Ethnicities
This section replaces the "Races" section of the Hyperborea Player's Manual.
Ethnicities in Lemuria are cultural and ethnic groupings with shared physical traits, social characteristics (e.g., language, customs, dress), and common geographic origins. The Tepenacan ethnicity is the oldest extant human ethnic group in Lemuria; two additional waves arrived hundreds of years later - the Bachaeronian Wave (~0-60 CE) and the Yamakai Wave (~56-90). Humans continue to arrive from varying backgrounds from Old Earth, but in far smaller numbers.
TEPENACAN Average to slightly less than average height people with light brown skin tone, some shewing warm red undertones. Tepenaca have thick, straight, dark hair and variable eye colour - a trait which is traditionally used by the Tepenaca to sort individuals into tribes, or what might be termed "castes". The Tepenaca as a whole are considered a very religious and reverant people, with worship of the gods serving a central role in the lives of all social classes. They regularly engage in competitive warfare between even friendly altepetls, known as "flower wars" as a means of settling political disputes, though casualties are rare and mostly limited to taking prisoners as servants for the victors. The Tepenaca castes include the Turtle (commoner) Jaguar (warrior and nobility) and Hummingbird (priestly and nobility). A fourth tribe is known as the Eagle Tribe (although occassionally others will refer to them as the Vulture tribe) that eschews such stratification. These castes are determined by eye color, making them largely genetic. However, it is customary for a child with a different eye color than his parents to be adopted at a young age into a family that matches his ordained tribe. The following table can be used to roll for Tepenaca tribes:
To roll for skin color and hair color, see Tlingit.
For names, see the following link:
https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/aztec-names.php
Real world inspiration: Mexica (Aztec) and other Nahua peoples
ERAMACIAN Brown-skinned people of variable body types, variable eye colour (blue, brown, green, or hazel), and dark, wavy to curly hair. On Old Earth, they maintained a prosperous agricultural kingdom from the city-state of Eramis, centered along a fertile floodplain frequently warring with their southern rivals, the Kushwazi. During an ebb in their geopolitical strength, they were absorbed into the nascent Bachaeronian Empire, but came to form an important economic center in that empire, at times rivaling Bachaeron as the strongest in the Empire. In Lemuria, they continue to make up the bulk of the Bachaeronian Federation. To roll for physical attributes, see Ixians. For names, use the following link: https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/egyptian-names.php or the Ixian Name generator in the Hyperborea Player's Guide (p 294) Real world inspiration: Ancient Egyptians
HITTERIAN Large-boned men of tan to bronzed skin, black hair, steely grey eyes, and thick, black beards; raven-haired she-devils, fierce, battle-tested, intimidating, and beautiful. Hitterians roots trace to the highlands and steppes of Old Earth, where they were incorporated into the Bachaeronian Empire as fierce warriors and cavalrymen. The Hitterians are not an overly religious people, but they sometimes acknowledge Crom; his name oftest used as an expletive. Chiefly the Hitterians are horsemen, drivers, and herders. Their cataphracts are feared and renowned, their artisans craft elaborate saddles, and their gold-chased scale armour is unmatched. To roll for physical attributes, see Kimmerians. For names, see the following: https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/hittite-names.php or use the Kimmerian (Krimmean) name generator in the Hyperborea Player's Manual (p.296/297) Real world inspiration: Hitties, Hurrians, and Scythians
MYDIAN Tall, ebony-skinned people with aquiline features, and brown, green, or hazel eyes. Mydians were famous for their maritime trading empire in Old Earth. Though Mydians in Lemuria are more often land dwellers, they maintain a propensity to travel across the Bachaeronian Federation, and are well known for their frugal habits and enterprising, mercentile spririt, as well as their consistent hospitality. Mydians are renowned for their mammoth-wagons, which form an indispensable component of commercial transport across Lemuria. To roll for physical attributes, see Moors. For names, see the following: https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/mandinka-names.php Real world inspiration: Mandinka (Mali Empire) and other West African peoples
KUSHWAZI Tall, broad shouldered tribesmen of dark complexion. Many Kushwazi subsist off buffalo or mammoth hunting, others roam the deserts, steppes, or savanna herding goats and aurochs, and raising hunting dogs. Kushwazi are renowned warriors well known for their feats of bravery in the War of Independence, though they also have a reputation for being unruly as soldiers. For many generations they warred with the Eramacians, at times occupying and Eramis on Old Earth, and other times being subjects of the Eramacian and eventually Bachaeronian Empires. Although only a minority of Kushwazi are worshippers of the trickster diety Onsu, his cult and the associated assassins guild of Dire Dhawa loom large in other people's estimations of the Kushwazi. To roll for physical attributes, see Moors. For names, see the following: https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/oromo-names.php Real world inspiration: Ancient Nubians and Kushites
BACHAERONIAN An olive- to brown-complexioned people of variable height. Most have thick, dark hair, but eye colour is variable: blue, brown, hazel, and grey. Although thinly populated, Bachaeronians are highly influential, owing to their early escape from Gautian captivity, and subsequent building of relationships with the Tepenaca. Concerned about the preservation of their race, they oft seek one another, attempting to build strong family units with hopes of maintaining political control over the Bachaeronian Federation. They trace their origins to the Old Earth city of Bachaeron, which through its famous legions conquered much of the known world, spanning thousands of miles from Kushwazi, through Eramacia, Mydia, and the Hitterian Steppes, though in subsequent centuries they became a minority in their own empire and often lacked control, despite the formal trappings.https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/sumerian-names.php To roll for physical attributes, see Ixians. For names, see the following: https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/sumerian-names.php Real world inspiration: Babylonians, Sumerians
SITAGAUT Average physique people with dark hair (wavy or curly), dark eyes, fair to olive skin. The term "Gaut" is an imprecise one from Old Earth - used by the Bachaeronian Empire to refer to a number of foreign peoples from the west. "Sitagaut" refers to the easternmost of these peoples, many of whom migrated to the Bachaeronian Empire. The most prominent of these peoples practiced a matriarchal society, worshipping the Snake Goddess Yig, or her grand-daughter Bendis, although a number of other Gautian groups have been incorporated. Though distinct peoples, Gautians share common linguistic roots, making their languages mutually intelligible. Due to their association with the Red Gauts, many other groups are suspicious of the Sitagauts, leading them to suffer unspeakable maltreatment, so many fled to the city of Axivria, where they are a majority. Despite their reputation, Sitagauts were invaluable in the War of Independence, serving as spies and translators due to their understanding of Gautian language To roll for physical attributes, see Amazons or Greeks. For names, see the following: https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/hellenic-names.php or use the Amazon Name Generator Real world inspiration: Ancient Greeks, especially Ionian, and Thracians.
YAMAKAI Medium height people with fair to tan complexions, dark, eyes characterized by an epicanthal fold, and straight, black hair. On Old Earth, they occupied the Yamakai Penninsula, and expanded south to the island home of the Kumaso, and had gradually colonized the previously nomadic hunter gatherers, introducing agriculture, and expanded north to the mountainous borderlands with the Hmaru. They engaged in various off and on conflicts with the much larger Qishan Empire as well, eventually maintaining a degree of tenous peace and independence. They arrived in Lemuria after a series of cyclones devasted their lands, with those lost in the storms surge finding themselves transported to southeastern shores of Lemuria. They maintain a strongly hierarchical and honour bound society, famous for their samurai warriors which proved crucial in critical battles late in the War of Independence. To roll for physical attributes, see Yakut. For names, see https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/japanese-names.php Real world inspiration: Ancient Yamato (Japanese)
KUMASO The Kumaso look similar to their Yamakai cousins, with the exception of more pronounced brow ridges, and a tendency for men to wear longer and fuller beards. Traditionally, most Kumaso subsist off a hunter gatherers lifestyle, gathering fish and crustaceans from their canoes. Some sail the seas, catching larger fish, whales and sharks. The Kumaso are renowned for their water-faring abilities and boat construction. For many generations they have faced minor conflicts with the Yamakai, whose agricultural ways have encroached on the traditions, drawing in many a young man and woman to adopt a sedentary lifestyle, and converting traditional meadows and forests into rice paddies and farmland. To roll for physical attributes, see Yakut. For names, see https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/japanese-names.php Real world inspiration: Ancient Jomon (paleolithic Japanese) with some aspects of Polynesian
HMARU Tan-skinned people with broad noses, and straight black hair. They are a reclusive, hill dwelling people who speak a unique tongue most closely related to Qishan. The Hmaru originate from the mountains bordering the Yamakai Penninsula of Old Earth. They are a deeply spiritual people that worships a limited pantheon of dieties, but also venerate their ancestors and various "place spirits" that inhabit their homes and other geographic features. In both Old Earth and Lemuria, they have come into conflict with the expansionist Yamakai. Although very hospitable to most visitors, they strongly value their independence, and most keep to their new homeland surrounding Izumi, called "lub zos dej kub" in their native tongue. However, young Hmaru are increasingly curious, finding work and adventure in nearby cities as well. To roll for physical attributes, see Lemurian. For names, see https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/hmong-names.php. However, many Hmaru in Lemuria choose to use different names when in company with outsiders, which may or may not resemble their real name. See the Lemurian Name generator in the Hyperborea Player's Manual (p. 298) Real world insipiration: Hmong (Southeast Asians, in areas around China, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos) with some elements of Ainu
QISHAN Qishan skin ranges from fair to tan complexion, and their hair is straight and dark. Men oft wear long moustaches, goatees or beards. Both sexes wear long, buttoned robes or jackets, oft over loose-fitting trousers. On Old Earth, the Qishan Empire achieved unimagined scientific and sorcerous advancement. Contact between Mydian sailors and far flung Qishan holdings were the only interactions between the Bachaeronian Empire and the Yamakai-centered realms prior to arrival on Lemuria. The Qishan empire often interfered with the nascent Yamakai kingdoms, at times warring, but quite often peacefully influencing them via trade and a proliferation of skilled advisors to Yamakai political and religious leaders. Because of their vast knowledge, Qishans have proliferated throughout the Yamakai regions, and often serve as traders due to their advanced knowledge of maths. To roll for physical attributes, see Lemurian. For names, see the following: https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/chinese-names.php or see the Lemurian Name generator in the Hyperborea Player's Manual (p. 298) Real world inspiration: Han Chinese OTHERS Since the end of the Liberation War, the appearance of new humans from other worlds has slowed considerably. However, there are still some who show up from time to time from other realms - almost invariably these people will claim to be from Earth - but possibly from alternate realities as their cultures are strange and unknown. Furthermore, there is some rumor of people coming from a place known as "Hyperborea," itself an apparent offshoot of Old Earth. Suffice to say these new people do not have their own cities, nor have they left a major mark on society at large, instead mingling into Lemuria's more established cultures.
| d100 Result | Ethnicity |
|---|---|
| 0-28 | Tepenaca |
| 31-42 | Eramacian |
| 45-50 | Hitterian |
| 52-58 | Mydian |
| 60-65 | Kushwazi |
| 67-69 | Bachaeronian |
| 70-73 | Sitagaut |
| 74-83 | Kumaso |
| 84-93 | Yamakai |
| 94-97 | Hmaru |
| 98-99 | Qishan |
TEPENACAN Average to slightly less than average height people with light brown skin tone, some shewing warm red undertones. Tepenaca have thick, straight, dark hair and variable eye colour - a trait which is traditionally used by the Tepenaca to sort individuals into tribes, or what might be termed "castes". The Tepenaca as a whole are considered a very religious and reverant people, with worship of the gods serving a central role in the lives of all social classes. They regularly engage in competitive warfare between even friendly altepetls, known as "flower wars" as a means of settling political disputes, though casualties are rare and mostly limited to taking prisoners as servants for the victors. The Tepenaca castes include the Turtle (commoner) Jaguar (warrior and nobility) and Hummingbird (priestly and nobility). A fourth tribe is known as the Eagle Tribe (although occassionally others will refer to them as the Vulture tribe) that eschews such stratification. These castes are determined by eye color, making them largely genetic. However, it is customary for a child with a different eye color than his parents to be adopted at a young age into a family that matches his ordained tribe. The following table can be used to roll for Tepenaca tribes:
| d20 Result | Tribe | Eyecolor |
|---|---|---|
| 0-10 | Turtle | Brown |
| 11-16 | Jaguar | Amber or Yellow |
| 17 | Hummingbird | Violet |
| 18-20 | Eagle | Any of the above |
ERAMACIAN Brown-skinned people of variable body types, variable eye colour (blue, brown, green, or hazel), and dark, wavy to curly hair. On Old Earth, they maintained a prosperous agricultural kingdom from the city-state of Eramis, centered along a fertile floodplain frequently warring with their southern rivals, the Kushwazi. During an ebb in their geopolitical strength, they were absorbed into the nascent Bachaeronian Empire, but came to form an important economic center in that empire, at times rivaling Bachaeron as the strongest in the Empire. In Lemuria, they continue to make up the bulk of the Bachaeronian Federation. To roll for physical attributes, see Ixians. For names, use the following link: https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/egyptian-names.php or the Ixian Name generator in the Hyperborea Player's Guide (p 294) Real world inspiration: Ancient Egyptians
HITTERIAN Large-boned men of tan to bronzed skin, black hair, steely grey eyes, and thick, black beards; raven-haired she-devils, fierce, battle-tested, intimidating, and beautiful. Hitterians roots trace to the highlands and steppes of Old Earth, where they were incorporated into the Bachaeronian Empire as fierce warriors and cavalrymen. The Hitterians are not an overly religious people, but they sometimes acknowledge Crom; his name oftest used as an expletive. Chiefly the Hitterians are horsemen, drivers, and herders. Their cataphracts are feared and renowned, their artisans craft elaborate saddles, and their gold-chased scale armour is unmatched. To roll for physical attributes, see Kimmerians. For names, see the following: https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/hittite-names.php or use the Kimmerian (Krimmean) name generator in the Hyperborea Player's Manual (p.296/297) Real world inspiration: Hitties, Hurrians, and Scythians
MYDIAN Tall, ebony-skinned people with aquiline features, and brown, green, or hazel eyes. Mydians were famous for their maritime trading empire in Old Earth. Though Mydians in Lemuria are more often land dwellers, they maintain a propensity to travel across the Bachaeronian Federation, and are well known for their frugal habits and enterprising, mercentile spririt, as well as their consistent hospitality. Mydians are renowned for their mammoth-wagons, which form an indispensable component of commercial transport across Lemuria. To roll for physical attributes, see Moors. For names, see the following: https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/mandinka-names.php Real world inspiration: Mandinka (Mali Empire) and other West African peoples
KUSHWAZI Tall, broad shouldered tribesmen of dark complexion. Many Kushwazi subsist off buffalo or mammoth hunting, others roam the deserts, steppes, or savanna herding goats and aurochs, and raising hunting dogs. Kushwazi are renowned warriors well known for their feats of bravery in the War of Independence, though they also have a reputation for being unruly as soldiers. For many generations they warred with the Eramacians, at times occupying and Eramis on Old Earth, and other times being subjects of the Eramacian and eventually Bachaeronian Empires. Although only a minority of Kushwazi are worshippers of the trickster diety Onsu, his cult and the associated assassins guild of Dire Dhawa loom large in other people's estimations of the Kushwazi. To roll for physical attributes, see Moors. For names, see the following: https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/oromo-names.php Real world inspiration: Ancient Nubians and Kushites
BACHAERONIAN An olive- to brown-complexioned people of variable height. Most have thick, dark hair, but eye colour is variable: blue, brown, hazel, and grey. Although thinly populated, Bachaeronians are highly influential, owing to their early escape from Gautian captivity, and subsequent building of relationships with the Tepenaca. Concerned about the preservation of their race, they oft seek one another, attempting to build strong family units with hopes of maintaining political control over the Bachaeronian Federation. They trace their origins to the Old Earth city of Bachaeron, which through its famous legions conquered much of the known world, spanning thousands of miles from Kushwazi, through Eramacia, Mydia, and the Hitterian Steppes, though in subsequent centuries they became a minority in their own empire and often lacked control, despite the formal trappings.https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/sumerian-names.php To roll for physical attributes, see Ixians. For names, see the following: https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/sumerian-names.php Real world inspiration: Babylonians, Sumerians
SITAGAUT Average physique people with dark hair (wavy or curly), dark eyes, fair to olive skin. The term "Gaut" is an imprecise one from Old Earth - used by the Bachaeronian Empire to refer to a number of foreign peoples from the west. "Sitagaut" refers to the easternmost of these peoples, many of whom migrated to the Bachaeronian Empire. The most prominent of these peoples practiced a matriarchal society, worshipping the Snake Goddess Yig, or her grand-daughter Bendis, although a number of other Gautian groups have been incorporated. Though distinct peoples, Gautians share common linguistic roots, making their languages mutually intelligible. Due to their association with the Red Gauts, many other groups are suspicious of the Sitagauts, leading them to suffer unspeakable maltreatment, so many fled to the city of Axivria, where they are a majority. Despite their reputation, Sitagauts were invaluable in the War of Independence, serving as spies and translators due to their understanding of Gautian language To roll for physical attributes, see Amazons or Greeks. For names, see the following: https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/hellenic-names.php or use the Amazon Name Generator Real world inspiration: Ancient Greeks, especially Ionian, and Thracians.
YAMAKAI Medium height people with fair to tan complexions, dark, eyes characterized by an epicanthal fold, and straight, black hair. On Old Earth, they occupied the Yamakai Penninsula, and expanded south to the island home of the Kumaso, and had gradually colonized the previously nomadic hunter gatherers, introducing agriculture, and expanded north to the mountainous borderlands with the Hmaru. They engaged in various off and on conflicts with the much larger Qishan Empire as well, eventually maintaining a degree of tenous peace and independence. They arrived in Lemuria after a series of cyclones devasted their lands, with those lost in the storms surge finding themselves transported to southeastern shores of Lemuria. They maintain a strongly hierarchical and honour bound society, famous for their samurai warriors which proved crucial in critical battles late in the War of Independence. To roll for physical attributes, see Yakut. For names, see https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/japanese-names.php Real world inspiration: Ancient Yamato (Japanese)
KUMASO The Kumaso look similar to their Yamakai cousins, with the exception of more pronounced brow ridges, and a tendency for men to wear longer and fuller beards. Traditionally, most Kumaso subsist off a hunter gatherers lifestyle, gathering fish and crustaceans from their canoes. Some sail the seas, catching larger fish, whales and sharks. The Kumaso are renowned for their water-faring abilities and boat construction. For many generations they have faced minor conflicts with the Yamakai, whose agricultural ways have encroached on the traditions, drawing in many a young man and woman to adopt a sedentary lifestyle, and converting traditional meadows and forests into rice paddies and farmland. To roll for physical attributes, see Yakut. For names, see https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/japanese-names.php Real world inspiration: Ancient Jomon (paleolithic Japanese) with some aspects of Polynesian
HMARU Tan-skinned people with broad noses, and straight black hair. They are a reclusive, hill dwelling people who speak a unique tongue most closely related to Qishan. The Hmaru originate from the mountains bordering the Yamakai Penninsula of Old Earth. They are a deeply spiritual people that worships a limited pantheon of dieties, but also venerate their ancestors and various "place spirits" that inhabit their homes and other geographic features. In both Old Earth and Lemuria, they have come into conflict with the expansionist Yamakai. Although very hospitable to most visitors, they strongly value their independence, and most keep to their new homeland surrounding Izumi, called "lub zos dej kub" in their native tongue. However, young Hmaru are increasingly curious, finding work and adventure in nearby cities as well. To roll for physical attributes, see Lemurian. For names, see https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/hmong-names.php. However, many Hmaru in Lemuria choose to use different names when in company with outsiders, which may or may not resemble their real name. See the Lemurian Name generator in the Hyperborea Player's Manual (p. 298) Real world insipiration: Hmong (Southeast Asians, in areas around China, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos) with some elements of Ainu
QISHAN Qishan skin ranges from fair to tan complexion, and their hair is straight and dark. Men oft wear long moustaches, goatees or beards. Both sexes wear long, buttoned robes or jackets, oft over loose-fitting trousers. On Old Earth, the Qishan Empire achieved unimagined scientific and sorcerous advancement. Contact between Mydian sailors and far flung Qishan holdings were the only interactions between the Bachaeronian Empire and the Yamakai-centered realms prior to arrival on Lemuria. The Qishan empire often interfered with the nascent Yamakai kingdoms, at times warring, but quite often peacefully influencing them via trade and a proliferation of skilled advisors to Yamakai political and religious leaders. Because of their vast knowledge, Qishans have proliferated throughout the Yamakai regions, and often serve as traders due to their advanced knowledge of maths. To roll for physical attributes, see Lemurian. For names, see the following: https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/chinese-names.php or see the Lemurian Name generator in the Hyperborea Player's Manual (p. 298) Real world inspiration: Han Chinese OTHERS Since the end of the Liberation War, the appearance of new humans from other worlds has slowed considerably. However, there are still some who show up from time to time from other realms - almost invariably these people will claim to be from Earth - but possibly from alternate realities as their cultures are strange and unknown. Furthermore, there is some rumor of people coming from a place known as "Hyperborea," itself an apparent offshoot of Old Earth. Suffice to say these new people do not have their own cities, nor have they left a major mark on society at large, instead mingling into Lemuria's more established cultures.
