Aradin

"We are the people of the earth, we are the people of the sand, we are the people of the river and we are the people who refuse to be forgotten!"
— Dynasty King Kadir

The native men of Arad, the Aradin, which loosely means 'all of Arad united', are a proud and highly diverse people whose traditions, knowledge and culture go back centuries before the founding of Thripia. After the invasion of the Thalassians lead by Halemica the Conqueror, the Aradin were forced into a pact which forbade them from living in the lands east of the Ranad Mountains, though this was largely abolished by Dynasty King Kadir.

Appearance

The Aradin have numerous distinct features which set them apart from other men. They are known, in particular, for their unusual, pointed ears which immediately distinguish them from Thripians. Famous also is their earthy reddish skin color and tremendous size. On average, most Aradin are a head or more taller than Thripians and typically have large builds with well-muscled arms. Their eyes are wide and often gold, blue, silver or green in color, their hair a thick black or brown, sometimes pale red. Aradin often have long dreadlocks which they may tie together or braid.

Organisation

The Aradin are a disparate, decentralized group made up of a plethora of minor subcultures. The word Aradin, technically, refers to them only when united as one tribe under the leadership of a War Chief. Else wise, their people are comprised of a variety of groups based around families and communities referred to as tribes. Each tribe is different, adapted to live in their territory, and with different customs, beliefs and skills to suit. Some have only a few dozen members whereas others can have hundreds or even thousands among them, spread throughout a large area. Each tribe, generally without exception, has two leaders; a chief and a seer. Chiefs are responsible for leading the tribe and making important decisions. The Aradin consider it a custodial role and the chief must care for all members of his people without exception. Generally, the chief is the matriarch or patriarch of the most powerful family unit in the tribe. Seers, on the other hand, are chosen for their merit and are responsible for using ichor, are trained in their own form of the Oracular Arts, and interpret visions of the future for the tribe. They advise the chief and are also responsible for spiritual wisdom. There exist, throughout Arad, many known Aradin tribes.

The Toredin are a particularly ancient tribe who have a great history but are not as powerful as they once were. Notably, Drand was thought to be a Toredin.
The Durdan once united the Aradin under the War Chief Ordun during the First Aradin War. They are known for their skilled hunters.
The Raden are a nomadic tribe who live in the Meleatte Desert, one of the only groups to do so, and are famous survivalists.
The Mokaled are perhaps the most infamous tribe among the Aradin. Highly isolationist, they live far in the southern Ranad Mountains and are known for practicing human sacrifice.
The Ruor are made up of peoples who once lived along the Meleatte River before it was conquered by the Thalassians.
The Temron, one of the largest tribes, have particularly agricultural lifestyles based around gathering food and small crop fields.
The Lelorad live around the Mother Mountain and are regarded as the most spiritual of the Aradin who train seers.
The Ibir are known for being warlike and power hungry but have declined significantly since the peak of their power during the Second Aradin War. Kadir was a member of the Ibir.
The Urdorar have the greatest known warriors, loradun in particular, and are an exceptionally large and powerful tribe.
The Perodir are a very old tribe who are renowned for their craftsmen and ingenious thinkers.