Parcines

Situated to the south of the Republic, this is a small but ferocious nation. Centuries ago, its people were driven from the plains where they dwelled and forced into the lower reaches of the Blackroot mountains by the armies of Quintus the Marauder, one of the last kings of Iridine, and relations between the two countries are cold to this day. Despite this their people mix freely, and mountain-born folk often travel to the warmer, more virile Republic to get a fresh start. The Parcines are often considered to be very self-serving and covetous by others. They also tend to be quite good at making do with very little.

The Parcines are originally plains folk that were driven into the hills by the Iridines and other 'civilized' peoples.

The Blackroots are the original inhabitants of the mountains (as far as recorded history is concerned).

- Japes ​(forum post)

Geography

Parcines are located in the lower reaches of the Blackroot mountains.

Appearance

Parcine people tend to be average to smaller in size than the average Iridinian, with every now and then a taller one cropping up. They have wiry, corded muscles rather than massive bulk, and tend to be more dexterous and agile than strong.

Their chests are likely to be larger on average than other persons due to a larger lung capacity needed for life in the mountains. Their skin tends to be deeply tanned winter and summer, over a natural brown or dark color, and their hair is usually thick and glossy black. Eye color is mostly black or deep brown with the occasional hazel or dark grey. Green, blue, and light colored eyes are very rare though not unheard of. Parcines tend to sharp, prominent features in the face and long fingers and toes.

Culture

TBC

Rumours & Word of Mouth

• "The Parcine people used to live in the plains in the southeast portion of what is now the Republic of Iridine. They were pushed into the mountains by Quintus the Marauder."
• "I'm told the Parcine people are quite deadly with a bow and arrow."
• "We don't see many Parcines here. The library isn't a popular spot for them. We do have a tutor who teaches the language, though."

History

The Parcine people started as plains dwellers centuries ago, roving from one sea of grass to the next with their herds, horses, and collapsible homes with the turn of the seasons. Composed of a loose confederation of clans, their government consisted of a clan council which met twice yearly in great clan gatherings designed to allow the clans to intermingle, conduct trade, solve disputes, and marry off children to unrelated clans. The council members were those who by their wisdom and strength had kept the clan strong, fed, and prosperous in its yearly travels. With the advent of Quintus the Marauder, a King of Iridine, this all changed. Quintus' army, over a series of brutal years, drove the Parcine people into the foothills of the Blackroot mountains, taking their plains in conquest and killing their herds and people.

The Parcines, while mostly peaceful people, knew how to fight back and did so, but their weapons and fighting skills were no match for Iridine's efficient killing machines, the legions. Driven into the mountains, the Parcines had to learn to cope with a new land and climate while the Iridines consolidated their winnings. When the Iridines attempted to push the Parcines further a few years later, they discovered to their surprise that this once inferior culture had learned new fighting tactics suitable to their new home, and could hold off the Iridine armies with guerrilla fighting tactics, decimating the centuries and melting away into the mountains like ghosts. This new people proved too fierce to subjugate quickly, and Iridine settled for owning the plains while keeping a wary eye on their former owners to the south.

Religion

Like any nomadic people, the Parcine gods are those of sun and moon, wind and rain thunder and lightning…things that travel at will and cross their paths frequently.

Animal spirits figure prominently in Parcine religion, both good and bad, and plant spirits, though lesser, exist as well. Parcines worship the forces of Nature, recognizing these as more powerful than any man and being the ultimate balance.

Parcines have no problem recognizing the Iridine's god Ereal as a major god, as he is the sun to them, but they have many hundreds of lesser spirits and gods that must be remembered as well, a fact which agitates most priests of Ereal.

Parcines bury their dead, an old habit from the time when they lived upon the plains, upon which burning a body upon a funeral pyre was at best foolhardy and at worst devastating, should a fire get out of hand and run wild across the seas of grass.

Politics

TBC