The Pale Men

The Pale Men is an umbrella term used to describe members of enigmatic tribes assumed to be humans who delve in the ancient practices of men, those that existed before the Progenitor fell from the heavens. They have close ties with the city-state of Druvenia, whose occult leaders are theorized to be somehow in contact with the Pale Men.

Their tribal heartlands, known as the Mourning Plateau, are situated betwixt Druvenia and the Black Forest, where most men dare not tread without a trusted guide, as rumors that the Pale Men engage in human sacrifice and other heinous practices are plentiful. Some even think that these sinister tribals are not humans at all, but apparitions of a long-dead people that haunt the living world, yearning for a return to a time of prosperity long since lost.

Only one thing is for sure, these tribesmen are part of Nascindor's history in a way that very few others can claim to be, and they hold knowledge that none outside their tribes know of.

The Old Ways

The Pale Men revere the White Raven, a god they believe to take the form of a snow-white raven that heralds the coming of great hardship, but also a chance to grow and better oneself through said hardship. Those who see the White Raven are expected to journey forth in pursuit of the god and, in facing the tribulations of said journey, earn the right to pluck and bring back one of its ivory feathers. Those who return with such a feather are often made into Pale Shamans, the wise men and women of the tribe in charge of their spiritual guidance and growth.

The Pale Men were also aware of the Tapestrum Arcanum long before the officially recognized discovery by the forebears of the Enlightened Few, but they call the layer of magic "The Beyond", and project into the tapestry only in times of great need, for they believe that the tapestry is home to evil spirits that can attach themselves to those who project into it, thus gaining access into the real world where they will seek to do evil. Instead, when threatened, the Pale Men most often resort to summoning what they refer to as their ancestral spirits, allowing carefully curated magical entities access to the real world through ritual possession. Whether or not this is just psychosis induced through a spiritual fervor or actual spirits overtaking the warriors of the tribes is unclear, but the effect is impressive nonetheless, as a possessed warrior is a match for several Telothian legionnaires.

Divines

• White Raven

by AI-generated

_{One of the Pale Shamans, the medicine-men of the Pale Men. The full coverage mask of bone is a warning to others, a reminder that the shaman is in contact with death itself.}