly all Olwynn are Psionic to some extent, 90%. Those that are not are delegated to a slaving, working caste. They are small and childlike and in combat are a little harder to hit for someone taller than 6’ as their small size and natural quickness make them a difficult target. Because of this they have an added bonus to their defense.

Personality : The men are very accepting of others that show respect and are willing to help out anyone in need. The females on the other hand, are just the opposite. They do not trust anyone that is not another female Olwynn. They do tend to have a mild respect for females of other races but it is a begrudging respect and not one of an equal status. Their children are raised for the first ten years by the men, while after that they are put into the care of the females for proper schooling.

Home : While they are small and diminutive beings, their dwellings are not. They have very spacious homes on the coast and take full advantage of the ocean breeze for cooling in the hot summers. They have four cities that rival the human capital cities in size and population with a large ominous stone wall that surrounds the coastal side of the cities. Their four cities are large ports used for trading and shipping of any goods one could desire. While they are not a military force to be concerned with, they have an agreement with the Kingdom of Kerrabar that allows them to dock a portion of their fleet for protection of their harbor and a subtle warning for anyone thinking of attack their fair city.

Relations : They have a very Matriarchal society, relying very heavily on female guidance. The females in their society rule their culture and their people. They feel that only a woman can handle the emotional burden of running a kingdom. The females have become heavy handed in their justice and final in their laws. The populace is finding out that with a female in charge, if you break a law, prepare to suffer. When issuing out judgment however, they don’t have any racial prejudices. Everyone is the same in their eyes. While the males are not treated badly, they are occasionally looked down on as being not an equal.

Religion : While not an Atheistic culture, the Olwynn probably have the fewest religious followers. Not because they don’t believe in the Gods, but require proof. Not all are this way, but most tend to take the world at face value and learn from what they see not from what they are told. Another reason behind their lack of faith is that they feel that their Goddess Gutxi will return and elevate them to their rightful status. They are not fanatics about it, just waiting for her return.

Language : Their written language is angular and precise, the height of a letter changing its intonation greatly. If not for the difficulty for non-Olwynn to grasp a firm understanding of their written language, it would probably be embraced by more people for its simple design and artistic angles. Their spoken language is similar to their written language where the slightest inflection can greatly change the meaning of a simple word. While this is confusing for someone who is not familiar with the language, once learned is easily spoken as it flows from the lips like water.

Favored Profession : They all have an exceptional minds and are some of the best thinkers in the known lands. Their incredible knack for mathematics is astounding. What would take a normal human, or another race, hours to figure out, takes them only moments to ponder. Which makes them masters when using Psionics abilities.

Their race has had an abundant amount of Psionics achievements in the past few hundred years. They seem to be able breed Psionics into their culture as if they were breeding special traits into a horse or other domesticated animal. Their culture defiantly has a more copious amount of Psionics then any other race known in the land. Many have thought that they have bridged the gap and are nearly to the point where all their people will soon be born with Psionic abilities.

Race : Derevo/ Sladiva
Appearance : Pale colored hair and eyes, pale skin tones. Slightly large ears.
Average Height : 5’ 6”
Average Weight : 170 lbs
Average Lifespan : 450 years
Typical Climate : Temperate/ Sub-Arctic: Mountain

Description: They average to be around 165 - 175 lbs, with short and stocky bodies. Their ears are larger than a human’s, allowing them superior hearing. Their face is angular and hard, usually showing a despotic disposition. The color of their skin is usually pale and chalky. Their features are sharp and defined, showing them to be a hard emotional race with fewer emotions outside of anger. This is due more than a racial image of their banishment then any actual occurance to them personally, as the original cousins of the other Derevo tribes are now long gone.

Distinguished Traits: The Sladiva are the cousin race to the Novotie. The chiefs of each tribe were brothers once, long ago when the four tribes were united. Since their departure from the lands of their blood, they have changed and lost their natural affinity to the wilderness. Instead they have grown accustomed to the depths of the mountains of the north, seldom visiting the green forests of long ago. With their new homes being in a northern mountain region they have grown accustomed to a darker environment. The winter months forcing them to travel underground to stay warm and out of the harsh sun, their day vision is sub par, but their dark vision is superb. Able to see up to 60’ in darkness with clarity, they view the world in sub tones of black, white, and grey.

Personality: They are the opposite of their long lost brothers, nature mocks them. The sun scorns them. They feel the world above is for their tree hugging cousins that should be burned for their weakness. They have no art or music, seeing it as a waste of time and energy. Instead they value history and deeds. The longer a persons’ deeds, the more they are seen with respect, grudging respect. The respect other cultures art and music, but they are inferior and can not expect to produce a master piece.

They have taken on a darker side of live than the Novotie and Yakaram. They view weakness as a sickness that must be purged. The weak are there for the strong to command. If you are weak you should be culled and forced to provide for your betters. They have adopted a slaving mentality. They will often raid settlements and caravans both human and other races to force them into providing labor for them. To fashion their homes, mend their clothing, provide entertainment. What ever is desired. The wealth of a family can be judged by the number of slaves they maintain and control.

Because slavery is important to them they will often go on slaving parties to villages and small towns to restock their labor force. Those unwilling to become their cattle are taught a quick lesson that to fail to obey results not in death, but extended torture of the most greivous kind. Often extending for weeks before death is uncontrollable. They prolong the punishment as long as they can and force the other slaves to witness it to remove all ideas of freedom and choice from their minds. Few who have a fighting spirit keep it after seeing a ‘Leason’ of theirs.

Home: They have gone to live in the mountain passes of the north, well away from their nature loving brethren. Their homes are built into the sides and the depths of the mountains. While not extravagant, they are fortified and easily maintained and defended. With walls to ward off the elements and enemies alike. A few outposts have sprung up along the borders of the forests and the mountains range, but any further than that is not yet accomplished.

Some of the slaves they have captured over the years have been a boon, and while they do not do it often, when they find a skileld slave they treat them far better. With the rare event of them being set free after a period of indentured servitude. Some of their past slaves have been trolls and gison, able to work in their homes to build and work armor and weapons of quality. The gison are sought after for their knowledge of building stone fortresses out of the mountains. Gison are usually not kept for more than a few decades and are set free. They are treated fairly well and offered minor comforts during their stay.

Relations: In the realm of the Sladiva, the strongest survive, and the powerful rule. Often times plotting the downfall of a rival or enemy isn’t enough, but their accidental death or murder is. The shadows are their friend and family. They band together in groups of clans that have similar intentions to gain power and authority over the others. They do not see each other as being equal, but they do not see the opposite sex as inferior, they are of the mindset that if they are strong enough then they are worthy to respect.

The women will raise the children for a number of years until basic functions are taught. Speech and movement among the most important. When they are old enough to pick up a stick, they are given over to the men who teach them to fight. Those that make it return to the women later to learn the social functions of the cutlure while the weaker ones end up as slaves or dead.

Religion: They have a misguided though to religion. The strongest survive in their world and therefore requires a strong and powerful form to keep them in check. Their chaotic nature tends to make them difficult to deal with in large groups; however, they do fear their Chieftains who are seen as Warrior Priests, gaining their strength and powers from the Gods themselves.

Language: Their spoken language is very short and simple. It has tones of their cousin’s, the Yakaram, but has evolved to simpler forms. Using fewer words they can have shorter conversations that mean as much if not more than that of other languages. It sounds odd when first hearing it, like a tune off melody, but it is easy to learn. Their written language is much the same as their verbal tongue, symbols having a broader meaning than single letters.

Favored Profession: They are more physical then their cousins. They tend to enjoy violence more so then the others like them. They choose professions that use their strength and cunning to an advantage. You will find more warriors and rogues in this racial tribe than the other three.

Race      : Sslassti
Appearance   : Lizard-like bipedal; blue green skin with orange striped highlights; yellow eyes, body has silky hair covering body, 3’ long tail.
Average Height   : 4’5”
Average Weight   : 160 lbs
Average Lifespan   : 250 years   (Unknown)
Typical Climate   : Warm, Semi Tropical, Tropical, Desert, Mountain

Description : They appear to be what they are. A lizard that walks on two legs. They have the appearance of a lizard with facial features that give expressions and feelings. Although their skin is not scaley like a normal lizard. It is smooth and covered with thin silky hairs that give them their orange and darker stripes.  Their tail can not be used to grip things but they can use it as a distracting weapon causing more blunt damage than any real harm. The have sharp claws and fangs that make them intimidating in battle, since they use them very well as well as any weapons they choose to learn. They have a bluish green skin with stripes and highlights of orange that makes it difficult for them to blend into any natural surrounding. Their age of 250 is simply a guess as no one has ever seen one die of old age, but the general age of 250 is around the time when they are not seen anymore by the rest of the world.

Distinguished Traits : Other than looking like an upright lizard man they have formidable claws and a distinguished tail, they have a very poor night vision. Similar to a normal human, they need light to be able to travel at night or in the darkness.

Personality : The Sslassti are an off spring of sorts of the semi intelligent lizard man race. They have grown into a very intelligent race and have learned to hate their similar cousins with a passion. They have had many hardships because of their ignorant and brutal kin. Many times being hunted down because they were mistaken as one of the other lower intelligent and more brutal kind. They have broken apart from their unintelligent kin, as they see them being unintelligent and the reason why most cultures do not like them, and have tried to carve their own part for their race in the world. They are honorable creatures that help most people in need. Though their hardships are many and the list is long, they are getting some semblance of respect in the lands. Mainly in the human lands that border their native lands. They are still feared and are outright hated in some areas in the land.

Home : They live in the marsh and swamp lands to the east of the Kingdom of Ediren. They have chosen this as their home as no one bothers them for their wetlands. They have developed a way to grow agriculture and raise small herds of animals for stock. They have grown into a prospering civilization and have actually raised small stone cities out of the swamp where they live above the watery murk. They have formed a small government that is divided into three distinct classes, the slaves, the commoners, and the pipiltin or the born nobility. Slaves are those born of the poor who work their lives at the whim of the commoners and pipiltin. Those who ran from service and could make it to the steps of the royal palace were granted freedom instantly and raised to commoner. Those who fail are sacrificed. Slaves can also buy their freedom from the pipiltin but this is rare and very expensive. Commoners are the farmers and lowly merchants and traders and servicemen. They are those who peddle their services for the culture with their skills. They are free and own their own property and have complete rights of the law as dictated by the pipiltin. The pipiltin are the nobility who are born to their status. However, nobility is not just the rulers but the religious caste, their magical caste, and their builders, and smiths of metal. All seen as a higher form of person. The nobility chose their rightful ruler over all the Ssladiva. This person is called the Tlatoani and has absolute voice over everyone, except the head priest in times of religious ceremony. The Tlatoani maintains the laws and functions of the culture.

Relations : Their culture is based around clutches. Each clutch is its own little family, with more males than females in the clutch. Normally there will be around five adult males for every one adult female. Sslassti can not reproduce until they reach adulthood at around 100 or so years so their numbers stay small. They have family values similar to most intelligent races. Having laws and guidelines to rule where chaos would reign if they were not implemented. They are a very orderly culture, seeing everything as having to be in a certain place, often causing most to be perfectionists by nature alone. They do not like thievery, or anything to do with the shady side of life. They feel they would be no better than their ignorant cousins if they resorted to such tactics. All such behavior is frowned upon and normally dealt with harsh punishments when found.

They are compassionate toward those who deserve it, and ruthless to those who do not. They have welcomed any peace with the intelligence races that has been offered, often siding with them in wars and battles to show their trust and worthiness. They are true to their word always and will never break a promise. Their honor matches that of the Keirn. Their military tactics are brutal but efficient, often some armies having one or two as a military advisor in times of war.

Religion : Religion plays a very important role to the Sslassti, for they feel that without the Gods they would not be able to have distinguished themselves from their ignorant cousins. They worship all the Gods, feeling that to leave one out would cause that God anger and be forced to punish them. They believe in the balance of the world, for every day there is night, for every good there is bad and their destiny depends greatly on all the Gods approval. There is a special day in their calender for each God and they have special services for each of these days. The priest is a very highly respected position and anyone bringing harm to a priest brings the wrath of the Gods, therefore anyone harming a priest whether directly or not is normally sacrificed to appease the Gods before they get angry.

Language : They have their own form of language that is very difficult for anyone not of their race to understand much less master. It is a form of hisses and guttural grunts used mainly for imparting feeling and desire, not really communication. They have developed the ability to understand and speak the basic traders common but even so they can never speak it fluently without their telltale hissing speech. Their written language is a form of simple pictographs that detail their meaning. They can however learn other forms of written language.

Favored Profession : While most of the favored professions that the Sslassti may want are of the pipiltin caste, they have strong loyalty to their family and culture and would anything to protect them. The warrior caste is very important to the Sslassti, for while they are not pipiltin, they are not commoners or slaves. They are outside most of the laws of their culture. Except the of laws about harming the priests. They are respected, for without them they would probably fall before their enemies and be no more.

Race : Derevo/ Yakaram   
Appearance : Almost identical to the Novotie yet their features are not as angular, seeming to be broader then their cousins.
Average Height : 6’ 2” 
Average Weight : 215 lbs
Average Lifespan : 150 years
Typical Climate : Forest edge, Plains, Temperate, Tropical

Description : They are very slim and frail looking, yet are healthy and extremely physical. They can average around 210 - 220 lbs and can average to about 150 years old before they lay down and let the earth consume them. They have a human diversity in appearance where no two individuals look alike. Their hair color tends to be natural browns or blonds, with few with hair darker. Their eyes are almost a universal color green, just different shades for each individual. Their ears are smaller than the Novotie and not as pronounced, yet still stick out.

Distinguished Traits : Having an affinity to their natural surroundings they have developed a limited form of infravison They can see heat patterns that distinguish a being in the darkness. While they can not gather specifics about they person, they can tell if they are hiding. If they are very familiar with the individual then they can determine who they are. They can only see 15’ in darkness with their infravision, but can see blurred movement up to 30’ in darkness.

Personality : When dealing with the outside world, they still keep their segregated opinions that their tribe has implanted into their minds. While they will work with members of the opposite sex, they will do so under the strictest of terms and the shortest time necessary. They are cordial to other races and tend to hire themselves out as embassadors for the other races to mediate disputes. They do so only at the request of one of the parties involved and they always carry a superior attitude to these meetings. They are constant advisors to the Novotie however, and show them their utmost respect regardless of the sex of the person in question.

Home : They live in small villages on the border of the Brelean Forest. The men and woman live separately in different villages, although not far from each other, are rarely visited by either group unless it is absolutely necessary, and even then they have a meeting place somewhere not in their respective villages. They do this because they have a very segregated view of each other, willing to live separately as they have done for centuries.
              
Relations : They are very segregated and will rarely spend any time with a member of the opposite sex, since their culture is broken down into casts of society, then by gender. They will only spend time together during war and festivals of procreation. At no other time will they congregate, unless it is important. They are almost like two separate cultures in this respect. Their females are just as strong and as opinionated as the men, never are they subservient. They raise the male children until they can walk, then let them free. Those that find the male encampments grow strong as part of the tribe. Those that get lost in the forests are not even mourned as they were not worthy to be with the tribe. 

At one point the Yakaram were very male superior. The women at home and hearth where the men worked and protected the family. During the infighting and the war between the tribes, the women were forced to protect the families at home while the men were fighting abroad. This led to a little unknown time similar to affirmative action. The women forced the men to see they were as equal as they were. When that failed they seperated. They realize that each side needs the other but refuse to give ground and admit it. This has been going on for centuries. Being that they are of the longer lived, they have time to sit back and wait for the other to see the err of their ways. They respect each other because they see a need for the others, but they also see that each group is important. Whether more important is up to individual interpretation. I hope taht helps and doesn’t raise more questions.  

Religion : Each village has a High Priest that they listen to for guidance and that travel to speak with one another frequently to discuss matters of religion, but there is not one single God that they believe in more than any others except when it comes to the sex.. They respect and fear all the Gods fully, but their view on them is different depending on the individual God. The females of the Yakaram, while they respect the male Gods will not worship them outright. They may thank them in passing for an event that they know only that God could have done, but that is the extent of their belief. The men are the same, while they worship and respect the male Gods, they have a large problem believing that Idehund is a Goddess and refuse to accept her as one.

Language : Their language is very aggressive and specific, often omitting words normally in a conversation to make it shorter. This isn’t by personal choice but by having done it throughout the years they have made their language useful yet to the point of their meaning. Nothing is wasted when they speak. Their written language is the same, with only thirty character like pictures they mean multiple things when grouped together in certain patterns.

Favored Profession : While all of the Yakaram are aggressive and physically capable of physically defending themself and their culture, they tend to have softer professions. They have great success when becoming a rogue however, with their natural grace.