Anam:Peoples
The Peoples of the Sheltered Hand
Humans The major People in the Hand, Carran found folk from all over. The various Nations may tend towards a single genotype, but folk of all appearance can be found anywhere. Humans are astoundingly resilient in the face of actual injury, and learn more quickly than any other Peoples.
Tarat The Tarat are short, stocky miners and craftspeople. Essentially, D&D Dwarves. Tough, they're also well used to seeing in lower levels of light than most.
Sinandre The Sinandre are two groups of the same People. The Starlight Sinandre (Esinandre) are those who, many millennia in the past, sought out the light of the Gods, and finding it, took it within themselves. They are magical to a level that their cousins are not. The Esinandre, disappointed by their gods, have turned their backs on the civilization and culture those gods gave them, choosing instead to join with the Humans in their cultures. Esinandre can be found amongst almost all Nations of the Hand.
The Forest Sinandre are those who stayed behind when their cousins sought for the Light. The majority of them dwell within Sinansian (The Elder Trees).
Physically, there is very little difference between Esinandre and Forest Sinandre. The added magic of the Starlight Sinandre simply makes it easier for them to take up Magical professions. The Sinandre are very tall, generally between 6'5" and 6'9" tall, and rail thin. (D&Dish Elves, with Tolkien descriptions) They can see far, and very well at night and they do not age at all, so far as any know, though few of the Sinandre on the Hand are very old. Most of the 'Adults' are no more than 500 years old.
Yryc The Yryc - Orc in the common vernacular - are a tall People with Greenish-Black skin, sharp, upward thrusting bottom canine teeth and black or blue hair. They are physically a young People, and in other lands were not far removed from a kind of horde mentality. In the Hand, Yryc were given a chance to join in and they did, with gusto. Stronger than any other peoples on average, they are - like the Sinandre - able to see well at night under the stars.
Havlin The Havlin are a tiny folk, similar to humans in many ways. Swift are their arms, though, and they are nearly as tough as the Tarat. (D&D/Tolkien Halfings/Hobbits).
Gnomon The Gnomon are thought sometimes to be cousins of the Tarat, or of the Havlin. They are, in fact, closer to a Peoples that few have seen - the Goblins. Where the Goblins of stories past were always green and stringy, the Gnomon are brown and often quite round. The are a jolly People most time, enjoying good humour and good society. They tend to get on well with humans and Havlin, while others tend to dislike their jokes and their constant gossip. Wherever they live, the Gnomon tend to spend most of their time in small earthen dugouts, or living beneath the roots of trees.
Interbreeding Humans and Sinandre are able to interbreed, the only two peoples who can. Their offspring are usually referred to as Halflings (or at least, that’s the least offensive of the terms which can be used). Halflings can see as far as their Sinandre parents can, but also tend to be much more charismatic than either parent would suggest. They are long lived, and do not show the effects of aging until their last one or two decades, aging quickly until they fail sometime after their 200th year.
