Tethyrian

Dungeons & Dragons Campaign Accessory: Forgotten Realms: Races of Faerun

After centuries of enslavement and oppression by one group or another, Tethyrians are fiercely independent, protective of their freedoms and suspicious of threats posed by powerful kingdoms and empires. As Tethyrian culture is a melting pot of Calishite, Chondathan, Illuskan, and Low Netherese, Tethyrians are tolerant of and comfortable with members of other ethnic groups, with the notable exceptions of upper class Calishites and, to a lesser extent, Mulan of Thayan descent. Tethyrians are of medium build and height, although taller and broader in build than most Calishites. Their skin tends to have a dusky hue, although on average they are increasingly fairer in complexion the farther north one travels along the Sword Coast, reflecting a decreasing fraction of Calishite heritage and an increasing fraction of Illuskan and Low Netherese ancestry. Tethyrian hair and eye color varies widely, with brown hair and blue eyes being most common.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Given their disparate ancestry, Tethyrians have never developed a unique language of their own, instead adopting the language of the latest wave of conquerors or refugees. Today most Tethyrians speak Chondathan.

Culture and cultural heritage

Tethyrians hold the Proud Peoples (elves and dwarves) in high esteem, bordering on reverence, for Tethyrian folklore contains stories harkening back to the age when their ancestors dwelt in the shadow of the great dwarven and elven empires. Tethyrians are indifferent with respect to gnomes, paying the Forgotten Folk little heed, even though they dwell in Tethyrian-held lands in relatively large numbers. Tethyrian reactions to tie flings and half-orcs are sharply split. Those Tethyrians who dwell north of the Cloud Peaks and have had to battle innumerable hordes and the devilspawn of Dragonspear Castle despise those with monstrous blood running in their veins, while southern Tethyrians view them in sympathy with the Calishite perspective as simply members of the lower class. Genasai are regarded with suspicion, seen as little better than the genie-worshiping Calishites, but aasimar are often mistaken for elves or half-elves.

Shared customary codes and values

Most Tethyrians are proud of their multi-ethnic heritage, seeing their society as having defeated all would-be conquerors through assimilation rather than empire. Tethyrians are suspicious of remote rulers and large realms, a cultural bias reflected in the predominance of city-states over kingdoms and empires in Tethyrian-dominated regions. If Tethyrians have a common weakness, it is their reluctance to come together in common cause with those who are not their immediate neighbors. Tethyrians view life as a struggle to be survived through ties to family, clan, and tribe. To a Tethyrian, freedom is the most precious gift, and the enslavement of another is the greatest sin. Although an individual may guard his or her freedom through skill at arms or the accumulation of wealth and status, these are merely different means to a far more precious end. Loyalty to one’s kin and neighbor and generosity to those in need are considered far more lasting than the fleeting favor of Lady Luck. Although it has been many generations since the majority of Tethyrians dwelt in tribes, the cultural tradition of loyalty to those held dear is as strong as it ever was. Where a Tethyrian lacks kin or clan, his loyalty is transferred to settlement, guild, company, band, or other organization from a young age. A Tethyrian adventurer would rather wield a blade carried by his ancestors than have a new one forged, and would rather spend his last coin on a bard’s tale than a pint of ale.

Common Dress code

Through centuries of assimilation, Tethyrians have adopted the best arms, armor, and other equipment of other cultures. Despite adapting to local conditions, Tethyrians do share some preferences. Favored weapons include blades of any sort (the bigger, the better--that’s why they call it “the Sword Coast”), lances, maces, and short bows (adopted from the Calishites who adopted them from the elves). Tethyrians wear the heaviest armor practical for a task, which can range from chain shirts and bucklers to spiked chain shirts and bucklers to spiked full plate and a large steel shield. Moreso than most human cultures, Tethyrians have a strong knightly tradition, and the typical Tethyrian soldier is a mounted one.

Diverged ethnicities