Nalsai

Dark Elves

When they were first encountered, the humans called them dark elves, due to their similar body shape and pointy ears, but this is something both the Nalsai and the Elves found very offensive, so it is now a secondary name for them, used only by humans.

Appearnace

Their skins range from charcoal to dark grey, which blends well with the trees here, many of which have dark grey or even black bark.
They have long limbs and a tall stature, they have red eyes, their irises taking up almost the entire eye, except for the pupil.
Most of them have straight black hair, and in their culture, curly or even wavy hair is considered a peasant trait and quite unattractive.
Their teeth are sharp and uniform in size, reminding one of the teeth of sharks. They have these to aid in their carnivorous diet.

Carnivores

The Nalsai are the only known corporeal race that has an exclusively carnivorous diet, and they get most of their food from their herders, who raise various kinds of cattle.

They don't have any agriculture whatsoever despite their lands being especially fertile, since they can't eat such produce, which is also why much of their population is still nomadic, leading their herds across the land.

This diet means that they have been able to support much smaller populations than their neighbors, but what they lack in numbers, they more than make up for in strength, intelligence, and sheer cunning.

Culture

Their culture largely revolves around individual hunting and fighting ability, and while they also get a lot of food from herding, their favorite meal is the one they hunted themselves. Both men and women participate in this tradition, and children are often brought along to learn from the adults. They will use all parts of hunted game, eating the meat, even the organs, using the pelts for clothing since they have no industry for grown fabrics, such as cotton.

They will hunt anything that they can eat, but their favorite prey are the Felmen to their southern border. This is a mythical and most prestigious prey to them, and any who can slay such a dangerous foe is most worthy of respect. On their border live the wolf Felmen, so they are most commonly hunted by the Nalsai, eaten, and turned into coats, as is tradition when hunting Felmen.

Their clothing is often made from the skins of whatever an individual has hunted, supplemented by woolen fabrics, which they purchase from the herders.

Leadership

They are led by tribal councils, chosen from among the eldest and most experienced hunters. This council keeps the peace, enforces laws, acts as judges, and makes sure everyone behaves themselves.
This system was designed for living in smaller tribes, and works very well with those still nomadic, but the few of them that have since transitioned to city life have experienced trouble with this.
This has prompted the creation of city governments, elected bodies that are able to administer the settlements' affairs much more efficiently.

Each nation is also led by a high chief, who is in charge of larger-scale matters, as well as foreign affairs.

Ethnicities

The Nalsai are divided into four main ethnic groups

Southern

The southerners are the most urbanized, even though their cities are all still tiny by Veskaren standards. They are the industrialists of the Nalsai, producing most of the metal works and more complicated wooden crafts. This gives them an important role in greater Nalsai society, one which lends them a lot of influence, and most of the Nalsai are either their subjects or tributaries.

Western

The Western Nalsai are known for their herding of alpaca, which they do mostly in their highlands. They produce meat and wool, which they export to the other Nalsai.

Grass

The Grass Nasai live in the arid, grassland interior of the Nalsai homeland. They are the least densely populated of all Nalsai cultures, but they serve an important role, that of transporters. Their caravans, largely consisting of ox-pulled wagons, carry goods across this perilous terrain. It is also here that they hunt elephants, a most coveted prey, capable of feeding many families for weeks.

Northern

The Northern Nalsai are known for their love of sea critters. They eat whatever they can find, but they especially love hunting the great and dangerous beasts that lurk under the water, like sharks and whales. These creatures provide more food than any village can eat, so they transport this food across the land, selling it to other Nalsai, and even Baskth. They use whale fat and salt to preserve said products.