Dwilight/Peoples of Dwilight

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The prehistory of Dwilight ends when many people from the continents in the east move into Dwilight and establish the realms of Madina, Pian en Luries, Morek and Springdale. However, Dwilight was not empty when they arrived: many people already lived on Dwilight. They were called Dwili by the colonists, while the Dwili referred to the strangers as Easterners. Although much is unclear about the Dwili, legends and archeology have revealed clues about the prehistoric time. Here are their cultures and histories.

Zuma

These are the original inhabitants of Maroccidens and part of the Mesoccidens. The Zuma Coalition lives under direct rule of the Daimons, while the surrounding tribes appear to have some protectorate status.

Zuma Coalition

As the name suggest, these peoples are a mix of several origins, who escaped the conquest by the Easterners' realms. They inhabit the lands of the Zuma Coalition, ruled by the Daimons. Skin colour varies from dark to light brown, and the typical Zuma face is broad with a prominent, and often hooked, nose. Eyes are black or brown, almond-shaped, and frequently with epicanthic folds at the outer corners. Hair is coarse, black, and straight. Men are endowed with only meagre beards, only old ones wearing them, but these are at best thin and wispy.

That strangeness of the land brought about by the Netherworld presence is also seen in the people that populate it. That influence commonly seems to exaggerate the tribal characteristics of the people and provide them with abnormal longevity. Therefore, it is not uncommon to meet Zuma who are over 100 years old and still stand half a man taller that yourself. Inversely, there are also some who are peculiarly short, they are short and stocky, the men rarely more than 5 feet 6 inches tall and the women more delicately built with an average height of about 4 feet 8 inches.

The Zuma possess a strong bond with the Daimon that heavily influences their way of life. The Daimons choose the role each Zuma will work during his lifetime, and they typically are placed into one of three categories; priest, warrior, and merchant. Warriors and Merchants are predominantly male while most women are designated as priests.

Echi'ur

Heirs of the Echiur Dynasty. The people are friendly, but superstitious and prefer patience over bravery. Some fear the Zuma Coalition and will not speak about it, while others speak with high regard about their southern neighbours. Although they have heard of people from outside their lands, they prefer to ignore the rest of the world.

Cuaha

Also known as Woodland Zuma. Inhabitants of the Marwood. They are small people with dark skin, dark eyes and straight black hair with a long sloping forehead and slightly crossed eyes.

The Cuaha live mostly in unsettled lands, at one with nature. However, in ancient times they sought to become civilized and built Rettleville, Twainville and Ard-Odona to protect themselves against monsters and other dangers from nature. Unfortunately, growing food was impossible and the gathering of food in the forest was very dangerous work. Many deceased due to famine to the point that the population was not large and strong enough to stop the advancing monsters. They were run over and devoured. Mothers tell this story to their children to remind them of the dangers of civilization.

Altepa

Also known as Townland Zuma. They live in the plains west and south of the Marwood. They also live in the woods of the Candiels Peninsula. They are spiritual people who avoid conflict and express themselves in shy smiles, while rarely complaining. They are notably also not greedy or materialistic, causing them to be uninterested in politics and to view outsiders with huge distrust, since greed and materialism seem to be more common among outsiders. This people has suffered little miscegenation due to their relative isolation and due to the loyalty to their family, which makes them prefer to find a partner among friends of the family.

Atia

Also known as Coastal Zuma. They used to live along the coast from Candiels to Vashgew. They had straight, long, black hair that was worn loose and flattened foreheads. Their lean, brown body was always painted in the colours of their clan. They went on frequent raids, enraging the neighbouring Poru from Madina who in turn hunted them to almost complete extinction, forcing the last Atia to find safety in the eastern parts of Phantaria Forest.

Old Niselurians

The Upper Occidens was originally inhabited by giants, called the Niselurians. They had light skins, blond hair, blue eyes and high cheekbones. They had the habit to leave their parents once they reached adulthood and embark on an adventure to find a new home. As such they spread to the northwest of Toprak and into the Mesoccidens.

When they crossed Via, the Echi'ur called on the Daimons for help, after which a titanic war burst out across the Occidens. The Daimons then cursed the Niselurians, causing them to lose their giant size and become like humans. This allowed the Daimons to gain the upper hand and they would expand all the way to Valkyrja.

In the northwest the Niselurians built an impregnable fortress, which they named Darfix. After withstanding an assault on its wall which took 17 years, the Niselurians went back into the offensive and got as far as Gaston, which would be the front line of the war between the two groups for many centuries.

Mech

The Mech are from the Mech Forest on the Occidens. They are characterized by smallness of stature, light to dark-brown pigmentation, thick, sleek black hair, broad formation of the head, a wide nose, and thick lips. The Mech are very polite and courteous, but politeness often calls for ambiguity. Their language is full of euphemisms and vagueness and they have the tendency to talk politely around a delicate subject and get to the point without talking directly about it.

When the Niselurians expanded south, they allied the Mech and helped them to colonize the Mesoccidens north of Phantaria and the Via Mountains. They built a massive Stronghold in Mech Alb, which kept the Daimons at bay when the Zuma and Niselurians fought each other. However, when the Niselurians lost their size, the defences of Mech Alb no longer fitted its defenders and the fortress fell. The Daimons were angered by the defiance of the Mech and annihilated their entire population. Only those who succeeded in hiding in Mech Forest survived and they have been hiding ever since.

Eddo

The Eddo are the original inhabitants of Libidizedd Isle. The Eddo are extremely fearful of outside cultures, likely born from the nature of their experiences with others - that of raids and slavery. Most Eddo are extremely fond of the ocean, and most of their settlements are on the coastal regions. They are a somewhat dark skinned breed of human, with curly course hair which both men and women keep at shoulder length. Men typically wear trimmed beards shaved into a goatee, and have dark eyes. The native language of these people is known as Lidd'ib, and is spoken with an extremely quick tongue, filled with a wide range of syllables and noises not commonly heard among the people of western Dwilight. While the majority of the language is fluid sounding and elegant, often times an Eddon will utter unique clicks or undulations of sound that most outsiders are incapable of reproducing.

Many of the early Eddo ventured into the Gelene Plain when it was ruled by the Niselurians and lived among them. They were called the Aman-Eddo, but when the Niselurians collapsed against the Daimons, they were annihilated – although a small group survived in the Ionian Forest. After this, the Eddo became isolationist and intensely protective of their own culture. They view racial purity as very important, and have long held contempt for cultures outside their own. They tend to distrust the natives of the mainland continent, even if they have never encountered them before. The Eddo are especially spiteful in their dealings with the Valkyrjans, who raided them ever since the fall of the Dulesian Empire and often took Eddo into slavery. In fact, it was the Eddo who did most of the work in building the Great Spire of Valkyrja.

One of the more interesting aspects of Eddo culture is their architecture. Traditionally, Eddons have a deeply rooted religious belief that edges and corners are a source of evil, and have for centuries rounded off all structures and objects that they are able to. Because of this, many buildings are circular or oval shaped, the great Eddo city of Libidizedd has no discernible edges and is instead a collection of smooth towers and round buildings.

Vairo

The Vairo have pale skins, green eyes, red hair and angular faces. Although they have a warm and friendly disposition, they do not know how to take compliments and distrust people who give them. They also like their personal space and can come across as aloof.

The Vairo originally lived in Unterwood, but were expelled by the Unter. They then moved into the Mimer Peninsula, where they were welcomed by the small group of Niselurians. When the peninsula was obliterated by the Daimon Lord Lugal, a small group of Vairo managed to escape destruction by moving from Moses' End to Ammando.

They spread along the coast towards Demyansk, but lost most of their northern territories when the Seax expanded. The Bryn prevented the Seax from getting past Walefishire. However, when the Dulesians built their empire, they also built a city on the Vairo coast: Golden Farrow. This city would serve as their base to squeeze the Vairo, who especially hated the slave trade. Eventually the Dulesian Empire would collapse and the Vairo expelled them from Golden Farrow.

Bryn

Bryn was a local chief who stopped the Seax from expanding south by building a hill forth at Walefishire. He became a popular leader, who would lead his own tribe in settling lands to the west. The Bryn, mostly to avoid working in the middle of the day, have adopted the curious custom of sleeping in the middle of the afternoon, and conducting most of their usual business (eating, farming, herding, socializing) in either the early hours of the morning, or late at night. They are often a very simple, sparse people and do not favour ornaments, but yet will also tattoo themselves in wild, tribal-marked ways, in bright ink. They live a harsh life but cling all the harder to their religions as a result. They also have fine singing voices, both the men and the women, and a settled pride in their homeland and traditions.

Seax

The Seax originate from the Dark Mountains in the Upper Occidens. They have pale skin and wavy hair, which can be blonde, red or brown. They are tall and stocky with roundish, yet robust faces. They have long, narrow noses and a high forehead. They love raiding and fighting, causing them to be considered the most dangerous creatures in the mountains by the Niselurians.

Mountaineers

They are the original Seax who did not leave the mountains. Based in different rival clans, with regular conflicts, they occupy the regions of Shrine of Seeklander, Mountain of Woe, Mountain of Betrayal, Mountain of Remorse, Mountain of Chrysalids, Chrysantalys Mines and Chrysantalys. Mountaineers are generally very religious. They abhor the people of the plains, who have become weak and corrupt in their eyes.

Steppemen

When the Seax saw the battles between the Daimons and the Niselurians in Gaston, they wanted to take part in the action and descended upon the Daimons, pushing them first out of Gaston and next out of the Gelene Plain, which they then colonized. They are all united by their love of horses and fierce raiding nature. They mock the Mariners, whom they raid regularly, and despise the Mountaineers who have constantly fought off their raids.

Aquiteurs

They are the original Steppemen and live in Aquitain, Zereth, all the way to distant Gaston and Gaston Farms, Jorradith and Forguthrie.

Gelen

Situated in Gelene, Gelene Outskirts and northern Sabadell, they founded a city, which they used as a base camp for raids and a market. The city has grown exponentially, making them stand out from the other Aquiteurs. The Gelen in the city find it difficult to maintain their traditional way of life, but they are staunch allies of the Aquiteurs.

Anglo-Saxons

When Everguard found its end against Astrum and Averoth, many of the Steppemen moved to Storms Keep. They called themselves the Seaxe of the Angular Land – or as their neighbours called them: Anglo-Saxons. When the higher nobility left Thulsoma for Asylon, the Anglo-Saxons suddenly found themselves in control of the only Dwili kingdom which has ever been acknowledged by the Easterners.

Mariners

They were orignally Steppemen, but as their expansion south was halted by the Bryn at Walefishire, they started to look more towards the sea. They subjagated the Eddo on Libidizedd Isle, where they built Libidizedd. They built Golden Farrow to act as a raiding and trading base on the other side of Walefishire. Having become the most powerful in the Gelene Plain, they turned on the Steppemen and subjugated them as well. It is generally assumed the Mariners were even acknowledged by the Mountaineers as Lords of all Seax. The Mariners then turned their attention on Daimon Archon of Valkyrja. This war was ferocious and lasted for many year, but in the end it was King Ayaui who managed to slay the demon with his axe Earth Cleaver.

Ayaui reigned supreme and was even granted the crown of the Niselurians. But after his death, the Steppemen turned against the Mariners and wasted Eidulb. The Eddo and Vairo rebelled and general Rajkyrr seized control of Valkyrja, seceding from the Mariner Empire and proclaiming himself king. The Empire had collapsed and the Steppemen would ensure the south would never rise again.

Dulesians

These are the native people of the regions of Duil, Eidulb Outskirts, Eidulb and Ammando. Although they are the original Mariners, Dulesians are not particularly adept at managing ships or sailing, but do maintain a massive series of ports along their coastlines. Dulesians have a light olive coloured complexion, are average in height and are typically lean and thin. They pride themselves on their tactile skills, working well with their hands. Peasant women are extremely skilled at producing garments, flags and other textile goods, while those who devote themselves to the art of war are known to be some of the most deadly accurate archers on the continent.

They are intensely secretive in their ways, viewing all outsiders with distrust. Dulesians refuse to speak their native language in the presence of foreigners, however some enterprising outsiders have overheard choice words of what is known as Dulbese and report that it is a very rhythmic language filled with a number of vowels and soft, long sounds. No translations are available, and with the deep rooted secrecy of the people, it is unlikely any outsiders will ever truly learn the Dulbese language.

They are also an extremely arrogant, pompous people who have long been isolationist, and extremely intolerant of other cultures. Outsiders were only allowed to enter several specially designated trading towns. These towns are surrounded by high walls, with no view of the outside world. Outsiders who attempt to ascend the wall, or leave the trading towns are killed immediately. Seafarers who landed on the shores controlled by Dulesians (outside the designated trading areas) by choice or not, are similarly executed. This ended when they were conquered by the Easterners, but even today, lying to outsiders actually seems to be a part of Dulesian culture. Folk trading with the Dulesians have learned to check their purchases, as Dulesians believe they need not tell outsiders the truth about the goods they are purchasing. Trading with the Dulesians is a dangerous business, though one that can certainly be extremely profitable.

Valkyrjans

These people originally inhabited the regions of Valkyrja, Yggdramir, Ygg d'Razhuul and Norrdir. They can also be found in Hvergelmir, Ymer's Fall and Norrdir. They are tall, have very light hair, blue eyes, long heads and faces, and narrow aquiline noses. Valkyrjans are tall and large in build, with broad shoulders and strong arms - something that has allowed them to serve the realm as fierce infantrymen feared by the enemies of the realm. These people are very similar in build and look to Torenites, who were welcomed by the Valkyrians as long lost brothers. The native language of Valkyrjans is called Kyrjan, and is an elegant sounding, smooth language that seems to roll off the tongue of speakers. The sound of this language is often equated to that of music.

After the collapse of the Dulesian Empire, the Valkyrjans managed to build an empire of their own. This ancient kingdom reached its zenith when Imjra Rajkyrr XII commanded the territory stretching from Ygg d'Razhuul down to Nifelhold and then west to the coast. But since he could not subdue Storms Keep, the kingdom would wither after his death.

Gunthor

The Gunthor were actually the first known to have migrated from the east into Dwilight. However, this happened in prehistoric times and as such they are considered Dwili. They settled in what is today named Donghaiwei and then spread out, assimilating the local Fellish and Niselurians to become the native inhabitants of most of High Toprak. Despite their success, they were not united and often fought among themselves as well. Because of this they preferred to be called according to their tribe and it is not known how they called themselves as a people. Therefore they are only known by the name the Fellish gave them: Gunthor means warriors.

Dongese

The Gunthor who stayed close to Donghaiwei are called Dongese. The Dongese tend to be of short stature with a wiry build. They prefer the simple life, living under the starry skies, believing that all things in life should be dealt with in turn and you should put all your effort into whatever you are doing. As such Donghaiwei did not become a great city until the Colonial Age. They are quite social and easy to talk to, but can be very headstrong and will not back down in a conflict: an obstacle is simply a challenge that needs to be overcome.

Old Virovenese

When the Virovenesse managed to conquer Muspelheim, they started building a kingdom, which extended to Mimer and even Libidizedd Isle. However, their rival in Nifelheim made a deal with the Daimons from Valkyrja, who laid waste to the land, decimating the populace. The Dalians repopulated the land, which was left almost empty.

The king escaped from the port of Mimer. The enemy's ships followed him and Virovene's ships were destroyed in a battle. The king escaped on a small boat that was eventually destroyed by a storm. Nevertheless, he managed to escape towards the eastern continents. It is assumed his descendants were the catalyst for the Colonial Age.

Nifelians

The name belonged originally to the Niselurians of Nifelheim, but when the Salakians merged with them, they were outnumbered and became closer in culture to the Gunthor, although they kept their name. The Salakians had crossed Mt. Black Nastrond, but did not wage war. Instead their chief Dewawarman married to Tirem, the only daughter of the king of Nifelheim. Dewawarman expanded his kingdom to Nifelhold and Storms Keep.

Queen Karnawa, a descendent of Dewawarman, married to the Daimon Lord Lugal of Valkyrja to vassalize the stronghold and make the Daimon fight for her. Lugal annihilated her enemies in Virovene. But when he returned to Nifelheim, the priest Risad Bishamon betrayed him and the queen by trapping them between 8 portal stones and banishing them to the Netherworld.

Risad then claimed the kingdom, but Valkyrja, Storms Keep and Nifelhold were angry about the betrayal and rebelled against Risad. They overthrew the king, but then started to fight among themselves about who would be the new king. Ever since the Nifelians have been in a civil war, in which even the Daimon Lord Archon, successor of Lugal, competed for power. The Nifelians are militaristic, cautious, and defend their homelands fiercely. They initially even managed to hold of the Easterners.

Dalians (Natives)

In Stratford lived the Dalians, who were considered a Dongese tribe. They invaded the Fallan lands to their north and intermingled with them to create a culture separate from the other Dongese. They started to settle in a city, which they would name Springdale, which became a city-state. They were allied to Virovene and often fought the Nifelians, with whom they frequently switched ownership of White Plains.

After the destruction of Virovene, many Dalians migrated west to repopulate the land. Dalians are curious and like to settle new lands - something they probably inherited from the Fallans. They are not warlike people, but prefer to evade conflict and befriend their neighbours. However, when a fight cannot be evaded, they are very tenacious in battle.

Onek

The Onek moved into the Mimer Peninsula after it was desolated by Daimon Lord Lugal. As they found the land largely abandoned, they had no one to fight with but themselves - and so they did: Mimer and Freke started to become each other's rivals once the Onek moved in. Young men often go on adventures in faraway lands and have become hardened warriors when they return home.

Rakjak

The Rakjak, an ethnic group living in Elntorak, Fatexna, Shomrak, and Ashrak, were a warrior-based society. Even compared to other Gunthor, they were considered very militaristic, since a man would not be considered an adult until he had fought his first battle. As such it was common for teenage boys to go on a raid with their friends – preferably, but not necessarily, against enemies of the tribe.

Native Fellish

The Fellish were the original inhabitants of northeastern Toprak. They are of average and slender build, have dark hair and a light brown skin. Their eye colour can vary a lot. They are not known for their strength, but have a reputation of being quite skilful. As such they stand out as excellent archers, while Fellish swords are highly sought after by any self-respecting noble.

Family is the cornerstone of their society and they also value relationships in general. They are very sociable people who enjoy interacting with each other as often as possible. Because Fellish value strong and long-term relationships, they like sharing. They don’t mind telling people intimate details about their lives, even to a neighbour or a friendly stranger. Fellish trust each other and want to bond. All in all, Fellish believe in transparency and honesty, so they’re very open with each other about their lives — but not so much about their thoughts! Fellish tend to dislike confrontation so they usually act nice and polite in all situations, even if they don’t agree with something.

Fallans

Dale was home to the Fallans. They were nomads until the Niselurian Njold taught them how to build walled settlements. This allowed them to become rich and offered protection against raiders, but was not enough to protect them against the Dalians, who took the lessons of Njold to build Springdale.

Unter

The Unter originated from the Dongeselands, but were expelled by the Gunthor. They found refuge in Unterwood, where they in turn expelled the Vairo. In the wood they could use guerilla tactics to wear down invading Gunthor.

Because of this past, the Unter idolize resistance warriors – this includes criminals in their eyes. As such syndicates can operate freely within Unterwood and any attempt to establish local governance will be met with fierce resistance. Nevertheless, the Unter are surprisingly civilized for people who seemingly live in anarchy. That is because the truth is that the Unter are governed, since it is a public secret that the syndicates frequently meet to solve disputes and discuss how to react to foreign developments.

Ferdinger

The coastal land of Tamirak and Shilorak is famous for its horses, which can often be seen running along the beaches through the surf. While the Fellish of the plains were generally overcome by the Gunthor, the Ferdinger succeeded in thwarting numerous incursions, because every Ferdinger knows how to ride a horse in battle. So, even though Ferdinger horse men are vulnerable for archer fire due to their lack of armour, the sheer number of their horse men is sufficient to keep any ambitious raider at bay.

Fafnirians

Named after the Great Dragon Fafnir, the D'Harans and Sallowsians are connected first by culture, then by blood. The D'Harans are more closely related to the Fellish and the Sallowsians to the Zuma, they intermingled and formed two very similar cultures centered around Dragons.

Native D'Harans

Prince Dar of Hili was the heroic navigator who helped the tribe leave the barren lands of the Sallowsite Cape after a long drought in order to live a more prosperous life from sea fishing. He guided the settlement of fishing towns on the Tomb Islands, and is said to have been honoured with a great luxurious tomb somewhere on one of the islands. This is why the islands are called Tomb Islands.

Sallowsians

It appears the Sallowsians are descendants from the Atia who fled via the Tomb Islands to arrive the Sallowsite Cape, where they intermingled with the local people. Through adaptation and reapplication, the Sallowsians have been able to successfully maintain their oldest of traditions while simultaneously altering their ways to suit the needs of the time. Although the Sallowsians are more civilized than other Zuma, they kept their independent nature.

Syunjit

The Syunjit lived in Shyussei. When the Sallowsians expanded to Nyuushi, they intermingled with them, creating a tribe which paid lip service to the arexi of Sallowtown, but in fact lived quite isolated from whatever happens outside their forest.

Chersonisians

Easterners simply refer to them as Flow Dwili as opposed to the Divide Dwili from the mountains. They are the original Fellish people of the Flow Peninsula. They intermingled with the Rakjak, making them physically resemble the Dongese, though the Chersonisians are more amiable, and they are very festive.

For a long time the Flow Dwili were suffering from raids by the Three Mountains' Sword Guild, who were part of the Balance Dwili. Curshixa, who was part Rakjak, then rallied the Chersonisians to a war to eliminate the mountain people to prevent the threat of raids from happening. The great host marched to the people of the mountains and fought until there were few of the raiders left. Curshixa came back victorious, but his army was decimated.

Zatyty

The surrounding people cannot pronounce their name, so they prefer to call them Divide People or Divide Dwili. They are matrilineal and matrifocal people with the habit of shaving their heads – and the men their beards. For a long time they have been ruled by the Three Mountains's Sword Guild, which enjoyed raiding the Flow Peninsula. However, in the earliest times, the Zatyty were leading the people of the south against the Daimons during the War of Fire and Steel.

Imanaghan

First and native inhabitants of Forland. Nowadays especially present around the Palm Sea area, they live in huts made of branches of trees and covered with clay. They are of middle stature, of brown to almost black complexion, large stature and woolly black hair. Their faces are short in contrast to their extremely long heads. The encountered men were thin and possessed little beards and soft voices.

Native Lurians

They originate from Toprak Minor, but united into the Lurian Federation when they were attacked by the Ugykke and expanded into northern Forland, around the Euschean Sea.

Pianese

The Pianese are the original Lurians, living in Toprak Minor.

Phrycians

These natives are the original inhabitants of Poryatu and its surroundings. They have light to olive skins, mostly hazel and green eyes, moderately thick and wavy to curly fairly black hair and straight noses. Their face tends to be broad, and their body build is rather stocky. Many of the men exhibit dark beards.

Euscheans

Natives of the Askileon area, along with the northern coast of the Sea that takes their name, the Euscheans range from light brown to black hair, from fair skin to olive complexion, that usually tans easily, shorter height than its northern neighbours, but stockier than its southern ones. Their eyes are usually hazel or brown, their faces narrow and they have a characteristic long beaky nose.

Novans

This is a collective noun for the Lurians in northern Forland.

Khudefrans

Original inhabitants of Giask, Irvington and their surroundings, they have tall and slender frames, of lean body builds, with oval faces with a sloped forehead and pronounced noses with a bump along the bridge. Their hair is naturally curly and dark as their eyes. Their skins range from olive to dark brown. They are a mix of Lurians and Ugykke.

Saritians

Natives of the region between (and including) Shinnen and Aveston, they are olive skinned, with black or dark brown hair, usually worn at shoulder length by both men and women, and dark eyes. They are of medium height, quite robust and warlike. There is a minority who present reddish hair, more densely present in the northern regions. They have a larger influx of the Imanaghan than their eastern neighbours.

Archipelagans

The Madina Archipelago was home to several tribes of which the Poru proved to be the most successfull and were, in fact, the only ones still existing when the Madinese colonized the islands. Early Madinese expansion was in part as successful as it was due to how easy it was for them to contact the different Poru tribes.

Fatmilakans

Inhabitants of Fatmilak Isle, who had built the Tower Fatmilak from which they controlled the island and sent expeditions to the Occidens. Eventually the civilization was destroyed by the Altia (Coastal Zuma).

Ugykke

The original tribe living on the southern parts of Madina Isle, but they were overcome by the Poru, so they migrated to Forland, where they expanded quickly in the rural south and east. When they wanted to expand to Toprak, they were pushed back by the Lurians. The southern Ugykke were eventually assimilated by the Roi-Poru.

Panamanian

An isolated nomadic tribe on the small western plains of Panamana. Little is known about this people as they left few artifacts and their last surviving descendant cloistered himself in the Panamanian Foothills when the Madinese arrived. Although many theories about their disappearance exist, most suspect that they were wiped out by mountain dwelling manticores that used to reside in the region.

Poru

They originate from the tropical forests of Madina. Harassment by the Ugykke to their south, caused the Poru to go on the offensive and eliminate the Ugykke -- including those on southern Forland.

Jai-Poru

The Poru who remained on the Archipelago. Their civilization is very primitive, and they live of hunting and gathering. They have brown skin, dark brown eyes, prominent cheek bones, straight black hair, and scant beard. The hair is brown in childhood, but always black in the adult until it turns grey with age. Baldness is almost unknown. The eye is not held so open as in the Easterners. The nose is usually straight and well-shaped. Their hands and feet are comparatively small (to the Easterners'). They are medium to tall, and rather of heavy build. Their name is pronounced "Hai-Poroo".

Roi-Poru

The Poru who live on southern Forland, where they strongly intermingled with the Ugykke. They are not unlike the Jai-Poru, from which they originate. These natives differentiate themselves for their more muscular build, even though usually lighter in weight, their exceptional height and their darker skin. They have a more nomadic lifestyle, presumably an adaptation to the less forested reality encountered in southern Forland. Their name is pronounced "Roy-Poroo".

Pei-Poru

The Poru who exterminated and replaced the Atia on the Occidens. Although they are similar to the Jai-Poru, it's theorized this tribes might have had high inbreeding with the Zuma natives, which would explain some of their differences: they are much shorter in stature, averaging but little more than five feet, possess strongly aquiline noses and their skin has a distinct yellowish cast. Their lifestyle, however, seems very similar to their Madinese brethren. Their name is pronounced "Pay-Poroo".