Nalsai

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.

They are the only ones of the Corporeal races who live off an almost entirely carnivorous diet, this has given them a distinct culture and lifestyle.

Origins

The Nalsai originate from the Island of Illi, to the north-west of the Armirian continent. They have since spread far, first to the other islands, and eventually to the mainland.

Appearnace

They are of medium build, with long limbs.
They have white, grey, and dark grey skin tones, sometimes as dark as charcoal. Most commonly dominated by the darker tones, forming swirling patterns on their skin.
They have black hair and yellow eyes, with which they can see long distances, as well as in the dark. Like cats, their eyes are reflective.
Along with excellent eyesight, they have exceptional senses of smell and hearing, which they use for tracking.
They have shark cutting teeth, and notable canines, symbols of their diet.

Hierarchy

Their social hierarchies are important to them, and the only way to climb this ladder is by showing off strength and power. Nobody cares who you parents are, nobody cares how much money you have, for in Nalsai society, money is no way to get power or status, but power and status are the way to gain wealth.
It is not all about strength anymore, though. That might have been the way in the past, but there are more things the Nalsai value: intelligence, competence, and integrity.

All positions of power in the monarchies of the Nalsai are based on ancient tribal territories, now ruled by monarchies, subject to the local king.
Their inheritance laws do not follow bloodlines, but instead, anyone who proves themselves gets a chance to rule.
Titles can be contested, but only from the top up.
Chiefs may be challenged for leadership by their followers, and chiefs may challenge a duke. Finally, a duke may challenge a king.
This is to make sure that only the competent ever make it to the top. These challenges always end u with one person dying.

Each of these ranks rules over a different type of thing, and each title is important.
Chiefs rule land, and the people who live there and produce things there. Dukes lead provinces, and kings lead the nation. Each is a step up in the hierarchy.

Inherritance

For most people, the rule is that all children have a right to an equal share of their parents' assets when they die, but in reality, it is more like first-come, first-served.
When it comes to titles, these can only be inherrited through winning a challenge, and when someone collects taxes as a ruled, that money belongs to the title, and is inherrited with it, still, the children of a ruler are collectively entitled to a tenth of the rulers money uon death, unless they were in power for less than ten years, in which case each year is one percent less.

Lifestyle

Once, the Nalsai lived as full-time hunters, scouring the wilds for worthy prey to kill and eat, but no longer. The Nalsai have long since discovered the settled lifestyle and the plenty that it brings.
With the farming of livestock, they at first became nomadic herders, but eventually, they built settled cattle farms, and they discovered architecture and the many technologies of the modern day.
Still, hunting remains an important cultural tradition that all Nalsai share.

The Nalsai also have a love of nature, preferring to live amongst the trees, and even in cities, they will construct their living areas such that they are never far away from green. They take great pride in their parks and tree-lined roads.

Ethnicities

The Nalsai have spread across the west of Armir and have diversified into three main culture groups, each shaped by its history and environment.

The Irn

The Irn are the largest of the Nalsaien culture groups. They formed from a population traveling from Illi to the mainland, landing around the mouth of the Blue River, in what is now Nalsai'ia.
They have since diversified into four distinct cultures in three different kingdoms.
They were shaped by their relationship with the Felmer. No one knows who struck first, but it is known that this battle has been raging for thousands of years. Remnants of Felmer have been found all the way to the Blue River itself, suggesting that either the Felmer once lived there or they fought there, but that was long ago. The Irnen have been slowly pushing the Felmer out of the region for millennia, and it was a mere one thousand years ago that the kingdom of Lanisai was founded in newly conquered territory.

Irn-ik
The Irn'ik are the central Nalsai, the form the primary culture of Nalsai'ia. They are a proud a regal people, and they consider themselves the heart of Nalsai civilization. They domesticated the western Llama, and they were the first to construct major cities. Their king is so powerful that he can claim tribute from his smaller neighbours, even styling himself as the Nalsaien Emperor.

Salirn-ik
These are the northern nalsai of Nalsai'ia, they intermixed much with the Kalan peoples of the lakes and have formed a unique culture away from their kin.
They were in contact more with the Baskth than the Felmer, and as such, they have more of a relationship with them. They often clashed with the Goraekani in the north, but they also traded with them at times.

Noldirn
This culture formed from a settler community in the Noland Peninsula, and eventually formed its own kingdom. They live in the more rugged parts of the forest, and their more challenging terrain has made them tough, which is why they were often hired to fight in the Nalsaien army.
They spent a long time exterminating the remaining Felmer population here, which was largely of feline ethnicity. This fight has entrenched a deep resentment towards the Felmer within them.

Lanirn
The Lanirnian kingdom was created around a thousand years ago, and has since attracted immigration from all over the Nalsai world for its fertile lands which support large amounts of cattle.
They are the most mixed of the Nalsai, and have components of many other Nalsai Ethnicities mixed in. This has given them a pragmatic mercantile approach to politics, which they use to rally up support for their wars against the kingdom of Lupinor.

Kalan

The Kalan people came to the continent from Illi long before the Irn did. But they landed much farther to the north, where they encountered tall mountains and highlands. Initially they made a living diving for shells and crustaceans, as well as fishing in the tropical fjords, and later, some of their number passed the mountains and formed the first of the lake communities. Which is why the Kalan culture group can be devided between those from the lakes, and those from the fjords.
They once also extended much farther inland, even fishing on the river, but they were conquered and assimilated by the arriving Irnen peoples.
The Kalan are unique for their specific traditions around hunting sea beasts, and the specific fish of each of the lakes, and they hold regular tournaments for exactly that.

Nalsai-ik (WIP)

Those of the Nalsai that stayed on the islands are named the Nalsai-ik, they have a more grounded view of the world and a more tolerant view of the other races, even if simply for their isolation from them. They are the best seafarers among the Nalsai, as well as renowned builders. They have a love for architecture and for hunting, even if they no longer hunt full-time for food.
They are also the ones who domesticated both the Ikul, and the Muibi.

Illikai-ik
The people of the main and largest of the Nalsaien islands are proud and strong. They were once divided into many subcultures, but they have since been united as one.

Skon-ik
The people of the southernmost of the Nalaisian islands: Skon.

Eiker-ik
The people of the westernmost, and second largest of the Naslaien islands.