TRASSELEM

The average Trasselem is beautiful, fair of skin, blonde or white haired. Black or brown is unknown. Exactly 6 feet  in height, weight is from 140 to 180 pounds. The Common tongue name for Trasselem is Shieldmaiden. They worship their shields, ferocious warrioresses they hold their shields to be their prize possessions and are considered sacred. A Trasselem would die before allowing her shield to be taken from them. It is said that no Trasselem has ever lost their shield from or during combat. 

The Trasselem reside in a great valley in the Uncharted Southlands, they claimed when they visited Acandria in their thousands that it had taken them a generation or more to reach The Lands Of Law. Indeed no Serevmen has ever been there and returned to tell of it.

The styles of Trasselem life do not support the idea of marriage.  Trasselem are warriors first, mothers second, however this can be altered by circumstance. Should a Trasselem lose their shield they tend to become dumb and withdrawn and are then used for motherhood. Also when a Trasselem reaches what they consider to be old age, they often try to bare children.  These females appear to have no males, males do exist but every male child born to a Trasselem is born deformed and crippled, mostly in the legs. The Trasselem call their males Shoctaninelem. They use the Shoctaninelem as vessels, they believe males are the carriers of a sacred liquid which through ritual is placed within the Trasselem. Pregnancy lasts for around 6 months then a small and usually female child is born. Trasselem can produce between one to four young, with one being almost certain. Young take around ten years to mature and begin training under their 'Barer' or by the School of Battle. Trasselem can live anywhere and seem highly resistant to both excessive cold or heat, they tend to become sterile however in cold climates and therefore remain in the hot climates where they can keep their numbers up.

Skilled in the arts of battle and war is their way and life. When not fighting some war they train or go hunting for evil in their land. Civil war does break out amongst their settlements but there is no tribe or clan in their nation, they simply live in particular groups due to the environment and land available. They can, and often do, move to another settlement to continue their battle training with different and new opponents. Their skills and reflexes in combat are matched only by the D' Jani-Sa-Ferra, ferocious they are not mindless but have no fear of dying. It is said their shield will often jump in the way of a critical attack just at the last moment. Their shields give off no magical auras or signs so perhaps it is an innate ability within the Trasselem themselves. Skilled also in the manner of the forge and leather work, they create an artistically splendid but recurrent emblazoned armour style. Leather corsets over blue cloth, over-body garments called a 'blueth', they then don chain, and place breastplates; often with arm and leg greaves, and their typical large, steel shields, though the shield does not weigh as much as a steel shield of that size should weigh. Helmets are the only unique thing to each Trasselem that and the actual design on their shields and within them, for both sides are ornate. They also can learn almost any skill if taught well. Their patience is their downfall in learning, however, in battle they will wait for days before moving to the attack or can stay on watch for whole evenings without sitting down once. Together in battle Trasselem are a formidable team unit, moving as one with their commanders shouting and using flags, horns and screams to indicate orders and instructions. Their typical life span is long, perhaps as long as 150, typically 90 and if in a battle campaign then it drops to about 40, here is another strange thing about Trasselem they do not appear to age once over 25, staying forever young like the Galanir' but are most definitely not immortal. Shoctaninelem tend to live for around twenty to thirty years before their condition weakens and they die. They are rarely treated to a burial of any significance where as Trasselem burials or burnings are great state affairs.

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The Corvan society is based around wealth, strength and prestige. the Lord of Cran Atlak is the descendents of old leaders before Cran Atlak was founded, he maintains his position through devoted body guards and accumulated wealth, he taxes heavily and the people can always be bought into his favour if need be. The Lord of Cran Atlak is also one of the most shrewd of Corvan, and maintains the highest esteem in appearance and status. Below the Lord are the Godgi or 'Barons of Blood' in the common tongue. These have the benefit of the Lord's favour and thereby hold others in their grasp. They tend to be harsh and ruthless, as any misjudgment or loss of favour from the Lord can result in a quick removal of office and possible loss of life. Replacement Godgi are frequent and chosen from the militia. It is the militia which are the next to lowest social level they live in poor homesteads but may have several rooms and benefit from their time as guards and soldier by receiving grants of food and other forms of wealth, often they keep farming in case they should lose their coveted place in the rank and file. The poorest of Corvan society are the common folk, by and large making up the greatest numbers in any settlement they are however, severely repressed and mis-informed as to the outside world. they live in dirt-floored, single story, one-roomed shacks or cabins, often in winter bringing in their prized animals. dirt and disease abound through these homes and occasional plagues are treated with mass burnings.

Corvanish is their language, they have many dialects however, and so language diversity is becoming a problem for northern and southern Corvans, making trade harder. Corvanish does have a written language as well but not even the Godgi are obliged to use it, as almost all commands are given verbally, Corvanish also makes much use of marks and scratches to cover many common phrases or terms. Each Godgi has a personal Trac with their own mark upon it which serves as their trade proof, status proof and mark of authority. Many animal brands are this personal mark.

Corvan music is stifled to only somber drones and chants, and some religious callings, they make use only of drums and horns usually for calling together the common folk or for battle purposes. Singing and other music is forbidden, although the Lord may accept bards into his household if they wish. Bards are generally considered spies and evil wrongdoers and cast out quickly before they can spread word of better comfort in other towns not of Corvan origin.

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