Ethnic Groups of Cassel
Maps for Comparisons
((Author's Note: Map has 6 layers. Use the square on the top right to switch between them. Each layer shows the most common color, religion, or ethnic group of any given region and does not indicate that everyone in an area has that aspect.))
Thirty million people live in Cassel. There are twenty major ethnic groups living in the region, with dozens of smaller ones. These numbers are very much dominated by the Marsani (8 million people) and the Aluvians (11 Million People). Many of the ethnic groups in Cassel were here since the beginning of the Iron Age and have moved around very little in the last three thousand years. Others like the Adorazi and the Sylvi invaded or migrated here.
Culturally, many of the groups of people have bled their customs together over the many centuries but there is still quite a difference between them, especially in the language they speak and their preferred foods. The most different people are also the most isolated, separated by mountain ranges and icy bodies of water, including the Gwerrans and the Aleurians.
Human Ethnic Groups
((Author's Note - Hovering tooltips here will say what the closest real world equivalent is to the languages. It's mostly used to determine how locations and some people are named because that aspect of worldbuilding is hard... It isn't necessarily the actual language they speak.))Aluvians
The people of the central and southern plains of Cassel. Originally the Aluvians lived around the Wrethas Sea in the central valleys of Cassel before expanding outwards and becoming the dominant power in the land. The Royal Family of Cassel, the Vernadors, have mostly Aluvian ancestry which helped this group of people rise to power.Aluvians have light olive that is prone to tanning. Their eyes are almost exclusively light brown in color, though many in the Northeast have light blue to silver-blue eyes. Their hair hair color is generally light brown, though individuals with lighter blondes or darker blacks is not uncommon. Their language is Casselian, which is by far the most spoken language in all of the Kingdoms of Cassel. Nearly all people in the region can speak it in addition to their local language.
Eldon Vernador, King of Aluviane (South Cassel)
Aerynn Vernador, Princess of Aluviane.
Charlotte Valois, disgraced Marshal of Fairden
Marsani
The people of the northern plains of Cassel. For over a thousand years the Kingdom of Marsan was Cassel's equal in many ways until a war and a marriage unified Marsan and Cassel into one kingdom. Verdina, the name for North Cassel, is still mostly under their influence, though the Marsani themselves have been under the direct cultural influence of the Elves to their north for much longer.Marsani have light skin that can tan in moderation, but is prone to burning. Their eyes can range from hazel and amber to light blue and gray. Their hair is generally dark blond in color, but some Marsani have golden hair that reminds many of the original Golden Ones. Their language is a dialect of the Lenese that the Elves of Lyonne speak, but the Marsani incorporate many words from Casselian, giving them their own distinct feel.
Iamano
The diamond people of Southwest Cassel. For many hundreds of years, the Diamond kingdom was a thorn in Cassel's side until they were finally conquered and integrated into the larger kingdom. The Iamano still largely have control over West Cassel, also known as Baileon.Iamano generally have dark brown eyes and hair, though a sizeable percentage of them have green eyes instead. While they have lighter olive skin when born, it quickly darkens due to their homeland's dry, sunny climate. Iamano speak the Adami language.
Occasionally, an Iamano is born with crystalline hair, white eyes, and translucent skin, influence from the aether of a God imprisoned below the palace in Mataro. For people born this way, their hair and skin darken as they get older and by the time they are adults, there is almost no trace of this aetheric corruption remaining.
Larielle Vernador, Queen of Baileon. She is half Iamano from her mother.
Mirielle Messina, a Half-Elf with human Rosali and elven Lyonesse ancestry.
Rosali
The People of the Western plains of South Cassel and the Island of Rosika. The Rosali have for thousands of years been in possession of the single greatest source of Aethercite in the region. Numerous wars have been fought for control of the Island of Rosika, with Baileon currently in control.Rosali have dark hair and easily tanned olive skin. Their eyes are usually brown but can also be a dark amber or hazel. Rosali speak the Cristalli language.
There are a number of Humans (and Elves) born on the island of Rosika that have absorbed the aether of Eralli, the Earth Goddess. They have green or violet eyes and the same is true of their hair. Elves have lighter colors and humans are darker. This trait seems to develop randomly on the island and can happen to any human or elven ethnicity. The trait can skip generations and is difficult to tell when it will appear next. People born with these traits are said to have the Crystal Trace in their blood.
Perli
The Desert people of Southwest Cassel. They claim to have had their own nation called the Pearl Kingdom before Cassel conquered them, though most historians say that Peraldin was just a province of the Diamond Kingdoom. Similar to the Iamano, Perli are born with dark hair and eyes and their skin tans easily. They are difficult to distinguish from other ethnicities in Southwest Cassel, with the exception of their language, Margari.Nessian
Desert people of Central Cassel. They are similar to the Iamano and have dark hair and eyes and their skin tans easily. It is difficult to tell them apart from other ethnicities in Southwest Cassel, and their language is a combination of Casselian and Adami with no separate name for the dialect.
Furio, a Knight of the Phoenix
Myles Pireson, from the Kingdom of Yurria
Esurian
The Esurian people share much more in comon with the people from the Kingdom of Yurria a hundred kilometers to the north across the sea than they do the rest of Cassel. People regularly migrate between the two regions.Esurians and Yurrians have light, easily burnable skin, dark blonde to brown hair, and either blue or brown eyes. Green eyes and red hair can also be found, though it is quite rare.
Until a few centuries ago, Yurria was under the rule of the Kingdom of Faeon throughout most of the Iron Age, and their language was forever altered as a result into the present day Yurrian language. Esurians, being under the influence by Cassel during most of this time, instead speak Esurri.
Gwerran
The Gwerran people have been isolated in their Area in Northeastern Cassel since before the Iron Age started. The Elven kingdoms barely interacted with them. Cassel annexed them with almost no issue and all they had to do was build them several castles. After annexation the Gwerrans still don't interact with the outside world much.Gwerrans have light, easily burnable skin, mostly red hair, and blue to silver-blue eyes. Green eyes and golden hair are not uncommon.
The Gwerrans are similar to the Esurians and share much more in common with the people of Yurria than the rest of Cassel. Their language is Gwerri and might even be the original language of all three groups if it weren't for the influence of much more powerful kingdoms.
Isolda, a Knight of the Abyss
Adorazi
The People from across the Silver Channel. The Adorazi are a mixture of Aluvian people who previously lived there and invaders from the kingdom of Teyand. The Teyand invaded nearly 1500 years ago and brought their own culture and religion. for centuries they forced the locals to adopt it.While the Teyand were eventually kicked out and forced back across the sea around 1000 years ago, a large number of people were left behind who eventually integrated with the people here, creating something distinct from the Aluvians and Teyand both.
Adorazi have black hair and eyes and their skin is naturally light brown. They never burn in the sun. The Adorazi speak a dialect of Casselian called Dorazian.
Cuivri
People of the swamps and forests of Northern Cassel. Cuivri have orange to amber eyes and medium brown hair, though there are many with lighter and darker hair colors. Their skin is a light olive color that can tan easily. Their language is Aerenne.Doric
The Doric people migrated to Cassel at the beginning of the Bronze Age from Milcea. Little of their original culture remains, though some in recent years have taken to worshipping dragons again. Doric people have light brown eyes and medium brown hair though a large portion of their population has blonde hair and light blue eyes. Their skin is light and prone to burning. They speak Casselian with some influences from their original language, but barely enough to call it a separate dialect.Ursani
"...yeah, just skip over these guys. Trust me. For those of you that know, you know. For those of you that don't... calling them humans anymore might seem like a stretch, so let's just not tackle them for now!"
- Xana
Aelurian
The Aelurians are an isolated people in Southeast Cassel in the frozen Aelurus Islands. Their culture, language, and religion is as different from other humans of Cassel as the Lamia are. They have medium-brown skin and black hair. Depending on where they live, their eyes will be either light brown, or glowing blue due to the influence of Nivema's Sorrow. Their language is known on the mainland as the Glacial Tongue.Elven Ethnic Groups
Lyonesse
Elves of the Kingdom of Lyonne in Northwestern Cassel. The Lyonesse Elves have lived in the area for many tens of thousands of years, since the very end of the Silver Age. No matter how many human kingdoms rise and fall, they have been a constant in the region.Lyonesse Elves have light skin that never seems to burn or tan no matter how intense the sun. Their eyes can be any shade between green and yellow and they generally have light blonde hair, though many are found with orange to red eyes and darker brown or black hair as well.
Lyonesse Elves speak what is known as Pure Lenese. Other than the occasional addition of necessary words, the language is said to have been left unchanged for thousands of years.
Queen Eryka LaFontaine of Lyonne.
Iris Tendrim. A typical Lyonesse commoner.
Adan Sousa, a Ledonesse guard of the Vernador family.
Ledonesse
Elves of the Kingdom of Ledo in Eastern Cassel. Ledonesse Elves have light skin at birth but throughout their long lives they can get a rather dark tan depending on how much they are in the sun. Their eyes are generally gray to silver-blue in color and their hair, while generally blonde, can also be brown or black. Ledonesse Elves speak what is known as Edonese.Media Nocti
The Midnight Elves are found in small pockets all over many different Elven Kingdoms, though they can be found in large concentrations in Lyonne. They exclusively have light pinkish skin, yellow eyes, and black hair. they tend to speak the official language of whatever kingdom but they also have their own cryptic language and actively prevent others from ever learning it. They are the followers of the Church of Midnight, where they get their name.
Kayorise, a priestess of the Church of Midnight
Sylvi
Wood Elves. They can be found in the deeper woods of both Elf-Kingdoms. It is difficult to say if they are a distinct ethnicity or if they are changed slightly due to being so isolated in the forests of the world for thousands of years, absorbing the aether of life deities like Yanneth, Flora, and Eralli.They have yellowish skin that can also appear light gray or more olive. Their eyes are always a shade of green or blue and their hair is "wood" colored in that it is textured with streaks of multiple different colors, looking like a dark green or red from a distance.
Wood Elves speak the official language of whatever kingdom they are in though their names can be from anywhere.
Rengael Argalia, A Warden of the Lion
Axia, Half-Elven knight of the Drake. Also half Marsani.
Other Ethnicites
Lamiai
Lamiai appear rather similar to humans with the exception of large colorless plates that appear on their skin in specific patterns. The vast majority of Lamiai dye these plates in bold colors that match their hair.Depending on the dragon corruption they live near, Lamia can appear wildly different from each other. In Cassel however, between the corruption of Xiralgus and the corruption of Meos, they appear rather similar. Their skin can range from rosy pink (Xiralgan) to light violet(Meorian). Their eyes are pink, though more corrupted Lamia have red eyes. Their hair ranges from Fuchsia(Xiralgan) to dark Violet(Meorian).
Lamiai mainly speak the official language of Cassel, but older speakers can also speak Setharian, which is said to be the original language of the dragons.
A typical Xiralgan Lamia.
A typical Orc.
Irazani
Orcs of Western Cassel. They live near the corruption of Maeos because unlike humans and even Lamia, they are fully immune to the altering effects. These Orcs are not the same as the Orcs of Veracrul that regulate Vreathe's technological development and were granted power by the gods. They are instead the Orcs that refused to work with the gods at the beginning of the Bronze Age, instead striking out on their own.Orcs have skin that ranges from light to dark gray with pink undertones, though completely white and black orcs are also known. Their eyes are generally yellow and they rarely grow hair, which is usually a light brown or grayish white. Typical of orcs they have tusks protruding from their bottom jaws.
Non Native peoples
There are over a dozen nations surrounding Cassel in three directions and there are many more nations across Vreathe. While the total number of foreigners in Cassel number less than ten thousand and are spread out, several groups of people will be briefly mentioned below.
Sandrea Aquila
Irrelithian
The Empire of Irrelith lies to the southwest of Cassel. The two kingdoms have fought in numerous wars over the millennia, though recently things have been peaceful. Irrelithians tend to have sun-kissed skin and light brown eyes and hair. Numerous minor ethnic groups are under the empire's rule and their appearance has quite a bit of variation.Entarians
Far to the south, across the sprawling Olimian Wastes, and beyond the crater of the falling star, are people with dark brown to black skin and black eyes. They are normally seen in Cassel as mercenaries that guarded caravans traveling to the region. Some do not make the return trip back across the desert and stay in Cassel, usually in the barony of Mataro, often still doing mercenary or soldier work.
Moore, Phoenix Commander
King Alban
Ordlandian
the Elf-kingdom of Ordland lies to Cassel's north across the sea. They generally have pale skin and light hair, but the elves here are obsessed with adding God-touched humans to their lineage, which can give their half-elven offspring a varied appearance, especially in different colored glowing eyes.Galleskan
This kingdom is west of Cassel, across the Mountains of Cil or around the northern coastlines. The two kingdoms are generally peaceful with each other, mostly because invasions are difficult between the two lands due to mountains and elven kingdoms being in the way. Galleskans have pale rosy skin and light brown to blonde hair. Their eyes are generally yellow or blue.
Maria Weber
Alluthian - Moontrace
Alluth is a term to refer to a whole set of kingdoms far to the west of Cassel. The people there are almost never seen in Cassel, but due to circumstances of their culture and religion, a disproportionately large number of these people found in the East are female and have what is known as the Moon Trace, being descended from the Moon Goddess Kalbeth. They almost all have white tinted hair and cyan colored eyes as a result. Their other features depends very heavily on what specific Alluthian kingdom they are from.
Raini Moontrace
Alluthian - Yunari
Yunari is also known as the Kingdom of the Moon. People from this kingdom are spread out across a vast desert and mountain region. Individual towns each have their own subculture and dialect, but are still united around their religion. There are no established Yunari families in Cassel. Yunari generally have brown skin, black hair, and amber eyes.
Lucia Sar
Alluthian - Tiren
Tiren is also known as the Kingdom of the Sun. People from this kingdom are quite tall for humans and are often seen in Eastern vreathe as mercenaries or knights. There are several established Tiren families in the Barony of Mataro in Cassel. Tiren often have lightly tanned skin, brown eyes, and black hair.
Seren Elkir
Great article! :D
Thanks!