The Atdans are taller and less stocky than other dwehrow. An Atdan can pass as a short hairy human. Adult males and females heights range between 4'11" and 5'7" tall. Adult male weights range between 140 and 220 pounds. Adult female weights range between 100 and 200 pounds. Hair tends to be dark brown, brown, light brown, or blonde. Eye color can be black, brown, blue, yellow, or green. Skin color tends to be light tan to a dark red-brown. Atdans, like other dwehrow, are hairy. They grow their hair and beards long and braid in wooden trinkets. The average life span for a male Atdan is 60 years and 70 years for females.

Atdans will wear light and dark woodland colored clothes. The foresters will wear reinforced leather chaps to protect their legs when cutting wood. During the summer months they will wear dyed cotton. During the winter months, the Atdans will wear animal hides. Each clan has a distinct color pattern that is woven in cloaks, shirts, and knit hats.

Atdanians marry for life. A marriage can occur at any age. Arranged marriages typically occur at a very young age. Arranged marriages usually have other "strings" attached along with the typical dowry exchange. If the marriage is not arranged, the future husband must raise a dower that the father of the bride set. If the husband to be cannot raise the dowry, he can negotiate alternative payment with the father of the bride. This can include a period of time the future husband will be in the service of the bride's father. The marriage can continue once the dowry is paid in full. When the marriage ceremony is complete, the bride will move in with her new husband and be integrated into her new clan.

Atdans have a wide spectrum of personalities. They will openly trade and barter with other cultures and races. It is not uncommon to see a traveling Atdan in search of new wood to ply his art.

If an Atdan is expecting a battle, they will wear hardened leather armor and leather or steel helms. They will rarely enter combat with a shield since they use a two handed tree ax as their primary weapon. Metal armor is considered too cumbersome and too expensive by the Atdans.

Foresters will use guerrilla tactics to fight a larger group of enemies. Ambushing an enemy is standard practice. Enemies that fight the Atdans in open combat will suffer severe amputations and broken bones from the devastating blows of the tree ax. The foresters will fiercely defend their trees, land, wives, children, and homes. Some foresters have learned to fight from the back of their tree ponies with their hunting axes. The powerful legs of a tree pony's kick will crush the strongest plate-mail armor.

Cuills physically look like the Hurans. The Cuills are distinguished from the Hurans by their language, dress, and their social patterns, not by physical appearance. Adult male heights range from 4.25 to 6 feet. Adult female heights range from 4 to 6 feet. Adult male weights range from 75 to 250 pounds. Adult female weights range from 70 to 200 pounds. The predominate eye colors are brown and black. Hair color tends to be of some shade of brown. Blond and red hair are very uncommon. Skin color is usually pale tan to pasty white due to the region's limited amounts of direct sunlight.

During the rainy season, Cuills will wear brightly dyed and oiled leather cloaks. Oiled leather caps that drape over the back of the neck keeps the rain from running between the shoulder blades. The more expensive version of these caps have intricate leaf patterns stamped into the leather. Over-boots are worn over the soft slipper shoes to protect the slippers from mud and water. The slipper shoes are worn while walking inside buildings. Most clothes are made out of wool and are sometimes dyed in a particular kingdom's color.

Marriage practices vary little between kingdoms. All marriages must be approved by either the manorial lord or king. A dowry is exchanged for the bride and the ceremony is performed by either the kingdom sanctioned church or by the husband's family clergy (which ever is dictated by law). Marriages can only be dissolved by the religious organization that performed the marriage. The king does not usually have the power to dissolve marriages.

The Cuillian culture has many of the common Human roles and professions.

Cuills, on the whole and as with other human cultures, are restless and have had a long history of strife. This self-centered culture interacts with other cultures and races when it profits themselves. This is not to say that every individual is self-centered, it means that those who control and lead the Cuillian culture tend to be self-centered and sometimes corrupt. The Cuillian culture is one of the most prejudiced human cultures. They dislike interactions with other races except when there is a clear benefit gained by the interaction. Wars between the Cuills and the Dwehrow and Gnomoi have occurred several times throughout history. None can surpass the Cuills' distaste for Ghruks.

The average Cuill does not own armor. Town or city guards may own a leather jacket and cap. Some men-at-arms will wear chain-mail hauberks and steel pot helms. Only the nobles and wealthy will own more elaborate suits of armor consisting of ornate plate-mail. Knights will wear either chain-mail or plain plate-mail. Shields of all types and sized are used by soldiers and men-at-arms.

The short sword is the weapon of choice for most Cuills. Knights will usually fight with a broadsword or a bastard sword and a shield. Fighting units have adopted using the Huranian glaive. Crossbows and long bows are also common.

The Dari are squat humanoids that are adapted to the cold, frozen mountains of the north. Their black hair and pale blue skin sets them apart from other Dwehrow. Their eye color is either light blue, ice blue, or white. Their hair is always black if they are of pure blood.

Fully grown adult males range between 3 to 5 feet in height. Adult females range between 2.5 to 4.5 feet in height. Male weights range between 120 to 200 pounds and females between 90 to 180 pounds. An average Dari can expect to live 50 years if their ancestors favor them.

A typical Dari will dress in the rich wool of the cratchette goat, the white fur of the white mountain bear, and the light brown fur of the snow elk. Goat leather boots are common. Beads and trinkets that denote social status are braided into the males' beards and the females' hair.

The Dari mate with a single spouse for life. Marriage between members of the same tribe is common, though marrying into an ally tribe strengthens the bonds between the two tribes. Dari can marry at the age of 16. Any marriage of a tribe member must be approved by the Reckeln. The Todanar performs the marriage ceremony.

The Dari do not like contact with strangers, especially strangers of another race. They do trade with the Vresh on occasion and will sometimes raid villages for supplies.

Dari armor is typically a mix of soft and hard goats leather. Metal armor is sometimes worn for ceremonies and rarely used for open battle because of its high value. Wooden shields wrapped in leather are typically carried when a Dari is traveling abroad, hunting, or going into battle. The tribes mark is stamped upon almost all pieces of leather armor.

When hunting the Dari will use short spears tipped with sharp stone or metal. During battle they will fight with their hunting spears or their skinning knives which can also be stone or metal. They will also use slings to take down smaller game.

Dwehrow are short when compared to the Humans. Adult males range between 2.5 and 4.5 feet in height. Adult females range between 2 and 4 feet in height. Adult males and females range between 85 to 200 pounds in weight. Dwehrow are considered stocky. Their bones and muscles are more dense than Human bones and muscles. Dwehrow skin color is normally pasty white. The exception are the Dwehrow who spend extended amounts of time under the sun. Their eye color tend to be blue, gray, and black. Dwehrow hair color is almost always black or slate gray.

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Ghruks are stout humanoids with moderately low intelligence. Their lower canine teeth protrude out of their mouths. Their arms droop to their knees. Coarse hair covers most of the body on both males and females.

The Ghruks' skin coloring is usually grey, brown, or black. Occasionally the skin can have a dark green tint. The eyes are always black. The wire-like hair on the head is usually brown or black.

The adult male heights range from 5 to 8 feet. Adult female heights range from 4 to 7 feet. Adult male weights ranges from 150 to 400 pounds. Adult female weights ranges from 150 pounds to 300 pounds.

When compared to humans and Qui'Shri, the Ghruks have exceptional endurance and strength. There agility is comparable to the average human. Their mental ability is lower than most speaking races. Ghruks are very resistant to cold temperatures and wet conditions. They dislike living in very hot and dry regions. Ghruks can see well in low light conditions, since they are semi-nocturnal creatures. They can see at dusk in a dense forest as well as a human can see on a clear, sunny day. Ghruks can also hear better than the average human.

The lifespan of a typical Ghruk is between 40 and 60 years.

Ghruks will wear family and tribal colors. Colors tend to be dark and muted. The warriors will wear dyed leather armor or painted metal armor. In the colder regions, Ghruks will wear furs and pelts of native animals that they eat. In the hot and humid south, Ghruks will not wear clothing. Ghruks sport body piercings, self mutilations, and scarring. Scaring of the face is held in high honor among tribe members.

A child Ghruk will pass into adulthood when they reach the age of 10 and participate in a hunt. During the hunt, the young Ghruk must demonstrate bravery, cunning, and skill. The child does not have to kill the hunted creature, but they must at least draw first blood. Both males and females must participate in the hunt to reach adulthood. Those who reach the age of 15 and fail to draw first blood in a hunt are killed by the adult Ghruks.

Ghruks will take a mate during the mating season and stay with that mate during the raising of the child to a young adult. The higher ranking females choose their mates from the strongest available warriors and hunters. Females can start breeding at the age of 10 years old.

Ghruk tribes tend to be war-like. Fights among clans within a tribe are not uncommon. Tribes can be territorial or nomadic. Tribes will occasionally join other tribes for war and conquest. The life of a Ghruk is harsh and brutal.

Ghruks are not necessarily evil or cruel, they have adapted to a hard life as best as they can. At most, they can be considered uncivilized. In the past, more intelligent races have threatened, tricked, and coerced the Ghruks into evil service.

The Ghruks are accomplished iron smiths. They produce and repair many iron goods. Iron works are their primary resource for barter.

Ghruks are indifferent toward most races. This means that a provoked Ghruk does not care what race it kills. Some tribes are territorial and will defend their land from encroachment and intruders. Tribes will also raid farms, villages, and towns to obtain supplies and/or food.

Iron banded shields are used only during organized battles. Hunting parties will never carry a shield. Leather hide armor is common. Metal armor is worn by the elite warriors of the tribe and are typically obtained from spoils of war.

Ghruks will fight with what ever they have on hand. Iron swords, clubs, and hammers are common among the warriors. Iron tipped spears are used by the hunters.

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The Mabkuli, like other dwehrow have adapted to living underground.

The average lifespan for a male Mabkuli is 55 years. The average lifespan for a female Mabkuli is 65 years.

The Mabkuli tends to distrust humans and non-Mabkuli dwehrows (except for Atdans). The Mabkuli have good trade relations with the Atdans and will sometime trade with some human merchants.

The Slick Rock clan is not one of the 33 major Mabkuli clans. Slick Rock is a young and small clan when compared to the major clans. The clan was formed 10 generations ago (200 years) as a business ventrure between two outcasted members of the Hammerson and Deep Gold Vein clans. Romsger Oggarson of the Hammerson clan and Elty of Deep Gold Vein clan were both gem cutters of their respective clans. Neither Romsger nor Elty spoke of the reasons why they were both casted out of their clans. At the clans height of success there were over 400 individuals. Now, Slick Rock is composed of 28 families and 19 individuals (200 individuals).

The decline in the clan's population has been due to the loss of Dynwar Juttner and his son Yinil Dynwarson. Dynwar, like his late father, was the clan's Stone Reever (see below). Slick rock was blessed when Yinil was born and he passed the Test of the Stone. Yinil being a Stone Reever, ment that once he was trained, the clan would profit from Yinil continuing his grandfather's and father's work. One day, Bjal decided that he would aggravate the earth. The terrible earthquake collapsed the mine shaft where Dynwar, with Yinil and a crew of 30 miners, was opening a new shaft to access a vein of stone that promised a good yield of sapphires. All were lost. Twenty five of the miners were male mabkuli. And at that time, there were more young female mabkuli in the clan than were males. For the twenty years after the tragedy, no Stone Reevers were born to the Slick Rock clan and the female young grew and were married off to other clans. The loss to the clan was devastating.

Mining is a very slow process with out a Stone Reever. Fewer gemstones to cut and sell or barter ment less goods and supplies for the Slick Rock clan. Since Dynwar's and Yinil's death, Slick Rock has continued to loose status amongst the clans. The Slick Rock clan's future looked bleak and on the road to non-existance until just ten years ago. Ten years ago, little Essa Wilgarsdaughter was born. She passed the Test of the Stone and thus was a Stone Reever. When Essa was two years old the clan leaders bartered with the Smith clan for Essa's training. In exchange for 100 high quality sapphires, Olvar, the Smith clan's Stone Reever would train Essa in the use of her gift. Essa and her family temporarily moved to stay with the Smith clan.

The primary industry for the Slick Rock clan continues to be gemstone cutting. The clan is very dependent on their goat herds for milk and meat and on their kogamas herd for clothing and string. The clan is currently struggling to keep everyone fed and healthy. Eventhough there has been hardship, the knowledge that Essa will return gives everyone hope for the future.

Qui'Shri are tall. Adult males and females range between 5 and 7 feet in height. Adult males range between 130 to 225 pounds in weight. Adult females range between 85 to 175 pounds in weight. Qui'Shri skin color varies as much as the Human skin color, though the color tends to be light brown to dark brown. Qui'Shri hair colors are mostly dark earth tones. Their eye colors are the spectrum of the rainbow, though brown is the dominant color.

If any of this race is born outside of Qui'Shri'Ta, they are not Qui'Shri. They are called Qui'Shri'Qin. Qui'Shri will not tolerate a Qui'Shri'Qin calling themselves Qui'Shri. The Qui'Shri will allow a Qui'Shri'Qin to cross the borders of Qui'Shri'Ta.

The Qui'Shri rarely allow non-Qui'Shri travelers within the borders of Qui'Shri'Ta. They do sometimes allow merchants into outlying towns and cities and access is very controlled. Registered diplomats are the only exceptions to the closed borders policy. When a Qui'Shri travels outside of Qui'Shri'Ta, they will tolerate other cultures and will appear as arrogant and aloof.

The Sutarian skin colors range from an olive tone to an almost blue color. This was recently revealed by a researcher from Talliamain.

Tarharens are tall and extremely tough giants. Adult males and females range between 8 and 12 feet in height. Adult males range between 275 to 500 pounds in weight. Adult females range between 200 to 400 pounds in weight. Both male and female bodies are covered in a thin layer of fur. From a distance this fur looks like skin. Their body hair color and patterns are varied. Color ranges from the color of hay to black bog mud. Tarharens can have up to six different colors of hair that form patterns. The patterns of color can be compared to the common household cat hair patterns. The hair on the head will grow longer than the body hair, but it will never grow longer than shoulder length. Tarharen feet are wide, flat, and have eight toes. The bottoms of their feet are covered in a thick pad of skin. Tarharen faces looks similar to Human faces.

Tarharens wear simple leather loin cloths in the summer. In the winter they wear wool tunics and breeches. The clothing is simple and plain. Tarharens do not wear foot coverings, even in winter. They do not adorn themselves with jewelry, trinkets, or baubles.

Adult males range between 4 and 6 feet in height. Adult females range between 4 and 5.5 feet in height. Adult males range between 85 to 300 pounds in weight. Adult females range between 65 to 250 pounds in weight. Human skin color is usually black, brown, tan, white, or golden yellow. Hair colors tends to be dark brown to black. Some blond or red can occur. Eye colors can be black, brown, blue, gray, green, or burgundy red.

The Church of Torclain is a large and organized monotheistic religion. The Church promotes the will of the Father Saint, Torclain. The Church's Prime Temple is located in the capital city of Nishorn, Niprema. The Prime Temple houses the Church's authority. The Church's realm of power spans both politically and spiritually from the Prime Temple. The Church is the ruling government in Nishorn.

Followers of the Church worship the god Torclain who they believe is the only one true god and all others god-like beings, the evil Anriels.

The Church's realm of influence reaches most of the southwestern regions of Tanroek. The Theocracy of Nishorn is ruled by the Church.

Followers of the church are adamant about Torclain being the only true god. Followers tend to be intolerant of other religions and do not hesitate to show their distaste. This is evident in cities and countries where they can exert their control. This intolerance occasionally escalates to violence, but usually takes the form of petitions and lobbies to the local governments encouraging them to outlaw any religions other than the Church of Torclain. Missionaries tend to assimilate other cultures by syncretism. Syncretism is a process of adapting a culture's rituals and sacred stories to the Church of Torclain's beliefs and thereby not alienating the culture's beliefs but instead bring the two seperate beliefs into synchronization. After many years the old rituals and sacred stories are phased out and replaced with Church sanctioned rituals and sacred stories. The Church produces a steady stream of agressive, persuasive, and educated missionaries.

The doctrine of Torclain preaches that the other intelligent races were the weak ones that were tricked into serving the evil Anriels. The diehard follower of Torclain will allow a non-human to worship with them if that non-human has denounced their previous beliefs and have begged forgiveness from Torclain for their ancestor's weakness. Other than basic worship, the diehard follower will not interact with non-human races. Most normal followers are more tolerant and will interact with non-humans both on a day-to-day basis. Outside of the country of Nishorn, followers will interact with non-humans who are not followers of Torclain and will actively try to convert them to the faith (in a less agressive and demeaning manner than the diehard followers).

The core rulers are fanatical zealots, while people further down the hierarchy tend to follow the doctrine under most circumstances. The core rulers diligently repress knowledge that could be contradictory to Torclain's teachings. Ceremonies play an important role by enforcing structured thought and habitual thinking.

The high priests want to eradicate or at the very least suppress other religions. To do that they remove artifacts and icons of the targeted religion when the missionaries begin to convert the culture to the faith. They will sometimes steal artifacts and icons before they enter a culture with the purpose of conversion. These artifacts are then destroyed, cleansed, and constructed into artifacts blessed by Torclain. If the artifacts are magical or contains powers that make it dangerous to destroy, they are taken to hidden and secure storage locations.

Maven Temple is the holiest of sites. It is the birth place of the mortal human, Torclain, who ascended into heaven to bring order and regain control of his realm. The temple is located in the city of Niprema, in Nishorn.

Ascension Temple is where the mortal Human Torclain ascended back into the heavens where he rebuilt his kingdom and cleaned the heavens of the unworthy Anriels. The temple is located on top of Ascension Hill in southern Drenmar. Each year hundreds of thousands make the pilgrimage to the Ascension Temple.

Temple of Saint Swen is dedicated to Saint Swen, the brother and first saint of Torclain. The brotherhood that is dedicated to Torclain's will through Saint Swen is called the Swennenites. They are a cloistered brotherhood of scribes which preserve and copy the original writings of Torclain. The temple is located in the foothills of the Midrealm Mountains, south of Nishorn.

The Church of Nod is a polytheistic religion dedicated to the peace of Midrealm. The population of the Church is predominately Human. They do not discriminate against race when it comes to worshiping. They do discriminate when it comes to the high ranking positions in the Church. The high ranking positions are all filled by male Humans.

Followers of the Church of Nod worship Celestra, Denshom, Eshana, Gabriana, Grim Death, Hurn, and Merrick. Each deity fulfills the needs of a particular situation. For example, when someone is sick and in need of comfort, they should pray to Merrick the Healer.

The Church's realm of influence is predominantly the northwestern region of the continent of Tanroek. The Church is ever trying to expand its influence.

The Church is not fond of the Church of Torclain, but will usually not act out violently.