Humans

[Mr. Cheez-It]

With lifespans that flash in the blink of an elven eye, humans must make the most of their lives in the limited number of years given to them.  Their energy and passion allows them to accomplish great things, yet their relative lack of historical perspective ensures that many of their greatest accomplishments will fall to dust, worn down by the sands of time.

This section details the seven major human ethnic groups of northern and central Faerun, whose cultural, linguistic, physical, and religious traits predominate in that region of Toril.  Five of the major groups are descended from ancient tribes, including the Calishites, Chondathans, Illuskans, Mulan, and Rashemi.  Two more groups, the Damarans and Tehtyrians, have arisen in recent centuries from melting pot cultures.

[Mr. Cheez-It]

Calishite

Since the fall of the great genie empires that once ruled south of the Marching Mountains, humans descended from the slaves of the genie lords have ruled the successive empires of Calimshan.  From the shores of the Shinning Sea, Calishites have migrated northwards in large numbers as far as the Fields of the Dead and the Nelanther Isles, and eastward into the Lake of Steam, the Border Kingdoms, Lapaliiya, and the Shaar.  Some fled disasters in their homeland or sought new economic opportunities, but most came as conquerors under the banner of the Shoon Empire.  Outside their homeland, Calishites form the primary racial stock of the Border Kingdoms, the Lake of Steam cities, and the Nelanther Isles.  Calishites also comprise a large fraction of the population of Amn and Tehtyr.  Calishit ancestry, language, and culture have influenced all the lands nearby.

Calishites regard themselves as the rightful rulers of all lands south and west of the Sea of Fallen Start, a birthright passed down to them by the genies who once rules the lands between the Marching Mountains and the Shinning Sea.  Calishites point with pride to the unbroken line of Calishite empires dating back thousands of years.  With the notable exception of the Mulan, whom they consider their equals, Calishites consider themselves culturally superior to the hordes of “unwashed” barbarians that dwell beyond their lands.

Although often perceived by other cultures as avaricious, lazy, and corrupt, in truth most Calishites seek nothing more than a lifestyle of comfort and the respect of their peers.  Calishites hold the circumstances of an individual's birth as equal in importance to his or her achievements.  The class system is strongly ingrained in most Calishites, as is the ideal of a life of pampered luxury.  Money is simply the means by which one achieves idleness.  Calishites place great stock in pride â€" in one's own achievements, family, city, and culture.  Family and the role as host are likewise held in great esteem.  Magic use is ubiquitous, rivaled only by the natives of Halruaa, and genies are both highly respected and feared.

Although all native of Calimshan are know as Calishites, only those whose ancestry dates back to the salves brought from other worlds thousands of years ago are considered members of this ethnic group.  Calishites are a bit shorter and of slighter build than other humans.  Their skin is dusky brown, and their hair and eyes are most commonly of that shade as well.

Calishites are skilled rogues, fighters, and wizards, and the legacy of ancient genie bloodlines ensures that many are powerful sorcerers as well.  Religious fervor and monastic devotion are largely absent among most Calishites, except among the clerics of Ilmater who minister to the poor, and the Tyrrans who uphold justice.

Outlook

Calishites believe their culture is the only bastion of civilization on the Sword Coast and Shinning Sea, if not the entire surface of Faerun.  To the descendants of a 7,000 year-old empire, the short-lived “barbarian” cultures of the northern lands are barely worthy of notice.  Calishite arrogance is nutured and codified in the class and gender divisions within their society, with a person's station at birth playing an important role in how he or she is measured.  Although few speak of the class system in Calimshan or the lesser status of women, most Calishites live out their lives according to their station, risking death or enslavement if they do not.  Calishites dwelling in the old Imperial lands view themselves as superior to non-Calishites and often act as if the Shoon Imperium had never fallen.  Likewise, Calishites dwelling within the borders of Calimshan view themselves as superior to their provincial cousins.

Calishites are typically drawn to adventuring in hopes of quickly amassing a great fortune that will allow them to retire to a life of idle luxury.  Those of lower birth often see the life of an adventurer as a way to escape the strictures of their station in distant lands where the status of their birth is unknown.  A few Calishite adventurers see themselves as guardians of an ancient culture and commit themselves to recovering ancient Calishite treasurers that have been lost amid the unwashed hordes of the northern realms.

Characters

Magic has long played a role in Calishite culture, making both wizards and sorcerers commonplace.  The latter group consists largely of Calishites who can trace their ancestry back to the genies who once ruled the Calim Empire and Memnonnar.  The influence of various faiths has waxed and waned in Calishite culture, but clerics and monks have rarely played an important role.  Whereas monks located elsewhere on Toril have strong martial and mystic traditions and are responsible for the preservation of the lore of fallen realms, the monks of Calimshan devote their energies to relieving the suffering of the lower classes.

Perhaps the most common classes among Calishites are rogue, fighter, and fighter/rogue, for the history of Calimshan and the states it once dominated is strewn with bloodshed, corruption, and thievery.  Calishite barbarians are almost unknown, except among the nomads of the Lands of the Lion.  Likewise, bards are rarely seen outside Calishite harems, and there is no druidic tradition within Calishite culture.  Calishite paladins are almost unknown outside the church of Tyr and the city-state of Saelmur.

Society

Traditional Calishite culture caries little across Caerun, even among the Calishites who dwell outside the borders of Calimshan.  Although exceptions exist, Calishites strictly adhere to the traditional roles of their social class.  In ascending order, those classes as the slaves, the labor class, the skilled labor class, the merchant class, the military, the advisor class, and the ruling class.  From birth, Calishites are raised to recognize such class distinctions and treat others accordingly, even though many class distinctions are lost upon outsiders.  Hard work and thriftiness are not held up as ideal, although many successful Calishites got that way through such “vices”.  Instead, luxury and pampered idleness are seen as the ideal, and many Calishite culture has long harbored a fascination with food and magic, particularly magic that reduces the need for labor, so meals and frivolous magic items play a large role in Calishite daily life.

Calishites revere their immediate family and show more loyalty to their kin than they do to their deities or employers.  Men are expected to enter into business and support their family's standard of living.  Women are expected to maintain the home, raise the children, and manage the funds.  Children are always educated in the home unless they have a strong aptitude for magical schooling.  Those parents who can afford them employ tutors and wizards.  Upon reaching the age of maturity (15 years), children are expected to marry and establish themselves within five years.  Only women may marry above their social class.  Those who fail to marry are disgraced and must either live with their parents in shameful charity of be ejected from the household (many Calishite adventurers active in other lands once fell into the latter category).  Children are also expected to care for their elderly relatives and to give them an opulent funeral upon death.

Social moves are particularly scrutinized within Calishite culture, engendering an emphasis on maintaining one's personal and familial pride.  Saving face demands that a Calishite treat others as they present themselves, regardless of whether such facades bear any resemblance to the truth.  Once a person or family loses face, they also lose status and may be relegated to a lower class.  Privacy is a most precious commodity, for it allows an individual to act as he or she wishes without needing to save face.  Calishites also place great stock in hospitality, with strictly defined responsibilities for both guest and host.  Guests cannot inflict harm on their host while receiving his or her hospitality.  Likewise, hosts must display as much generosity as they can afford and protect their guests from harm, for to do otherwise is to lose face.

Deities

Various Calishite faiths and religions have waxed and waned in popularity since the Time of Genies.  At various times in history, the Calishite religious tradition has included the worship of dark, forgotten deities, the veneration of genies as divine beings, and the belief of a single sun god.  In modern times, Calishites worship the deities of the Faerunian pantheon, and the folk of Calimshan pride themselves upon accepting all creeds and religions.  Although Calimshan contains major temples to the loin's share of the deities worshiped in Faerun, ten faiths have long been prominent in Calishite society, suggesting that some or all those deities may have once formed the kernel of an ancient Calishite pantheon.  Those deities include Tyr, Azuth, Talos, Shar, Ilmater, Savras, Sharess, Siamorphe, Umberlee, and Waukeen.

Relations with Other Races

Calishites have poor relations with members of all other human ethnic groups, particularly Tethyrians (who are generally viewed as members of the lower class, regardless of birth) and Illuskans (who are seen as the epitome of the unwashed northern barbarian)s.  Only the Mulan receive any measure of respect from Calishites, as their culture is nearly as long-lived as that of Calimshan.

Despite their disdain or dismissal of other human cultures, Calishites have decent relations with members of other races.  Dwarves and gnomes are valued for their skill in metalworking, although many shield dwarves have not forgotten the role Calishites played in the fall of Shanatar.  Elves and half-elves are both distrusted and envied.  The former status derives from Calimshan's long history of animosity with neighboring elven nations, such as long-vanished Keltormir.  The latter stems from the inherently magical nature of the Fair Folk, which magic-crazed Calishites cannot duplicate.  Halflings have long been enslaved by Calishites, and, as a result, most Calishites classify all halflings as members of the lower class.  In turn, halflings (at least those who dwell along the Sword Cost and whose ancestors fled Calimshan) regard Calishites with suspicion, viewing all humans of this ethnic group as potential slavers.  Curiously, half-orcs often receive better treatment from Calishites than they do from other human societies.  Although they are invariably seen as members of the lower class, in that respect they are seen as no better or worse than Calishites of low-birth status.

[Mr. Cheez-It]

Chondathan

Chondathans are hardy folk, not afraid to take risks, travel, or settle new lands, and are always looking to better themselves and their families monetarily. As Chondathan culture has taken root in so many distant lands, Chondathans are comfortable in most human societies. Many Chondathans are merchants of one sort or another, selling their skills and the fruits of their labors for coin. Although Chondathans make skilled mercenaries and cunning rogues, Chondathan culture has not encouraged study of the Art of great religious fervor. Notable exceptions exist, particularly in the study of the Art among the Netherse-influenced Chondathan cultures that lie north and west of the Inner Sea.

From the cradle of Vilhon Reach, Chondathan emigrants have settled most of the western and central Inner Sea region as well as much of the Western Heartlands. Outside their homeland, Chondathans form the primary racial stock of Altumbel, Cormyr, the southern Dalelands, the Dragon Coast, the Great Dale, Hlondeth and the north shore of the Vilhon Reach, the Pirate Isles of the Inner Sea, Sembia, and Sespech. Thanks to for-wandering Chondathan traders, the Chondathan tongue is spoken even in regions where the number of pureblooded Chondathans is small or nearly nonexistent. Chondathan ancestry, language and culture form a significant portion of Damaran, Vassan, and Tehtyrian heritage.

Chondathans are slender, tawny-skinned folk with brown hair ranging from almost blond to almost black. Most Chondathans are tall and have green or brown eyes, but all builds and hair and eye hues may be seen. Those Chondathans who dwell north and west of the Sea of Fallen Stars (except in Sembia) are more likely to have blue eyes and have fairer complexions and darker hair than those born in the South, evidence of a significant Netherese heritage. In Chondath itself, particularly in the lands bordering Sespech, a significant Shaaran influx in recent centuries has given many natives of Chondath more of an olive-skinned hue.

Chondathans regard themselves as having come to dominate central Faerun almost by accident; they have “conquered” more land through trade and settlements than with armies. They show little arrogance and only a small amount of pride regarding the predominance of their language and culture. Likewise, Chondathans are more apt to identify themselves by their national origins (such as Cormyrean, Dalesfolk, or Sembian) than by their ethnic group. If Chondathans do have a common vice, it is perhaps their cultural focus on wealth and its acquisition. Among Chondathans, prestige and influence are often directly tied to wealth, and it is no accident that the merchant nobility plays a strong role in most societies influenced by Chondathan culture.

Outlook

Chondathans measure others by how much wealth and influence a person or family has acquired. To a Chondathan, all things are for sale, assuming one can agree upon a price. Intrigue and covert manipulation are simply means to an end, but unnecessary bloodshed is destructive and wasteful. Chondathans have found that power inevitably swings to whoever controls the purse strings, not whoever carries the biggest sword, and set their aspirations accordingly. Fierce competition in all walks of life is the guiding rule of Chondathan society, and those raised within its confines are used to seeing fortunes won or lost, with commensurate gains or losses in stature. Chondathans expect each individual to look out for himself or herself, and they are often surprised when others act selflessly.

Chondathans are drawn to adventuring for one of two reasons: Some take up arms and spells to defend that which they hold most dear, a tradition hearkening back to the early Chondathan settlers. Others are drawn to a life on the road by the same impulses that send Chondathan merchants into unfamiliar lands in search of trading opportunities, a hunger to search for wealth in the unknown. Most Chondathans who adopt adventuring as a career are drawn to the potential of acquiring great wealth by looting some long-forgotten tomb or recovering some fabulous treasure from an ancient ruin.

Characters

Chondathans typically make good fighters drawing on their culture's long-standing mercenary tradition. Likewise, many Chondathans find their calling as rogues, a product of their culture's emphasis on the acquisition of wealth and the wide ranges of skills. The most common multiclass combination among Chondathans is fighter/rogue. Chondathans are rarely barbarians, sorcerers, or wizards, as no sizable group of Chondathans has reverted into barbarism; ancient Jhaamdath had relatively few relations with dragons, social or otherwise; and wizardry had long been associated with the unleashing of plagues in Chondathan folklore. Those Chondathan sorcerers who do exist usually hail from lands north and west of the Inner Sea and have one or more High Netherese ancestors in their heritage.

Society

Chondathan culture varies widely across Faerun. Compared to other cultures, particularly Calishite and Mulan, Chondathan societies have relatively weak class divisions. Hard work and good fortune have been enough to catapult more than one member of the lower classes into the merchant nobility. Commerce plays an important role in all Chondathan-dominated cultures, giving rise to the maxim that everything is for sale at some price. Chondathans honor their word, although not for moral reasons. One's reputation is like a purse with a fixed number of coins that, once squandered, is costly to repurchase.

As Chondathans place a high value on book learning, many receive some amount of schooling while growing up. Chondathan youths are apprenticed to a master by the age of 12 and are expected to learn a trade during their apprenticeship. Chondathans have little patience for able-bodied indigents, and all adults are expected to earn their own keep in whatever field they were trained. Wealthy persons are afforded great respect in Chondathan societies, and those who squander money foolishly are looked down upon. Chondathans are expected to work until no longer physically capable or until death. Even those too infirm to earn a living often pass their days at their former place of work, offering advice to those who have replaced them.

Outside Chondathan-dominated lands, Chondathans strive to integrate into the local culture, even if that means learning a new tongue or converting to the worship of the local gods. Of course, such integration strategies do not interfere with sharing Chondathan necessities and customs with the local populace, a practice that over time slowly subsumes the local culture. Chondathan minorities usually organize themselves into merchant houses or trading costers for protection and to maximize their opportunities for profit.

Deities

Chondathans honor the deities of the Faerunian pantheon. Such is the magnitude of the Chondathan diaspora that no deity is particularly favored by the majority of Chondathans across Faerun. In fact, Chondathans have traditionally adopted the deities of other cultures, incorporating them into their sprawling pantheon. Gods and goddesses venerated in regions inhabited primarily by Chondathans include Azuth, Chanteua, Deneir, Eldath, Helm, Kelemvor, Lathander, Lliira, Loviatar, Malar, Mask, Mielikki, Milil, Mystra, Nobanion, Oghma, Selune, Silvanus, Sune, Talos, Tempus, Tymora, Tyr, Umberlee, and Waukeen.

Ancient Jhaamdath was one of the first human cultures to develop the written word, and, as such, literate Chondathans have long honored Deneir, the Lord of All Glyphs and Images. The church of Deneir has spread to other cultures as Chondathan traders spread the trade tongues of Common or its antecedent, Thorass, bringing with them the Thorass alphabet. At present, the church of Deneir has its greatest influence among those literate Chondathans who dwell in Cormyr and Sembia.

Similarly, ancient Jhaamdath's wars were fought with horrible magical plagues, so Talona has been part of Chondathan culture since the rise of that culture. The church of Talona is widely feared and reviled among moder-day Chondathans, despite the activities of other faiths that have wreaked far greater devastation across Faerun in recent years. Nevertheless, a small number of Chondathans turn to the Mother of All Plagues precisely because of the fear and misery she has engendered and in hopes of acquiring the ancient plague-spawning magic her cult is said to control.

Relations with Other Races

Chondathan history is replete with clashes with carious elven realms, and, as a result, few Chondathans (with the exception of some Cormyreans and most Dalesmen) have good relations with the Fair Folk or their half-elven brethren. Likewise, Chondathans have traditionally regarded the planetouched with a great deal of suspicion, as Chondathan culture has never had a great deal of interaction with outsiders and most planetouched they have encountered were representatives of rival cultures (such as air and fire genasi of Calimshan, or the aasimar and tieflings of Mulhorand and Unther). Half-orcs are considered little better than their full-blooded brethren by most Chondathans. They are seen as little more than raiding party scum intent only on disrupting the flow of trade and pillaging the farms of hardworking settlers.

Chondathans have good relations with dwarves, gnomes, and halflings, for all have proved to be good trading partners and have traditionally d welled in small enclaves within Chondathan societies. Among human cultures, Chondathans get along best with Calishites, Damarnas, Shaarans, Tethyrians, and Turami. Relations with the Mulan have never been warm, Illuskans are regarded as little better than orcs, and other cultures are largely unknown.

[Mr. Cheez-It]

Damaran

In the aftermath of Narfell's fall, scattered groups of Mars, Rashemi, and Sossirms struggled to survive as a wave of Chondathan emigrants settled in the lands of the Easting Reach.  In time, these four populations gradually coalesced into a relatively new ethnic group known as Damarrans, so named for the first human realm to be founded by this integrated population.  After centuries spent battling the horrors unleashed by the ancient magics of Narfell and Raumathar, Damarrans are proud and stubborn folk who refuse to buckle in the face of unspeakable evils and whose worldview leans toward moral absolutes.

Although Damaran folklore derives from the ancient traditions of Nar, Rashemi, and Sossrim tribal groups, Damaran culture evolved under the civilizing influences of Chondathan immigrants and dwarven traders, and primarily reflects the mores of both these influences.  After centuries of ever-expanding settlement, Damarans now make up the primary racial stock of Damara, Impiltur, Thesk, and the Vast.  Damaran settlers have tamed one land after another and form a significant fraction of the human population in Aglarond, Altumbel, the Great Dale, the Moonsea region, and Narfell.  Most Damarans make their living as farmers, loggers, or miners in a harsh and unforgiving land.  They make indomitable foes when angered.

Damarans are of moderate height and build, with skin hues ranging from tawny to fair.  Hair is usually straight brown or black, although sandy blond is not unknown.  Eye color varies widely, with brown being most common.  Damarans who dwell south of the Earthfast mountains more closely resemble their Chondathan cousins, while those who inhabit Vaasa have a significant Sossrim heritage.  Along the eastern shores of the Easting Reach, Rashemi heritage predominates, except in Aglarond proper, where builds are slighter thanks to a significant amount of wood-elven heritage.

Damarans see life as a series of unending challenges to be overcome, many of them legacies of the hubris of long-fallen empires.  For a typical Damaran, there can be no compromise with the forces of evil, even to serve a greater good.  Trust must be earned, and only those deserving of trust are to be respected.  Even those who inherit titles of nobility must prove themselves worthy of their inheritance.  History is not something to be cherished or exalted, but rather it is an object lesson as to the folly of unchecked power.

Outlook

Damarans respect those who demonstrate heroism and self-sacrifice and stand unflinching in the face of evil.  Damaran society if intolerant of weakness or selfishness, viewing deeds in stark black or white.  The moralistic nature of their society strongly shapes Damaran youth.  Most youngsters follow in the path of their parents, subscribing to their strong moral fervor.  Others rebel against the strictures of Damaran society and flee its constraints.  The latter path accounts for the neverending tide of settlers emigrating to the borders of human settlement, the large numbers of Damarans who have made their way west into Chondathan-held territories, and the small number of Damarans who turn to the worship of demons.

Damarans have a long adventuring tradition, reflecting the generations-long battle to reclaim the lands of the Easting Reach from the demonic legacy of Narfell.  Many youths, particularly those of noble blood, take up adventuring for a few years in order to prove themselves worthy of their titles.  Those not in line to inherit great estates also do so in hopes of winning new lands an wealth for themselves, or in response to the crusading zeal of Damaran society.  The good-aligned churches of the Easting Reach have a long tradition of funding expeditions into the mountains or the depth of the great forests to smite some ancient evil or another.

Characters

Damarans typically make strong paladins and monks, for the discipline and self-sacrifice required for both professions resonate strongly with Damaran morals.  Many Damarans find their calling as clerics or, to a lesser extent, druids or rangers, for the appeal of serving a divine-entity is strong.  Fighters and rogues are less common in Damaran culture than elsewhere, for there is neither a strong mercenary tradition nor a strong mercantile presence along the Easting Reach.  Notable exceptions do exist, including the city of Teflamm, where a strong thieve's guilds holds sway, and the Galena Mountains, where a secretive brotherhood of assassins is said to have a hidden stronghold.  Arcane spellcaster of all sorts are rare in Damaran society, reflecting a long-held suspicions of magic powers that are not bestowed by a deity.  While wizards are generally accepted, sorcerers are looked one with suspicion, for the sorcerous arts are thought to be a legacy of demonic heritage.

Society

Damaran society is lawful, except in Aglarond, where a strong elven influence plays a role, and the Vast, which is much more in line with Chondathan mores.  Religion plays a central role in Damaran live, yet there is by no means a university of belief.  Although religious fervor is admired, individuals are judged by how they conduct themselves and the strength of their personal moral code.  Class divisions as less noticeable than elsewhere in Faerun, but those who have been judged morally unfit are strongly shunned by their peers.

Damaran city-dwellers are usually educated in church-run schools, while itinerant priests minister to those who dwell in wilderness regions.  Many Damarans learn their trade during an apprenticeship at a church-run school before setting out into life, while others join a religious order, directly pledging themselves to the service of the church.  As they grow old, Damarans often return to the church of their youth, tithing much of their wealth to its coffers and living out their last years in service to their patron deity.

Damarans retain strong cultural ties to their Chondathan forebears and easily integrate themselves into Chondathan lands.  These has been little Damaran migration elsewhere in Faerun, but those Damarans who do stray from from their homelands associate themselves with a local church of their faith.

Deities

Damarans honor the deities of the Faerunian pantheon.  They favor lawful and good deities, except for cultists who turn to the worship of chaotic evil demon princes.  Along the Dragon Reach, commonly venerated deities include Chauntea, Eldath, Mystra, Tempus, Torm, Tymora, Umberless, and Waukeen.  To the east in Impiltur, favored deities include Ilmater, Selune, Tymora, Valkur, and Waukeen.  In addition to the church of Chauntea, Thesk's reliance on trade along the Golden Way has brought the churches of Shaundakul and Waukeen to prominence.  Likewise, the church of Mask has grown strong in Teflamm preying on that same caravan traffic.

In Aglarond, Chauntea is venerated by farmers, while fisher-folk venerate Valkur and Selune.  Although Umberlee is acknowledged, she id widely held in disdain.  Aglarondans also pay homage to the Seldarine, particularly in their guise as the gods of the Yuirwood elves.  The Great Dale has long been home to followers of Silvanus the Oakfather, locked in bitter conflict with the disciples of Talona.  The church of Ilmater dominates Damara, while Vaasa has long been home to the cult of Orcus.  Tempus is venerated by barbarians dwelling along the edge of the Great Glacier and among the tribes of Narfell.

Of all the deities, Ilmater represents the enduring spirit of all Damarans and occupies a central place in Damaran culture.  Ilmater's church is effectively the state church of both Impiltur and Damara, with paladins of Ilmater proving to be regular occupants of both thrones.  Most Damarans along the Easting Reach pay at least token obeisance to the Crying God or one of his many saints on a daily basis.  Most churches of Ilmater are dedicated to at least one of his saints, with the followers of Saint Sollars the Twice-Martyred being the most prominent in Damara.

Relations with Other Races

Damarans have long and abiding ties with shield dwarves and are favorably inclined toward the Stout Folk (with the notable exception of duergar).  Halflings are are in Damaran lands outside Impiltur, but are viewed quite favorably by most Damaran communities.  Gnomes are regarded similarly to dwarves, although they are almost unknown outside Aglarond and the Grey Forest, and are regarded with some amount of suspicion.  Dark elves are not unknown in the Galena Mountains and have earned the enmity of those native to the region.  Half-orcs are regarded with a great deal of suspicion, alouthg their numbers make them a tolerated minority in Vaasa.

Damarans have long struggled with the evils unleashed by Narfell's sorcerers, leaving them quite hostile to the progeny of demons such as tieflings.  Fire genasi have long been associated with the Red Wizards of Thay and are thus equally disliked.  Other plantouched are are in Damaran lands, and hence viewed as object of wonder.

Among human cultures, Damarans get along best with Chondathans and Turami thanks to extensive trading contracts.  Nars and northern Rashemi are tolerated, if looked down upon to some extent, with Mulan and Thayan Rashemi are viewed with a great deal of suspicion.  Lingering memories of the Horde prevent the establishment of good relations with the Tuigans.  Finally, due to the notorious Bloodstone Wars of a few decades back, most Vaasans are regarded as demon-worshiping reavers, even those who happen to be of Damaran racial stock rather than Vaasans.

[Mr. Cheez-It]

Illuskan

Illuskans, also known as Northlanders, as the seagoing, warlike people of the Sword Coast, the Trackless Sea, and the Dessarin river valley.  Although their ancestors founded Illusk, one of the earliest human civilizations in Faerun, as well as the great city of Waterdeep, Illuskans have long been seen as a barbaric people, having barely risen above the status of orcs in the eyes of many southerners.  Illuskans are more than just barbarians, however, as their culture has given rise to powerful runecasters, fearless sailors, and legendary skalds.  They also farm, fish, and mine their rugged lands, trading their goods with southern merchants.  However, long-fallen elven empires, barriers of geography, and a cultural emphasis on raiding over trade have conspired to ensure that Illuskan culture and bloodlines have not taken root in other lands.

Illuskans are tall, fair-skinned folk with eyes of blue or steely gray.  Those who dwell among the islands of the Trackless Sea and in Icewind Dale are largely fairh-haired, with blond hair predominating over red and light brown.  Those who dwell on the mainland south of the Spine of the World are more prone to raven-black hair, an idication of significant Netherese heritage.

Illuskans regard themselves as a strong, proud people forged by the harsh environment in which they well.  They feel they have earned, through strength in battle, the right to claim the lands they have settled.  Illuskans regard most southerners as weak and decadent, two much-despised traits.  However, they are fair-minded and always willing to make exceptions for those who have proven otherwise.  Illuskans themselves are bold and impetuous, given to proud boasts, the consumption of prodigious amounts of mead and ale, and quick tempers.

Outlook

Illuskans take their measure of another person be assessing strength, martial prowess, valor, and honor.  From and early age, Illuskans are tested by their elders, their peers, and their juniors, and their response to such challenges are reflected in their status within the society.  To an Illuskan, there is a natural pecking order in life, and those who are weak in any fashion do not deserve to hold a position they have not earned.  Deceptions, lies of omission, and trickery are despised, while straight speech and forthrightness are to be admired.

Illuskans are typically drawn to adventuring for one of two reasons.  Some Northlanders hope to prove their strength, valor, and martial prowess, earning them respect in their eyes of their kin and inspiring bard's tales for generations to come.  Others seek conquest and plunder, hoping to make up for the meager fare and wealth their homeland provides.

Characters

The Uthgardt and the Illuskans of the sea isles are renowned barbarians, and many find their calling as fighters or rangers as well.  Bards, known as skalds, play important roles as lorekeepers and poets, giving inspiration to Illuskan warbands.  Clerics and adepts play an important role in tribal life.  Although Illuskans have little tolerance for thievery, many Illuskan sailors and pirates are actually rogues with a maritime orientation to their skills.  Druids, paladins, and monks are almost unknown in Illuskan culture.  Wizards and sorcerers are rare but not unknown, particularly within the ranks of the Arcane Brotherhood that rules the City of Sails.

Society

Illuskans have little concept of class divisions, considering such artifices as an example of the weakness inherent in southern cultures.  Honor and prestige in Illuskan society are earned through displays of strength and martial fortitude.  Both magic and commerce are regarded with suspicion, for both are seen as upsetting the natural order of things.

Illuskans are expected to be self-sufficient from a young age.  Those who must rely on others are treated well but not respected, although the elderly are accorded the respect they earned before the debilitating effects of age set in.  Those who hire strangers to do a task rather than do it themselves are considered suspect.  Book learning is admired but not expected.  Those who die an honorable death are burned in funeral pyres, preferably aboard a small ship pushed out to sea.  Such ceremonies are believed to free the soul from its mortal tether.

Illuskans often have difficulty adapting to other cultures, particularly socities where battles are fought indirectly through words and gestures rather than openly with axes and war cries.  Most expatriate Illuskans eschew the worship of “weak” loca gods, and few can be bothered to learn local languages.  Instead, they find odd jobs, usually as mercenaries of some sort of the other, and the join their fellow expatriates in nightly drinking bouts in which prodigious amounts of alcohol are consumed.

Deities

Although the inhabitants of Old Illusk venerate a pantheon o beast totems and passed this tradition down to the Uthgardt, at present most Illuskans worship the deities of the Faerunian pantheon.  Illuskans largely adopted the gods of the Netherese pantheon in the mixing of cultures that occurred following Uthgar's sock of Illusk, and then adopted the rest of the Faerunian pantheon as it grew beyond the ranks of the Netherese deities.  The eight most prominent faiths in Illuskan society include the churches of Auril, Mielikki, Mystra, Oghma, Talos, Tempus, Umberleee, and Uthgar.  Other churches with significant followings, particularly in areas where Illuskans and Tehtyrains live alongside one another, include Eldath, Lurue, Malar, Milil, Selune, Shar, Shaundakul, and Valkur.

Auril, the Frostmaiden, has long demanded and received veneration in the cold climes in which most Illuskans dwell.  She is seen as the bringer of winter on the world, to be appeased with offerings of food and strong drink place upon rafts set adrift at sea during autumn and winter.  The church of Auril is strongest among Illuskans who dwell in the Frozenfar (the region of the Sword Coast north of the River Mirar), but a large temple to the Frostmaiden known as the Winter Palace stands in Luskan.

Patron of the Uthgardt tribes, Uthgar is worshiped through the veneration of a beast totem unique to each of the various tribes.  Even non-Uthgardt Illuskans find the worship of the Tempus-son attractive, as the heroic virtues of Uthgar;s battle-won kingdom are still celebrated in the long sagas of the Illuskan people.

Relations with Other Races

Illuskans judge members of other races and ethnic groups by the same standards by which they judge themselves.  In other words, they respect strength, martial prowess, and the strength of one's word.  Illuskans get along well with dwarves, although the two groups have been known to war over disputed territory.  Gnomes and halflings are seen as weak and given to trickery, inspiring scron in most Illuskans.  Similarly, elves and half-elves are seen as weak and overly reliant on magic, although dangerous nonetheless.

Illuskans of the mainland harbor a deep and abiding hatred for orcs, and few are willing to view half-orcs as any better than their porcine kin.  Illuskans have nothing but scron for humans from the South, particularly Calishites, Tethyrians, particularly those born in the North, are regarded with cautious respect, for the two groups have lived alongside one another and fought with each other for generations.  Chondathans are viewed similarly to Tethyrains in the Silver Marches region, although their “southern” ties are considered more suspect.  Plantouched are regarded with suspicion for, like elves, they seem to be creatures of magic.  In particular, tieflings are seen as little better than fiends, though earth genasi are respected for their strength.  Other humans are regarded with suspicion, for few Illuskans have ventured beyond the cold climes of northwestern Faerun except to raid and plunder, and fewer still have any knowledge of other cultures.

[Mr. Cheez-It]

Mulan

Since the fall of ancient Imaskar, the Mulan have dominated the eastern shores of the Sea of Fallen Stars.  Led by two pantheons of deities, the ancient Mulan empires of Mulhorand and Unther conquered at various times Ashanath, Chessenta, the Eastern Shaar, Murghom, Rashemen, Semphar, Thay, Thest, and the Wizards' Reach cities that lie south of the Yuirwood.  In their wake, these empires have left ruling elites composed almost exclusively of Mulan.  After millennia of rulership, the Mulan have become arrogant, highly resistant to change, and wholly convinced of their cultural superiority.

The Mulan are firmly wedded to the use of magic, with the only major point of disagreement being whether to pursue the arcane or divine tradition.  For many generations the god-kings, powerful avatars of the Mulhorandi and Untheric deities long resident on Toril, ruled both empires as incarnate gods.  The somnolent rule of the god-kings permitted the development of a powerful priest class in Mulan cultures that has long struggled with practitioners of arcane spellcasting for power.  Their heavy-handed clerical rule prompted repeated rebellions by wizards and sorcerers, leading to the dominance of Thay by Red Wizards of Mulan descent.

Mulan are generally tall, slim, and sallow-skinned with eyes of hazel or brown.  They lack much body hair, and many, including all nobles, shave any hair that they do have.  Hair color on an unshaved Mulan ranges from black to dark brown.  The lower classes of Thay, Mulhorand, and Unther often have significant Rashemi or Turami blood, leading to darker complexions.  The folk of Chessenta have long mixed with the nearby Chondathans, and pure Mulan features are rare there.

The Mulan have a long and proud history, viewing both their society and their culture as eternal.  Rapid change is regarded with suspicion, and the arcane arts either warmly embraced (Thay) or viewed with deep distrust (Mulhorand and Unther).  Mulan believe themselves to be more civilized, more prosperous, more creative, more powerful (should they choose to be), and in all other ways superior to all other ethnic groups.  Even in the face of evidence to the contrary, Mulan are dismissive of other cultures' accomplishments and openly arrogant with respect to their own.

Outlook

The Mulan believe in order and discipline and are strongly resistant to change, the legacy of millennia of undying rule by the god-kings of Unther and Mulhorand.  They haughtily believe that they are either the chosen of the gods (in Mulhorand, Unther, and Chessenta) or above gods (in Thay) and hold their culture above all others.  Unlike most other human cultures, the Mulan believe they dwell in an earthly paradise, where stability and security shall reign for all eternity.  The afterlife is merely a mirror of the mortal realm.  In Thay, such beliefs have been twisted to regard undeath as the mirror of life, while in Unther the centuries-long tyranny of Gilgeam made a horror of both this world and the next.  Mulan are indoctrinated from a young age to revere their cultural traditions, to respect the law, and to honor the servants of the gods (or the Red Wizards, in the case of Thay).

Although not drawn to adventuring, Mulan seen outside their traditional homelands are usually adventurers of one sort or another.  Some have fled enslavement or been driven into exile due to differences with the local authorities, whether they be mercenary lords in Chessenta, cultist of Tiamat in the remnants of Unther, bureaucratic priests in Mulhorand, or autocratic Red Wizards in Thay.  Others are sent abroad as agents of one of the Mulan realms, serving as representatives of a Thayan enclave, tracking down relics plundered from a Mulhorandi tomb, fighting in a Chessenta mercenary company, or spying on those who have designs on Unther's carcass.

Characters

Mulan typically make good fighters, whether trained in the mercenary armies of Chessenta, the church armies of Unther and Mulhorand, or the wizard-led armies of Thay.  The road to power in Mulhorand and, until recently, Unther lies in the various priesthoods.  As a result, many Mulan in those realms are clerics of one of the Mulhorandi gods, Hoar, or Tiamat.  Chessenta has its fair share of clerics as well, many of whom serve various Faerunian deities, but only the churches of Kossuth and several evil Faerunian deities are strong in wizard-dominated Thay.

In Mulhorand, good-aligned deities with strong martial traditions employ many paladins in their service.  Wizards and clerics are well established in Chessenta, Mulhorand, Thay, and Unther, although their efforts are much restricted in Mulhorand by the bureaucracy of priests.  Bardcraft, brought back by Chessentan mercenaries from western Faerun, is held in high esteem in Chessenta but is otherwise almost unknown in lands dominated by the Mulan.  Monks are found in large numbers only in Mulhorand, where most orders are integrated into the church of Thoth.  Rogues are common in the teeming cities of Mulhorand and Unther, where priests are more corrupt than pious.  Mulan are almost never barbarians or druids, as they have always lived in cultures established by the god-kings and the clerics.  Likewise, Mulan rarely find their calling as rangers, for the Mulan dwell in long-settled lands with few forests or other areas of wilderness.

Society

Despite the fragmentation of the Old Empires of Mulhorand and Unther, the Mulan have changed little despite the passage of centuries.  Strict class divisions segregate Mulan society into the nobility (including clerics and arcane spellcasters), the commoners (farmers, merchants, and skilled craftsmen), and slaves (everyone else).  Although upward and downward mobility is possible in Mulan society, primarily by joining the clergy or studying the Art, the Mulan discriminate against most other human ethnic groups and races and preserve strictly defined class roles.

Despite the centuries-long presence of the god-kings, the Mulan are not particularly reverent, nor are they overly interested in commerce.  The Mulan aspire to power, preferably backed by magic, and engage in endless intrigues to accumulate personal power no matter what the cost to the ideals to which they nominally ascribe.

Mulan place great stock in education, and all members of the nobility and middle class receive some amount of instruction as a child.  Many youths are apprenticed to a powerful wizard (Thay) or join the church of one of the god-kings (Mulhorand and Unther) at a young age and are raised apart from their families.  As adults, the Mulan are expected to serve their role in society and not make waves.  Death is a lifelong obsession for most Mulan, who spend their entire lives preparing themselves for the afterlife.  The Mulhorandi epitomize this obsession, planning every detail of their journey into the afterlife.

Outside Mulan-dominated lands, Mulan keep to themselves, forming isolated enclaves apart from the local society.  Thayan enclaves are simply the latest such example of the Mulan holding themselves apart from and above other races and human ethnic groups when dwelling in foreign lands.  Of necessity, some cross-population of cultures does occur through trade contact with neighbors, but expatriate Mulan prefer to limit such contacts whenever possible.  Mulan from the Old Empire almost never venerate deities other than their homeland's pantheon, and most Thayans can hardly be bothered with any gods.  Few Mulan see the point of any languages other than the local dialect of the Common tongue.

Deities

The Mulan are the last major human ethnic group to venerate a pantheon of deities other than the dominant Faerunian pantheon.

Relations with Other Races

The Mulan view members of other human ethnic groups with disdain.  The Turami minorities of Mulhorand, Unther, Threskel, and Chessenta are generally tolerated (except in Unther, where they are almost universally despised), but they are always considered members of the lower class.  North of the Wizards' Reach, the Rashemi form the bulk of the lower class of Thay.  The Red Wizards nominally restrict their ranks to Mulan wizards and sorcerers, but many look the other way if they find a Rashemi spellcaster skilled in the Art and willing to pretend to be a Mulan, although powerful Rashemi wizards can dispense with the charade.

The Mulan get along with the gold dwarves of the Great Rift, thanks to centuries of trade, and are inclined to view all the Stout Folk in similar light, although arctic dwarves and wild dwarves might prove as expect ion.  Rock gnomes are largely unknown, so the Mulan view them as little dwarves.  Halflings are similarly rare, as the largest nearby concentration of the hin lies in far-off Luiren, and are generally treated much like the dwarves as well.  Elves and half-elves are almost unknown to the Mulan and the subject of pgreat superstitions, stemming in large part from the frustrations Unther's armies experiences long ago while attempting to subjugate the Yuirwood.  In Mulhorand and Unther, the Fair Folk are seen as wizards by the bureaucracy of priests, and thus regarded with the same combination of fear and loathing as Red Wizards of Thay.

The Mulan despise half-orcs, a legacy of the Orcgate Wars handed down for centuries.  Western Chessenta is a notable exception, particularly in the city of Airspur, where half-orcs are tolerated.  Of the nonhuman civilized races, planetouched, particularly aasimar, are the only race looked up to by the Mulan.  Afetr millennia of intimate involvement with the god-kings, aasimar of Mulan descent are seen as descendants of the gods and thus worthy of great respect.  Tieflings engender fear rather than reverence, for they are seen as the spawn of Set and Sebek.  Gensai are scarce, although fire gensai of Mulan descent are treated as full-blooded Mulan in Thay and welcomed into the School of Evocation.

[Mr. Cheez-It]

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I was out of town last Saturday and missed the GA.  Thank you for printing the minutes – very helpful.  We will be at the next GA as I would like to talk about an event that I am involved in planning.  National leaders of the Move to Amend project will be in TC in January.  I would love to invite all Occupy people to attend.  This is a non partisan effort to amend the constitution regarding corporate personhood.  Will discuss at the GA meeting with further details.

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[Mr. Cheez-It]

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I would like to contribute to a forum conversation about group process. Please refer to an overview I have posted under the General Forum summary.The transformation that is at the heart of what OWS is embarking on is a shift from “power over” where a single executive or small group at the top of a hierarchy filters information, formulates agendas and issues “commands” to the bulk of the organization. A far superior organizational paradigm is “power with” where a horizontal conversation/collaboration is conducted between all of the members of an organization, the people who actually add the value to what the organization produces, focused on commonly sought “desired outcomes’. In the “power with” process all can see the work process, the product being developed, and the tools available to roll the product out. Anyone with skills, experience, wisdom relevant to steps and critical issues in the workprocess can furnish “leadership” to the group moving it forward toward the goal sought far faster and far more intelligently than hierarchical organizational limitations permit. All can improve on a continuous basis the process, the product, and the effectiveness of tools.Our young people are adept at instant communication using text, images, voice – all of the modes that can make “what is” clear to others. How those tools are used to achieve group convergence, group creative power, and effective group action is the challenge. But the potential is to-hell-and-beyond more powerful and more agile than any fixed plan contrived by any isolated small elitist group.How OWS masters the “power with” form of human organizational excellence will determine whether we can transform what we don’t want to what we do want. In the process a new standard for shaping organizations that outperform most in existence now will emerge. More important, the wise norm of “all effected by a decision need to be a party to it” will restore the well being and satisfaction lacking today where representatives of the people do something other that what benefits all and most get no satisfaction for having made a positive difference.OWS is off on the right foot. Developing and refining the OWS group process so that it outperforms anything that stands in its way can quite literally turn on the light that changes the world!

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[Mr. Cheez-It]

Other Human Ethnic Groups

Faerun is home to dozens of distinct nationalities and ethnicities beyond the so-called major human ethnic groups.  Many more peoples have vanished into the mists of time, remembered only by a few scattered ruins, musty scrolls filled with indecipherable writings, or perhaps the legacy of an arcane spell or some forgotten god.  They include:

Bedine, Chultan, Durpari, fFolk, Gur, Halruaan, Imaskari, Lantanna, Maztican, Nar, Netherese, Raumviran, Shaaran, Shou, Sossrim, Talfir, Tashalan, Tuigan, Turami, Ulutiun, Vaasan, and Zakharan.

[Mr. Cheez-It]

Names

Human names vary greatly. Without a unifying deity to give them a touchstone for their culture, and with such a fast breeding cycle, humans mutate socially at a fast rate. Human culture, therefor, is more diverse than other cultures, and no human names are truly typical. Some human parents give their children dwarven or elven names (pronounced more or less correctly).

Chessentan

Male: Aeron, Daelric, Eurid, Nicos, Oriseus, Pharaxes, Theros, Xandos.
Female: Ariadne, Cylla, Eriale, Halonya, Idriane, Mera, Numestra, Sinylla.
Surnames: Aporos, corynian, Heldeion, Morieth, Nathos, Sphaerideion, Zora.

Chondathan

Male: Darvin, Dorn, Evendur, Gorstag, Grim, Helm, Malark, Morn, Randal, Stedd.
Female: Arveene, Esvele, Jhessail, Kerri, Lureene, Miri, Rowan, Shandri, Tessele.
Surnames: Amblecrown, Buckman, Dudragon, Evenwood, Greycastle, Tallstag.

Damaran

Male: Bor, Fodel, Glar, Grigor, Igan, Ivor, Kosef, Mival, Orel, Pavel, Sergor.
Female: Alethra, Kara, Katernin, Mara, Natali, Olma, Tana, Zora.
Surnames: Bersk, Chernin, Dotsk, Kulenov, Marsk, Nemetsk, Shemov, Starag.

Illuskan

Male: Ander, Blath, Bran, Frath, Geth, Lander, Luth, Malcer, Stor, Taman, Urth.
Female: Amafrey, Betha, Cefrey, Kethra, Mara, Olga, Silifrey, Westra.
Surnames: Brightwood, Helder, Hornraven, Lackman, Stonar, Stormwind, Windrivver.

Mulhorand

Male: Aoth, Bereris, Ehput-Ki, Kethoth, Mumed, Ramas, So-Kehur, Thazar-De, Irhur.
Female: Arizima, Chathi, Nephis, Nualar, Murithi, Sefris, Thola, Umara, Zolis.
Surnames: Ankhalab, Anskuld, Fezim, Hahpet, Nathandem, Sepret, Uuthrakt.

Rashemi

Male: Borivik, Faurgar, Jandar, Kanithar, Madislak, Ralmevik, Shaumar, Vladislak.
Female: Fyevarra, Hulmarra, Immith, Imzel, Navarra, Shevarra, Tammith, Yuldra.
Surnames: Chergoba, Dyernina, Iltazyara, Murnyethara, Stayanoga, Ulmokian.