Hinterlanders

Hinterlanders
Pronunciation	Hin-ter-lun-dair
Classification	Human
Nicknames	Highlanders, Nordlanders
Languages	Common, Hintish
Average Height	1.68m - 1.80m (5'6" - 5'11")
Average Weight	65kg - 92kg (143lbs - 203lbs)
Maximum Age	~80 Years Old
Stat Bonuses	+1 Strength +2 Defense +0 Agility +1 Intelligence

Introduction

Humanity can be traced down throughout all corners of Eseron, each grouping of them existing on a spectrum of subraces on which Hinterlanders are by far the most numerous, for Hinterlanders are not exactly one subrace like their Attian and Khadan kin, but rather a collection of smaller tribes and cultures mashed together under a big umbrella called Hinterlanders. One way to sort out the Hinterlanders is to divide them between northern and southern Hinterlanders.

Northern Hinterlanders live in the rugged spell-haunted regions in and around Magna Attia. They are the natives of the land and free peoples that resisted the Attian conquests. These people are hardened warriors from the kingdoms of the frozen plains where they despite all odds have carved out their own space among the many eldritch horrors, undead hordes, and hags who dominate the forests with their wicked spawns. Northern Hinterlanders unlike many other civilized realms have never cast out many of their tribal traditions and beliefs, of which an example is the primary religion among Northern Hinterlanders called “The Circle of Hags.” A tribe-to-tribe varying religion where the hags, witches, and truth sayers of the northern frozen woodlands are called to the towns, villages, and cities to gaze at the stars every full moon to interpret the will and prophecies of the Pantheon of the Savage Hunt, the Gods of the Circle of Hags religion. The people of the north gather in Tzardoms and pillager tribes along the coast who terrorize the southern Attians and Hinterlanders constantly.

To many outsiders, the northerners are seen as harsh and unapproachable folk who seem to be mostly isolated in their own world away from others. Though mostly true, the northern people have traditionally made great allies to the Denur Kingdoms of the far north who provide the northern realms with technology and tools to withstand the conditions they find themselves in.

Southern Hinterlanders are the polar opposite people to their northern counterparts who mostly reside around coastal regions around the west side of the Spine of Eden surrounding the Al’Hadar Deep in large free cities and other maritime merchant hubs that connect to one another in many trade leagues and organizations. They are a far more open-minded people than other humans who traverse the waters that separate the Empires of the north and the southern Sultanate through trade and a rich cultural exchange. They lack a strong sense of identity and national unity but make up for that through their extremely adaptable nature, making them easy to have around and even easier to integrate. It is not uncommon to find Southern Hinterlanders in many shapes and forms around the Al’Hadar deep. The most prominent group among these are the ones that live close to or inside the Hadrian Imperial lands and speak an accent similar to the Attian one called South-Hintish, just Hintish, or in some rare instances, East-Attian. These people trace their lineage back to the many republics and small nation-states the Southern Hinterlanders have created throughout history.

"I don't know how they do it, genuinely. Why would anyone want to live their life in this barren wasteland up north? Eternally struggling and fighting off the many horrors that such a place throws at the common man. Ridiculous. I wouldn't do it, but you got to respect their spirit for trying. But you would find me sitting in a Southern Hintish tavern enjoying an exotic drink earlier."- An Attian Hunter living along the Northern border of The Hadrian Empire

Character Creation

Appearance

Physical Traits

An example of a Northern Hintish woman.

Hinterlanders are quite diverse-looking people due to the nature of their people as an umbrella name for many smaller tribes and peoples spread all over the continent. When taking an average in terms of height they end up somewhere between their Attian and Khadan bredren, standing at around 1.68m - 1.80m (5'5" - 5'9") for males with a small downward trend for females. Hintish skin tones vary enormously from place to place, almost all Northerners trend towards pale skin tones, and the Southerners are far more pigmented and in many cases come close to the Khadan when found south of the Al’Hadar Deep due to racial mingling between the two.

Across the board, Hinterlanders have a wide spectrum of eye colors ranging from shades of brown and grey to in some rare instances blue or green, though that is mostly seen in the north. Northern Hinterlanders often grow their beards and hair long to act as an additional barrier against the unforgiving climate which is quite the opposite to the south where most Hinterlanders enjoy a clean-shaven or short bearded look with kept hair over the rugged styles of the north and see it as a simple indicator of a civilized people when the face is well maintained.

Apparel:

Southern Hinterlanders as a race hold no definitive style in the choice of apparel, usually simply adapting to the regional culture. Northerners on the other hand are way more defined, often tightly packed in many layers of warm clothes made of animal skins to keep themselves protected against the cold. Most men and women when out and about are seen wearing big bear fur hats.

An example of a Southern Hintish man.

A guide to typical Hintish Skin Colors.

Languages

The many people under the Hintish umbrella naturally come with a wide variety of languages. All of them speak the common tongue of course, yet there are many different little speech pattern differences that make each Hinterlander group stand out in its own right with many different blends of words and titles sprinkled throughout their sentences. The two most spoken languages among Hinterlanders are “Govorya” in the north and “South-Hintish” in the south.

Govorya: Quick Guide
Greetings		Races		Titles
Govorya	Common	Govorya	Common	Govorya	Common
Tevrit	Greetings	Elfai(a)	Elf / Elves	Czar	Tzar
Tevasti	Farewell	Bal-Elfai	High Elf	Czarina	Tzarina
Sobrat(a)	Friend(s)	Med-Elfai	Wood Elf	Printz	Prince(ss)
		Tam-Elfai	Dark Elf	Printzess	Duke/Duchess
		Dezkya	Denur	Kroonprints	Crown Prince
		Mesk(a)	Human(s)	Krahv(ina)	Count(ess)
		Orkai(a)	Faulskins(s)	Boyar	Lord
		Tevlin(a)	Tiefling(s)	Boyarina	Lady
				Ratska	Knight
				Prastanya	Clergyman
				Sventa	Priest / Preacher
				Mova	Mother
				Tava	Father
				Vedma	Hag
				Commonly Used Words
				Oblast	Province
				Koldovya	Witchcraft

South-Hintish: Quick Guide
Greetings		Races		Titles
South-Hintish	Common	South-Hintish	Common	South-Hintish	Common
Gegroet	Greetings	Elf	Elf	Koning	King
Salut	Farewell	Hoge Elf	High Elf	Koningin	Queen
Vriend(en)	Friend(s)	Woud Elf	Wood Elf	Prins(es)	Prince(ss)
		Duistere Elf	Dark Elf	Hertog(in)	Duke/Duchess
		Dwerg	Denur	Kroonprins	Crown Prince
		Mens(en)	Human(s)	Graaf / Gravin	Count(ess)
		Urk(s)	Faulskins(s)	Heer	Lord
		N/A	Tiefling	Dame	Lady
				Adel	Noble
				Edelman	Nobleman
				Edelvrouw	Noblewoman
				Ridder	Knight
				Priester	Clergyman
				Zuster	Sister/Nun
				Broeder	Brother/Monk
				Commonly Used Words
				Stadsraad	City council
				Handel	Trade
				Gewest	Region

Naming Schemes

Much like their Attian and Khadan kin, Hinterlanders from both the north and south put great importance on their given family names which have passed down from generation to generation through the years. Southern Hintish family names follow similar patterns to those of Attians due to the years-long process of integration they went through since the Attian conquests. This means that for example, Southern Hintish families usually have a surname that signifies the family’s trade around the time the name was taken on, or for example the family’s birthplace or region by the time the name was taken on. Examples of those would be Leerman, (leatherworker), de Boer (farmer), van Dam (from the dam), and so forth.

Northern Hintish people work rather differently in that regard, having taken on a thing or two of their Denur allies whom they mingled with for many years now. The only name a child is given at birth is their first name, given to them by the child’s parents. These are often names of grandparents or other noteworthy figures from the bloodline. Examples of northern first names are, Aleksandr, Aleksandra (F), Anton, Borodin, Igyor, Olaf, Oleg, Mishka (F), Svetlana (F), Nicolai, Novgo, Yuri, Vejena (F), Ivana (F). Northern family names are only given when a child or other lone nameless northerner enters a clan, after which they take on that name as their surname. A system directly taken from their Denur allies. Examples of Northern Clan names are, Taalov, Novgrodi, Volkov, Yozhin, Vasyl, Azarov, Dubov, Golovich, and so forth.

Cultures

Nations and cultures in which Hinterlander Humans are present.

	The Hadrian Empire	The Hadrian Empire, often referred to as simply ‘the Empire’, is the far-stretching country west of Eden’s Spine. A land inhabited mainly by the dutiful folk that are the Attian humans, one can see the many fields that cover the landscape being toiled by its hard-working citizens. Its cities are often bustling with life, places where trade, commerce, and politics take the main stage. The Hadrian way of life is deeply rooted in tradition and is often relatively simple, mainly because of this the Hadrians are known for their versatility and perseverance through hardship. The civil wars that have plagued the country in the past have left their scars, yet it seems Hadrians always find their way back, dedicating such feats to their deity; Alder. Within the Empire, the political and the martial often go hand in hand, with a large focus on retaining order and stability through military force. Within the Empire, it is not uncommon to see commoners rise through the ranks, oftentimes talented men and women are recognised and get the chance to prove themselves useful to their nation in places such as the army or civil offices. A land full of chance, and one of recognition, with its Kaiser at the helm.

World View

General Hinterlander Human opinions on the other races of Eden.

	On Attians…	Slightly Negative “We look alike, we drink alike, but we will never be the same. They made sure of that. When they come by all they wish to do is regulate every facet of our lives. Tell us how to live and act. What do they know of our people? Though in the end, they need us as much as we need them.” Tijn Peters, A blacksmith of Bergwald.
	On the Khadan…	Positive “The South folk! I have never seen so many bright colors! I once saw a huge gray beast prance about our village. The size of it was unimaginable! An elephant is what they called it. One of them gave me a toy in its image made of hardened sand.” Eva Horn, a farmer’s daughter in Löwenmark.
	On High Elves…	Negative “Don’t even mention those knife-eared bastards around me! We thought they were our friends but alas, Elves being elves, they stabbed us in the back when it was convenient for them and we outlived our usefulness for their so-called righteous cause to save the world or something like that! They can say what they like but trust me when I say this, Never trust an elf!” Gregory Valdir, a mercenary from the Northern Hinterlands.
	On Wood Elves…	Neutral “They wander the east mostly, however, don’t bring too much to the table. There are not many riches to be sought in their twigs and branches, nor do they ever offer anything to sell. A greedy people, even if they have anything of value, we’ll never find out.” Oleg Azarov, a northern merchant who regularly visits the elven glade.
	On Dark Elves…	Slightly Positive “Dark Elves? Who? Oooooh- you mean the grey ones from the south? Yes yes, I have seen those. Scary religious folks but generally are trustworthy when they travel away from their homes seeking employment. But other than that I have yet to see any use for them. ” Yuri Dazhev, Northern Hintish Raevendrecht veteran soldier.
	On Denur…	Positive “The Denur have been our greatest allies since the dawn of our people. When the Attians overreached, they stood strong beside us. A most honorable folk that will always hold my respect.” Vladislav Yeltzin, Northern Huntmaster.
	On Halflings…	Positive “I don’t see many of them up here. They seem to be nice and handy folks. I once had one coming by my farm selling me the finest Anjyarri golden trinkets. I wonder how those little bastards collect so many riches for their seeming irrelevance on the world stage.” Dmitri Yankovich, Northern farmer.
	On Orcs…	Very Negative “Whenever I see an orc, I run the other way. They bring nothing but misery to my people. But there is one thing I would love to try… I heard that if you say their name to them out loud, they explode in green bubbles and flame! Doesn’t that sound hilarious?” Tasha Stradov, Northern Warrior.
	On Goblins…	Very Negative “A what..? Right, small orcs and such. Never seen em before. Sounds like  the stuff of a fairy tale, as if Orcs wouldn’t have eaten them the moment they spawned on Erseron.” Katharin Jovanovic, Northern Bard.
	On Tieflings…	Neutral “Ah the horned ones, fumed with some deviant fire they are. When I stood up to debate taxes with one of ‘em in our main hall I nearly thought he was hitting on me?! I guess that's why they never got their own domain, too distracted with magic and chasing each other with devious means” Jan Janson, Southern Hintish pyromancer.

Character Traits

Upon creation of a Hinterlander Human character, you can pick two of the following traits for your character to reflect their background.

Racial Traits - Hinterlander Humans
Adaptive	Thrice per battle, players with this trait may choose a stat modifier of their choice when rolling for any action during their turn.
Abnormally Tall	Players with this trait are considered LARGE creatures instead of MEDIUM.
Sea Legs	Players with this trait have a speed bonus on the ocean when in a boat and can hold their breath for double the amount of time. Water doesn't slow their movement and gives them a +1 on attack rolls
Knowledgeable	Players with this trait get two extra lvl 1 spell slots and one extra lvl 2 spell slot.
Hintish Heritage	Players with this trait harvest double the meat and crops from their farms/animals due to their farmer's background. They also get an additional +1HP.
Arcane initiate	Players with this trait know the "Windblast" spell without needing to be a spellcaster
Packmule	Players with this trait have a maximum weight cap of +20