shurrans

The one clan that eventually came to dominate many others - Shurrah - was always a force to be reckoned with. One does not achieve greatness without sacrificing something in return, a truth the shurran people know all too well. They chose to sacrifice anyone outside their clan. Whether slain on the battlefield or enslaved to spend a lifetime in servitude, Shurrah devoured many in their quest for power. And this aggressive attitude remains alive in the people long after they were beaten back by Farum. With the terraforming of the desert, however, their hearts are slowly turning away from fighting to building.

The small clan of Shurrah was founded on the borders of the Deadland by exiled warriors from other clans. They almost immeadiately went on the warpath to take revenge on those who sent them away. Once that was over, they pillaged for wealth. Their clan grew fast as there wasn't anyone who could stand for long against them. Even united clans fell under the blades of the Shurrah.

This went on until they encountered the southern farumen colonies. For the first time shurrans met their equals on the field of battle. Farumens used advanced weapons against the shurrans, which initially stopped their advance. The vastly outnumbered colonists were eventually overwhelmed, but the casualities caused by them set the shurran hearts on fire. They invaded the farumen heartland only to be beaten back. But when they expected the counterattack from Farum, it didn't come. Instead the two nations signed a peace treaty, ending the war. At least officially.

Shurrah was now stuck between Farum and the Deadland. With no chance to move up north, they instead looked to the south. They claimed all lands along the northern border of the Deadland, since the desert stopped them from advancing south. As time went on however, shurran slaves accidentally discovered a way to terraform the desert, making it possible to expand further down south.

Shurrans believe in strength and power. In their world, whatever you can take, you deserve. Anyone not related to you by blood is fair game. And if you can't force your will upon others, you are meant to serve them.

Lowest among the people of Shurrah are the slaves. They are the people who were not killed in the shurran conquest, but instead forced into servitude. And their children and their children and so on... Their tasks can range from manual labor and forced military service(only as low rank footmen) to house service to the Trueblood. Most slaves have no rights, but those who are sent to terraforming labor can technically ascend to the status of 'marred' or sometimes even become a gardener.

Shurrans who have slave blood in their veins are called marred, due to their lighter skin. The marred have it much better than the slaves as they have many of the Trueblood rights. They can own land but not slaves, gain rank in the military and most importantly are free. They are the middle class, not born into either wealth or servitude, left to fend for themselves in the world. Most shurrans are marred, living a life like commoners or citizens among the farumens.

The Trueblood are the shurrans directly hailing from the founding warriors and ONLY the founding warriors. They are the highest class in Shurrah, the only ones permitted to rule. They form the shurran priesthood, who are the spiritual leaders of the people. The shurran territorial leaders - the chieftains - are also all Trueblood, no one else is allowed to lead. Trueblood are the most ruthless among the shurrans, their mere sight a cause of terror for anyone.

The terraforming of the desert caused many changes in shurran society, one of which is the existence of gardeners. They are terraforming specialists, equally experienced in engineering, construction, botany as well as manual labor and leadership. They are jack-of-all-trades in terraforming, their skills honed by long years of working in the desert. Almost always former slaves, with a few exceptions being marred. For their service, they are given unique rights, such as complete control over a part of the desert, which they are terraforming(a garden).