Karthynian

*"Their curved blades were swirling with arcane energy. The warrior's faces were wrapped and their armor didn't hinder their movement through the sands. Striking their enemies with the intensity of the deserts they come from, never holding back through the battle. "*

**- *Marcario Moorehome*, *"The Sands of Karthyn."***

The **Karthynians** are human descendants of the Velesse pilgrims and the Ziza people. They are survivalist and enduring souls who find success as warriors, mages, survivalist and travelers.

## Statistics

* ***Ability Scores***+2 Constitution, -2 Wisdom;
* ***Age***Karthynians reach adulthood around 16 and often make it to three-quarters of a century.
* ***Speed***Your base speed is 30 feet.
* ***Size*** Medium
* ***Languages*** You can speak, read, and write Velli and Ziza.
* **Adrenaline Rush:** Once per day, a Karthynian may use an instant action to move up to their movement speed towards an enemy.
* **Endurance of the Sun:** Karthynians gain the *Endurance* feat as a racial ability. If character gain *Endurance* as a class feature, they can elect to take *Diehard* instead.
* **Karthynian Blades:** All Karthynians are proficient with the scimitar and may always add strength and a half to the damage.
* **Sages of the Sands:** Magic is a part of Karthynian society. All Karthynians gain a +2 Knowledge (Arcana) and +2 Miscelanous bonus to Spellcraft.
	+ Additionally, Wizards who specialize in Divination or Transmutation may drop one less school of magic. Sorcerers may gain an additional Divination or Transmutation spell per day. The school must be chosen at character creation.
* **Seekers of Aqua:** Due to living in an environment where water is harder to come by Karthynians know all the secrets to finding oasis, hidden rivers and other sources of water. Anytime a check revolves around finding natural water (search, survival, knowledge of anture, etc.) they gain a +5 to the check.

## Karthyn

*Main article: Karthyn*

Karthyn is a souteastern province in Waesyn which consist mostly of deserts, rocky mountains and grasslands. The Sahu desert is the largest desert in Waesyn covering sixty percent of Karthyn in harsh desert. While Villia is known for being inhospitable, Karthyn may be even less so due to the lack of small village to offer shelter from sand storms. Luckily some oasis are located throughout the province and the Saibar river offers some fresh water for those inland.

## Physiology

Karthynians do not have a specific build and can be lanky, stout, muscular or meek-- though their Ziza heritage and years in the suns of Karthyn has led them to have light brown to black skin. It is notable that years in the sands has caused them to become well-muscled and tough, even the thinnest of Karthynians have some sturdiness to them. Some have caramel or even yellow eyes thanks to their Ziza ancestors, and this can also lead to them having curly or wavy hair.

## History

Karthyn was founded before the first cycle. Many Velesse pilgrims decided to explore Waesyn instead of build an alliance with the Sotter Tribe. These explorers eventually found themselves in what would become Karthyn-- using the now "Rhodesse mountain range" as a natural landmark. The explorers met with other travelers from a southern continent. These people were called the "Ziza." The two worked together to make the desert hospitable and created the three major cities; "Karostar," "Saibar," and "Korrani."

By the mid-first cycle, Ziza and Velesse could no longer be differentiated and simply became "Karthynians." However Northern and Southern Karthyn started developing different cultural norms. The north continued to believe in the Cosmonious, especially Boccob due to him being the "Father of Fate." The Southern counties began believing in a god known as Al'Suwa. This caused friction between the two but given the Sahu desert separates the north and south conflict didn't arise right away.

During the second cycle the H'yuun, volcanic skin invaders from the north, invaded northern Karthyn. This led to perhaps the most honorable battle in Waesyn's history as both sides respected the other's combat prowess. The Karthynians neglected aid from their allies, Clan Akekem, as it would insult the H'yuun. The H'yuun in return promised not to harm the Saureete. The war was still two years long but the last year was almost more of a game to each side. This led to the Karthynians opening up for diplomacy and while the H'yuun did no end up with more fertile land, they did secure trade routes to Karthyn and the two have been peaceful since. The Lakar also tried to invade Karthyn during the second cycle but they were immensely unsuccessful, leading them to target easier prey in Rhoda.

During the third cycle the desert around Zhaer began to see signs of life, destroying the desert barrier between northern and southern Karthyn. The two sides are in a cold-war of sorts-- denying trade with one another and waiting for the other to strike.

## Culture

Karthyn has developed independently from the other human kingdoms with Rhoda being the only true partner in commerce and even that is a difficult partnership because of the Rhodesse mountain range. Because of this aspects of Waesyn such as the Monumentals, the Sotteran Empire and the Wynish/Shuran rivalry has little to no impact on the culture of Karthyn. Surviving the hot sun and survival has led to them being practical in regards to fashion, cuisine and architecture.

Honor is important to Karthynians, and this applies in every aspect of life besides just combat. A warrior would be scorned for holding back in battle just as much as a student would purposely get answers wrong on a test so a friend could get top of the class. This is contrasted to Wynish honor which believes that both should be equipped as equally as possible. If a Karthynian warrior doesn't use all assets available (magic, traps, items, etc.) in combat-- they are dishonorable. That being said the warriors of Karthyn understand other interpretation of honor which is why they have a healthy relationship with the H'yuun.

## Religion

The religious view is divided geographically. The North believes in the Cosmonious, with Boccob being a very popular god to celebrate. Many temples devoted strictly to Boccob are present throughout northern Karthyn with each major county capital having a 'Seer' present. This further influences the practical approach Karthynians have, and why many seek scholarly pursuits.

The South believes in Al'Suwa, a spirit of the Seeking Star that guides people in a direction but never pushes. Al'Suwa's teaching are thought to be found in ancient ruins located somewhere near Aten-- which has given it the reputation as a holy place. Al'Suwa preaches more individualism than Boccob and preaches against "Everything being written." Oddly enough the south has elected to follow a "Suwasha," a person who believes they share the blood and life force of Al'Suwa.

## Military

The Karthynian military is proficient in various different aspects of war with nothing overlooked. Infantry are trained with scimitars or falchions and how to be mobile in armor, archers are often given composite bows for stronger shots and calvary are masters of riding camel-back. Many spellswords and arcane archers are in the higher ranks as magic is praised in Karthyn.

The Karthynian navy isn't lackluster either. While the war with the H'yuun didn't end on the worst terms-- Karthynians realized that a strong navy could prevent future attacks. Since, they've been outfitting themselves with a navy in Korrani.