Name: <people>
Appearances: <people> is famous for its extreme polymorphism, where the appearances of members from different bloodlines and social castes vary greatly to both specialise in their intended role, and to reflect their social standing to other members of the society. Most of them, however, can often be organised into one of the two following major groups.
<orcneas>, the most numerous caste, usually have a toned, muscular body built for prolonged menial labour. Usually living deep within the large underbellies of their cities, <orcneas> have hardened, charcoal-black skin to protect themselves from the extreme working conditions they have.
<elf>, as the higher echelon of the society, are treated with proper care, from a variety of high-nutrition food to magical enchantment that facilitate and control their growth. As a result, they tend to have a lithe or curvy body, with smooth skin of deep complexion ranging betweel ebony, dark blue and dark red, as well as an ageless, attractive feminine appearance regardless of gender, demonstrating their focus on visual and tactile pleasure rather than protection from the elements.
Physiology: Like appearances, <people> has an extremely high level of polymorphism that drastically influences the physiology of <people> of different caste.
<orcneas>, the lowly foundation of the <people> society, usually serve as menial labourers, producing raw materials for the consumption of the city dwellers. Tough working conditions, as well as the lack of proper nutrition or education meant they have low mental capacity, making them suitable for mindless labour and less likely to revolt against their higher brethren. Similarly, their mesomorphic physique means they develop and mature faster than most <people>, but also have the shortest lifespan either due to injuries or biological deterioration. <orcneas> can reach maturity in less than seven years, and usually do not live past their 20th birthday.
Some <orcneas>, called <warriors>, are specifically bred for combat and bodyguard. Unlike normal <orcneas>, who have troubles understanding complicated orders, <warriors> possess higher mental capacity to understand and carry out orders without sacrificing their well-built physique. Such characteristics make them ideal choice both as bodyguards of <elf>, and as unit commanders to coordinate <orcneas> on a smaller scale during the heat of battle. Because of their elevated role, <warriors> tend to receive better treatment in <people> society, both because of their presence in high society functions, and because of the possibility of them leading a <orcneas> uprising using their superior intellect. They mature slower than usual <orcneas>, usually taking around 10 years, and can live for several decades due to their improved treatment.
<elf> are the backbone of <people> society, and as such, their breed, nutrition and education allows them to focus their development on mental and magical capacity, making them significantly smarter and refined than their <orcneas> brethren. Their body is relatively feeble, but it does not pose a significant hindrance of their life, which is mostly supported by the robust <orcneas> under them. Virtually all <elf> are hermaphrodite, meaning that they have fertile male and female reproductive organ, although it is said that some purely female and male <elf> do exist, but only rarely and almost always a result of "improper" raising.
While members of the <elf> caste generally possess a decent understanding of arcane knowledge, and have some degree of ability to use magic, some bloodlines are more devoted to such cause than others. Often called <sage>, they undergo extensive modification - including magical enchantment, a heavy dose of <spice> and vigorous training – to further their arcane ability. As a result, their body is quite feeble, some to the point of being crippled, in exchange of an innate ability to utilise magic at a higher efficiency. Most <elf> are considered adult by their 13th birthday, and many of them can be expected to live for 40 to 50 year, with some living as long as 70 years.
At the top of the social pyramid lies the exalted caste of <eoten>. Although based on <elf>, their body and mind is highly-specialised as rulers of the people, to the point that breeding with non-<people> is not only morally repulsive to them, but also a phsiological impossibility. Handled with extreme care since before birth, <eoten> are invariably bewitching beauties that are the envies of even their <elf> compatriots, housing a refined mind that is dedicated to statesmanship and politics, as well as the daily function of the <people> society. It is believed that members of <eoten> caste takes decades to reach maturity, and can live for at least a century, usually even longer under extensive care, as the long-living rulers of <people>.
Reproduction: Theoretically, all members of <people> are capable of producing fertile offspring with any other members of their people. However, the highly-regimented and controlled society means breeding between different caste is rare and often shunned, and the harsh working conditions of <orcneas> mean most of them are not capable of carrying foetus, and thus have to rely on either specifically-maintained female <orcneas>, or females and hermaphrodites from other castes, often as a form of punishment.
While most <people> are
viviparous like humans, some bloodlines of <orcneas> are capable of
ovoviviparity. Length of pregnancy varies depending on the caste of both the mother and the foetus, with higher castes generally meaning a longer pregnancy. Generally, <elf> are born after eight to ten months of pregnancy, while <orcneas> are delivered after six months, or sometimes even less due to their relatively low level of development.
Culture: The <people> society is extremely stratified, where social mobility between minor castes within the same major caste is rare, and mobility between major castes will "most likely require divine intervention" as an observer noted. At the very top of the secular hierarchy, the <eoten> guide the direction of the country by their will, while the <elf> citizenry work in their majestic cities as overseers, priests, artisans and merchants. Below them, the lowly <orcneas> caste are the mindless labourers and workers, their back-breaking work providing the raw material and power required for the society to function.
<elf> <people> are an artistic and commercial people, with great innate wits and skills to entertain people and secure their own gain in the process. As a result, they tend to welcome foreign travellers and traders, especially if there is something to be gained from them. However, since most of them do not fit in any of the existing castes of <people> society, intermarriages and assimilations are rare, although foreigners who are granted suitable castes by the ruling <eoten> or <deity> will be welcomed by <people> as their own kind most of the time.
As a reflection of their lineage-based society, <people> is a highly traditional people with great pride in their bloodlines. From the humble <orcneas> to the exalted <eoten>, almost all houses are known for having their own banner and clothes. While on a first glance, such cloth resemble little more than extremely embroidered carpets or flags, native <people> - even the otherwise illiterate <orcneas> - can easily read the entire history of the bearer's lineage since its foundation. The detailed embroidery marked both the meaning, pronunciation and the tone of which it should be sung, essentially turning the long history of said lineage into a sung epic. Because of its values, disrespecting or damaging such banners is considered sacrilegious, and is a sure-fire way to earn the ire of the entire people.
Dress-code: The extreme heat of desert, especially in the underground catacombs of the cities, means most <people> prefer lighter, simpler dress out of practicality. For most <elf>, their usual dress usually consist of white silk clothes wrapping around their breasts and pelvis, along with decorations and accessories depending on their caste and lineage. <orcneas>, on the other hand, more often than not are fully naked due to the intense heat and moisture of the underground environment. In battle, <people> prefer to wear additional pieces of armour made of a combination of leather, silk and metal for additional protection of torso and limbs while maintaining as much manoeuvrability as possible.
Religion: <people> believe they are the chosen people, the proudest creation of <deity>. They see the highly-stratified and polymorphic society of theirs to be the manifestation of order in the boiling chaos that is the mortal realm, and it is their divine duty to spread the order to conquer the chaos.
<people> recognise the existence of other gods and their creations, but most of them are seen as inferior creations that would be better serving in different castes of a unified society. Headed by <people>, naturally.
Infrastructure: The lack of building material in desert environment means <people> have to rely on extensive use of limestone and sandstone as their main building material. Utilising enchantments and <orcneas> labour, <people> managed to construct large,
pyramid structures that form the majority of their buildings. Long corridors, all carved with runes and writings of the long history and rich tradition of the people, formed the outer layer of the buildings, while the inner compartments become home for <elf>, shrines dedicated to <deity>, and chambers of entertainment and commerce.
Under the great cities, though, laid the massive catacombs that powered them. Hot and humid, these dark corridors were not suitable for the <elf>, but they proved to be the ideal environment to grow various types of fungi, among them precursors of <spice>, a valuable spice that is said to empower one's magical capacity, as well as providing an ecstatic state to its consumers. As such, both to feed the thriving cities and their libertine citizens, numerous <orcneas> worked in such extreme environment as farmers and labourers, harvesting and mining vital raw materials for the surface population.
Magic: Most <elf> are capable of using magic in various degrees of proficiency. However, some bloodlines are more devoted to such cause than others. Often called <sage>, they are the product of a combination of chronic consumption of enchanted food and <spice>, vigorous mental exercise and even bodily modifications, all dedicated to shape their mind to accompany arcane ability and, more importantly, <deity>'s own magical power.
<spice>, an unique substance extracted from the fungus growing within the vast catacombs of <people>,is used to reshape the mind of its consumers which, when in combination of suitable rituals, allow <sage> to align their mind better with the gods. As such, they are capable of channeling some of <deity>'s magical power. However, the fundamental differences between mortals and gods mean their mental stability and sanity will suffer from the process.
Army: The <people> military, like every other aspects of its society, reflects the highly specialised caste system. The majority of its members are <orcneas> light footmen. Armed with only simple armour and spears, they often rely on their numbers and innate endurance to form a protective line against enemies. Behind them, <elf> bowmen, usually recruited among the stronger breeds, provide covering fires to help immobilise the enemy forces, and <mage> provide magical protection against enemy projectiles.
The core of <people> army, though, is the small bands of elite warriors. Usually consist of <warrior> lead by a particularly strong and ambitious <elf> each, they move under the cover of volleys and chaos to combat their opponents in close-range, where the fortitude of <warrior> and skills of <elf> can have the greatest effect against them.
The <people> are famous as both traders and raiders. As such, the raiding warrior bands are specialised in capturing captives and goods alike, and most wars tend to be short and small in scale. Some of the largest raider clans possess enormous ships made of stones to traverse the vast desert through magical enchantment, trading with those willing and rading those who are not.
Background: For the most time since its inception, <people> have been a nomadic people, travelling between oases for subsistence. While many smaller oases thrive and languish, several larger oases are able to sustain itself and some of the nomads permanently. As such, trade routes started to appear between them. Supported by trade of goods, crafts and spice alike, <people> as a race started to consolidate. However, it did not become a unified country until <deity> intervened.
It is believed that two of the largests clans were fighting against each other for a new oasis next to a mount of limestone. When the sweet water of the oasis became red from all the blood spilled, an eclipse occured, and both <Fran> and <Fritz> descended on the top of the mount. The opposing clans prostrated in fear and awe as the elders of both clans are summoned. Along with their wisest seers, <deity> bestowed their Divine Glyph on a flat stone. Its sacred radiance immediately blinded all of them, as well as sending any uninvited <people> who peeked at it into permanent shock and awe. Once the blind seers returned, they revealed the divination to their people, as well as a simplified symbol of the Divine Glyph.
Under their guidance, the first city of <people> was built on the mount, with a majestic shrine dedicated to <deity> erected around the blinding emblem both as a place of worship and as a mean to protect the people from its very essence. With the construction of the first permanent settlement, the elders, now known as <eoten>, created what would later become the caste system that defines the entire people.
As time flies, descendants of the first city rallied the entire people under its sacred banner, voluntarily or otherwise. Soon, the entire race was reshaped into a highly hierarchal people who functions not unlike a single body: the perfect order with its root already present in the mortal realm since its conception, but is knly made lear by the Divine Glyph.
Relations: (TBA)
Legends/Myths: It is believed that <Fran> and <Fritz>, despite being different manifestations of the same deity, once fought a great war against each other for dominance. However, once they exhausted all their divine power over a fight under a starless night, they reconciliated with each other under the veil of darkness, realising the potential of a new people who bear the strength of both of them. Thus, after seven nights and six days, the first <people> is born, as a twin of female <elf> and male <orcneas>, who later became the ancestors of all <people>.
Despite the apparent lack of fertile farmland in the desert, <people> regardless of caste have a deeply-rooted contempt towards many kinds of crops, such as wheat and rice. They believe that surviving on a subsistence chiefly based on easily cultivated plants will erode their will, mind and body, tainting <deity>'s creation and disqualifying from inheriting the mortal realm. While such defilement is not immutable, people who are raised in such a way will usually be viewed with extreme contempt unless they perform exceptional acts to otherwise "prove their purity".
Apart from their gods, <people> also believe powerful spirits reside in numerous things, especially languages. As such, sacrilegious uses of languages, especially their Divine Tongue, would be punished by mortals and gods alike. Because of that, <people> are extremely hesitant in teaching their Divine Tongue, which also serve as the official language of their government and banners, to foreigners. Instead, they either use their Colloquial Tongue or, more commonly, translate the meaning of their words when dealing with foreigners.
The Lands: The land of <people> consist mostly of desert dotted by oases, rocky grounds and plateaus. Despite the seemingly lifeless appearance, the sea of sands is home to numerous kinds of lifeform. Land-bound rays and large scorpions have since been domesticated by <people> as mounts and beasts of burden when <orcneas> are not available. However, the most famous beings that dwells in the depth of sands are the <dragon>. With a size exceeding small towns and a destructive force of a small army, these majestic beings are the cause of numerous deaths and destruction of villages since time immemorial. While they appeared to be non-sentient force of nature, they are also symbols of wealth, as their rock-like scales brings invaluable gems and minerals from the deepest reach of the desert to the surface, leaving them for the brave and strong to claim.
While most vegetations on the sand dwell near the few and moving oases, deep beneath the sandy caverns various types of fungi can be found. Some of them rely on the dead bodies of fauna and flora sunken into the sand to thrive, while some can grow on seemingly inorganic, but burning rocks. As most crops cannot survive the burning sun and arid sandstorms, and hunting alone cannot sustain the massive <orcneas> population, these fungi-based food soon become a staple of <people> cuisine.
Location: <Central Yellow Land>
The homeland of the <people> is the vast desert, on which their country ultimately formed under divine guidance from <deity>. On top of the waves of golden sand, blood-red plateau and rock formations, green and azure oases and rivers dotted the landscape, many of which have since become vital in either the religious lore or political infrastructure of <people>. While the lingering zenithal sun definitely helped shaping the scorching desert, it is ultimately the underlying flow of magical force beneath the land, commonly attributed to <dragon> or the planet itself, that forged the burning sands of the land. As such, the desert remained arid and hot even when the sun moves beyond the veil of the horizon.
Currently, it is estimated that there are around 15 million <people> inhabiting their native homeland. Among them, less than two millions are not of the <orcneas> caste.
Why: <people> believe that they are chosen by <deity> to inherit the mortal realm, and it is their divine duty to spread their idea of an orderly, perfect society to all races, eventually incorporating them all within a single, unified society. While they are not above waging ars and raids to accomplish such goal, they prefer diplomacy and trade to those who are willing, so that their strength can be reserved to those who are not.