Brevoy/People

The people of Brevoy are called Brevans by foreigners but the Brevans call themselves either Rostlanders or Issans, depending on where they come from.

The nation of Brevoy was once two vastly different nations locked in a constant state of war before being conquered by Choral the Conqueror (aka the Mad King) and his dragons. After centuries of rule by his descendants, the Dragonscale Throne now sits empty and Brevoy must now decide its own destiny.

The peasants of Brevoy are the largest part of the population and owe taxes and fealty to one of the house lords. Their life consists of working from dawn to dusk, farming if they live in Rostland, or either fishing or mining if they live in Issia. In the long, dark winter months there is no shortage of mending, brewing, carving, and cleaning. The wise peasant attends to their own house and avoids the attention of noble and priest alike, praying to all their gods simply for decent weather, good crops, a healthy family, and the peace with which to enjoy them.

### Dwarves

Though typically rare in northeastern Avistan, dwarves exist in small numbers in almost every community in Brevoy. Many serve as town blacksmiths, masons, militia quartermasters, or pawnbrokers. The small mining village of Brunderton in eastern Rostland has an overwhelming dwarven citizenry—most dwarves in the region can claim at least one relative or acquaintance that calls the hamlet home—and gem and ore traders from Brunderton travel throughout the area peddling their wares. Rumors of untapped or unclaimed mines hidden throughout the Stolen Lands are enough to get most dwarves interested in exploring the wilderness.

### Elves

Full-blooded elves are rare in Brevoy and harshly distrusted. The few elves that have emigrated from their homeland, the Empire, up the Sellen River to Brevoy have generally done so as exiles or fugitives. Often, these "Forlorn" elves, are shunned as a result of their actions or reputations which may result in them having difficulty finding work. As a result, they use their natural skills in stealth and combat to make money or food, which generally means crime. And thus their reputation worsens along that with all elves.

Long ago, the elves maintained a stronger presence in this region, and rumors of surviving elven ruins scattered throughout the Forest have long intrigued elven scholars and historians.

The Brevic city of Restov boasts one of the largest concentrations of elves in the region. An elven ghetto where elves go to perform legitimate work to try to restore their reputation or to hide from the law or the Empire.

#### Half-Elves

Half-Elves on the other hand, are more numerous and suffer much less stigma than their full-blooded kin. The upper classes have a long history of embarrassing illegitimate half-elf progeny, and as a result, many of the region’s half-elves claim some noble heritage (though such claims aren’t generally recognized). Other half-elven settlers in the region are the result of trysts between locals and elves from the Empire. Regardless of their origins, half-elves find their adaptable nature well suited to Brevic life.

### Half-Orcs

Throughout the civilized world, half-orcs suffer ostracism and prejudice, yet many find Brevoy not merely tolerant of their kind, but in fact refreshingly accepting. Brevans don’t view half-orcs with the same disdain that the half-breeds receive in other parts of the world, and any half-orc who adheres to the strict, provincial customs of the land achieves the same level of acceptance that a similarly compliant full-blooded human would. Half-orcs blessed with less overtly bestial features might attempt to pass for human, keeping the unseemly conditions of their birth a closely guarded the secret and leaving their past behind as they start again with a clean slate in Brevoy. Some embrace their heritage, however, and are rewarded; warlords among feuding citystates often recruit half-orcs to serve as elite soldiers, officers, and law enforcement, valuing their blend of strength and cunning.

### Hobbits

Brevan halflings tend toward transient lifestyles that shuffle them throughout Brevoy, often accompanying Varisians, experiencing both sides of Rostland and Issia. Halflings often work as street performers, pickpockets, or legitimate shop or tavern owners; their natural penchant for stealth and showmanship makes them valuable assets to both the ruling elite and underground criminal organizations.

### Humans

Humans constitute the most populous race in and around Brevoy. And are divided into three main ethnic groups:

* Ethnic Taldans make up well over half the region’s human population; many trace their lineage back to the explorers and soldiers who first tamed the wild countryside ages ago. Taldans have "flowing" brown hair and green, blue, or grey eyes.
* Descendants of Choral’s conquering army possess strong Kellid bloodlines, as do the barbaric hordes of nearby Numeria. Kellids are hardy folk of fair skin with dark hair and eyes.
* Spring and autumn bring fleets of Varisian flatboats to the Sellen’s waterways as the nomadic people make their seasonal migration around Brevoy and the Lake of Mists and Veils. Varisians are lithe folk with wildly varying eye and hair colours, "expressive" eyes, and a tendency to tattoo themselves.

#### Kellids

Whenever a resident of the continent thinks of or refers to a "barbarian", they are most likely picturing a Kellid. Kellid culture, like the Kellid people, is shaped by its harsh surroundings. It is a primitive tribal culture that values tribal loyalty. Few outsiders can gain a Kellid clan's respect, though those who do through honesty and strength are as welcomed as family. Only a handful of Kellid strongholds welcome outsiders and these are without exception very highly selective.

The language of the Kellids, Hallit, is a coarse language with no written form.

### Brevic expressions

Brevans are renown for their pessimism:

* “When the wolf shows you his teeth, he’s not smiling.”
* “Riders at night carry no glad tidings.”
* “Winter always follows spring.”
* “As the stars see me” (a common oath asserting the truth)
* “The stars see all.”
* “The dragon has two heads” (referring to both the crest of the Conqueror and the duplicity of the nobility).
* “The temple is close, but the night is cold. The tavern is far, but I have a cloak.”
* “Fire is everyone’s ally, but no one’s friend.”
* “Death makes cradles for us all.”
* “No man dies wishing he had worked more.”