Any distinctions among human ethnicities are inevitably muddled because of several centuries of settlement and conquest have ensured that no division is absolute. During the Dragon Wars of the Seventh Age, a warrior calling himself Edmonde the Golden gathered a diverse army of Rournar, Alran, Vur, and Travek, as well as a small number of elves, half-elves, and half-orcs. Edmonde led his makeshift army against the ancient wyrms, felling dozens of the terrible beasts. Once the last dragon had retreated from Edmonde’s sizable army, he turned his attentions towards ruling an empire of his own. Fearing a terrible civil war in human lands, the dwarves of Druskeden offered the wild, untamed lands south of their own to the warlord. Edmonde and his army marched south into this new land, sparing Migdalia another terrible war, and forming the nation of Althea in the process.Somewhat isolated in their new country, the remnants of Edmonde’s army married and bred amongst themselves, eventually coalescing into a relatively new ethnic group known as Haelyn. Compared to other cultures, particularly Rournar and Soltanna, the Haelyn have relatively weak class divisions. Hard work and good fortune have been enough to catapult more than one member of the lower classes into a comfortable middle or even upper class. Haelyn despise class divisions based upon heritage and birth, and some of the most well-loved Haelyn bard tales involve noble bandits and freedom fighters who strike against tyranny and oppression.
Haelyn tend to be fiercely independent, and are protective of their freedoms, and enslavement or forced conscription of others is a grave sin in their society. Loyalty to one’s kin and neighbors are given a great deal of respect, a tendency which makes for very close-knit communities. Where a Haelyn lacks kin, his loyalty is often transferred to settlement, guild, company, band, or other organization. Few Haelyn, however, are directly loyal to the government. Althea, for instance, has a notoriously underpowered central monarchy, which possesses only the power given to it by the nation’s four baronies. These baronies, in turn, are kept in check by each other and the populous in general, which is generally not afraid to topple corrupt or oppressive rulers. Some dwarves have even remarked that the people seem to govern themselves, with the monarchy added simply as a means of dealing with foreign powers.
Personality: As mentioned above, Haelyn value freedom and independence above all else. Most adopt an isolationist “mind your own business” attitude, content not to raise trouble if left unprovoked. Once a threat has presented itself, however, Haelyn become fierce combatants, especially if faced against authority figures. Faced with inequality and oppression, the typical Haelyn becomes a tireless crusader for the rights of the downtrodden common man, an inclination which has earned them a reputation for being rabble-rousers and instigators. Still, most Haelyn are content to live simple, quiet lives, with as little interference from outsiders and vague, nebulous government entities as possible.
Physical Description: Haelyn are of medium height and build, with a skin that tends to have a dusky hue. Haelyn hair and eye color vary wildly, with brown hair and blue eyes being the most common. Most Haelyn prefer simple clothing or armor, with few adornments or decorations. A few, however, are fond of stylized dragon designs, in honor of the late King Edmonde, who is generally considered to be a great hero and the founder of their race. Haelyn warriors favor weapons of all types, but most would rather wield a blade carried by his ancestors than have a new one made. Gaudy or outlandish styles of dress are almost unheard of in Haelyn society, and are typically chuckled at behind the backs of individuals so dressed.
Relations: Haelyn tend to be incredibly accepting of outsiders, so long as the individual causes no harm to others and generally keeps to themselves. A peaceful dark elf living in a makeshift hut at the edge of the village is generally preferred to a zealous priest or an overly inquisitive bard. Elves are looked upon favorably by many Haelyn, and most half-elves are descended from Haelyn humans. Dwarves occupy a relatively unique place in Haelyn hearts; though most Haelyn are on friendly terms with dwarven travelers, the two groups have clashed numerous times in the past. Even on the battlefield, however, both races tend to treat the other with respect and honor. Gnomes and Halflings are disliked on general principle, most likely due to their habits of asking innumerable pointless questions and stealing everything that isn’t nailed down, respectively.
Alignment: The majority of Haelyn are chaotic, with strong Good tendencies. Few Haelyn are comfortable with lawful alignments, and paladins and monks are a rarity among their number. Many Haelyn simply have deep-seated problems with authority, and laws which protect villains, rather than help the common people.
Religion: The melting pot nature of Haelyn society has ensured that most deities are venerated in Haelyn-occupied lands. Though many have accused the Haelyn people of being blind to the presence of evil temples in their lands, the Haelyn insist that the evil priests have every right to practice their own religion – right up until doing so causes harm to the community. At that point, such temples are inevitably forced to answer to an angry mob.
Language: Haelyn speak their own language, Impara. The Impara tongue is a conglomeration of words and phrases borrowed from other languages, and exists as a sort of hybrid form of the Common tongue. Impara is spoken extensively within Haelyn lands, though the language receives little use beyond their borders.
Names: Haelyn names are diverse, with surnames typically denoting the profession of the individual. For instance, a smith would be known as Thomas Smith. Were he to have a son who chose to become a Thatcher, the son would likely adopt the surname of Thatcher. Professional warriors usually assume surnames invoking battle or gallantry, such as Brightarmor or Ironarm. This evolving surname tradition typically drives genealogists and record keepers crazy...which may well be the reason the Haelyn do it in the first place.
Adventures: Haelyn typically take to the adventuring lifestyle in order to combat some perceived wrong or injustice, and invariably find more causes to crusade against as they travel the world. For this reason, Haelyn adventurers are relatively common, as are, interestingly enough, Haelyn bandits.
Human (Haelyn) Racial Traits
* Medium size. As Medium creatures, humans have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.* Human base land speed is 30 feet.
* 1 extra feat at 1st level. Humans are quick to master specialized tasks and varied in their talents.
* 4 extra skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each additional level, since humans are versatile and capable.
* Haelyn receive a +2 racial bonus on Concentration, Knowledge (nobility and royalty), and Sense Motive checks.
* Automatic Languages: Impara. Bonus Languages: Any.
* Favored Class: Any.
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