Gravicans
“Hard steel and hard people make for a tough empire, and hard times make both. The Gravicus Empire has had more than its share of the latter, and now we benefit from the former.”
Racial Abilities
Gravicans, due to their long history, are an especially hardy people that are able to weather difficult scenarios. They are extremely psychologically resilient, fear rolls off them as water off a duck; Additionally The Children of Gravicus can survive extreme temperatures of both warmer and colder climates for longer than any other race of Humans.Fear Resistance: Due to their connection to Sequestus, a Gravican is practically immune to fear and intimidation. Only supernatural forms of terror are truly effective against them, and even the efficacy of these are severely reduced. Weather Resistance: Gravicans can survive in tremendous ambient heat and cold for longer than a typical human can. They can survive 75 degree celcius weather for up to 10 minutes, and can survive weather down to -100 degrees celsius for a similar amount of time. See Cold Resistance.
Redlines
- Though Gravicans are exceptionally resistant to the effects of fear, they still feel it, and are still ultimately rational beings, capable of weighing odds and deciding when it is better to flee rather than fight. Their fear resistance is a result of extreme cultural conditioning to ignore the effects of fear rather than not feel it in the first place.
- The weather resistance Gravicans enjoy only extends to ambient forms of temperature. Sources of damage such as fire or extremely cold substances which might cause frostbite are still effective.
- Gravicans despite their description, receive no additional racial bonus to strength.
Major Settlements/Points of Interest
Myrefall
Located upon the North Eastern Ravine of Anoma’s west coast, sits the beautiful Village of Myrefall, a tranquil and calm town on the surface with an interesting secret... Some say the coming and goings of the Knights of the House are odd, they appear to disappear for days on end while others say its merely hearsay...What is for certain is that the fabled Dragon’s Lair Tavern sits above the rest of the buildings, its cheers, merriment, and exuberance flowing down, out over the settlement. In the old world, Gravicus, the titular city upon a hill, is the heart of the Gravicus empire, the city which all roads connecting their empire eventually lead to. It is a massive metropolis, where people from around the world gather to buy and sell anything conceivable, witness spectacular events at the colosseums of, and look for mercenary companies to help their nations.History
The Gravicus Empire is a very old political entity. Some say it goes all the way back to the dawn of man, when Anomalous first let humanity upon the world. The legends say, Gravarus himself was among the first men. Regardless of the truth of this part of the story, the next is unquestionable; Gravarus and his group were beaten and thrown from every land they visited. For a period of several thousand years the Gravicus were mere wandering bands, staying anywhere they could that would let them, until they were forcefully found and expelled. This went on for an age, until the Dwarves rose out of the ground and the bronze age began. The First Emperor of Gravicus, Graven I, was said to have heard the voice of Sequestus upon taking up his first Bronze Gladius, telling him that he was to create and settle a great empire on the hill he stood upon. Graven I declared this to his people, and they agreed, being sick of running. Gravicus was formed there, and the people resolved to fight or die on that hill. Though many died there, many more lived to fight, and with a long list of historical pogroms, the Gravicus Empire had casus belli to attack almost whomever they pleased. The past two millennia have seen ups and downs for the Gravicus, but these past two hundred years have also seen an almost meteoric rise in their power, technology, and bureaucracy, leading to them controlling about half of the land all of humanity controls through conquest or diplomacy. Their legions are now commonly armed with simple guns and cannons, in addition to their pilum and gladii, and their auxiliary cavalry is some of the best in the world. Gravican horses are seen as the best equestrian mounts in all of the lands, prized above all others.Naming Traditions
Feminine names
Example Female Names: Julia Galla Valerius, Paula Lucilia Claudius, Maximiliana Porcia Tulius, Aurelia Fabricia Pompeius, Flaviana Aemiliana Antonius
Masculine names
Example Male Names: Vitus Balbinus Faustus, Valens Secundus Flavius, Nero Fabricius Publicus, Hortensius Cloelius Servius, Valens Jovian Manius
Family names
Gravicans carry names that follow a Greco-Roman, or latin naming convention, typically with a given name, a chosen name, and a family name.
Culture
Culture and cultural heritage
Outsiders to the Gravicus, those unfamiliar with the deeper facets of their culture, frequently only perceive their hard, conquering exterior. After all, the image of the Gravican legion is iconic, the idea of the conquering Gravican armies goes hand in hand with any thought of their empire, so it is hard to separate this at first from the view inside the empire. However, those more familiar with the empire, or perhaps merely its partisans, would tell you of the great improvements the Gravicans make in the lands they occupy; The magnificent roads, the gleaming aqueducts and soaring architecture, the fine wine and the prosperity that the merchants enjoy. Despite the undeniable fact that they are an imperialistic conquering force, they have clearly remembered the wounds they suffered in the past, and instead of becoming embittered and hate-filled by these, they have attempted to do right by all, so as to not create their own little Gravicus empire in opposition to themselves. While these ideals have not always been met, generally speaking, dealing with a Gravican is a straight-forward affair, and their borders at home have not changed for several decades, as they have consistently acted in an even handed fashion in their dealings.
Almost all Gravicans speak Gravican and Common.
Religion
The Gravicans follow the Church of Armus, which preaches for the Brother Gods Anomalous and Sequestus, at least in name. In reality, they almost exclusively follow Sequestus, mixed with a form of ancestor worship. They favor Sequestus so heavily because he is purported to be the patron deity of their nation, however the form of ancestor veneration comes entirely from their own culture, and is not seen elsewhere. Frequently Gravicans will carve small ivory idols of a well-loved grandparent or family member who has recently passed and carry it with them in some way, believing it will bring them good luck, and these are almost always buried with the gravican who owned them, though occasionally for extremely well loved or accomplished loved ones they will pass the individual idol on to their firstborn, hoping the greatness will continue to manifest itself in their family. In addition, most Gravicans have a small ancestor shrine in their home, usually represented by a bust of a veiled figure if the family is less wealthy, but if they're wealthy enough to produce or purchase busts of their dead ancestors, the shrine will typically feature multiple versions of these.Family
Family in Gravican culture is extremely important. Revering their ancestors for the luck they bring is but one part of their family ties. Living family is very important to a Gravican, and they almost all have a great many family members. Usually each person has between three and six children, and will grow up knowing their cousins and second cousins, making for a huge family web for almost every Gravican.Food
The Gravicans love pasta, seafood, wine, and sweet, tangy flavors. Many of their traditional dishes are combinations of seafood and pasta, though notably the sandwich was invented by a Gravican, the most famous of which consists of pulled pork, a subtle cheese known as Swars cheese for the region it comes from, and pickles.Art & Architecture
Gravicans are exceptionally good at realistic carvings and architecture, and their cities show it. On most corners, one can find busts or full-body marble statues of people from the local township, usually prominent figures, though sometimes a person will pay for their own statues out of simple pique. It is a very fashionable thing to do and a public display of wealth which is viewed favorably, as it gives the people a piece of art to look at. Jewelry or other displays of wealth on the other hand, tend to be viewed as purely self-indulgent. Their architecture, though very functional, still manages to be beautiful to look at, and they are ingenious enough to pursue large buildings and projects which many others wouldn't even consider possible.
Encompassed species
Related Myths
Related Locations
Height: Male: 5’2" to 6’5" Female: 4’10” - 5’10”
Eye Color: Brown, Purple, Green, Blue, Grey
Hair Color: Grey, Brown, Black, Red
Age Range: Adulthood is reached at eighteen, Middle-age is reached at forty, Elderhood is reached at sixty-five
Block Speed: 6
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